Publication Items

Many Petroleum Companies Routinely Emit Significant Toxics [1]

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 [3]
Chemicals [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Pollution [6]
Region:
National (U.S.) [7]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Many Petroleum Companies Routinely Emit Significant Toxics [1]
TOOLBOX: Denver Post Finds Thousands of Drilling Spills in Colorado [9]

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 [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Pollution [6]
Region:
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [11]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about TOOLBOX: Denver Post Finds Thousands of Drilling Spills in Colorado [9]
TOOLBOX: Follow the Money on Gulf Oil Spill Contracts [12]

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 [13]
Pollution [6]
Government [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [7]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about TOOLBOX: Follow the Money on Gulf Oil Spill Contracts [12]
TOOLBOX: Database May Reveal an Oil Spill Near You [15]

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 [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Pollution [6]
Region:
National (U.S.) [7]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about TOOLBOX: Database May Reveal an Oil Spill Near You [15]
EPA Lists Counties Likely To Violate Lead Standard [16]

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 [3]
Pollution [6]
Government [14]
Region:
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [17]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [19]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [20]
California [21]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [22]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about EPA Lists Counties Likely To Violate Lead Standard [16]
Manufacturing Plants Are Source of Drugs in Waterways [23]

Wastewater treatment plants can't mitigate the problem, which is compounded by other sources of water contamination, such as drugs that end up in landfills or flushed down toilets, and metabolites or unutilized drugs that pass through people who take the drugs.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Economy & Business [13]
Chemicals [4]
Consumer [24]
Health [25]
Pollution [6]
Water & Oceans [26]
Environmental Health [27]
Region:
National (U.S.) [7]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Manufacturing Plants Are Source of Drugs in Waterways [23]
BP Hires Cheney Spokeswoman, Defender of Secrecy, as PR Boss [28]

Anne Womack Kolton, who as former VP Dick Cheney's press aide defended the secrecy of his energy task force, has been brought in to fix BP's PR problems in the Gulf oil spill.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [10]
Topics on the Beat:
Fish & Fisheries [29]
Economy & Business [13]
Disasters [30]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Pollution [6]
Water & Oceans [26]
People & Population [31]
Region:
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [19]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about BP Hires Cheney Spokeswoman, Defender of Secrecy, as PR Boss [28]
Dispersants Remain a Mystery to Public, Despite Fake "Disclosure" [32]

Dispersant manufacturer Nalco failed to disclose the chemical identity of the ingredients to the news media or public, and ignored a US EPA order to stop using the product in the Gulf.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [10]
Topics on the Beat:
Economy & Business [13]
Chemicals [4]
Disasters [30]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Health [25]
Pollution [6]
Water & Oceans [26]
Environmental Health [27]
Wildlife [33]
Region:
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [19]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Dispersants Remain a Mystery to Public, Despite Fake "Disclosure" [32]
Top Kill Operation Succeeds in Killing Much of BP's Credibility [34]

US EPA withheld information, and twice during the five-day operation BP cut off the mud pumps for long periods without letting the public know, making statements that left the impression the operation was ongoing.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [10]
Topics on the Beat:
Fish & Fisheries [29]
Economy & Business [13]
Disasters [30]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Pollution [6]
Water & Oceans [26]
Government [14]
Wildlife [33]
Region:
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [19]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Top Kill Operation Succeeds in Killing Much of BP's Credibility [34]
Media Access to Oil-Impacted Areas Disputed [35]

The WatchDog's special Gulf oil spill issue includes stories on media access problems, withholding of information by US EPA and misleading statements by BP, mystery dispersant ingredients, BP's new ex-Cheney spokesperson, prohibiting cleanup workers talking to media, and detaining rig survivors till they sign two statements.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [10]
Topics on the Beat:
Fish & Fisheries [29]
Economy & Business [13]
Disasters [30]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Pollution [6]
Water & Oceans [26]
Technology [36]
Journalism & Media [37]
Wildlife [33]
Region:
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [19]
Visibility:
Public [8]
- Read more about Media Access to Oil-Impacted Areas Disputed [35]

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