Publication Items

Massive Drilling Database Helps Track Threats From Local Oil, Gas Wells [1]

A new data tool that captures information on 1.5 million-plus active U.S. oil and gas production facilities can be a powerful tool for journalists looking to report on potential pollutants, especially when overlaid with local census data, school locations and the like. Reporter’s Toolbox takes a closer look at the new Oil & Gas Threat Map, shares caveats and offers story ideas.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [3]
Chemicals [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Pollution [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Massive Drilling Database Helps Track Threats From Local Oil, Gas Wells [1]
Septic Systems Often Hide Neglected Local Stories [12]

Millions of Americans rely on their own onsite wastewater treatment, commonly known as septic systems. And many of those systems are connected to private wells. But unless they are properly sited, designed, built and maintained, they can contaminate drinking water, bringing dangerous waterborne illnesses. The latest TipSheet explains how to turn this often ignored issue into a local story.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [13]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [4]
Consumer [14]
Environmental Justice [15]
Health [7]
Infrastructure [16]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [17]
Planning & Growth [18]
Pollution [9]
Waste [19]
Water & Oceans [20]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [21]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [22]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Septic Systems Often Hide Neglected Local Stories [12]
On the Mafia To-Do List? Take Out the Trash [23]

A student op-ed zeroing in on Rome’s trash problem, the role of organized crime and the silencing of Italy’s journalists has won the Society of Environmental Journalists’ first-ever Student Press Freedom Day contest. Our EJ Academy column shares Macy Berendsen’s opinion piece, which asks what the news media there can do to help clean up the Eternal City.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ Academy [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [25]
Journalism & Media [8]
Pollution [9]
Waste [19]
Region:
International [26]
Europe [27]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about On the Mafia To-Do List? Take Out the Trash [23]
Climate Change Action May Depend on Supreme Court [28]

A milestone legal challenge soon to be decided by the U.S. high court could severely limit how the U.S. government regulates the greenhouse gasses that cause climate change. The new Issue Backgrounder takes a look at West Virginia v. EPA, its legal implications, the politics behind it and what it would mean for efforts to curb future impacts of global warming.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [29]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [3]
Climate Change [30]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Politics [25]
Government [31]
Laws & Regulations [17]
Policy [32]
Pollution [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [33]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [21]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Climate Change Action May Depend on Supreme Court [28]
Data Bazaar at the EPA’s Environmental Dataset Gateway [34]

An intriguing portal to the vast data resources of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — the Environmental Dataset Gateway — could lead to many hidden story ideas, suggests the latest Reporter’s Toolbox. Find out more about the EDG and consider a handful of possible angles, including PCB transformer registrations, precipitation, heat-related hospitalizations and chemicals in consumer products.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [30]
Government [31]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Data Bazaar at the EPA’s Environmental Dataset Gateway [34]
Investigation Into Dry Oil Wells Reveals High Risks, Costs to Nearby Neighborhoods [35]

A casual query from an editor prompted an investigative reporter to pair up with a data journalism reporter at a partner news organization to dig into the risks that thousands of dry oil wells across California posed to surrounding communities, including many low-income Latino neighborhoods. How the resulting award-winning series came together, in an Inside Story Q&A with reporter Mark Olalde.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [36]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [15]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Pollution [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
California [37]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Investigation Into Dry Oil Wells Reveals High Risks, Costs to Nearby Neighborhoods [35]
An Endless ‘Silent Spring’? Find Out on a Spring Walk (With the Birders) [38]

To better understand troubled bird populations and the many forces undermining them, grab some binoculars and a notebook, and catch up with your local birders, including the burgeoning number of minority birders. That’s the advice from the latest TipSheet, which offers reporting resources and numerous story ideas, including the impacts of climate change, habitat loss, water access and the “insect apocalypse.”

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [13]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [39]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [30]
Diversity [40]
Environmental Health [6]
Journalism & Media [8]
Wildlife [41]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [26]
Canada [42]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about An Endless ‘Silent Spring’? Find Out on a Spring Walk (With the Birders) [38]
Should EPA Chemical Risk Info Remain a ‘Trade Secret’? [43]

The public’s right to know about toxic and hazardous chemicals is currently limited by trade secret rules that no longer serve any true purpose, argues the new WatchDog Opinion column. And a pending federal rulemaking is an opportunity for journalists to make the case to draw back the curtain, for the sake of their reporting and so that they can better cover their communities’ risks.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [44]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [45]
Chemicals [4]
Environmental Politics [25]
Government [31]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Should EPA Chemical Risk Info Remain a ‘Trade Secret’? [43]
Global Satellite Data IDs Tensions Between Food Production, Biodiversity [46]

A recent study of global cropland expansion highlights several trends that are ripe with environmental news stories. One finding: New farm fields have taken over an area the size of Texas and California combined since the start of the century, an expansion primarily affecting biodiversity-rich natural ecosystems, with Africa leading the cropland boom. Freelancer Gabriel Popkin explores the latest data and the reporting possibilities.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [47]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [48]
Biodiversity [39]
Climate Change [30]
Consumer [14]
Economy & Business [49]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [15]
Environmental Politics [25]
Environmental Studies [50]
Food [51]
Forests [52]
Journalism & Media [8]
Natural Resources [53]
People & Population [54]
Planning & Growth [18]
Science [55]
Technology [56]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [26]
Africa [57]
Asia [58]
Europe [27]
South America [59]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Global Satellite Data IDs Tensions Between Food Production, Biodiversity [46]
As Summer Worsens Air Pollution, Data Sources Help Coverage [60]

As the weather grows warmer, air pollution from smog typically worsens, as does smoke from spreading wildfires. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox spotlights the data that can help improve your coverage, whether via an easy-to-use report on the state of the air from a prominent nonprofit, or straight from various quality EPA data resources. Find help getting started on your air pollution coverage projects now.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [3]
Climate Change [30]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [15]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Pollution [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about As Summer Worsens Air Pollution, Data Sources Help Coverage [60]

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