EJToday: Top Headlines

As Millions of Acres Burn, Firefighters Say USFS Has Left Them With Shortages [9]

"The agency recently said that it had reached 101% of its firefighter hiring goal for 2024, but those on the front lines say the agency is understating how badly depleted their ranks are, especially for experienced firefighters."

Climate Change [10]
Disasters [11]
Forests [12]
Government [13]
Natural Resources [14]
People & Population [15]
Public [16]
National (U.S.) [17]
Source: ProPublica [18], 08/16/2024
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EPA Faults Miss. State Communications On Water Risks Before Jackson Crisis [19]

"Mississippi’s state health department did not adequately enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act in Jackson, contributing to the 2022 crisis that left 150,000 residents without drinking water, according to a report released Tuesday by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG)."

Consumer [20]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Justice [22]
Infrastructure [23]
Pollution [24]
Water & Oceans [25]
Public [16]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Source: The Hill [27], 08/16/2024
- Read more about EPA Faults Miss. State Communications On Water Risks Before Jackson Crisis [19]
"Wind Beat Coal Two Months in a Row for U.S. Electricity Generation" [28]

"Wind turbines generated more electricity than coal-burning power plants across the United States in March and April, outstripping the dirtiest fuel for two consecutive months for the first time, according to the Energy Information Administration."

Climate Change [10]
Energy & Fuel [29]
Environmental Health [21]
Pollution [24]
Public [16]
National (U.S.) [17]
Source: NYTimes [30], 08/16/2024
- Read more about "Wind Beat Coal Two Months in a Row for U.S. Electricity Generation" [28]
WHO Declares New Mpox Outbreaks In Africa A Global Health Emergency [31]

"The World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreaks in Congo and elsewhere in Africa a global emergency on Wednesday, with cases confirmed among children and adults in more than a dozen countries and a new form of the virus spreading. Few vaccine doses are available on the continent."

Biodiversity [32]
Environmental Health [21]
Wildlife [33]
Public [16]
International [34]
Africa [35]
Source: AP [36], 08/16/2024
- Read more about WHO Declares New Mpox Outbreaks In Africa A Global Health Emergency [31]
"How The World’s Last Wild Red Wolves Are Avoiding Extinction" [37]

"ALLIGATOR RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, N.C. — In April, the latest glimmer of hope appeared here in the only spot on Earth where endangered red wolves remain in the wild. Five pups were born to a pair of wolves — a female known as 2413, and a male known as 2444 — marking the third year in a row that at least one new litter began life in this corner of coastal North Carolina."

Biodiversity [32]
Natural Resources [14]
Wildlife [33]
Public [16]
National (U.S.) [17]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Source: Washington Post [38], 08/16/2024
- Read more about "How The World’s Last Wild Red Wolves Are Avoiding Extinction" [37]
In Shift, US Backs Global Target To Reduce Plastic Production, Source Says [39]

"The United States, one of the world's biggest plastic makers, will support a global treaty calling for a reduction in how much new plastic is produced each year in a major policy shift, a source close to U.S. negotiators told Reuters on Wednesday."

Chemicals [40]
Consumer [20]
Environmental Politics [41]
Laws & Regulations [42]
Waste [43]
Water & Oceans [25]
Public [16]
National (U.S.) [17]
International [34]
Source: Reuters [44], 08/15/2024
- Read more about In Shift, US Backs Global Target To Reduce Plastic Production, Source Says [39]
"Hurricane Ernesto Leaves Half Of Puerto Rican Customers Without Power" [45]

"About half of all homes and businesses on Puerto Rico were without power on Wednesday as Hurricane Ernesto churned north into the warm waters of the Atlantic after dumping torrential rain on the U.S. territory."

Climate Change [10]
Disasters [11]
Energy & Fuel [29]
Infrastructure [23]
Water & Oceans [25]
Public [16]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Central America & the Caribbean [46]
Source: Reuters [47], 08/15/2024
- Read more about "Hurricane Ernesto Leaves Half Of Puerto Rican Customers Without Power" [45]
Nearly $10B In Hurricane Debby Damage Was In Areas Without Flood Insurance [48]

"Hurricane Debby left billions of dollars of damage in its wake as it moved across the southeastern U.S. last week — losses made all the more devastating because so many of them may have been uninsured."

