TipSheet provides news tips, source leads and reporting tools for journalists for potential environmental stories. Journalists are eligible for a free email subscription for future editions, to be produced on an occasional basis. To join the list, send name and full contact information to the SEJ office. TipSheet is also available via RSS feed.
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Latest TipSheet Items
March 30, 2011
Wildfire Mitigation Work Continues This Spring
March 30, 2011–Wildfire season has begun. Some of the areas going up in flames include the increasingly developed zone known as the wildland-urban interface, where fire risks are most apparent to people. One of the steps being taken to help reduce the hazard is fuel reduction work that thins out or removes dense tree stands, making them less prone to wildfire, or at least easier to control when they do burn.March 16, 2011
"Japan Meltdown: Could It Happen Here?"
March 16, 2011–The aging fleet of US nuclear power reactors have some technological similarities to the reactors failing in Japan. Could similar loss-of-cooling events happen at some US reactors — whether caused by earthquake, tsunami, terrorist attack, electrical outage, flooding, equipment failure, or some other problem?Some Key Sources for Reporting on Nuclear Issues
March 16, 2011–Here you'll find links to Japanese News Agencies; International News Sources; International and National Nuclear Agencies; Nuclear Industry Trade Groups; and Environmental, Anti-Nuclear, and Scientists' GroupsUpcoming Decisions on US Nuclear Program
March 16, 2011–Will the newly budget-conscious GOP-dominated 112th Congress fund all the nuclear loan guarantees currently available or in the pipeline? Signals from the Obama administration — even after the Japan meltdown — are that it will push forward with its nuclear plans, despite budget deficits and safety perils.March 2, 2011
Feds Unveil New Rural Atlas
March 2, 2011–USDA's atlas provides data, at the county level, on scores of agricultural, demographic, and economic topics. Or on the national map, pick any given category and get an initial feel for national patterns, then click on individual counties for more detail. All data can be downloaded so you can work with it any way you want, and maps can be downloaded for your use.Local Hunting, Fishing, and Recreation Projects Get Funded
March 2, 2011–States and territories have just been allocated about three-quarters of a billion dollars for their use in building facilities, providing services, and conducting planning and research related to fishing, hunting, wildlife conservation, and recreational opportunities. This is a gold mine for local environmental stories.Oil Fracking Poses Similar Concerns As Gas Fracking
March 2, 2011–EPA is conducting a study of fracking, no matter where it is used (e.g., gas shale, oil shale, coalbed methane, tight sands). Public comment is being allowed as the agency's Science Advisory Board meets March 7-8, 2011, to review the draft study plan. Initial study and research results are possible by the end of 2012, and a report may be published some time in 2014.
Proposed Rule for Power Plant Toxics Due March 16
March 2, 2011–The consent decree that established the March 16 release date also mandates that a final rule be published by Nov. 16, 2011 (nine years later than the deadline dictated by the Clean Air Act). Here are several tools you can use to get a handle on the power plants and their emissions in your audience area prior to release of the rule.February 16, 2011
First of Many Potential Offshore Wind Power Sites Identified
February 16, 2011–After participating in an 8-year struggle to get offshore wind development approved in Massachusetts waters, federal officials are pushing for expedited reviews and approvals in a rapidly growing number of other US coastal areas.Governments and NGOs Band Together To Help Turtles
February 16, 2011–2011 is the "Year of the Turtle," orchestrated by Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. A USA Turtle Mapping Project and other resources offer opportunities to cover turtle declines and related issues.
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