Is there more ISAF should do on pollution ahead of Rio 2016?
by ISAF on 1 Aug 2015
Racing under Sugarloaf Mountain's shadow - 2015 Aquece Rio International Sailing Regatta ISAF
The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) says it continues to address concerns and is taking steps to ensure the health and safety of all athletes who will be competing in the upcoming Aquece Rio, Olympic Test Event and the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition, but is it enough?
In a statement today ISAF says it continues to work closely with senior staff members at the Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic Games as well as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), whom ISAF President Carlo Croce and ISAF Chief Executive Officer Peter Sowrey met with in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the 128th IOC Session.
ISAF is in continuous discussions with Brazilian authorities in preparation for the Olympic Games, and has been given reassurances on pollution and objects in the water, in and around the race area of Marina da Gloria and Guanabara Bay.
ISAF, Rio 2016, the IOC, the Brazilian Government, Rio State Environment Institute (INEA) and State Environment Agency (SEA) are all working together to prepare for Rio 2016, and Brazilian authorities are working to guidelines and recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure a safe and fair field of play for the athletes.
However, all might not be quite as rosy as the ISAF statement suggests.
An independent water quality analysis commissioned by Associated Press allegedly reveals high levels of viruses and bacteria from human sewerage in Olympic and Paralympic venues — results that it seem have alarmed international experts and dismayed competitors training in Rio, some of whom have already fallen ill with fevers, vomiting and diarrhoea.
N.B., To be fair, the AP did not state where they physically collected their water samples, nor did they release any information about the tide cycle at the time that their sample was taken, two key factors that could have a significant impact on their findings, and which may or may not make this independent test germane to the areas where Olympic sailors will be competing.
However Brazilians officials have given repeated assurances that the water will be safe for the Olympic athletes. But it now says that the government does not test for viruses.
Sail-World has sought clarification from ISAF on the matter of virus testing as the AP figures have suggested that levels of disease-causing viruses that in some tests measured up to 1.7 million times the level of what would be considered hazardous on a Southern California beach.
Associated Press quotes are disturbing 'What you have there is basically raw sewerage,' said John Griffith, a marine biologist at the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Griffith examined the protocols, methodology and results of the AP tests.
'It's all the water from the toilets and the showers and whatever people put down their sinks, all mixed up, and it's going out into the beach waters. Those kinds of things would be shut down immediately if found here,' he said, referring to the U.S.
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Vera Oliveira, head of water monitoring for Rio's municipal environmental secretariat, said officials are not testing viral levels at the Olympic venues, the water quality of which is the city's responsibility.
Hmmmmmmm...
Now back to the ISAF statement:
'The health and safety of the competing athletes is paramount and responses have been implemented from concerns raised by both Member National Authorities (MNAs) and sailors from previous events, including the 2014 Aquece Rio, the first of two sailing test events that was held in August 2014.
'Sailors were concerned with objects that may interfere with racing during the Olympic Games, and in response the state government launched a tender of up to $11 million USD for 17 ecobarriers to be put in place. These ecobarriers will prevent floating garbage from entering Guanabara Bay and the race areas. The new system of ecobarriers will be complemented by ecoboats that will collect garbage that accumulates around the barriers, with a further step of a monitoring system utilising satellite pictures to support the ecoboats.
'As part of every Olympic Games, there is a focus on legacy. ISAF hopes that the power of the Olympic Games will provide a great legacy as Rio de Janeiro works to improve the state of the bay generally. The IOC monitors the water twice weekly, which will be increased to every other day during the 2015 Aquece Rio test event.
'Other measures taken to increase this legacy will be a new pipeline that will divert sewage from Marina da Gloria, ready by November 2015, well in advance of the Olympic Games, which compliments the other proactive measures around the Guanabara Bay, such as closing landfills, reducing industrial pollution and increasing water treatment works.
'Rio will welcome sailors once again from 13-22 August 2015 for the second Test Event, with racing taking place inside and outside of Guanabara Bay. The Test Event will allow ISAF the opportunity evaluate and make key decisions in advance of making the final decisions that will govern the main event.'
So that sounds good, but its just a matter of those pesky viruses.
If it is true that the water quality monitoring is in fact so deficient, surely if the ISAF or the IOC or both to ask for, or even pay for water monitoring tests which will prove that waterborne viruses do not pose the health risk that Associated Press alleges. Otherwise, God Forbid, this has the potential to become a Duty of Care risk for ISAF.
A refusal to demand or pay for virus level monitoring would logically suggest officals just don't want to see the results. We hope we are wrong.
Failing the ability to provide assurances to the sailors they are not a risk, it seems the only safe thing to do is to move the entire regatta offshore.
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