Environmental Health and Safety


Columbia River Barge Incident Nearing Its End

The Oct. 12 sentencing of Bret A. Simpson, who pleaded guilty to two criminal violations of the Clean Water Act, will close the books on the $22 million cleanup.

Illinois Governor Delivers Blow to Plastics Recycling Industry

Earlier this summer, the "Plastic Bag and Film Recycling Act," (SB 3442) a measure to promote the collection and recycling of plastic carryout bags and other types of plastic film, passed the Illinois House and Senate. Yesterday, Governor Pat Quinn vetoed this bill.

Robots to Rescue Coral Reefs

A team of 'coralbots', each individually working to simple rules, will piece together damaged bits of coral, allowing them to regrow.

Spokane Concrete and Asphalt Manufacturer Fails to Disclose Use of Chemicals

CPM Development Corporation, a concrete and asphalt manufacturing facility, failed to report toxic chemical use at its Spokane, Washington facility under federal community right-to-know laws, according to a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

A Greener Way to Fertilize Nursery Crops

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist has found a "green" alternative to a type of fertilizer additive that is believed to contribute to the accumulation of heavy metals in waterways.

Half of the Particulate Pollution in North America Comes from Other Continents

Roughly half the aerosols that affect air quality and climate change in North America may be coming from other continents.

Multiple Factors Including Climate Change Led to Collapse and Depopulation of Ancient Maya

A new analysis of complex interactions between humans and the environment preceding the 9th century collapse and abandonment of the Central Maya Lowlands in the Yucatán Peninsula points to a series of events -- some natural, like climate change; some human-made, including large-scale landscape alterations and shifts in trade routes -- that have lessons for contemporary decision-makers and sustainability scientists.

Losing Stream in Our Battle to Predict and Prevent Invasive Species

Invasive species -- plants, animals, and microbes introduced to regions beyond their native range -- carry a global price tag of $1.4 trillion dollars. They are responsible for the loss of natural resources and biodiversity, damages to infrastructure, and an uptick in infectious diseases.



Companies to pay $29.8 Million in Cleanup Costs for Big John's Salvage-Hoult Road

In settlement papers filed in federal district court, three companies have agreed to pay about $29.8 million in cleanup costs for a Superfund site in Fairmont, Marion County, W. Va., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced.

Sinclair Oil to Pay $3.8 Million Penalty and Install Pollution Controls at Wyoming Refineries

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have announced a settlement with two subsidiaries of Sinclair Oil Corporation to resolve alleged violations of air pollution limits established in a 2008 consent decree at refineries in Casper and Sinclair, Wyo.

Italian Ship Owner Fined $1 Million for Concealing Discharges of Oily Wastewater into Sea

A shipping company headquartered in Italy and the chief engineer of one of its ships were sentenced today in federal court in Mobile, Ala., for deliberately falsifying records to conceal discharges of oily wastewater from the ship directly into the sea.

Report Card Shows Australia's Oceans Are Changing

The report card provides information about the current and predicted-future state of Australia's marine climate and its impact on our marine biodiversity. The report card also outlines actions that are underway to help our marine ecosystems adapt to climate change.

Mineral Can Reduce Pollution From Diesel Engines by Almost Half

Engineers at a company co-founded by a University of Texas at Dallas professor have identified a material that can reduce the pollution produced by vehicles that run on diesel fuel.

Researchers Improve Soil Carbon Cycling Models

A new carbon cycling model developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory better accounts for the carbon dioxide-releasing activity of microbes in the ground, improving scientists' understanding of the role soil will play in future climate change.

Climate and Drought Lessons From Ancient Egypt

Ancient pollen and charcoal preserved in deeply buried sediments in Egypt's Nile Delta document the region's ancient droughts and fires, including a huge drought 4,200 years ago associated with the demise of Egypt's Old Kingdom, the era known as the pyramid-building time.

Dallas Mayor Declares West Nile Emergency

The mayor of Dallas, Texas, Mike Rawlings, signed a proclamation Aug. 15 declaring a local state of disaster to be in effect for seven days as officials in the city and Dallas County respond to a widespread outbreak of West Nile Virus.

Protected Areas Allow Wildlife to Spread in Response to Climate Change

A new study led by scientists at the University of York has shown how birds, butterflies, other insects and spiders have colonised nature reserves and areas protected for wildlife, as they move north in response to climate change and other environmental changes.

Fresh Water Breathes Fresh Life Into Hurricanes

An analysis of a decade's worth of tropical cyclones shows that when hurricanes blow over ocean regions swamped by fresh water, the conditions can unexpectedly intensify the storm.

Snail Believed Extinct Found by Student in the Cahaba River

A freshwater snail declared extinct in 2000 was recently rediscovered in the Cahaba River by a University of Alabama graduate student.

NOAA Raises Hurricane Season Prediction Despite Expected El NiƱo

This year's Atlantic hurricane season got off to a busy start, with 6 named storms to date, and may have a busy second half, according to the updated hurricane season outlook issued Aug. 9, 2012 by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service.

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