News and Articles


In Columbia, S.C., on Oct. 13, 2015, workers lifted a vehicle from an area that flooded; FEMA reported both bridge approaches were washed away by the floodwaters. Climate change is making floods and storms more frequent and more severe. (FEMA/Bill Koplitz photo)

Report Assesses Climate Change's Impacts on Workers

Most at risk are outdoor workers, including agricultural workers, commercial fishermen, construction workers, transportation workers, and first responders, but workers in hot indoor environments such as warehouses and factories are also at risk of heat illnesses.

WIPP Installs Underground Personnel Notification and Tracking System

In an April 5, 2016, Federal Register notice, DOE indicated waste disposal operations at WIPP are expected to resume in late 2016. That notice concerned a DOE/NNSA decision to dispose of six metric tons of surplus non-pit plutonium there, once WIPP is again operational.

Volume 1 covers events leading up to the explosion and fire, and volume 2 contains critical technical analyses of the blowout preventer

Judge Issues Final Order in BP Case

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier's April 4 order confirms the company's $18.7 billion settlement of federal and state claims announced last July.

Ecolab Headlines Inner Circle 2016

More than 75 percent of tourism operators in Asia Pacific have high business risks related to water scarcity, according to data to be discussed at Inner Circle 2016, a global sustainability and responsible tourism forum to be hosted by EarthCheck on 21-22 April 2016 at Alila Seminyak, Bali.

This photo is a complete view of the DFTO system. (Dürr Systems, Inc. photo)

How Thermal Oxidation Can Increase the Sustainability of a Chemical Plant

For this manufacturer of organic chemicals operating many smaller processes, a single centralized thermal oxidizer system was the most cost-effective path to expand production while meeting new emission controls requirements.

This article originally appeared in the April 2016 issue of Environmental Protection.

BSEE Studies Arctic Response Challenges

The agency has tested a Geo-Referencing Identification Satellite tag project.

Arctic Sea Ice Set New Low in Early 2016, Center Reports

"The Arctic is in crisis. Year by year, it's slipping into a new state, and it's hard to see how that won't have an effect on weather throughout the Northern Hemisphere," said Ted Scambos, NSIDC's lead scientist.

How the Green Data Center Revolution Affects Your Website

Most Internet users think of a website as existing strictly in the virtual world, however, every website requires a hosting computer, and that host computer both uses electricity and produces a lot of heat that must be dissipated.

Cross-Border Truck Convoy Ready to Roll

The challenge is also backed by ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, with hopes to accelerate the development of convoy-driving corridors in Europe and pave the way for EU legislative changes.

GE, American Water Announce Digital Alliance

The goal is to help the industry reduce environmental impacts and operating costs associated with water production, treatment, transportation, and delivery.

First 'Deepwater Horizon' Movie Trailer Released

The debate already has begun about whether the movie cynically exploits the families of the workers who died or portrays them and the catastrophe honestly.

Great Lakes States Receive Grant for Pollution Prevention

The EPA will be awarding $1 million to help combat pollution in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Regional Conservation Programs Receives $260 Million in USDA Funding

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that the USDA will be providing $260 million for conservation partnership programs that will help improve water quality, support wildlife, protect agriculture, and more. Applications are now being accepted for 2017 funding.

Spend a day in a data center and you will come away with a deep appreciation that indoor noise exposure is a priority safety consideration. (Digital Realty Trust, Inc. photo)

Data Center EH&S 101

Stakeholders' concerns range from asbestos and lead-based paint typically found in older and/or legacy data centers to fire-resistant clothing, contractor and construction management, elevated work such as portable and fixed ladders, and rooftop maintenance.

This article originally appeared in the April 2016 issue of Environmental Protection.

WA Irrigation District Settles Illegal Water Use Case

The Washington Department of Ecology had fined the district in 2015 for diverting water that was placed into trust to protect critical stream flows for threatened steelhead in the Touchet River. The river is part of a watershed that is one of 16 considered critical for providing habitat for threatened migratory fish.

Global Power Generation Could be Severely Affected by Global Water Shortfall in 2030

Global Power Generation Could be Severely Affected by Global Water Shortfall in 2030

A 2016 research paper in the Journal Nature predicts a 40 percent shortfall of available water across the globe by 2030 with effects not just for drinking, food production, hygiene and public health, but also for 98 percent of global electric power generation.

BSEE, NASA Reach Five-Year Agreement

BSEE will benefit from using probabilistic risk assessment, a technique to quantitatively model risk that was used in the modeling of the space shuttle program and is currently being used for the International Space Station and Orion deep space capsule programs.

Large-Scale Composting: Effective, Efficient Water Conservation Strategy for Public Works

Well-documented results attest to the power of composted nutrient-rich biosolids and organics when properly applied as a soil amendment to conserve water in many ways.

Boeing Pursuing Renewable Jet Fuel

A new research facility near Abu Dhabi International Airport will grow plants that will eventually produce renewable jet fuel, according to the company.

What is Legitimate Recycling? In essence, it is not "sham" recycling. For example, foundry sand cannot be recycled as playground sand but could be recycled for use in creating industrial molds. Sham is now more than what is in the eye of the beholder.

The Solid Waste Rule: A Summary of 2015 Revisions

The 2015 Solid Waste Rule is more stringent than the earlier versions of the Rule, and EPA is requiring authorized states to modify their programs in order to comply with the 2015 Sold Waste Rule.