Environment. - Articles - Page 5

The Dig: Investigating the safety of the water you drink

The government has information about your drinking water. It isn’t always accurate.

June 29, 2016

Today, The Dig dives into water. Pun totally intended. I’ve received a lot of questions about applying investigative reporting techniques to figuring out whether your water is safe — the stuff in your taps, the stuff in your rivers, the stuff at the beach. Flint, Michigan, has made us all want to be water sleuths.

EU greenhouse gas emissions at lowest level since 1990

June 21, 2016

European Union (EU) greenhouse gas emissions continued to decrease in 2014, with a 4.1% reduction in emissions to 24.4% below 1990 levels, according to the EU’s annual inventory published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

EPA releases info on insecticides that may be harmful to bees

First-of-its-kind assessment delivers on President Obama’s National Pollinator Strategy

January 8, 2016

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a preliminary pollinator risk assessment for the neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, which shows a threat to some pollinators. EPA’s assessment, prepared in collaboration with California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation, indicates that imidacloprid potentially poses risk to hives when the pesticide comes in contact with certain crops that attract pollinators.

China shutters 17,000 firms for pollution offenses

28,600 ordered to halt operations

January 4, 2016

Thick smog continued to engulf China’s largest cities on December 26, 2015, just a day after authorities canceled more than 200 flights from Beijing due to limited visibility. Children and elderly were also warned to avoid outdoor activities as officials raised the air pollution alert in Beijing to orange, the second-highest on the city’s four-grade scale, on Christmas.

Obama draws attention to environment with "America Recycles Day"

November 16, 2015

A Proclamation by President Obama: Every American has a role to play in preserving our planet for future generations. Being good stewards of our environment and protecting our natural resources are imperative tasks for ensuring our children and grandchildren live in a clean and sustainable world, and recycling is a pivotal way each of us can do our part.

Poll shows bi-partisan support for new rules to prevent chemical disasters

October 30, 2015

As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers new chemical plant safety rules, a new national survey of likely 2016 voters shows strong support among Democrats, Republicans and Independents for policies that would eliminate catastrophic hazards.

EPA to require “major source” refineries to monitor fence lines for benzene

October 23, 2015

Recent rule changes announced by EPA would put an end to most visible flare emissions of toxic chemicals at refineries nationwide and the refineries would have to install monitors on their sites and around their fence lines to measure for carcinogenic benzene gas.

Icelandic volcanic spewed 3X as much toxic gas as all man-made sources in Europe

October 22, 2015

Toxic gases from the Icelandic volcano that erupted in August 2014 and continued until February 2015 spewed three times as much toxic gas than all man-made sources in Europe, according to new research.

PHMSA doubles awards to universities for pipeline safety research

October 2, 2015

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has awarded nearly $2 million to 11 universities to research new ideas and technologies that will improve the safety of the nation’s energy transportation pipelines.

EPA-supervised crew accidentally pollutes a Colorado river with heavy metals

August 13, 2015

In early August, an error by personnel supervised by the EPA caused millions of gallons of mine waste to pour into a Colorado river that provides drinking water for thousands of nearby residents.