SEJ
Published on SEJ (https://www.sej.org)

Home > Disasters

Drinking Water Crisis Reveals Knowledge Gaps [1]

You read about the 300,000 West Virginians who don't know if they are drinking safe water — and ask "Could it happen here?" The answer is "You betcha!" Environmental journalists have many tools for discovering drinking-water disasters-waiting-to-happen in their own bailiwicks.

SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Water & Oceans [3]
Laws & Regulations [4]
Disasters [5]
Chemicals [6]
Region: 
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [7]
National (U.S.) [8]
Visibility: 
Public [9]
  • Read more about Drinking Water Crisis Reveals Knowledge Gaps [1]

Ten Questions Ken Ward Jr. Is Waiting for EPA to Answer [10]

  1. How is the 1 ppm "safe level" calculated? What was EPA's involvement, and how does this method match EPA's standard approach to such things?
  2. EXACTLY what is being done to contain and remediate the site? What is the process going forward for dealing with that?
  3. How is EPA's response to Sen Rockefeller's letter asking for a long-term study?
Topics on the Beat: 
Water & Oceans [3]
Health [11]
Environmental Politics [12]
Disasters [5]
Chemicals [6]
Visibility: 
Public [9]
  • Read more about Ten Questions Ken Ward Jr. Is Waiting for EPA to Answer [10]

SEJ, SPJ Urge EPA, CDC to End Press Office Obstacles in Public Health Crises [13]

Reporters scrambling to inform the 300,000 citizens of Charleston, West Virginia, about why they could not drink their tap water, what health threats it presented, and who was responsible faced a stone wall from most of the responsible government agencies in the early days of the crisis.

SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Water & Oceans [3]
Health [11]
Environmental Health [14]
Disasters [5]
Region: 
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [7]
National (U.S.) [8]
Visibility: 
Public [9]
  • Read more about SEJ, SPJ Urge EPA, CDC to End Press Office Obstacles in Public Health Crises [13]

"Propane Shortage: Winter Storm Prompts Energy Emergency in Midwest" [15]

"A propane shortage in the Midwest is raising concerns about residents who rely on the fuel for heating. The propane shortage has prompted a state of emergency in Ohio, as bitterly cold weather descends on the Midwest."

Disasters [5]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Public [9]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: Christian Science Monitor [17], 01/22/2014
  • Read more about "Propane Shortage: Winter Storm Prompts Energy Emergency in Midwest" [15]

"Omaha Building Collapse: 2 Killed, at Least 10 Hurt at Feed Plant" [18]

"An explosion and fire flattened part of an animal feed plant in Omaha, Nebraska, on Monday, killing at least two people and injuring at least 10 others, authorities said."

Disasters [5]
Public [9]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [19]
Source: Chicago Tribune [20], 01/21/2014
  • Read more about "Omaha Building Collapse: 2 Killed, at Least 10 Hurt at Feed Plant" [18]

More Oil Spilled From Trains in 2013 Than in Previous 4 Decades: Data [21]

"WASHINGTON — More crude oil was spilled in U.S. rail incidents last year than was spilled in the nearly four decades since the federal government began collecting data on such spills, an analysis of the data shows."

Disasters [5]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Pollution [22]
Transportation [23]
Public [9]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: McClatchy [24], 01/21/2014
  • Read more about More Oil Spilled From Trains in 2013 Than in Previous 4 Decades: Data [21]

"Use of Water 'Your Decision,' Tomblin Says" [25]

"CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin on Monday told 300,000 state residents that they should make their own decisions about using water from West Virginia American Water's Elk River plant in the wake of this month's leak of the chemical Crude MCHM."

Chemicals [6]
Disasters [5]
Environmental Health [14]
Water & Oceans [3]
Public [9]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [7]
Source: Charleston Gazette [26], 01/21/2014
  • Read more about "Use of Water 'Your Decision,' Tomblin Says" [25]

"Polar Vortex's Little Brother To Bring Big Freeze To Eastern U.S." [27]

"Much of the U.S. is about to get pretty cold again."

Disasters [5]
Public [9]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: LA Times [28], 01/20/2014
  • Read more about "Polar Vortex's Little Brother To Bring Big Freeze To Eastern U.S." [27]

"W.Va. Chemical Spill Poses a New Test for Lawmakers" [29]

"There are more than 80,000 chemicals in the United States catalogued by government regulators, and the health risks of most of them are unknown."

Chemicals [6]
Disasters [5]
Laws & Regulations [4]
Pollution [22]
Water & Oceans [3]
Public [9]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: Wash Post [30], 01/20/2014
  • Read more about "W.Va. Chemical Spill Poses a New Test for Lawmakers" [29]

"Freedom Industries Files for Bankruptcy" [31]

"CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Freedom Industries, the company that fouled thousands of West Virginians' water with a chemical leak into the Elk River last week, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Friday."

Disasters [5]
Pollution [22]
Water & Oceans [3]
Public [9]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [7]
Source: Charleston Gazette [32], 01/20/2014
  • Read more about "Freedom Industries Files for Bankruptcy" [31]

Pages

  • « first [5]
  • ‹ previous [33]
  • …
  • 509 [34]
  • 510 [35]
  • 511 [36]
  • 512 [33]
  • 513
  • 514 [37]
  • 515 [38]
  • 516 [39]
  • 517 [40]
  • …
  • next › [37]
  • last » [41]
  • Contact Us  |
  • Donate  |
  • Join  |
  • Members  |
  • Privacy & Security Policies  |
  • Reach SEJ Members  |
  • Renew  |
  • Site Map
The Society of Environmental Journalists
1629 K Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006
Telephone: (202) 558-2055
Email: sej@sej.org
© 2026 The Society of Environmental Journalists. All Rights Reserved.
All graphics © SEJ, unless otherwise stated.

Source URL:https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=512

Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/drinking-water-crisis-reveals-knowledge-gaps [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/watchdog-tipsheet [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [7] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic [8] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [9] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [10] https://www.sej.org/ten-questions-ken-ward-jr-waiting-epa-answer [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [13] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/sej-spj-urge-epa-cdc-end-press-office-obstacles-public-health-crises [14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [15] https://www.sej.org/headlines/propane-shortage-winter-storm-prompts-energy-emergency-midwest [16] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [17] http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2014/0121/Propane-shortage-Winter-storm-prompts-energy-emergency-in-Midwest-video [18] https://www.sej.org/headlines/omaha-building-collapse-2-killed-least-10-hurt-feed-plant [19] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-plains [20] http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-omaha-building-collapse-20140120,0,5754608.story [21] https://www.sej.org/headlines/more-oil-spilled-trains-2013-previous-4-decades-data [22] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/transportation [24] http://www.kansascity.com/2014/01/20/4764674/more-oil-spilled-from-trains-in.html [25] https://www.sej.org/headlines/use-water-your-decision-tomblin-says [26] http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201401200041 [27] https://www.sej.org/headlines/polar-vortexs-little-brother-bring-big-freeze-eastern-us [28] http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-polar-vortex-sequel-20140118,0,7886309.story#axzz2qwOJLDJa [29] https://www.sej.org/headlines/wva-chemical-spill-poses-new-test-lawmakers [30] http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/west-virginia-chemical-spill-in-elk-river-poses-a-new-chemistry-test-for-lawmakers/2014/01/19/993d5a66-7ed7-11e3-93c1-0e888170b723_story.html [31] https://www.sej.org/headlines/freedom-industries-files-bankruptcy [32] http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201401170030 [33] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=511 [34] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=508 [35] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=509 [36] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=510 [37] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=513 [38] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=514 [39] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=515 [40] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=516 [41] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=742