Publication Items

Wastewater Ponds Often a Local Story Worth Stirring Up [1]

The tale of a toxic wastewater pit menacing a Florida community is a story that could be told in communities around the nation. As the latest TipSheet warns, these waste sites can turn into ticking time bombs. But in reporting the story locally, the first thing to know is which of the many kinds of wastewater ponds to look for. Here’s a rundown.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Chemicals [4]
Disasters [5]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
Pollution [9]
Waste [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [12]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
International [14]
Canada [15]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Wastewater Ponds Often a Local Story Worth Stirring Up [1]
Could Hackers Poison Your Local Drinking Water? [17]

A computer hacker nearly succeeded recently in rendering a local Florida facility a source of poisonous drinking water. And the risk of other such hacks is real, even as the vulnerabilities are hidden behind stringent U.S. secrecy laws. The latest TipSheet explores dangers to our drinking water supply — which go well beyond future hacking.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [18]
Disasters [5]
Government [19]
Health [6]
Infrastructure [20]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
People & Population [21]
Pollution [9]
Technology [22]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [24]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Could Hackers Poison Your Local Drinking Water? [17]
Covering Your Climate: The South [25]

This Society of Environmental Journalists’ special report — “Covering Your Climate: The South” — is the second in a series [26] designed to help journalists of all kinds cover the impacts of climate change in their region, and to report on actions taken to mitigate its worst effects and preparations for what can’t be stopped. This special report begins with the extensive background overview and in the coming weeks, we’ll publish three tipsheets with a wealth of story ideas for right now and over the coming decade, plus a resource toolbox.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [28]
Region:
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [29]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Covering Your Climate: The South [25]
South Slow To Adapt to Rising Sea Levels, Other Climate Impacts [30]

Preparations for the inevitable impacts of the climate crisis in the South, the country’s most vulnerable region, have been hit or miss. And one of the toughest challenges — preparing coastal communities for inevitable flooding from sea level rise — is just beginning. More on the region’s climate adaptation considerations in the final entry in our “Covering Your Climate: The South [25]” special report. Plus, a backgrounder, additional tipsheets and a toolbox.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [28]
Disasters [5]
Environmental Health [31]
Environmental Politics [32]
Government [19]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
People & Population [21]
Planning & Growth [33]
Policy [34]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [12]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [29]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about South Slow To Adapt to Rising Sea Levels, Other Climate Impacts [30]
Crisis Threatens the Country’s Most Vulnerable Region [35]

As global warming worsens, effects like extreme heat, drought, wildfires, coastal flooding and inland flooding will have an outsized impact in the Southern United States. The latest entry in our ongoing “Covering Your Climate: The South [25]” special report looks at those effects. Plus, read an introductory overview and watch for additional entries on climate mitigation and adaptation in the South.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Air [36]
Climate Change [28]
Consumer [18]
Disasters [5]
Economy & Business [37]
Energy & Fuel [38]
Environmental Health [31]
Environmental Politics [32]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [39]
People & Population [21]
Planning & Growth [33]
Policy [34]
Pollution [9]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [12]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [29]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Crisis Threatens the Country’s Most Vulnerable Region [35]
Why the South Lags on Staving Off Crisis [40]

Most Southern state leaders are doing the least to fight the climate crisis, despite having the most to lose environmentally and economically. When will that begin to change? The latest entry in our “Covering Your Climate: The South [25]” special report looks at the politics of the climate crisis, the dominance of utilities, and the transportation and forestry sectors, along with the few climate breakthroughs.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [36]
Climate Change [28]
Consumer [18]
Economy & Business [37]
Energy & Fuel [38]
Environmental Politics [32]
Government [19]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
Natural Resources [39]
Planning & Growth [33]
Policy [34]
Pollution [9]
Transportation [41]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [12]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [29]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Why the South Lags on Staving Off Crisis [40]
Is the South Confronting Its Climate Threats? [42]

The South is ground zero for the climate crisis in the United States, yet little is being done to prevent impacts or protect communities. Will the South tap its potential to be part of the solution? Our special report, “Covering Your Climate: The South,” helps reporters cover the region, starting with a backgrounder on climate concerns from Texas to Virginia.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [43]
Agriculture [3]
Air [36]
Biodiversity [44]
Climate Change [28]
Consumer [18]
Disasters [5]
Economy & Business [37]
Energy & Fuel [38]
Environmental Health [31]
Environmental Politics [32]
Government [19]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
Natural Resources [39]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [45]
People & Population [21]
Planning & Growth [33]
Policy [34]
Pollution [9]
Science [46]
Technology [22]
Transportation [41]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [12]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [29]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Is the South Confronting Its Climate Threats? [42]
Environmental Justice Stories Will Keep Proliferating in 2021 [47]

The surging racial justice movement has reenergized aspirations to correct the environmental injustices that blemish countless underprivileged U.S. communities. The new TipSheet, another part of our 2021 Guide [48], scans the landscape of trouble spots, from urban to rural, industrial zones to Superfund sites. Plus, story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [43]
Air [36]
Chemicals [4]
Environmental Health [31]
Environmental Politics [32]
Government [19]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [21]
Policy [34]
Pollution [9]
Waste [10]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [24]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [49]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [12]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [50]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [29]
International [14]
Mexico [51]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Environmental Justice Stories Will Keep Proliferating in 2021 [47]
Reporter, Wearing Two Hats, Journeys Into Filmmaking [52]

For Boston Globe environment reporter David Abel, a side project shooting video of the 2013 Boston Marathon sealed his passion for nonfiction filmmaking, one that has since yielded four high-profile nature documentaries. In EJ InSight, Abel traces that path and details how he balances his environment reporting and filmmaking. Plus, view images from Abel’s documentary work [53].

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ InSight [54]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [28]
Environmental Health [31]
Fish & Fisheries [55]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [39]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [56]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Reporter, Wearing Two Hats, Journeys Into Filmmaking [52]
For Waste Industry, PFAS Disposal Leads to Controversy, Regulation, Mounting Costs [57]

The toxic compounds known as PFAS are causing a crisis in the waste and recycling industry, which faces mounting regulation and litigation over handling its presence in the waste stream. One reporter on the PFAS front lines explains the industry’s dilemma, as well as the challenges of covering the story and how a financial prism led to important insights into industry’s response.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [58]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [4]
Economy & Business [37]
Environmental Health [31]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
Military [59]
Pollution [9]
Waste [10]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
California [60]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [24]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [56]
Northwest (OR WA) [61]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about For Waste Industry, PFAS Disposal Leads to Controversy, Regulation, Mounting Costs [57]

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