Publication Items

Drinking Water Crisis Reveals Knowledge Gaps [1]

You read about the 300,000 West Virginians who don't know if they are drinking safe water — and ask "Could it happen here?" The answer is "You betcha!" Environmental journalists have many tools for discovering drinking-water disasters-waiting-to-happen in their own bailiwicks.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [3]
Laws & Regulations [4]
Disasters [5]
Chemicals [6]
Region:
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [7]
National (U.S.) [8]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Drinking Water Crisis Reveals Knowledge Gaps [1]
"Peril in the Ponds: Deformed Frogs, Politics, and a Biologist’s Quest" [10]

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [11]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [6]
Environmental Politics [12]
Environmental Studies [13]
Health [14]
Wildlife [15]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about "Peril in the Ponds: Deformed Frogs, Politics, and a Biologist’s Quest" [10]
EPA Database Illuminates Ecological Effects of Toxics [16]

Environmental journalists who want to explore the impacts of toxic substances on wildlife, fish, and plants can get help from a little-known EPA database. Online and searchable, ECOTOX has gotten better over the years, making it useful for reporters as well as scientists.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Health [17]
Chemicals [6]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about EPA Database Illuminates Ecological Effects of Toxics [16]
Find the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of a Plant Near You [18]

Environmental journalists may find a story by asking about the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a nearby coal-burning power plant or major chemical refinery. A new online EPA database gives information about the largest GHG emitters, makes the query easier and the answers more accurate.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Pollution [19]
Energy & Fuel [20]
Chemicals [6]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Find the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of a Plant Near You [18]
EPA Fines Company for Withholding Info on Toxic Chromium [21]

A New Jersey chemical company, Elementis Chromium, will have to pay a $2.6 million fine for failing to disclose information about the toxicity of hexavalent chromium to workers, in violation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Health [14]
Economy & Business [22]
Chemicals [6]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about EPA Fines Company for Withholding Info on Toxic Chromium [21]
"Lead Wars: The Politics of Science and the Fate of America ’s Children" [23]

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [11]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [6]
Environmental Politics [12]
Health [14]
People & Population [24]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about "Lead Wars: The Politics of Science and the Fate of America ’s Children" [23]
Toxic Tank Cars? There's an App for That [25]

When the Oregon government refused to tell her about oil trains, Eugene Weekly environment reporter Camilla Mortensen (pictured) learned about them from a train-hopping local cinematographer. Now you can roam the freight yards with your camera and know what you are looking at. And/or download the UN Number app.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Transportation [26]
Disasters [5]
Chemicals [6]
Region:
Northwest (OR WA) [27]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Toxic Tank Cars? There's an App for That [25]
Is Poor Safety Data a Bigger Threat Than Terrorists? [28]

A Dallas Morning News investigation published August 24, 2013, found that nine times out of ten, government information about chemical safety was wrong or missing. It's a story of government's incompetence at keeping the public safe.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Health [14]
Government [29]
Disasters [5]
Chemicals [6]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Is Poor Safety Data a Bigger Threat Than Terrorists? [28]
Drillers Buy Silence on Health, Property Impacts of Fracking [30]

One reason proof of harm is hard to find is that drillers pay people to keep quiet. Now the unsealing of a once-confidential settlement in Pennsylvania gives a clear view of how the silencing works. The 17-page, two-year-old settlement agreement includes a $750,000 payment to a family critical of fracking, saying they became sick, as well as a gag order that applies to their 7- and 10-year-old children for the rest of their lives.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [3]
Health [14]
Environmental Health [17]
Energy & Fuel [20]
Chemicals [6]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Drillers Buy Silence on Health, Property Impacts of Fracking [30]
Chemical Safety: Right-To-Know? No — Not Exactly [31]

The system for informing Americans about the threats to their health and safety posed by chemical plants is seriously broken, a Reuters investigation revealed August 10, 2013. Facilities often misidentify chemicals or their location, or fail to report the existence of the substances. But there are tools to help reporters.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Planning & Growth [32]
People & Population [24]
Laws & Regulations [4]
Health [14]
Disasters [5]
Chemicals [6]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Chemical Safety: Right-To-Know? No — Not Exactly [31]

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