News and Articles


Why Are Corporations and Municipalities Moving to Zero Waste?

Municipalities and states are mandating that large producers of waste food must not send it to a landfill. The administration understands that waste food has the largest impact on the environment, and large corporations are already striving for zero waste (and finding value in the waste they can recycle).

Mutual Housing California Finishes Green Renovation in Sacramento Development

Sacramento-based nonprofit Mutual Housing California recently completed an $8.6 million green renovation of one of their affordable housing developments.

Major Loss By Toshiba Rattles Nuclear Sector

The Japanese company took a $6.3 billion writedown to its U.S. nuclear unit on Feb. 14 and announced several executive changes, including the resignation of Shigenori Shiga as representative executive officer to take management responsibility for the loss.

WEF Accepting Applications for 2017 National Municipal Stormwater Awards

Winners will be announced this summer after an expert committee review and selection process. Each applicant will be designated a bronze, silver, or gold community within the categories of program management and innovation, and WEF also will identify high performers in program management and innovation.

Johnson Controls Buys 5 Percent Stake in Battery Recycling Company

"Our partnership with Johnson Controls is a tremendous step forward and is an opportunity for us to work with the global leader in automotive battery manufacturing and responsible recycling," said Dr. Stephen Clarke, chairman and CEO of Aqua Metals. "We will build on this exciting relationship in order to enable clean and efficient battery recycling around the world."

Canada Convicted 31 of Illegal Fishing in 2016's Fourth Quarter in Newfoundland, Labrador

The convictions followed investigations by Fisheries and Oceans Canada fishery officers. More than $23,000 in fines were issued in connection with the cases.

ADEM Seeking UST Conference Presentations

The agency's 24th Underground Storage Tank Assessment and Remediation Conference is scheduled for April 19-20 in Montgomery. Presentation proposals are due by March 1.

Solar Power Used for Freshwater Production

Solar plants, such as one in the Mojave Desert, are becoming more popular for use in water desalination.

Oregon Pursuing Outstanding Resource Designation for North Fork Smith River

The proposal would designate the river, as well as its tributaries and associated wetlands, as Outstanding Resource Waters under Oregon's antidegradation regulations under the federal Clean Water Act. This would be the first such protection for a water body in Oregon.

Congress Uses Congressional Review Act Against Streams Rule

The U.S. Senate voted 54-45 on Feb. 2 to kill it via the Congressional Review Act, a measure dating to 1996 that allows Congress to vote to eliminate a recently enacted federal regulation. In this case, the rule requires coal companies to clean up waste from mountaintop removal mining and prevent it from going into local waterways.

U.S. Army Pursues ‘Biodegradable’ Ammunition

U.S. Army Pursues ‘Biodegradable’ Ammunition

Military bases are among the most toxic sites in the United States.

NRC Proposes Lower Fees for FY2017

The proposed rule reduces annual fees by 7.3 percent from last year for operating reactors, by 16.1 percent for most fuel cycle facilities, and by 1.5 percent for spent fuel storage and decommissioning reactor licensees.

Wading birds feed near wooden posts marking a research site in a Louisiana salt marsh in Port Fourchon, La. Color-coded posts mark research plots for the USGS-University of Texas Rio Grande Valley study. (USGS photo)

Study Warns of Big Impacts to Coastal Wetlands

"Most studies have focused on the impact of sea-level rise on coastal wetlands and have excluded the important role of temperature and precipitation," said Michael Osland, a USGS research ecologist and the study's co-author. "We know that climate influences how these wetlands look and work, so this study aimed to demonstrate the importance of considering these forces when modeling what coastal wetlands may look like in the future."

Canadian Fund Aids 16 Projects in Quebec

"Thanks to the federal-provincial agreement for the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund, 12 municipalities in the Mauricie region will be able to complete important projects to meet their needs related to drinking water and wastewater treatment infrastructure," said Julie Boulet, minister of Tourism and minister responsible for the Mauricie region.

President Signs Order to Reduce Federal Regulations

The order will require agencies to control the costs of all new rules within their budget and will be prohibited from imposing any new cost in finalizing or repealing a rule for the remainder of 2017 unless the cost is offset by the repeal of two existing regulations.

New Water Source Opens in San Antonio

San Antonio introduces a new, drought-resistant drinking water source to their city.

EPA Halts Grant Programs, Tells Employees to Remain Silent

Sources within the agency say it has been instructed to freeze all grants.

WVDEP Accepts Beech Bottom Industrial Park Remediation Application

The property has been subjected to deep and surface mining in the past and part was occupied by a former fueling station along State Route 2, according to the department.

Settlement Reached to Clean Up Navajo Nation Uranium Mines

Cyprus Amax and Western Nuclear have agreed to perform removal site evaluations, engineering evaluations, cost analyses, and cleanups at the 94 mines. In return for that commitment, the United States, on behalf of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy, agrees to place $335 million into a trust account to help fund the cleanup.

Canada Funds New Brunswick Wastewater Treatment Plant

The project includes provincial and local funding and will replace aging infrastructure in the community of Chipman.