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AP Probe: Keeping Explosive Chemicals Secret May Not Make People Safer [1]

Aftershocks of the April 17, 2013, ammonium nitrate explosion in West, Texas, continue — including investigations by news organizations as well as state and federal agencies. A major multistate investigative project by the Associated Press could only get data for 28 of the 50 states, but within those states it found that more than 600,000 people live within a typical blast zone and more had family in schools and hospitals within one.

SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
People & Population [3]
Disasters [4]
Chemicals [5]
Region: 
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [6]
Visibility: 
Public [7]

"Chronic Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico Since 2004 -- Still Spilling" [8]

A series of oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, damaged during a September 2004 hurricane, are still leaking in a "chronic" oil spill. SkyTruth brought the pollution to light using satellite imagery, aerial photography, and publicly available government data. The slicks are bigger than the company responsible is reporting.

Disasters [4]
Energy & Fuel [9]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Public [7]
National (U.S.) [12]
Source: SkyTruth [13], 06/05/2013

"El Reno, Okla., Tornado Was Largest In US History" [14]

"A tornado that swept through Oklahoma on Friday was the widest tornado in American history, the National Weather Service said Tuesday."

Disasters [4]
Public [7]
National (U.S.) [12]
Source: LA Times [15], 06/05/2013

"With Keystone Under Scrutiny, TransCanada Battles Pipe Corrosion" [16]

"BEAUMONT, Texas -- The sound was deafening as workers sandblasted a section of the Gulf Coast Project, the southern installment of TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone XL Pipeline project."

Disasters [4]
Energy & Fuel [9]
Public [7]
National (U.S.) [12]
Source: EnergyWire [17], 06/04/2013

"Remapping Our Awareness Of Storm Surge Danger" [18]

"Hurricane season [began] Saturday, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting an active season, with perhaps seven to 11 hurricanes."

Disasters [4]
Public [7]
National (U.S.) [12]
Source: NPR [19], 06/04/2013

Canadian Agency Bars Interview With Postmedia Because of Expose [20]

"OTTAWA — The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has declined an interview request with a scientist to discuss the environmental impacts of oilsands development because it objected to a recent Postmedia News report, a federal government spokesman wrote in an email."

"Fisheries and Oceans Canada is one of seven federal departments and agencies under investigation by Parliament’s Information Commissioner, Suzanne Legault, over allegations that the government is 'muzzling' and restricting access to government scientists.

Disasters [4]
Environmental Politics [21]
Journalism & Media [22]
Public [7]
Canada [23]
Source: Postmedia [24], 06/04/2013

"Missouri Residents Told To Evacuate After Levee Breach" [25]

"Hundreds of people were being evacuated from their homes in Missouri after a levee was breached Monday night."

Disasters [4]
Public [7]
National (U.S.) [12]
Source: CNN [26], 06/04/2013

"Powerhouse Fire's Twisting Path Tests Firefighters" [27]

"The Powerhouse fire has a dance all its own, and firefighters have struggled to keep up with the flames."

Disasters [4]
Public [7]
California [28]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [6]
Source: LA Times [29], 06/04/2013

"FEMA Promotes Its Wireless Emergency Alert System" [30]

"The Federal Emergency Management Agency is releasing new public service advertising this week, created in conjunction with the Advertising Council, to educate Americans about its wireless emergency alert system."

Disasters [4]
Public [7]
National (U.S.) [12]
Source: NY Times [31], 05/31/2013

"Presence of Explosive Chemicals Often Kept Secret" [32]

"Fears of terrorism have made it harder than ever for citizens to find out what dangerous chemicals lurk in their backyards, The Associated Press has found. Secrecy and shoddy record-keeping have kept the public and emergency workers in the dark about stockpiles of explosive material."

Chemicals [5]
Disasters [4]
Environmental Politics [21]
Government [33]
Journalism & Media [22]
Public [7]
National (U.S.) [12]
Source: AP [34], 05/31/2013

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Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/ap-probe-keeping-explosive-chemicals-secret-may-not-make-people-safer [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/watchdog-tipsheet [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [6] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest [7] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [8] https://www.sej.org/headlines/chronic-oil-spill-gulf-mexico-2004-still-spilling [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [12] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [13] http://blog.skytruth.org/2013/06/chronic-oil-spill-in-gulf-of-mexico.html [14] https://www.sej.org/headlines/el-reno-okla-tornado-was-largest-us-history [15] http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/06/04/193001/el-reno-okla-tornado-was-largest.html#.Ua8fcpz4KjI [16] https://www.sej.org/headlines/keystone-under-scrutiny-transcanada-battles-pipe-corrosion [17] http://www.eenews.net/energywire/2013/06/03/stories/1059982136 [18] https://www.sej.org/headlines/remapping-our-awareness-storm-surge-danger [19] http://www.npr.org/2013/06/01/187726555/new-maps-aim-to-raise-awareness-of-storm-surge-danger [20] https://www.sej.org/headlines/canadian-agency-bars-interview-postmedia-because-expose [21] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [22] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [23] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/canada [24] http://o.canada.com/2013/05/31/dfo-declines-interview-with-scientist-on-oilsands-because-it-disagrees-with-media-report/ [25] https://www.sej.org/headlines/missouri-residents-told-evacuate-after-levee-breach [26] http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/03/us/midwest-weather/index.html [27] https://www.sej.org/headlines/powerhouse-fires-twisting-path-tests-firefighters [28] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/california [29] http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-powerhouse-fire-20130604,0,6284624.story [30] https://www.sej.org/headlines/fema-promotes-its-wireless-emergency-alert-system [31] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/29/business/media/fema-promotes-its-wireless-emergency-alert-system.html?ref=energy-environment [32] https://www.sej.org/headlines/presence-explosive-chemicals-often-kept-secret [33] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [34] http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/terror-fears-toxic-plants-hidden-public-19285337#.Uaht9ZwQFa- [35] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=534 [36] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=531 [37] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=532 [38] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=533 [39] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=536 [40] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=537 [41] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=538 [42] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=539 [43] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=732