Pollution

Toxic Vapors Seep from Ground, Threaten Baltimore Neighborhood [1]

Fumes from long-ago industrial activity are still seeping into the homes of some Baltimore-area residents. Those fumes include cancer-causing chemicals like trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene. The site was one of the first Superfund cleanups, but the cleanup was not thorough enough.

Pollution [2]

Public [3]

Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [4]

Source: Baltimore City Paper [5], 07/23/2009

Read more about Toxic Vapors Seep from Ground, Threaten Baltimore Neighborhood [1]

"EPA Targets Contaminated Alaska Mines" [6]

With a push from EPA and some stimulus money, two contaminated Alaskan mines will be cleaned up.

Pollution [2]

Public [3]

Alaska and Hawaii [7]

Source: Juneau Empire [8], 07/22/2009

Read more about "EPA Targets Contaminated Alaska Mines" [6]

Fishing for Solutions for Poisoned Trinity River [9]

An abandoned river -- the Trinity -- runs through Dallas. Storms wash old industrial poisons into it via ditches. As poisons accumulated in its sediments, fish became dangerous to eat. "So people stayed away, and over time, it no longer mattered which came first -- the toxic fish or the abandoned river."

Pollution [2]

Public [3]

Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [10]

Source: Dallas News [11], 07/20/2009

Read more about Fishing for Solutions for Poisoned Trinity River [9]

EPA To Push Hard-Rock Mining Cleanup Bonds [12]

"The Environmental Protection Agency, complying with a court order, will develop a rule to guarantee companies that mine everything from copper to uranium will pay for needed environmental cleanup, not taxpayers."

Pollution [2]

Public [3]

National (U.S.) [13]

Source: AP [14], 07/14/2009

Read more about EPA To Push Hard-Rock Mining Cleanup Bonds [12]

"Sunburst Gasoline Cleanup Grows Bigger and Murkier" [15]

It took a lawsuit by residents of Sunburst, Montana, to start cleanup of an underground spill of gasoline that took place 50 years earlier.

Pollution [2]

Public [3]

Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [16]

Source: Great Falls Tribune [17], 07/13/2009

Read more about "Sunburst Gasoline Cleanup Grows Bigger and Murkier" [15]

EPA: Most US Residents Exposed to Excessive Air Pollution Risk [18]

While it does have limitations, the updated National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment offers risk estimates for each of 180 substances, and three separate combined assessments.

SEJ Publication Types:

TipSheet [19]

Topics on the Beat:

Air [20]

Pollution [2]

People & Population [21]

Region:

National (U.S.) [13]

Visibility:

Public [3]

Read more about EPA: Most US Residents Exposed to Excessive Air Pollution Risk [18]

'Carbon Black' Report Shows Impacts On Native Americans [22]

By MIKE DUNNE

An effort to document the lives of Oklahoma Indians introduced reporter Vicki Monks to a story that begged to be told: how a carbon black plant affected the health of a neighboring Ponca Indian community.

Carbon black, made by the burning of waste oil, is used primarily to strengthen the rubber in tires.

Topics on the Beat:

Pollution [2]

Region:

National (U.S.) [13]

Visibility:

Public [3]

Read more about 'Carbon Black' Report Shows Impacts On Native Americans [22]

Coal-Waste Impoundment Database Offers Journalists a Tool [23]

A cooperative effort of federal and state agencies, coal companies, and environmental groups, the database lists coal-waste impoundments in West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

SEJ Publication Types:

WatchDog TipSheet [24]

Topics on the Beat:

Energy & Fuel [25]

Pollution [2]

Waste [26]

Region:

Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [4]

Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [27]

SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [28]

Visibility:

Public [3]