Climate Change [10]
Consumer [20]
Disasters [11]
Economy & Business [49]
Laws & Regulations [42]
Water & Oceans [25]
Public [16]
National (U.S.) [17]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Source: The Hill [50], 08/15/2024
- Read more about Nearly $10B In Hurricane Debby Damage Was In Areas Without Flood Insurance [48]
"Texas Oil Regulator Under Scrutiny As Zombie Wells Gush Back To Life" [51]

"On a sprawling ranch in Pecos County in late July, oil well control specialist Hawk Dunlap used a backhoe to uncover an abandoned or so-called zombie well that had sprung back to life despite being plugged just over a year earlier, hissing gas and bubbling toxic water into the dry Texas dirt."

Climate Change [10]
Energy & Fuel [29]
Infrastructure [23]
Pollution [24]
Public [16]
National (U.S.) [17]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [52]
Source: Reuters [53], 08/15/2024
- Read more about "Texas Oil Regulator Under Scrutiny As Zombie Wells Gush Back To Life" [51]
"The Climate Law’s $8.8B In Home Energy Rebates Are Starting To Roll Out" [54]

"New York and Wisconsin are the first to launch their long-awaited Inflation Reduction Act programs meant to deploy everything from heat pumps to insulation."

Climate Change [10]
Consumer [20]
Energy & Fuel [29]
Environmental Justice [22]
Environmental Politics [41]
Infrastructure [23]
Laws & Regulations [42]
Public [16]
National (U.S.) [17]
Source: Canary Media [55], 08/15/2024
- Read more about "The Climate Law’s $8.8B In Home Energy Rebates Are Starting To Roll Out" [54]
"Texas Likely Undercounting Heat-Related Deaths" [56]

"Deaths from heat are notoriously difficult to quantify because of how complex and subjective the process is. It leaves officials with an incomplete picture of who heat kills."

Climate Change [10]
Disasters [11]
Environmental Health [21]
Laws & Regulations [42]
People & Population [15]
Public [16]
National (U.S.) [17]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [52]
Source: Inside Climate News [57], 08/15/2024
- Read more about "Texas Likely Undercounting Heat-Related Deaths" [56]
Podesta Concerned Over ‘Problematic’ Elements Of Permitting Reform Bill [58]

"White House climate adviser John Podesta raised concerns about some elements of a bipartisan bill aimed at speeding up the nation’s energy projects Tuesday — and declined to say whether President Biden would sign it."

Climate Change [10]
Economy & Business [49]
Energy & Fuel [29]
Environmental Politics [41]
Infrastructure [23]
Laws & Regulations [42]
Transportation [59]
Public [16]
National (U.S.) [17]
Source: The Hill [60], 08/15/2024
- Read more about Podesta Concerned Over ‘Problematic’ Elements Of Permitting Reform Bill [58]
"Biden To Designate National Monument At Site Of Illinois Race Riot" [61]

"President Biden will designate a national monument this week at the site of racist mob violence in 1908 in Springfield, Ill., the White House confirmed Wednesday."

Environmental Justice [22]
Laws & Regulations [42]
Natural Resources [14]
People & Population [15]
Public [16]
National (U.S.) [17]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [62]
Source: The Hill [63], 08/15/2024
- Read more about "Biden To Designate National Monument At Site Of Illinois Race Riot" [61]
UK Firm Violating Toxic Pollutant Limits At Louisiana Wood Pellet Facilities [64]

"British energy giant Drax Global, already under scrutiny for running afoul of environmental laws in multiple states, has disclosed to the state of Louisiana that its wood pellet production facilities emit hazardous air pollutants above their permitted limits."

Biodiversity [32]
Chemicals [40]
Climate Change [10]
Energy & Fuel [29]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Justice [22]
Environmental Politics [41]
Forests [12]
Laws & Regulations [42]
Natural Resources [14]
People & Population [15]
Pollution [24]
Public [16]
National (U.S.) [17]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
International [34]
Source: AP [65], 08/15/2024
- Read more about UK Firm Violating Toxic Pollutant Limits At Louisiana Wood Pellet Facilities [64]
Protecting Ecologically Rich Alabama Delta From Development, Climate Change [66]

"The Mobile-Tensaw Delta — a lush, vibrant and surprisingly intact over 400-square-mile (1,036-square-kilometer) expanse of cypress swamps, oxbow lakes, marshland, hardwood stands and rivers — is teeming with more aquatic species than almost anywhere in North America."

Biodiversity [32]
Environmental Justice [22]
Environmental Politics [41]
Fish & Fisheries [67]
Laws & Regulations [42]
Natural Resources [14]
People & Population [15]
Pollution [24]
Water & Oceans [25]
Wildlife [33]
Public [16]
National (U.S.) [17]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Source: AP [68], 08/15/2024
- Read more about Protecting Ecologically Rich Alabama Delta From Development, Climate Change [66]

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