Environmental Health and Safety


Enbridge CEO Responds to NTSB Report About its Crude Oil Spill

The National Transportation Safety Board issued a tough report July 10 about the July 2010 spill of 843,000 gallons of crude oil from a 30-inch Enbridge Inc. pipeline near Marshall, Mich.

Nitrogen Dioxide Air Pollution Lessens in Parts of U.S. and Europe

Satellite measurements show that nitrogen dioxide in the lower atmosphere over parts of Europe and the US has fallen over the past decade.

Team PrISUm Races to the Start Line of the American Solar Challenge

Team PrISUm’s latest solar race car is already ahead of the last one. Over the past week, the team has taken Hyperion, this year’s cross-country race car, out for several test runs, including a trip to Grinnell.

Improving Air Quality With No-Till Cropping

Studies by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists show some no-till management systems can lower atmospheric levels of PM10—soil particles and other material 10 microns or less in diameter that degrade air quality—that are eroded from crop fields via the wind.

EPA Provides Grant to Puerto Rico Community Group

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing a $60,000 grant to ENLACE, an organization that serves communities along the Martin Pena Canal in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to educate people about water quality in the canal and what can be done to reduce pollution.

Nitrogen Pollution Changing Rocky Mountain National Park Vegetation

A new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder indicates air pollution in the form of nitrogen compounds emanating from power plants, automobiles and agriculture is changing the alpine vegetation in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Natural Climate Shifts Drove Coral Reefs to a Total Ecosystem Collapse

Climate change drove coral reefs to a total ecosystem collapse lasting thousands of years, according to a paper published this week in Science.

Seabirds Study Shows Plastic Pollution Reaching Surprising Levels

Plastic pollution off the northwest coast of North America is reaching the level of the notoriously polluted North Sea, according to a new study led by a researcher at the University of British Columbia.



PHMSA Fines Enbridge Energy Record $3.7 Million

The fine announced July 2 is a civil penalty for the July 25, 2010, spill of 20,000 barrels of crude oil from a pipeline into the Kalamazoo River near Marshall, Mich.

Visibility to Improve at 18 National Parks and Wilderness Areas

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to approve Arizona’s air quality plan to control sulfur dioxide and soot at three power plants in the state.

First-Ever Changes in Exoplanet Atmosphere Detected

An international team of astronomers using data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has made an unparalleled observation, detecting significant changes in the atmosphere of a planet located beyond our solar system.

Rising Heat at the Beach Threatens Largest Sea Turtles, Climate Change Models Show

For eastern Pacific populations of leatherback turtles, the 21st century could be the last. New research suggests that climate change could exacerbate existing threats and nearly wipe out the population.

Oregon Landlord Cited for Failing to Notify Tenants of Lead Paint Hazards

The Curtis O. Baney Marital Trust of Oregon failed to notify tenants of potential lead paint risks in housing near Klamath Falls, Oregon, according to a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Study Slashes Deforestation Carbon Emission Estimate

A new study with NASA participation has sharply reduced previous estimates of how much carbon was emitted into Earth's atmosphere from tropical deforestation in the early 2000s.

U.S. Announces Clean Air Act Settlement With Wisconsin Utility

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a Clean Air Act (CAA) settlement with Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC) that will cover the utility’s three power plants in Alma and Genoa, Wis.

Dying Trees in Southwest Set Stage for Erosion, Water Loss in Colorado River

New research concludes that a one-two punch of drought and mountain pine beetle attacks are the primary forces that have killed more than 2.5 million acres of pinyon pine and juniper trees in the American Southwest during the past 15 years, setting the stage for further ecological disruption.

Half of Inhaled Soot Particles From Diesel Exhaust Gets Stuck in Lungs

The exhaust from diesel-fueled vehicles, wood fires and coal-driven power stations contains small particles of soot that flow out into the atmosphere. The soot is a scourge for the climate but also for human health.

Texarkana, Texas Receives Two Brownfields Grants Totaling $1.3 Million

At a Texarkana City Council meeting this evening, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced grant awards from the brownfields redevelopment program bringing the total to $1.3 million.

Eating Garbage: Bacteria for Bioremediation

Researchers at the University of Illinois have demonstrated that bacteria found in the dump can be used to neutralize the contaminants in the soil.

BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Worsened Marshes' Environmental Problems

The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill temporarily worsened existing manmade problems in Louisiana's salt marshes such as erosion, but there may be cause for optimism, according to a new study.