Water


EPA Reaches Agreement with General Electric Company and SI Group Inc. to Protect N.Y. Superfund Site Drinking Water

The Dewey Loeffel landfill in Nassau, N.Y. will no longer threaten nearby drinking water wells, according to the EPA.

NOAA retires GOES7 after 25 years as a weather and communications satellite

The GOES-7 satellite, one of NOAA's earliest geostationary satellites, was moved into a higher orbit and retired from service.

Researchers Say Habitat Loss and Tropical Cooling were to Blame for Mass Extinction

The second-largest mass extinction in Earth's history coincided with a short but intense ice age during which enormous glaciers grew and sea levels dropped. Although it has long been agreed that the so-called Late Ordovician mass extinction—which occurred about 450 million years ago—was related to climate change, exactly how the climate change produced the extinction has not been known.

EPA Unveils New Permit for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations to Protect Water Quality in Idaho

A new water discharge permit for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) will help protect Idaho’s rivers, lakes and streams from animal waste, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Boise, Idaho.

Fish Thriving Around Wind Farms

The first Danish study into how one of the worlds largest wind farms affects marine life is now completed. It shows that the wind turbines and the fish live quite happily together. Indeed some species of fish have actually increased in number.

Fertilizer Use Responsible for Increase in Nitrous Oxide in Atmosphere

University of California, Berkeley, (UC Berkeley) chemists have found a smoking gun proving that increased fertilizer use over the past 50 years is responsible for a dramatic rise in atmospheric nitrous oxide, which is a major greenhouse gas contributing to global climate change.

Cities with the Most Energy Star Buildings in the United States

By the end of 2011, the nearly 16,500 Energy Star certified buildings across America have helped save nearly $2.3 billion in annual utility bills and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to emissions from the annual energy use of more than 1.5 million homes.

EPA Fines U.S. Virgin Islands Health Department for Long Term Chemical Mismanagement

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Health violated federal law governing the handling and storage of hazardous waste at two of its facilities and has fined the agency $68,000 for the violations.



EPA and Philadelphia Mayor Sign Landmark Green City Clean Waters Partnership

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, joined by U.S. Representative Allyson Schwartz and city and federal officials, signed an agreement that represents a $2 billion investment in Philadelphia green infrastructure during an event at the Fairmount Water Works.

School Bus Company to Implement Anti-Idling Program and Pay Penalties under the Clean Air Act

As part of a settlement for alleged excessive diesel idling in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Durham School Services will commit to reduce idling from its school bus fleet of 13,900 buses operating in 30 states. The anti-idling project is the result of an EPA New England enforcement action to address excessive school bus idling and reduce school children’s exposure to diesel pollution.

Military Leads in Renewable Energy Race

The U.S. Army is leading the march for renewable energy with a goal of 25 percent clean power by 2025. The Army Corps of Engineers has set up the Energy Initiatives Task Force (EITF) as of September, 2011 to help meet the deadline.

New Report Assesses Impact of Climate Change on Forest Diseases

Climate change is projected to have far-reaching environmental impacts both domestically and abroad. A recently published report by the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) examines the impact of climate change on forest diseases and how these pathogens will ultimately affect forest ecosystems in the Western United States and Canada.

Report Warns of Urbanization Swell by 2050

We hear and read a lot about our human carbon footprint but what do we know about our urban footprint? According to a new United Nations (UN) report, this urban footprint will expand by another 1.2 million square kilometres if we fail to make changes to our cities' development patterns.

New Threat to Birds Posed by Invasive Pythons in Florida

Smithsonian scientists and their colleagues have uncovered a new threat posed by invasive Burmese pythons in Florida and the Everglades: The snakes are not only eating the area's birds, but also the birds' eggs straight from the nest. The results of this research add a new challenge to the area's already heavily taxed native wildlife.

Decade-Long Study Suggegsts Climate Change Helps, Then Quickly Stunts Plant Growth

Global warming may initially make the grass greener, but not for long, according to new research conducted at Northern Arizona University.

Use of Common Pesticide Linked to Bee Colony Collapse

The likely culprit in sharp worldwide declines in honeybee colonies since 2006 is imidacloprid, one of the most widely used pesticides, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).

Which Plants Will Survive Droughts, Climate Change?

New research by UCLA life scientists could lead to predictions of which plant species will escape extinction from climate change.

Long-Term Studies Detect Effects of Disappearing Snow and Ice

Regions of Earth where water is frozen for at least a month each year are shrinking as a result of global warming. Some of the effects on ecosystems are now being revealed through research conducted at affected sites over decades

Rena's Owner Charged in Court

Daina Shipping Co., a Greek company, has been charged under section 338(1B) and 15(B) of the Resource Management Act of 1991 and could face significant fines.

Is Rainfall a Greater Threat to China's Agriculture than Warming?

New research into the impact of climate change on Chinese cereal crops has found rainfall has a greater impact than rising temperature. The research, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that while maize is sensitive to warming increases in temperature from 1980 onwards correlated with both higher and lower yields of rice and wheat.