Spurred in part by a petition filed in January 2009, the Agency's new rule, if finalized, could add approximately 240 monitors in about 40 states near known lead emission sources.

With data on ~4,600 civil and criminal enforcement actions in fiscal year 2009, you can determine trends by state and EPA Region for type and extent of enforcement; track down enforcement actions in areas of interest to your audience; and serve as a starting point for stories that are seemingly unrelated to an enforcement action.

Research and policy discussions are focusing on both natural plant systems and domesticated ones, especially agriculture — one possible effect being shifts in water availability.

For journalists not lucky enough to go to the Copenhagen climate talks, the good news is that climate will be news at home and abroad for years to come. Many regional, state, and local climate stories are still waiting to be written.

Stormwater runoff from construction sites is a significant source of soil and sediment runoff. The new rule addresses building construction, as well as heavy and civil engineering construction

Lands targeted for NRCS pilot projects over the next four years program include 41 watersheds in 12 states within the overall

watershed.

A consortium of US and British agencies, universities, and organizations published a series of studies in The Lancet that analyzed a number of specific situations involving climate change and health impacts, in countries rich and poor. Concurrently, a group of doctors from around the world launched the International Climate and Health Council.

The synthetic compound dinitrotoluene, contaminating military sites, industrial settings, and other areas, is used primarily to make polyurethane products found in goods such as bedding and furniture, as well as in explosives, ammunition, dyes, and air bags.

The Federation of American Scientists has posted these reports online: "Fossil Fuel Resources: Terminology, Reporting, and Summary" and "Unconventional Gas Shales: Development, Technology, and Policy Issues."

The nation's first set of voluntary criteria for planning, design, construction, and maintenance of landscapes.was announced Nov. 6, 2009.