News and Articles


USDA Loans Funding Rural Utilities' Smart Grid Improvements

Rural electric systems in eight states will benefit from $236.3 million in USDA loan guarantees to help them modernize and improve reliability, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced July 16.

The thin ribbon of sandy barrier islands and beaches along America’s coastline shifts constantly, especially during hurricanes, nor’easters, and other extreme storms.

Science Brings Clarity to Shifting Shores

Each and every day, waves move sand back and forth, onto and away from beaches. The thin ribbon of sandy barrier islands and beaches along America’s coastline shifts constantly, especially during hurricanes, nor’easters, and other extreme storms.

CSB Investigation Finds No Record of Inspections on Freedom Industries Chemical Storage Tanks

The company is responsible for a leak from one of its tanks. The leak contaminated Charleston, W.Va., residents' drinking water in January 2014.

BSEE Researcher Highlights Current Research Projects

Kristi McKinney, a research specialist in the federal agency's Oil Spill Response Division, spoke last month at the Norwegian Oil Spill Control Association’s annual seminar.

Thousands of Acres Preserved in South Carolina

More than 4,000 acres of land, including 2,000 acres of wetlands, will be preserved in South Carolina thanks to a wetland mitigation approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Federal Court Ruling Protects Appalachian Waters

A federal appeals court has sided with the EPA to uphold a policy to scrutinize pollution from severe mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia, helping protect the waters and surrounding communities.

WV DEP: Cleanups Removed 300 Tons of Trash

West Virginians are proud of their state and its beauty and understand the importance of keeping it clean," said Danny Haught, chief of the Department of Environmental Protection's Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan, which oversees the programs.

IARC Report Prioritizes Agents, Exposures for Evaluating Carcinogenic Risks

Among those listed as high priority for the years 2015-2019 are multi-walled carbon nanotubes, welding and welding fumes, and occupational exposure to pesticides.

Nine Proposals Received for Unleaded General Aviation Gas

The Federal Aviation Administration hopes to work with industry to produce a new unleaded fuel by 2018.

European Commission Proposes Higher Recycling Targets

EU countries would ban burying recyclable waste in landfills after 2025 and recycle 70 percent of municipal waste and 80 percent of packaging by 2030.

Acidity Decreasing in Rivers

A USGS study shows that rivers across the United States are less acidic due to a decrease in atmospheric deposition, industrial waste, and mine drainage.

DOJ Announces Wastewater Plant Settlement

The settlement will resolve violations of the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

EPA Releases Tool to Help Communities Be More Flood Resilient

The agency has released a tool to help communities better prepare for, deal with and recover from floods.

Queens Environmental Center Wins Design Award

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Design Commission President Signe Nielsen honored 10 public works projects in the city's five boroughs July 7 with the 32nd Annual Awards for Excellence in Design.

Sand Becomes Key Ingredient in Lithium Ion Batteries

Sand Becomes Key Ingredient in Lithium Ion Batteries

A team of researchers has developed a new lithium ion battery from sand, resulting in a battery three times more powerful than the standard.

NRC Extends Comment Period on LLRW Program Changes

The agency's staff will develop an updated strategic assessment of the Low Level Radioactive Waste Regulatory Program, revising the alternative future disposal scenarios specified in the prior, 2007 strategic assessment.

Hundreds of Pennsylvania Homes Protected After Mine Cleanup

The Department of Environmental Protection in Pennsylvania has completed a $5.6 million mine reclamation project which will help protect more than 100 homes near the mine.

Wastewater Injections Responsible for Oklahoma Earthquakes

Wastewater Injections Responsible for Oklahoma Earthquakes

A new study shows that nearly half of earthquakes in central and eastern United States have occurred in areas of high-rate water disposal.

BSEE

BSEE Testing Stationary Skimmer Systems' Effectiveness

The skimmers will be tested using various oil types in order to determine their oil recovery rate and recovery efficiency.

EPA Updates Air Standards for Landfills

EPA Updates Air Standards for Landfills

The EPA is proposing updates be made to air standards for new municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, which would reduce methane emissions and overall pollution.