Publication Items

Dead Zones Degrade All U.S Coastal Regions [1]

There were just 12 of these hypoxic areas in the 1960s. Now there are more than 300, or nearly half of the 647 waterways investigated by a consortium of federal agencies that released its report on Sept. 3, 2010.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [3]
Pollution [4]
Environmental Health [5]
Disasters [6]
Biodiversity [7]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Dead Zones Degrade All U.S Coastal Regions [1]
Coast Guard Spill-Response Database Offers Near-Real-Time Story Leads [9]

The National Response Center, a single call-in facility for the reporting of all kinds of oil and chemicals leaks, spills, and discharges, puts all the data online in a form than can be queried or downloaded.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [10]
Topics on the Beat:
Pollution [4]
Government [11]
Energy & Fuel [12]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Coast Guard Spill-Response Database Offers Near-Real-Time Story Leads [9]
Managing Stormwater: Key in Water Pollution, Beach Closures [13]

Here's a roundup of recent developments and resources that can help you cover how local stormwater management fits into the regional and national picture, including the Natural Resources Defense Council's 20th annual beach report and the proposed Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act of 2010.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Planning & Growth [14]
Pollution [4]
Water & Oceans [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Managing Stormwater: Key in Water Pollution, Beach Closures [13]
EPA Gets TRI Data Out Quickly This Year [16]

Data for the 2009 Toxics Release Inventory, released July 28, 2010, includes only about 80% of the total expected submissions so it's not possible to look at category totals, trends, and other aspects that require 100% of the data until later this year. However, you can report immediately on many local emitters, including evaluations of their totals and trends.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [17]
Pollution [4]
Government [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about EPA Gets TRI Data Out Quickly This Year [16]
Pollution Is Significant in National Parks [18]

Both polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (primarily from combustion sources) and pesticides are pervasive in 8 diverse US national parks, according to two Environmental Science & Technology studies by international teams of university and government agency researchers.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [19]
Chemicals [17]
Natural Resources [20]
Pollution [4]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Pollution Is Significant in National Parks [18]
Many Petroleum Companies Routinely Emit Significant Toxics [21]

The University of Massachusetts Political Economy Research Institute's "Toxic 100 Air Polluters" indicates 4 of the worst 12 air polluters are petroleum companies. You can use this resource to look at other groupings of companies, such as utilities, or drug, chemical, or metals manufacturers, or to look at any of the individual companies.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [19]
Chemicals [17]
Energy & Fuel [12]
Pollution [4]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Many Petroleum Companies Routinely Emit Significant Toxics [21]
TOOLBOX: Denver Post Finds Thousands of Drilling Spills in Colorado [22]

A big fraction of the leaks and spills involved not merely oil, but produced water containing hydraulic fracturing fluid. You'll find lots of useful data on the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission website.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [10]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [17]
Energy & Fuel [12]
Pollution [4]
Region:
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [23]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about TOOLBOX: Denver Post Finds Thousands of Drilling Spills in Colorado [22]
TOOLBOX: Follow the Money on Gulf Oil Spill Contracts [24]

Investigative Reporters and Editors brings news of a special Gulf Oil Spill Report put out by the Federal Procurement Data System which lists all federal contracts that the General Services Administration (GSA) knows about.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [10]
Topics on the Beat:
Economy & Business [25]
Pollution [4]
Government [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about TOOLBOX: Follow the Money on Gulf Oil Spill Contracts [24]
TOOLBOX: Database May Reveal an Oil Spill Near You [26]

Every spill report coming in to the NRC goes into a database which is, for the most part, publicly accessible. You can query the database online, or download it for use in your own computer-assisted reporting project.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [10]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [17]
Energy & Fuel [12]
Pollution [4]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about TOOLBOX: Database May Reveal an Oil Spill Near You [26]
EPA Lists Counties Likely To Violate Lead Standard [27]

Counties, currently in 12 states with more likely to be added next year as a result of new lead monitors, must take steps within five years to meet the standard.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [19]
Pollution [4]
Government [11]
Region:
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [28]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [29]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [30]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [31]
California [32]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [33]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about EPA Lists Counties Likely To Violate Lead Standard [27]

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