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EPA Orders Enbridge To Do More Dredging in Kalamazoo R To Clean Up Oil
Booth Newspapers, 03/15/2013"KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is ordering Enbridge Inc. to do additional dredging in the Kalamazoo River to clean up oil from a massive 2010 spill."
"Southern California Coast Sees Deluge of Sick Sea Lion Pups"
Reuters, 03/15/2013"Sick and malnourished sea lion pups are stranding themselves on Southern California beaches in some of the largest numbers seen in over a decade, perplexing scientists and leading one care facility to declare itself near capacity."
"Gulf Spill Trial: Contractor Finds Cement Samples"
AP, 03/15/2013"NEW ORLEANS -- BP's cement contractor on the Deepwater Horizon rig has discovered cement samples possibly tied to the ill-fated drilling project that weren't turned over to the Justice Department after the 2010 oil spill, a lawyer for the contractor said Thursday."
"EPA, Industry Square Off in Battle Over Clean Water Act Veto"
Greenwire, 03/14/2013"U.S. EPA will head to court [Thursday] to defend its authority under the Clean Water Act to revoke a strip mining permit issued by the Army Corps of Engineers."
Did Uranium Lobbyist Reverse EPA Stand Against Polluting TX Water?
ProPublica, 03/14/2013"When Uranium Energy Corp. sought permission to launch a large-scale mining project in Goliad County, Texas, it seemed as if the Environmental Protection Agency would stand in its way. To get the ore out of the ground, the company needed a permit to pollute a pristine supply of underground drinking water in an area already parched by drought."
"Are Methane Hydrates the Next Big Energy Source? Japan Hopes So."
Wash Post, 03/13/2013Japan has successfully extracted natural gas from methane hydrates ("fire ice") 1,000 feet below the seabed.
"Texas Told Not to Issue Water Permits That Hurt Cranes"
Bloomberg, 03/12/2013"Texas was ordered to temporarily stop issuing new water permits for a river system that supplies dozens of Central Texas cities, power generators and petrochemical plants to ensure enough water reaches the last migratory flock of endangered whooping cranes."
Calif Coastal Commission Nixes Navy Offshore Explosives Training Plan
AP, 03/12/2013"SAN DIEGO — The California Coastal Commission on Friday rejected a Navy explosives and sonar training program off the Southern California coast that critics said could harm endangered blue whales and other sea life."
"As Fracking Increases, So Do Fears About Water Supply"
Texas Tribune, 03/08/2013"CARRIZO SPRINGS, Tex. -- In this South Texas stretch of mesquite trees and cactus, where the land is sometimes too dry to grow crops, the local aquifer is being strained in the search for oil. The reason is hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a drilling process that requires massive amounts of water."
"EPA Won’t Appeal Ruling on Va. Storm-Water Regulation"
Wash Post, 03/07/2013"RICHMOND -- The Environmental Protection Agency will not appeal a federal district court’s ruling declaring it is illegal for the EPA to regulate storm water as a pollutant as it flows into Virginia waterways."
"Fracking Waste Could Go To N.C. Coastal Towns If Ban Is Lifted"
Raleigh News & Observer, 03/05/2013"Forty years ago, when North Carolina banned using deep wells to permanently dump industrial waste, some thought the issue had been decided for good. Now state lawmakers who want to turn North Carolina into the nation’s next fracking hotspot are reopening the case for injecting brines and toxins deep underground."
"Drought Revives Interest in Reservoirs"
Texas Tribune, 03/04/2013"Tucked away in northeast Texas, Lake Gilmer was the last major reservoir built in the state, more than a decade ago. Local officials said they had intended to share construction costs and water with a new power plant, but the power company backed out, leaving the City of Gilmer with the bill."
"Among Most Polluted In US, NYC Area Awaits Cleanup"
AP, 03/04/2013"NEW YORK -- Just across the East River from midtown Manhattan’s shimmering skyscrapers sits one of the nation’s most polluted neighborhoods, fouled by generations of industrial waste, overflow from the city’s sewage system and an underground oil leak bigger than the Exxon Valdez spill."
"In California, What Price Water?"
NY Times, 03/01/2013"CARLSBAD, Calif. — On a calm day, a steady rain just about masks the sound of Pacific Ocean water being drawn into the intake valve from Agua Hedionda Lagoon. Listen hard, and a faint sucking sound emerges from the concrete openings, like a distant straw pulling liquid from a cup."
Youngstown Gas Driller Indicted for Dumping Fracking Waste Into River
Cleveland Plain Dealer, 03/01/2013"CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A federal grand jury returned an indictment against the owner of an oil and gas drilling company on Thursday, charging him with violating the Clean Water Act by dumping more than 20,000 gallons of fracking waste into a river in Youngstown."

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