Environmental Health and Safety


Skin Cancer Identified for the First Time in Wild Fish Populations

Widespread skin cancer has been identified for the first time in wild marine fish populations, new research has shown.

Earth's Ecosystems Still Absorbing About Half the Greenhouse Gases Emitted by People

Earth's oceans, forests and other ecosystems continue to soak up about half the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by human activities, even as those emissions have increased, according to a study by University of Colorado and NOAA scientists published August 1 in the journal Nature.

GM Opens Community Urban Garden in Southwest Detroit

General Motors is unveiling Cadillac Urban Gardens on Merritt, a community project where 250 shipping crates from Orion Assembly — home of the Buick Verano and Chevrolet Sonic — are converted into raised garden beds.

Underwater Ecosystem Inundated by Sediment Plume

Scuba-diver scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey are returning to the mouth of Washington’s Elwha River this week to explore and catalogue the effect of released sediment on marine life following the nation’s largest dam removal effort.

EPA Identifies Substitutes for Toxic Flame Retardant Chemical

In its quest to identify possible substitutes for a toxic flame retardant chemical known as decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a draft report on alternatives.

Antiques Dealer Pleads Guilty to Crimes Related to Trafficking Endangered Rhinoceros Horns

David Hausman, an antiques dealer in Manhattan, pleaded guilty today in Manhattan federal court to obstruction of justice and creating false records, in relation to illegal rhinoceros horn trafficking.

Coral Reef Thriving in Sediment-Laden Waters

Rapid rates of coral reef growth have been identified in sediment-laden marine environments, conditions previously believed to be detrimental to reef growth. A new study has established that Middle Reef -- part of Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef -- has grown more rapidly than many other reefs in areas with lower levels of sediment stress.

High Court Allows Exxon Valdez to Be Scrapped

Bloomberg and TradeWinds News reported July 30 that two judges on India’s Supreme Court have allowed the ship once named the Exxon Valdez to be scrapped at a yard in Alang on the country’s western coast.



Tiny Airborne Pollutants Lead Double Life Study

The observations could have important implications for modelling global climate change and predicting air quality conditions. The tiny particles, which form part of an airborne chemical mix above cities, play a role in pollution by providing a surface for chemical reactions and in climate by reflecting and absorbing solar radiation and by acting as seed surfaces for water condensation and cloud formation.

Cooling, Not Population Loss, Led to Fewer Fires After 1500 in New World

In the years after Columbus' voyage, burning of New World forests and fields diminished significantly -- a phenomenon some have attributed to decimation of native populations by European diseases. But a new University of Utah-led study suggests global cooling resulted in fewer fires because both preceded Columbus in many regions worldwide.

Adam M. Fasano, CIH of GZA GeoEnvironmental, Promoted to Principal

Adam M. Fasano, CIH has been promoted to Principal at GZA GeoEnvironmental’s Norwood, MA office. GZA is an environmental and geotechnical consulting firm.

Federal Court Awarding $1 Million to Preserve North Carolina Wetlands

North Carolina’s Waccamaw River watershed will benefit from a $1 million restitution order from a federal court, funding environmental projects to acquire and preserve wetlands in an area damaged by illegal releases of wastewater from a corporate hog farm.

Tropical Biodiversity Arks Reach Tipping Point

In a new study, University of Pennsylvania biologist Daniel Janzen joins more than 200 colleagues to report that protected areas are still vulnerable to damaging encroachment, and many are suffering from biodiversity loss.

Surprising Link Between Ice and Atmosphere

Researchers have found a way to use GPS to measure short-term changes in the rate of ice loss on Greenland -- and reveal a surprising link between the ice and the atmosphere above it.

EPA Kicks Off Third Annual Energy Star National Building Competition

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star program launched the 2012 National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings with a record 3,200 buildings across the country going head to head to improve energy efficiency, lower utility costs and protect health and the environment.

EPA Fines Violators for Failure to Report Chemical Data

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued complaints seeking civil penalties against three companies for alleged violations of the reporting and recordkeeping requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

GPS Can Now Measure Ice Melt, Change in Greenland Over Months Rather than Years

Researchers have found a way to use GPS to measure short-term changes in the rate of ice loss on Greenland – and reveal a surprising link between the ice and the atmosphere above it.

Southern Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard Protect Coastal Water from Boat Pollution

In a major milestone completing the protection of more than 95 percent of Massachusetts coastal waters from boat-generated sewage pollution, EPA has designated the coastal waters of Nantucket, Vineyard Sounds and the Islands, and Mt. Hope Bay as “No Discharge Areas.”

Fools' Gold Found to Regulate Oxygen

Sulfur has traditionally been portrayed as a secondary factor in regulating atmospheric oxygen, with most of the heavy lifting done by carbon. However, new findings that appeared this week in Science suggest that sulfur's role may have been underestimated.

Marine Reserves Aid Ecosystem Recovery After Environmental Disasters: Study

Protected ocean areas known as marine reserves jumpstart the recovery of nearby commercial fishing areas after an environmental event, concludes a study of abalone by researchers from Stanford and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

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