Infrastructure

"Almost 400 water systems serving nearly a million Californians don’t meet state requirements for safe and reliable drinking water supplies — and fixing them would cost billions of dollars."

"The severe floods sweeping through the Midwest are a potent example of how extreme weather damages the transportation arteries we all rely on."

"Stephen Roe Lewis grew up seeing stacks of legal briefs at the dinner table — often, about his tribe’s water. His father, the late Rodney Lewis, was general counsel for the Gila River Indian Community and fought for the tribe’s rights to water in the Southwest, eventually securing in 2004 the largest Native American water settlement in U.S. history."

"Federal regulators on Thursday approved a Louisiana liquefied natural gas project that has been a lightning rod for environmental activists and an energy policy litmus test for President Joe Biden's administration."

"The Supreme Court opened the door Monday to setting new limits for how agencies account for climate and environmental risks for new projects." "The case follows the court’s recent trend of picking up controversial environmental issues."

"Rising waters on the Blue Earth River in Minnesota washed out a portion of the Rapidan Dam near the town of Mankato, 50 miles southwest of Minneapolis, as floods inundated parts of the Midwest."

"Norfolk Southern and its contractors botched the decision to blow open five vinyl chloride tank cars after last year’s disastrous derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and trackside detectors that might have prevented the crash failed to accurately detect the temperature of a burning wheel bearing 20 miles (32.19 kilometers) beforehand, according to the National Transportation Safety Board."

"Mayor Adams’ proposed budget cuts may place an outsized burden on park conservancies and small volunteer groups. With less than 1 percent of the city budget spent on parks, they’re finding it harder and harder to keep up."