Publication Items

Septic Systems Often Hide Neglected Local Stories [1]

Millions of Americans rely on their own onsite wastewater treatment, commonly known as septic systems. And many of those systems are connected to private wells. But unless they are properly sited, designed, built and maintained, they can contaminate drinking water, bringing dangerous waterborne illnesses. The latest TipSheet explains how to turn this often ignored issue into a local story.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Consumer [4]
Environmental Justice [5]
Health [6]
Infrastructure [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Planning & Growth [10]
Pollution [11]
Waste [12]
Water & Oceans [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [15]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [16]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Septic Systems Often Hide Neglected Local Stories [1]
Investigation Into Dry Oil Wells Reveals High Risks, Costs to Nearby Neighborhoods [18]

A casual query from an editor prompted an investigative reporter to pair up with a data journalism reporter at a partner news organization to dig into the risks that thousands of dry oil wells across California posed to surrounding communities, including many low-income Latino neighborhoods. How the resulting award-winning series came together, in an Inside Story Q&A with reporter Mark Olalde.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [19]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [20]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Justice [5]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [8]
Pollution [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
California [22]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Investigation Into Dry Oil Wells Reveals High Risks, Costs to Nearby Neighborhoods [18]
Should EPA Chemical Risk Info Remain a ‘Trade Secret’? [23]

The public’s right to know about toxic and hazardous chemicals is currently limited by trade secret rules that no longer serve any true purpose, argues the new WatchDog Opinion column. And a pending federal rulemaking is an opportunity for journalists to make the case to draw back the curtain, for the sake of their reporting and so that they can better cover their communities’ risks.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [25]
Chemicals [3]
Environmental Politics [26]
Government [27]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Should EPA Chemical Risk Info Remain a ‘Trade Secret’? [23]
As Summer Worsens Air Pollution, Data Sources Help Coverage [28]

As the weather grows warmer, air pollution from smog typically worsens, as does smoke from spreading wildfires. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox spotlights the data that can help improve your coverage, whether via an easy-to-use report on the state of the air from a prominent nonprofit, or straight from various quality EPA data resources. Find help getting started on your air pollution coverage projects now.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [29]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [30]
Climate Change [31]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Justice [5]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [8]
Pollution [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about As Summer Worsens Air Pollution, Data Sources Help Coverage [28]
EPA Moves To Eliminate Asbestos Risk to Human Health, But Its Legacy Remains [32]

A new ban is to be imposed on the last kind of asbestos still imported into the United States for use in commerce. But as the Issue Backgrounder explains, the regulatory back-and-forth over the substance by recent administrations won’t alleviate the biggest U.S. problem, which is the long history of its use in a wide range of building materials and other uses raising ongoing occupational risks.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [33]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [30]
Consumer [4]
Environmental Politics [26]
Government [27]
Health [6]
Infrastructure [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Policy [34]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about EPA Moves To Eliminate Asbestos Risk to Human Health, But Its Legacy Remains [32]
Don’t Overlook Lead Paint Toxicity Stories in Your Area [35]

Lead poisoning of U.S. drinking water has been a big headline-grabber in recent years, but there’s an even bigger environmental justice crisis — toxic lead exposure from paint. The latest TipSheet reports that this overlooked school and housing issue is getting new attention, but solving it will be difficult and expensive. Get context, reporting resources and ideas to tackle the story in your community.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Consumer [4]
Environmental Justice [5]
Government [27]
Health [6]
Infrastructure [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
People & Population [36]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [37]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Don’t Overlook Lead Paint Toxicity Stories in Your Area [35]
A Castoff Bumper Leads to a Literary ‘Autobiography’ of Plastic [38]

Environmental writer Allison Cobb, in “Plastic: An Autobiography,” tells the story of the ubiquitous material through a series of interwoven narratives that range from her own experiences with it (including a discarded plastic car bumper), to the corporate origins of its spread and the way it’s now dangerously carpeting nature and damaging human communities. Contributor Nano Riley has a review in our new BookShelf.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [39]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [4]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Justice [5]
Health [6]
Pollution [11]
Waste [12]
Water & Oceans [13]
Wildlife [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Alaska and Hawaii [41]
International [42]
Canada [43]
Mexico [44]
Africa [45]
Antarctica & Arctic [46]
Asia [47]
Australia & Oceania [48]
Central America & the Caribbean [49]
Europe [50]
Middle East [51]
South America [52]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about A Castoff Bumper Leads to a Literary ‘Autobiography’ of Plastic [38]
Now Maskless, What Are Schools Doing in the COVID-19 Era About Clean Indoor Air? [53]

As schools (and many other institutions) around the United States relax mask mandates, questions remain about how they will keep indoor air clean and safe. The latest TipSheet takes a look at the often-underestimated risks of indoor air pollution, as well as well-known practices to clean it up. Get story ideas and resources for reporting on schools in your community.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [30]
Disasters [54]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Politics [26]
Health [6]
Infrastructure [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Pollution [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Now Maskless, What Are Schools Doing in the COVID-19 Era About Clean Indoor Air? [53]
Environmental Justice Beat Gets Boost From New Database [55]

The Biden administration, which has been making environmental justice a top goal, has released a new screening tool that complements existing environmental equity databases, but with especially strong attention to a range of categories like clean transit, clean water, housing issues, life expectancy and more (although, interestingly, not race). The latest Reporter’s Toolbox has a guide to the new screening tool.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [29]
Topics on the Beat:
Diversity [56]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [26]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [8]
People & Population [36]
Planning & Growth [10]
Policy [34]
Pollution [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Environmental Justice Beat Gets Boost From New Database [55]
Houston Plays Host to First On-Site SEJ Conference Since 2019 [57]

Environmental journalists from around the country and beyond will gather in Houston later this month for the Society of Environmental Journalists’ 31st annual conference. Widely known as the energy capital of the world, this highly diverse city is an ideal place to drill down on the causes and consequences of climate change and other environmental issues of the day.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [58]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [25]
Air [30]
Biodiversity [59]
Chemicals [3]
Climate Change [31]
Disasters [54]
Diversity [56]
Economy & Business [60]
Energy & Fuel [20]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [26]
Fish & Fisheries [61]
Food [62]
Forests [63]
Government [27]
Health [6]
Infrastructure [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
People & Population [36]
Planning & Growth [10]
Policy [34]
Pollution [11]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [64]
Science [65]
Technology [66]
Transportation [67]
Waste [12]
Water & Oceans [13]
Wildlife [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [68]
International [42]
Mexico [44]
Central America & the Caribbean [49]
Europe [50]
South America [52]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Houston Plays Host to First On-Site SEJ Conference Since 2019 [57]

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