Publication Items

Mining Road Salt Stories for Snow Season [1]

With ice and snow ahead, it's time to start thinking about road salt — its use may make driving safer, but can also cause real harm to the environment. This week's TipSheet clears the road for your reporting on this potential hazard, detailing its risks, outlining its alternatives and offering story ideas.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Environmental Health [4]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [6]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [7]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Mining Road Salt Stories for Snow Season [1]
SEJ Objects Over EPA Response to AP Story; plus, Suits & Rulings Involving Interior, EPA, NOAA [9]

The SEJ has written the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to object to its criticism of an Associated Press story about Superfund sites following Hurricane Harvey floods. That, plus a judge rules against EPA for withholding records on the pesticide Enlist Duo, and more, in this month's WatchDog.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [10]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [11]
Chemicals [3]
Climate Change [12]
Energy & Fuel [13]
Environmental Health [4]
Environmental Politics [14]
Government [15]
Journalism & Media [16]
Laws & Regulations [17]
Policy [18]
Pollution [19]
Science [20]
Water & Oceans [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about SEJ Objects Over EPA Response to AP Story; plus, Suits & Rulings Involving Interior, EPA, NOAA [9]
Is There a Post-Flood “Toxic Stew” Near You? [22]

Flooding disasters can unleash some nasty substances into the environment, whether from Superfund sites, sewage plants or petrochemical and other industrial facilities handling toxic and hazardous materials.This week's TipSheet identifies some of the biggest risks, and offers starting points for your local reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Disasters [23]
Energy & Fuel [13]
Environmental Health [4]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [16]
People & Population [25]
Pollution [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [26]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Is There a Post-Flood “Toxic Stew” Near You? [22]
EPA Press Office Attacks Journalists à la Trump [27]

The Trump Administration's EPA Press Office appears to have launched a personal attack on journalists for unfavorable coverage. WatchDog reports what happened when the Associated Press looked into possible pollution at Houston Superfund sites flooded by Hurricane Harvey.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [10]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Disasters [23]
Environmental Health [4]
Environmental Politics [14]
Government [15]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [16]
Pollution [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [26]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about EPA Press Office Attacks Journalists à la Trump [27]
Battling Mosquitoes: The Fog of Chemical Warfare [28]

Mosquitoes are not just annoyances. They also bring disease. But is the current patchwork of mosquito-control efforts effective? Or are the remedies, particularly pesticide spraying, worse than the problem? This week's Tipsheet has resources to help you report on balancing the risks of disease against those of spraying.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [11]
Air [29]
Chemicals [3]
Consumer [30]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [16]
People & Population [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Battling Mosquitoes: The Fog of Chemical Warfare [28]
To Report on Drinking Water, Know Its Source [31]

Safe drinking water is a long-standing challenge left unmet all across the United States. As our latest Issue Backgrounder explains, telling the story of drinkable water requires digging beneath complex relationships, understanding the sources of drinking water and much more. Here's help to do it.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Consumer [30]
Disasters [23]
Environmental Health [4]
Health [24]
Laws & Regulations [17]
Natural Resources [33]
People & Population [25]
Pollution [19]
Water & Oceans [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about To Report on Drinking Water, Know Its Source [31]
Lead in Drinking Water Remains Widespread Problem [34]

More stories about lead contamination of drinking water are unfolding around the country, even as the Flint disaster lingers. A new Issue Backgrounder details how lead gets into drinking water, how it leads to health problems among the most prevalent in the United States, and what solutions might address the crisis.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Health [24]
Laws & Regulations [17]
People & Population [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Lead in Drinking Water Remains Widespread Problem [34]
Data-Driven Journalism Delivers … Mostly [35]

Make sure data-driven reporting fulfills its potential with your environmental coverage. This extensive ToolBox looks at the broader trends in the burgeoning field, then zeros in on best uses for data journalism, spotlights great examples, and shares the resources, reading and helpful sites to get you on your way.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [36]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [29]
Chemicals [3]
Energy & Fuel [13]
Environmental Health [4]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [16]
Laws & Regulations [17]
Pollution [19]
Water & Oceans [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Data-Driven Journalism Delivers … Mostly [35]
Hazardous Sites Near You? There’s a Database for That! [37]

The best public database of the risk management plans for many major hazardous sites has now been restored. The latest TipSheet has the backstory on government tracking of hazardous chemical facilities, an example of how the database was mined for some stellar reporting, and ideas for smart use of this powerful tool.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Disasters [23]
Government [15]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [16]
Laws & Regulations [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [26]
Asia [38]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Hazardous Sites Near You? There’s a Database for That! [37]
Toxics Database a Key Tool for Environmental Journalists [39]

The Toxics Release Inventory has long been a vital reporting tool, and now there's a new edition of the database, issued last month by the outgoing Obama administration. Reporter's Toolbox walks you through how to smartly mine TRI for stories, whether you're a newbie or a veteran. Plus, TRI caveats.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [36]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Disasters [23]
Economy & Business [40]
Environmental Health [4]
Health [24]
Laws & Regulations [17]
Pollution [19]
Waste [41]
Region:
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Toxics Database a Key Tool for Environmental Journalists [39]

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