Water


EPA Fines Toppenish for Excess Wastewater Discharges

The agency said the city will pay $134,500 for violating its NPDES permit during 2008-2010.

Asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer and other types of serious lung disease in workers when inhaled.

NIOSH Issues Asbestos Roadmap, Recommends More Research

"The NIOSH roadmap outlines a strategic framework for designing, conducting, and applying the research that will best serve the need to address persistent scientific uncertainties about occupational health and elongate mineral particles," said Director Dr. John Howard.

Recycling Facility Joins Cal/OSHA SHARP Program

"There are just over 1 million employers in California and of those, only 42 are current SHARP recipients," said Cal/OSHA Area Manager Kelly Howard.

Lighter Weight Plant Fibers May be Used for Vehicle Plastics

Although the process is costly, researchers from Brazil said it takes just one pound of nano-cellulose to produce 100 pounds of super-strong, lightweight plastic.

Gulf Restoration Task Force Opens State Call Lines

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force also is holding listening sessions in coastal states to get feedback before it has to propose an agenda on Oct. 5.

Microwave Method Converts Used Motor Oil into Fuel

Researchers at the U.K.'s Cambridge University mixed samples of waste oil with a highly microwave-absorbent material and then heated the mixture to convert nearly 90 percent of the samples into fuel.

Typical waste lagoons at the start of surface aeration and microbial enhancement. Note the presence of solids on lagoon surface.

Waste Lagoons: Sloppy Mess or Treatment Opportunity?

Surface aeration and aerobic microbes can alleviate an overloaded waste lagoon.

The Cambrian Center

ARRA Funds Green Retrofit for HUD Facility

Salas O'Brien will engineer a cool roof and use fuel cells to save energy at the Cambrian Center near the Los Gatos-San Jose border.



Groups Request Info on Reactor Exemptions, Evacuation

Richard Brodsky with Demos, a national policy center, and three other groups have filed Freedom of Information Act requests prompted by the nuclear disaster in Sendai, Japan.

New Artificial Leaf 10 Times More Efficient than Natural Leaf

MIT’s Daniel Nocera said he believes the future world will be powered by photosynthesis and his research has developed one that uses nickel and cobalt to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

SLAMM 2.0 Models Possible Impact of Rising Sea

The application, unveiled by Image Matters, confines itself to specific coastal wetlands such as Chesapeake and Delaware bays.

Researchers Transform Bone Meal Waste into Partly Biodegradable Plastic

Clemson University study used meat and bone meal, which has been discarded due to Mad Cow Disease concerns, to make petroleum-free bioplastics.

Court Denies Rehearing; Water Districts to Be Compensated

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation delivered less water to the districts than the government promised to provide, according to the lawsuit.

MillionTreesNYC Symposium Content Available Online

The Cities and the Environment website provides information on the latest research on urban ecology science.

Proposed Toxics Rule Will Not Compromise Electric System Reliability

The Clean Energy Group, which is a coalition of electric power companies, has reviewed the proposal and says the rule allows for some compliance flexibility.

LA Middle School Adopts Nation's First Environmental Curriculum

Stella Middle Charter Academy will implement environment-based education in science and history/social science from California's Education and Environment Initiative.

DTSC Calls for Comments on Univar Facility, PG&E Site

The Univar workplan addresses cleanup of groundwater contaminated with volatile organic compounds in Commerce while the PG&E remedial action plan deals with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, total petroleum hydrocarbons, metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls in the soil in Colusa.

Doe Run, Missouri DNR to Address Lead Contamination

Soils at St. Joe State Park are extensively contaminated with toxic lead and lead compounds from mining wastes that accumulated over several decades.

EPA Takes Soil Samples at Barstow Residence

The agency is working with the city and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board to determine the amount of perchlorate at the site.

Study: Polystyrene Foam Cups, Plates Use Less Energy, Water

A new peer-reviewed study finds that polystyrene foam use significantly less energy and water than comparable paper-based or corn-based alternatives.