News


DOE Loan Guarantees Back Vogtle Completion

"Advanced nuclear energy projects like Vogtle are the kind of important energy infrastructure projects that support a reliable and resilient grid, promote economic growth, and strengthen our energy and national security," Energy Secretary Rick Perry said.

Researchers Document Hitchhikers on 2011 Tsunami's Debris

Researchers studied more than 600 pieces of debris that washed up on Hawaiian, U.S., and Canadian coasts, and they counted nearly 300 Japanese species on them.

EPA Offers Tips for Homeowners with Flooded Wells

Cathy Magliocchetti of EPA's Region III offered tips on the agency's blog recently for people whose private wells and septic systems may have been flooded as a result of Hurricane Irma's impact on the East Coast.

NY Governor Appoints Eight to Drinking Water Quality Council

Scheduled to meet for the first time Oct. 2, the council will address a range of emerging water quality issues. Its first task will be to make recommendations to establish enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for three priority emerging contaminants: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and 1,4-dioxane.

New UNEP Reports Aid in Coral Reef Protection

"A Guide to Assessing Coral Reef Resilience for Decision Support" will help environmental planners and managers assess, map, and monitor coral reef resilience and use the results to prioritize management actions that support resilience in the face of climate change.

This image shows Arctic sea ice on Sept. 13, 2017, when the ice reached its annual minimum. The yellow line marks the 30-year average minimum sea ice extent from 1981 through 2010. (Credit: NASA

End-of-Summer Arctic Sea Ice Extent Eighth-Lowest on Record

And Antarctica is heading to its maximum yearly sea ice extent, which typically occurs in September or early October. NASA reported this year's maximum extent is likely to be among the five lowest in the satellite record — a continuation of the low extents in 2015 and 2016.

Affected Florida Counties Urged to Accelerate Debris Cleanup

Plans submitted to the department will be posted publicly on its website. All of the plans must include an estimated date of completion, and any county that plans to request reimbursement for debris removal following Irma must submit a plan.

Agreement Reached to Reduce Baltimore Sewage Overflows

The new proposed agreement calls for mandatory stream quality monitoring for pollutants, including pathogens, with results posted quarterly, and greater transparency, with draft plans posted to the city's website and made available 45 days before they are due to interested parties.



StarKist Paying CWA Penalty, Improving American Samoa Plant

"Today's agreement will help prevent hazardous releases at the StarKist facility, protect workers and the local community, and reduce pollution discharged into Pago Pago Harbor by more than 13 million pounds each year," said Alexis Strauss, acting regional administrator with EPA's Pacific Southwest Region. "Working with our partners at American Samoa EPA, we will monitor the company’s progress toward full compliance with all federal environmental rules."

New York Offers ZEV Rebates to Municipal Fleets

The state promises that its zero-emission vehicle and infrastructure investments will advance Gov. Cuomo's clean transportation and climate change goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

UK Residents Start Monitoring Air Pollution

UK Residents Start Monitoring Air Pollution

Environmental charity Friends of the Earth said 70 groups in the United Kingdom are using testing kits to monitor pollution levels in the air they breathe, adding to a growing number of persons taking pollution monitoring into their own hands.

Environmental Impact of Harvey Still Unknown, Expected to be "Dire"

Environmental Impact of Harvey Still Unknown, Expected to be "Dire"

At best, experts said that the long-term environmental health consequences of the storm will be “dire.”

OSH Pros' Feedback Sought on Corporate Sustainability Standard

"The GRI 403 standard provides a lever for change in corporate reporting practices on OHS globally," said Kathy A. Seabrook, chair of the CSHS Board of Directors. "Safety and health professionals need to step up, participate, and influence the final standard through this public consultation period. It's a significant development in our profession."

Chemical Plant Suffers Two Explosions Due to Flooding

Chemical Plant Suffers Two Explosions Due to Flooding

Early Thursday morning, two explosions generating billows of thick black smoke were reported at a flooded chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, just 30 miles northeast of downtown Houston

Hurricane Harvey Spurs Energy Shutdowns

Hurricane Harvey Spurs Energy Shutdowns

As Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath continue on a path of destruction, oil and gas companies located in the epicenter of Texas’ refining industry have been forced to halt operations.

Canada Creates Climate Change Panel of Experts

The panel will support the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, which is Canada's plan to meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target, build resilience to the impacts of climate change, and create clean growth and jobs through investments in clean technology, innovation, and infrastructure.

California Taking Comments on Updated Chlorpyrifos Risk Assessment

DPR scientists believe chlorpyrifos may pose a public health risk as a toxic air contaminant based on its assessment of the latest studies in the scientific community. That finding must go through a public comment period and be independently evaluated by other scientists, however.

Oak Ridge National Lab Welcoming High-Performance Computer

"There were a lot considerations to be had when designing the facilities for Summit," said George Wellborn, Heery's project architect. "We are essentially harnessing a small city's worth of power into one room. We had to ensure the confined space was adaptable for the power and cooling that is needed to run this next-generation supercomputer."

First Convention on Mercury Control Now in Force

"The Minamata Convention shows that our global work to protect our planet and its people can continue to bring nations together. We did it for the ozone layer and now we're doing it for mercury, just as we need to do it for climate change – a cause that the Minamata Convention will also serve. Together, we can clean up our act," said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment.

Cal FIRE Awards Grants to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Sequester Carbon

Landowners will retain ownership of their land and will not be restricted from using it for activities such as timber harvest, hunting, fishing, and hiking; the grants will protect more than 28,285 acres of forests from development.