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| Above the fold. News aggregated by www.EnvironmentalHealthNews.org | Read today's editorials |
| Daily links to top stories in the news about environmental health. Tar sands development prompts water worries. In 2011, companies mining Alberta's tar sands siphoned 370 million cubic meters of water from the Athabasca River alone, exceeding the amount of water the city of Toronto, with a population of 2.8 million people, uses annually. But unlike Torontonians, the tar sands companies paid nothing for that water, nor do they clean it. Yale Environment 360 Japan nuclear body says radioactive water at Fukushima an 'emergency.' Highly radioactive water seeping into the ocean from Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is creating an "emergency" that the operator is struggling to contain, an official from the country's nuclear watchdog said on Monday. Reuters Drought ravages US West. With water supplies at the breaking point and no relief in sight, a domino-effect water war has broken out, which might be a harbinger of the West's future. Texas has filed suit, arguing that groundwater pumping in New Mexico is reducing Texas' share of the Rio Grande. Oklahoma has successfully fended off a legal challenge from Texas over water from the Red River. New Mexico's stretch of the once-mighty Rio Grande is so dewatered that it is referred to as the "Rio Sand." Los Angeles Times [Registration Required] Accidents show depth of danger in offshore oil. The 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill focused attention on the hazards of drilling for oil a mile below the surface of the sea, but recent incidents have brought new attention to dangers that still lurk on the shallow continental shelf, where companies rely on decades-old pipes and platforms to tap aging fields. Houston Chronicle When 2 wells meet, spills can often follow. A basic review by EnergyWire of oil spill reports from various states, as well as phone interviews with regulators, revealed more than 10 cases of "frack hits" that have resulted in spills ranging from 300 gallons to 25,700 gallons. The events were recorded in states from Montana to Texas. EnergyWire In South Thailand: No fish, no future. For centuries, the people of Prachuabkirikhan have enjoyed a simple lifestyle of hard work, living from the riches of the ocean and their farmlands. But this idyllic existence may soon vanish as the province is hammered on two fronts – by climate change and rampant overfishing. Al Jazeera Battle looms over expanding Houston coal exports. The expansion of a terminal along the heavily industrialized Houston Ship Channel normally receives little attention. But Kinder Morgan Energy Partners’ plans to refurbish two docks have opened a new front in the fight over coal. Houston Chronicle Indonesia's burning question. Corruption and intimidation are being blamed by environmentalists for the choking smog that characterises the dry season on Indonesia's Sumatra island. Al Jazeera Seven dead dolphins found on Maryland shores in 'alarming' mid-Atlantic trend. Seven bottlenose dolphins have washed up dead on Maryland shores in recent weeks, part of a larger mystery along the Mid-Atlantic coast, where alarmed scientists are working to find the cause of more than 120 dolphin deaths since June. Baltimore Sun, Maryland. Chevron pleads no contest to criminal charges stemming from Richmond refinery fire. Chevron will pay $2 million in fines and restitution after pleading no contest Monday to six misdemeanor criminal charges stemming from a fire at its Richmond refinery last year. Contra Costa Times, California. California says delta tunnel benefits exceed costs by billions. The benefits of reconfiguring the way California exports water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta would substantially outweigh the costs, according to a study released Monday by the state. Los Angeles Times [Registration Required] Colorado mulls tunnel fix after tanker accident. Oil and gas tankers roared through Colorado's high-mountain tundra at a rate of one every five minutes Monday morning, two days after a crash that spilled 4,000 gallons of diesel and unleaded fuel into waterways that flow toward Denver's Dillon Reservoir. Denver Post, Colorado. California slow to pass along federal water funds. California failed to spend nearly half a billion dollars from a federally funded drinking water program mandated in 1996. It is the highest rate of unliquidated money of any state participating in the Safe Drinking Water Act. Sacramento Bee, California. Environmental groups say radioactive waste is going to landfills. A coalition of environmental groups accused California state regulators Monday of allowing low-level radioactive waste from the former Santa Susana Field Laboratory to be illegally disposed of in landfills not licensed to receive such material. Los Angeles Times [Registration Required] Fonterra under fire over milk scare; more product recalls. Fonterra, the world's largest dairy exporter, came under fire from the New Zealand government, farmers and financial regulators for its handling of a food contamination scare that has triggered product recalls and spooked parents from China to Saudi Arabia. Reuters Why it’s taking so long to find the source of the Cyclospora contamination. The first cases emerged at the end of June, and health officials have only just identified the possible source of the cyclospora contamination that has sickened more than 400 people. Why is the outbreak so difficult to track? Time Magazine Synthetic meat: How the world's costliest burger made it on to the plate. The most expensive hamburger in the world began, about three months ago, with cows raised on organic farms. There was, however, very little traditionally pastoral about the way it was made. The Guardian, United Kingdom. More news from today Shortcuts to stories from today about The good news, Avian flu, Climate, Children's health, Air pollution, Cancer, Reproductive disorders, Endocrine disruption, Birth defects, Learning and developmental disabilities, Immune disorders, Environmental justice, Superfund, Water treatment/sewage, Food safety, Integrity of science, Green chemistry. You can also read last weekend's news. Plus: If you were on vacation last week, don't miss last week's top stories... Would you like to display the news stories from EnvironmentalHealthNews.org on your own web site? Check out our RSS feeds. Compiled by Environmental Health Sciences | |
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