Publication Items

Are Fluorinated Chemicals Contaminating Your Local Drinking Water? [1]

A family of widely used fluorinated chemicals may be contaminating local drinking water supplies, causing uncertain health effects and with little clarity over federal regulations. But some states are starting to step in. This week’s TipSheet unwinds the confusion over PFAS, with some backstory and plenty of resources for your local coverage.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Chemicals [4]
Consumer [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Pollution [10]
Science [11]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [14]
Northwest (OR WA) [15]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Are Fluorinated Chemicals Contaminating Your Local Drinking Water? [1]
Often Misunderstood Estuaries Underpin Environment’s Health [17]

The estuaries that proliferate across the United States can be hard to define — and protect. But their role in a healthy environment makes them a crucial focus of good reporting. The latest Issue Backgrounder explores their importance, the many challenges they face, and how to track the agencies and programs meant to protect them.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [18]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [19]
Biodiversity [20]
Economy & Business [21]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [22]
Fish & Fisheries [23]
Government [24]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Natural Resources [25]
People & Population [26]
Planning & Growth [27]
Policy [28]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [12]
Wildlife [29]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Alaska and Hawaii [30]
California [31]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [32]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [33]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [14]
Northwest (OR WA) [15]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [34]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [35]
International [36]
Mexico [37]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Often Misunderstood Estuaries Underpin Environment’s Health [17]
Tracking Troubled Waters with ‘Endangered Rivers’ List [38]

A running list of endangered rivers becomes an annual starting point for strong local coverage of critical water issues. This week’s TipSheet spotlights the latest additions to an inventory of trouble spots around the United States, plus key angles and issues for coverage, and a selection of top resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [19]
Chemicals [4]
Consumer [5]
Economy & Business [21]
Energy & Fuel [39]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [22]
Fish & Fisheries [23]
Government [24]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Natural Resources [25]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [12]
Wildlife [29]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Alaska and Hawaii [30]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [32]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [40]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [41]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [34]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [35]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Tracking Troubled Waters with ‘Endangered Rivers’ List [38]
Great Lakes Offer Great Stories to Reporters in the Know [42]

The Great Lakes are not only the largest fresh water system in the world, supplying drinking water to tens of millions. They also face a range of environmental woes that make them ready fodder for reporters. This week’s TipSheet runs down some ongoing developments, plus key resources to cover them.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [19]
Biodiversity [20]
Chemicals [4]
Consumer [5]
Economy & Business [21]
Energy & Fuel [39]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [22]
Fish & Fisheries [23]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Natural Resources [25]
People & Population [26]
Planning & Growth [27]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [32]
International [36]
Canada [43]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Great Lakes Offer Great Stories to Reporters in the Know [42]
Are Combined Sewer Overflows Causing Pollution in Your Local Waters? [44]

Decades after the nation’s capital began its historic cleanup, sanitary sewage still occasionally swamps the Potomac River. Are sewage systems also dumping human waste and other pollutants into waterways near you? This week’s TipSheet has the background on the problem of combined sewage overflow, as well as resources for finding out what’s happening near you.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Health [6]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Planning & Growth [27]
Pollution [10]
Waste [45]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [32]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [33]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [14]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [35]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Are Combined Sewer Overflows Causing Pollution in Your Local Waters? [44]
Searching for Environment Themes at Sundance 2018 [46]

While environmental themes were less prominent at the Sundance Film Festival this year, our correspondent JoAnn Valenti unearthed ecological messages from documentaries that explore the emergence of climate change refugees in the face of sea level rise, the escape from modernity into wilderness and the confrontation of environmental threats by young innovators.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [47]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Air [48]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [49]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [22]
Forests [50]
Government [24]
Health [7]
Natural Resources [25]
People & Population [26]
Planning & Growth [27]
Policy [28]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
International [36]
Australia & Oceania [51]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Searching for Environment Themes at Sundance 2018 [46]
As Threat of Coal-Ash Pollution Grows, Data May Diminish [52]

Coal ash can contaminate surface and ground water with toxic heavy metals. But as this week’s TipSheet reports, Trump deregulation aims to loosen EPA rules on its disposal. That may mean a big local pollution story. If journalists can find the data, that is. The latest on the new rules, plus resources for coverage.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [4]
Energy & Fuel [39]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [22]
Government [24]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about As Threat of Coal-Ash Pollution Grows, Data May Diminish [52]
EPA Mapping App Helps Find, Deepen Environmental Justice Stories [53]

As new research reminds us that pollution often disproportionately affects poor and minority communities in the United States, a long-standing mapping tool from the EPA can help reporters explore and discover those environmental justice stories nearest them. The latest TipSheet explains the problem, and walks you through the mapping app.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Air [48]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [22]
Environmental Studies [54]
Government [24]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
People & Population [26]
Pollution [10]
Technology [55]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
California [31]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [32]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [33]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [41]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [35]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about EPA Mapping App Helps Find, Deepen Environmental Justice Stories [53]
“Yellowstone Migrations” [56]

A photographer undertook an artistic and scientific odyssey that was inspired by an ancient migration now imperiled by human encroachment. His new volume tracks the mythical journeys taken by pronghorn, mule deer and elk through the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. BookShelf reviews Joe Riis’ “Yellowstone Migrations.”

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [57]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [20]
Energy & Fuel [39]
Environmental Health [6]
Natural Resources [25]
Science [11]
Wildlife [29]
Region:
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [41]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about “Yellowstone Migrations” [56]
“Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science” [58]

A hard-nosed account of Monsanto and its controversial and popular herbicide Roundup comes in a new book by a former wire service reporter, who pieced together documentation and fact-finding from over 20 years to make a case there was a dangerous cover-up. BookShelf reviews Carey Gillam’s “Whitewash.”

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [57]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [19]
Air [48]
Chemicals [4]
Consumer [5]
Economy & Business [21]
Environmental Health [6]
Food [59]
Government [24]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Natural Resources [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about “Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science” [58]

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