Water


CDC: Drought is a Public Health Issue

Drought can affect air quality and increase the incidence of illness and disease, according to the agency. Currently, parts of California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada are experiencing extreme or exceptional drought.

The ISO greenhouse gas standard has reached the voting stage.

ISO Greenhouse Gas Standard Reaches Voting Stage

"The key areas of focus for ISO 14064-1 will be accounting for indirect greenhouse gas emissions and the linkage between that and renewable energy, which is a very challenging area," said Tom Baumann, chair of the ISO TC 207/SC7 committee that undertook the revision.

Indiana Solar Array Contract Announced

The project in Marion, Ind., will consist of 9,972, 310-watt solar panels and 11 Nextronex 250 inverters and will provide the grid with the equivalent energy to power more than 350 homes.

Honeywell Agrees to Acquire Elster

Honeywell has agreed to pay approximately $5.1 billion for the company, which has three divisions -- Elster Gas, Elster Electricity, and Elster Water -- and will post sales this year estimated to be $1.8 billion.

NOAA Helping Washington State Monitor Algae Bloom

NOAA announced it is committing $88,000 in grant and event response funding to monitor and analyze an unusually large bloom of toxic algae off the state's coast.

The 2015 Alaska fire season is the third-largest season since reliable records began in 1950. More than 4.75 million acres have burned, according to NOAA.

Very Large Fires All Across Southern Alaska

The 2015 Alaska fire season is already the third-largest season since reliable records began in 1950, and more than 4.75 million acres have burned.

Let

Let's Be Frank about Fracking: Is Unconventional Gas and Oil Drilling Really Worth It?

Linked to earthquakes, water contamination, and general pollution, fracking becomes more controversial by the day. Meanwhile, 13,000 new wells are being drilled every year. There have been over a thousand documented cases of water contamination next to areas of gas drilling—cases of sensory, respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological damage. From the water we drink to the ground beneath our feet, is it too late to ask, “What gives?”

Pollution Versus Pollination: Losing Our Natural Resources from A to Zinc

Pollution Versus Pollination: Losing Our Natural Resources from A to Zinc

Two new studies are highlighting the decreasing numbers of food pollinators and the increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.



The Cascadia Fault: Overlooked and Underprepared

The Cascadia Fault: Overlooked and Underprepared

North of the San Andreas Fault is the lesser known and far more insidious subduction zone running 750 miles from Vancouver to Northern California.

The study tested a model that allows scientists and wind energy companies to predict bird fatalities before a wind farm is built.

Model Predicts Bird Deaths Before Wind Facility Construction

The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently released a case study that involved golden eagles partly because of their soaring and hunting behaviors.

Washington Department of Ecology Offering Drought Relief Grants

A total of $16 million is available thanks to an appropriation by the state Legislature.

WV DEP Reminds Big Water Users of Reporting Obligation

As of Jan. 1, 2015, the new reporting threshold is 300,000 gallons withdrawn from surface or groundwater sources in a 30-day period. The data collected is required to be reported to the department starting Jan. 1, 2016.

The EPA has awarded close to $600,000 in brownfields grants to help provide job training and environmental property assessments in Huntington and the southern region in West Virginia.

Brownfields Grants Boost Economy in West Virginia

The EPA has awarded close to $600,000 in brownfields grants to help provide job training and environmental property assessments in Huntington and the southern region in West Virginia.

Wildfires Cause 13,000 to Evacuate Saskatchewan Homes

The Saskatchewan Environment Ministry reported July 6 that there have been 574 wildfires during this fire season -- more than twice as many as the 205 at the same point last year.

Grants Now Available for Wetland Projects in Maine

The State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting applications and proposals for wetland improvements and restoration. The projects should include ideas for dealing with climate change and floods, as well as ways to help improve wildlife habitats.

BP Agrees to Pay $18.7 Billion Deepwater Horizon Settlement

The energy giant announced that its U.S. upstream subsidiary, BP Exploration and Production Inc., has executed the agreements with the U.S. federal government and five Gulf Coast states -- Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, adding that they include settlement of claims made by more than 400 local government entities.

EPA

Understanding the RCRA Exclusion for Oil and Gas E&P

By understanding the scope of the RCRA exclusion for the oil and gas industry, EHS managers and engineers can be confident they are managing waste in line with the latest federal standards and avoid RCRA civil penalties as high as $37,500 per day per violation.

Study Shows Huge Variation in Fracking Operations' Thirst

The first national-scale analysis of hydraulic fracturing water usage found that water volumes averaged within watersheds across the United States range from as little as 2,600 gallons to as much as 9.7 million gallons per well.

Millions in Funding for Brownfield Cleanup Awarded to Michigan

Six communities in Michigan were awarded $2.5 million by the EPA to help clean up and redevelop contaminated properties and affected economies.

Big Senate Fight Set on TSCA Reform

Many parties are jostling for advantage as two competing bills are moving.