Create Custom Environmental Maps with National Atlas

November 10, 2010–Dial up just one layer of data, or add layer after layer (from scores of topics) to create your own concoction of interlinked factors. The zoom function allows you to narrow or enlarge your geographic coverage as you see fit.

As TRI Goes Electronic, Speed Records Fall

November 3, 2010–The new record for getting raw data reported by industry to the general public: 28 days. Nearly 95 percent of reporting companies filed their reports electronically.

Cool Tools for Reporters Showcased at 2010 TRI Meeting

November 3, 2010–The WatchDog attended EPA's annual training conference for government workers on the Toxics Release Inventory, Nov. 1-3, 2010. See a preview of the showcased offerings, which have extra emphasis on environmental justice and EPA data tools ranging far beyond TRI. 

Envirofacts Warehouse Gets Geographic Makeover, Update

November 3, 2010–This newly powerful, easy-to-use mapping tool can help environmental journalists find and report great local and regional stories.

EPA Gives Public an Environmental Justice Mapping Tool: EJView

November 3, 2010–This new tool allows any user online to create custom study areas based on a wide range of variables: address, ZIP code, county, city, township, facility, watershed, or geographic coordinates. Other environmental data can then be mapped onto that study area.

Got TMDLs? Sneak Peek of New Pollutant Loading Tool Could Raise Ruckus

November 3, 2010–EPA in-house tool may be released to public within months. It will give reporters themselves the ability to estimate the cumulative impacts of pollution on water bodies.

MY-RTK Lets Users Probe Toxic Emissions from Their Smartphones

November 3, 2010–myRTK lets you thumb in an address or ZIP code and get back a map or list of Toxics Release Inventory facilities on your feature phone or smart phone.

TRI Offers New "Comparative Query" Tool

November 3, 2010–The beta tool allows anyone to compare TRI information from a facility to air pollution data from the same facility or a related one. For example, an investigator could find inconsistencies in the amount of pollution reported by a facility under the two separate laws.

Cell-Phone Industry Seeks To Silence Right-to-Know Demands

October 6, 2010–The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association has filed suit against San Francisco in response to a right-to-know ordinance it passed guaranteeing consumers information about how much electromagnetic radiation their cell phones were exposing them to.

How Green Is Your Cell Phone?

September 15, 2010–Here are a few tips for examining company "eco-friendly" marketing claims, and exploring how cell phones and their use impact the environment, all of which can serve as a hook for compelling consumer news stories in any media.