Publication Items

Proposed Rule for Power Plant Toxics Due March 16 [1]

The consent decree that established the March 16 release date also mandates that a final rule be published by Nov. 16, 2011 (nine years later than the deadline dictated by the Clean Air Act). Here are several tools you can use to get a handle on the power plants and their emissions in your audience area prior to release of the rule.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Pollution [3]
Laws & Regulations [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Proposed Rule for Power Plant Toxics Due March 16 [1]
House De-Funds Greenhouse Gas Registry [7]

As part of the continuing resolution (HR 1) the House approved largely along party lines an amendment sponsored by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) to cut an additional $8.5 million from the budget for EPA's Greenhouse Gas Registry.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [8]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [9]
Air [10]
Government [11]
Pollution [3]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about House De-Funds Greenhouse Gas Registry [7]
EPA Asks for Comment on School Siting Guidelines [12]

This guidance would provide insights and reduce threats when competing forces — such as land availability, cost, timing, vehicle and utility access, zoning, and developer cooperation — drive decision makers to build a school at a site that may pose a toxic threat to the children and staff.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Pollution [3]
People & Population [13]
Health [14]
Air [10]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about EPA Asks for Comment on School Siting Guidelines [12]
EPA Releases Reports on Toxics at Selected Schools [15]

Following a December 2008 USA Today report on outdoor air pollution at hundreds of schools, EPA began a monitoring process. Final reports for 21 (of the small number of schools selected) have now been released; the results are mixed.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Pollution [3]
People & Population [13]
Health [14]
Chemicals [16]
Air [10]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about EPA Releases Reports on Toxics at Selected Schools [15]
Pavement Sealcoat Contaminates Lakes and Streams [17]

A soon-to-be-published study has found elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, probable human carcinogens toxic to fish and other aquatic life, in waterways are originating from coal tar-based pavement sealcoats.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [18]
Pollution [3]
Health [14]
Chemicals [16]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Pavement Sealcoat Contaminates Lakes and Streams [17]
Got TMDLs? Sneak Peek of New Pollutant Loading Tool Could Raise Ruckus [19]

EPA in-house tool may be released to public within months. It will give reporters themselves the ability to estimate the cumulative impacts of pollution on water bodies.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [8]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [18]
Technology [20]
Pollution [3]
Government [11]
Chemicals [16]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Got TMDLs? Sneak Peek of New Pollutant Loading Tool Could Raise Ruckus [19]
MY-RTK Lets Users Probe Toxic Emissions from Their Smartphones [21]

myRTK lets you thumb in an address or ZIP code and get back a map or list of Toxics Release Inventory facilities on your feature phone or smart phone.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [8]
Topics on the Beat:
Technology [20]
Pollution [3]
Government [11]
Chemicals [16]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about MY-RTK Lets Users Probe Toxic Emissions from Their Smartphones [21]
EPA Gives Public an Environmental Justice Mapping Tool: EJView [22]

This new tool allows any user online to create custom study areas based on a wide range of variables: address, ZIP code, county, city, township, facility, watershed, or geographic coordinates. Other environmental data can then be mapped onto that study area.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [8]
Topics on the Beat:
Technology [20]
Pollution [3]
People & Population [13]
Health [14]
Government [11]
Environmental Health [23]
Chemicals [16]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about EPA Gives Public an Environmental Justice Mapping Tool: EJView [22]
TRI Offers New "Comparative Query" Tool [24]

The beta tool allows anyone to compare TRI information from a facility to air pollution data from the same facility or a related one. For example, an investigator could find inconsistencies in the amount of pollution reported by a facility under the two separate laws.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [8]
Topics on the Beat:
Technology [20]
Pollution [3]
Government [11]
Chemicals [16]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about TRI Offers New "Comparative Query" Tool [24]
Envirofacts Warehouse Gets Geographic Makeover, Update [25]

This newly powerful, easy-to-use mapping tool can help environmental journalists find and report great local and regional stories.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [8]
Topics on the Beat:
Technology [20]
Pollution [3]
Government [11]
Chemicals [16]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Envirofacts Warehouse Gets Geographic Makeover, Update [25]

Pages