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.

Drinking Water Threats May Soon Be Rapidly Detected

August 18, 2010–EPA and the Dept. of Energy have collaborated to develop an improved monitoring package that utilizes inline sensors in the water network and software called CANARY.

ESRI Geomedicine: Online Map Resource for Environmental Health

July 7, 2010–From GIS software company ESRI, this free tool lets users enter places where they lived for more than two years at a time, and the site provides you with a personalized "place history" pdf report and shareable maps detailing local heart attack rate and nearby toxic chemicals for each location.

Gulf Spill Mapping, Infographic Roundup

June 9, 2010–As the Gulf oil spill continues to spread and become a growing concern to more parts of the US, these key tools will help you tell and illustrate the story.

Media Access to Oil-Impacted Areas Disputed

June 2, 2010–The WatchDog's special Gulf oil spill issue includes stories on media access problems, withholding of information by US EPA and misleading statements by BP, mystery dispersant ingredients, BP's new ex-Cheney spokesperson, prohibiting cleanup workers talking to media, and detaining rig survivors till they sign two statements.