"The Spokane Tribe of Indians has adopted new water quality standards aimed at protecting the health of members who eat a subsistence diet of nearly two pounds of fish daily."

"LOS ANGELES — A swath of California closed out 2013 as the driest year on record, marked by above-normal temperatures and thirsty reservoirs."

"TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released a report years in the making about options for keeping Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes."

"Anti-whaling activists said on Monday they had captured images of Japanese ships killing protected whales inside an internationally recognized whale sanctuary, sparking criticism of the Australian government's handling of the issue."

"LAKE MEAD, Nev. -- The sinuous Colorado River and its slew of man-made reservoirs from the Rockies to southern Arizona are being sapped by 14 years of drought nearly unrivaled in 1,250 years."

"Associated Press review of complaints casts doubt on industry view that it rarely happens."

"FORT EDWARD, N.Y. -- A report by General Electric asserting that it does not expect to do further PCB dredging of the Hudson River — to include the impaired Champlain Canal — drew muted criticism Tuesday from the state, which is still deciding whether extra dredging is needed."

"Millions of American property owners get flood insurance from the federal government, and a lot of them get a hefty discount. But over the past decade, the government has paid out huge amounts of money after floods, and the flood insurance program is deeply in the red."

"Environmental activists warn that construction of a 21-mile natural gas pipeline through northern Baltimore and Harford counties could affect the region's drinking-water system, as the $180 million project cuts across more than three dozen streams feeding into Loch Raven Reservoir."

"Federally funded efforts to curtail farm pollution of the Chesapeake Bay are falling short, and recent spending cuts by Congress cast doubt on the efforts' ultimate success, an environmental group said Monday."