"EPA Watchdog Questions Safety of Sewage Used as Fertilizer" [1]
"The Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t know if the treated sewage sludge that farmers use as fertilizer is safe, according to a report from its internal watchdog."

"The Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t know if the treated sewage sludge that farmers use as fertilizer is safe, according to a report from its internal watchdog."
"When Trey Glenn was seeking a top EPA job last year, one of his references was a lobbyist for Drummond Co., an Alabama-based coal firm. Now, the lobbyist is likely headed for federal lockup. And Glenn, the head of EPA's Atlanta-based Region 4 office, is under indictment for allegedly violating the state's ethics law."
"If successful, it could reduce landfill use and save the city millions. There are a few obstacles to work through first, though."
Incinerators — there may be fewer of them these days, but it’s likely there’s still one near you and it’s probably polluting the air. How a cheap method to make garbage go away now has become a problem of its own, one that often sparks debates over environmental justice. This week’s Tipsheet has a quick rundown on incinerator regulation, outlines key problem areas and offers resources for reporting your own local incinerator story.
Hog waste washing into the environment in the wake of flooding is not just a worry in the Carolinas after Hurricane Florence. Potential pollution from animal feed operations is a widespread risk around the United States — and climate change-induced extreme weather means that risk is rising. The latest TipSheet has resources and ideas for covering the story in your area.
The presence of a new acting administrator at EPA in the wake of Scott Pruitt’s resignation may mean a change in tone and a renewed openness for journalists covering the agency. But it doesn’t appear to mean different policy approaches. This week’s TipSheet reports on the early days of former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler’s command, with a roundup of coverage and angles to watch.
A local beat reporter with an unusual background seeks hidden corners of local environmental policy and is rewarded with top honors for her work. An interview with Texas Observer reporter Naveena Sadasivam about her learning curve, her award-winning reporting and what she thinks the profession must do to build its future. The latest “Inside Story.”
"Our nation’s founders decided to build their new capital city on a square of land at the confluence of two rivers — the Potomac and the Anacostia. In the years since, the Potomac has been acclaimed as “the Nation’s River.” The Anacostia, however, has been known by less illustrious nicknames: “the forgotten river,” or simply “one of the most polluted rivers in the United States.”"
"The United States asked China on Friday not to implement a ban on imports of scrap materials, after the world’s top scrap buyer abruptly shut the door to many types of waste, throwing the global recycling industry into turmoil."
"Seven Democratic states on Friday threatened to sue the Trump administration for its delay in enforcing an Obama administration rule on air pollution from landfills."
Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-watchdog-questions-safety-sewage-used-fertilizer
[2] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture
[3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics
[4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health
[5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution
[6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste
[7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water
[8] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81
[9] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national
[10] https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/safety-of-sewage-used-as-fertilizer-questioned-by-epa-watchdog#gs.2L3XaME
[11] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-how-top-official-landed-criminal-trouble
[12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business
[13] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics
[14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government
[15] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws
[16] https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060106235
[17] https://www.sej.org/headlines/pros-and-cons-new-york%E2%80%99s-fledgling-compost-program
[18] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land
[19] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northeast
[20] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/09/nyregion/nyc-compost-zero-waste-program.html
[21] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/incinerators-offer-local-journalists-some-burning-issues
[22] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/tipsheet
[23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/activism
[24] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air
[25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy
[26] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health
[27] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media
[28] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population
[29] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes
[30] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-plains
[31] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic
[32] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/florence-hints-more-flood-induced-animal-waste-spills-across-us
[33] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change
[34] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster
[35] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast
[36] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/taking-office-epa-acting-administrator-wheeler-gets-realer
[37] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/policy
[38] https://www.sej.org/publications/inside-story/small-market-beat-reporter-delves-where-few-have-looked
[39] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/inside-story
[40] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest
[41] https://www.sej.org/headlines/anacostia-rising-what%E2%80%99s-next-washington%E2%80%99s-forgotten%E2%80%99-river
[42] https://wamu.atavist.com/anacostia-rising
[43] https://www.sej.org/headlines/us-asks-china-not-implement-ban-foreign-garbage
[44] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international
[45] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-environment-usa/u-s-asks-china-not-to-implement-ban-on-foreign-garbage-idUSKBN1GZ2WI
[46] https://www.sej.org/headlines/states-threaten-sue-epa-delay-landfill-methane-rule
[47] http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/380008-states-threaten-to-sue-trump-epa-for-delay-in-enforcing-landfill
[48] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=62
[49] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=59
[50] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=60
[51] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=61
[52] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=64
[53] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=65
[54] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=66
[55] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=67
[56] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=103