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Clearing the Smoke — Collaboration Exposes Impacts of Wildfire Pollution-Reporting Rules [1]

Climate change is fueling the frequency and severity of wildfires, but a little-known Clean Air Act rule lets environmental agencies downplay the impacts of wildfire smoke. A collaborative investigation into this loophole connected dots that even the experts didn’t know about. Journalists Dillon Bergin and Molly Peterson explain their reporting process and offer advice for following your own local leads.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Air [3]
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Government [7]
Health [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Pollution [11]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [12]
Alaska and Hawaii [13]
California [14]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [15]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [16]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [17]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [18]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [19]
Northwest (OR WA) [20]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [21]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [22]
Visibility: 
Public [23]
  • Read more about Clearing the Smoke — Collaboration Exposes Impacts of Wildfire Pollution-Reporting Rules [1]

"How to Love an Oyster" [24]

"The Pacific coast’s only native oyster is making a comeback, but it still needs a little help from its friends."

Biodiversity [25]
Fish & Fisheries [26]
Water & Oceans [27]
Public [23]
National (U.S.) [12]
California [14]
Northwest (OR WA) [20]
Source: Hakai [28], 01/10/2024
  • Read more about "How to Love an Oyster" [24]

"What Is ‘Assisted Migration’ And What Are The Risks?" [29]

"As heat and drought continue to kill trees, humans are stepping in to help shift growing ranges. Not everyone agrees on what type of help is needed".

Climate Change [4]
Forests [30]
Natural Resources [31]
Public [23]
National (U.S.) [12]
Northwest (OR WA) [20]
Source: Columbia Insight [32], 01/02/2024
  • Read more about "What Is ‘Assisted Migration’ And What Are The Risks?" [29]

"Biden Administration Supports Removal of Four Dams on the Snake River" [33]

"Decommissioning the dams is the first step toward restoring salmon runs and respecting Native treaties".

Energy & Fuel [34]
Environmental Justice [35]
Environmental Politics [36]
Fish & Fisheries [26]
Infrastructure [37]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Natural Resources [31]
Water & Oceans [27]
Public [23]
National (U.S.) [12]
Northwest (OR WA) [20]
Source: Sierra [38], 12/15/2023
  • Read more about "Biden Administration Supports Removal of Four Dams on the Snake River" [33]

Wildfires, Drought Caused $11.2 Billion Losses To Private West Coast Forests [39]

"A new study from Oregon State University estimates that wildfire and drought caused $11.2 billion in economic losses to privately owned timberland in California, Oregon and Washington over the past two decades."

Climate Change [4]
Forests [30]
Water & Oceans [27]
Public [23]
California [14]
Northwest (OR WA) [20]
Source: Tribune News Service [40], 12/11/2023
  • Read more about Wildfires, Drought Caused $11.2 Billion Losses To Private West Coast Forests [39]
April 3, 2024 to April 12, 2024

Science Talk ’24 [41]

The Association of Science Communicators' 2024 annual conference takes place in person April 11-12, 2024 in Portland, OR and virtually everywhere April 3-12. The theme is "Opening Doors."

Professional Meetings [42]
Visibility: 
Public [23]
Topics on the Beat: 
Science [43]
Region: 
Northwest (OR WA) [20]

"Oregon’s Drinking Water Is at Risk From Clearcutting" [44]

"The forests that blanket the foothills of the Coast Range are crucial to holding onto freshwater and keeping it drinkable. But for years, local residents have suspected that clearcutting by private logging companies in the area has endangered their precious freshwater resource. Now, a new joint report from NASA and Oregon-based nonprofit Oregon Wild confirms coastal residents’ observations and echoes their concerns."

Forests [30]
Natural Resources [31]
Water & Oceans [27]
Public [23]
National (U.S.) [12]
Northwest (OR WA) [20]
Source: Sierra [45], 12/01/2023
  • Read more about "Oregon’s Drinking Water Is at Risk From Clearcutting" [44]

"Climate Change Is Hastening The Demise Of Pacific Northwest Forests" [46]

"Deep inside a forest in Oregon’s Willamette River Valley stands a dead “Tree of Life.” Its foliage, normally soft and green, is tough and brown or missing altogether."

Biodiversity [25]
Climate Change [4]
Forests [30]
Natural Resources [31]
Public [23]
Northwest (OR WA) [20]
Source: Columbia Insight [47], 11/22/2023
  • Read more about "Climate Change Is Hastening The Demise Of Pacific Northwest Forests" [46]

"Quinault Nation Calls Off Fall Coastal Coho Fishery For Conservation" [48]

"Quinault Nation shuttered its fall coho fishery a month early this year after harvest numbers came in at just a fraction of what was expected. Now, fishery leaders have called on the state to do the same."

Fish & Fisheries [26]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Natural Resources [31]
People & Population [49]
Water & Oceans [27]
Public [23]
Northwest (OR WA) [20]
Source: Seattle Times [50], 11/20/2023
  • Read more about "Quinault Nation Calls Off Fall Coastal Coho Fishery For Conservation" [48]

"Thousands Of Eastern Oregonians Face Crisis Of Contaminated Well Water" [51]

"Groundwater pollution in Umatilla and Morrow counties is growing worse, leading to dangerous levels of nitrates in water pumped up from what used to be safe wells."

Agriculture [52]
Consumer [53]
Environmental Health [6]
Natural Resources [31]
Pollution [11]
Water & Oceans [27]
Public [23]
Northwest (OR WA) [20]
Source: KGW [54], 11/15/2023
  • Read more about "Thousands Of Eastern Oregonians Face Crisis Of Contaminated Well Water" [51]

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Source URL:https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest?page=10

Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/features/clearing-smoke-collaboration-exposes-impacts-wildfire-pollution-reporting [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/features [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [12] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [13] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/alaska-and-hawaii [14] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/california [15] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes [16] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-plains [17] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic [18] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mountain-west [19] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northeast [20] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest [21] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [22] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest [23] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [24] https://www.sej.org/headlines/how-love-oyster [25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/biodiversity-1 [26] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/fisheries [27] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [28] https://hakaimagazine.com/features/how-to-love-an-oyster/ [29] https://www.sej.org/headlines/what-assisted-migration-and-what-are-risks [30] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/forests [31] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [32] https://columbiainsight.org/what-is-assisted-migration-and-what-are-the-risks/ [33] https://www.sej.org/headlines/biden-administration-supports-removal-four-dams-snake-river [34] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [35] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice [36] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [37] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure [38] https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/snake-river-dams-biden-administration-supports-removal [39] https://www.sej.org/headlines/wildfires-drought-caused-112-billion-losses-private-west-coast-forests [40] https://www.oregonlive.com/wildfires/2023/12/wildfires-drought-caused-112-billion-in-losses-to-private-timberlands-on-west-coast-osu-study-finds.html [41] https://www.sej.org/calendar/science-talk-24 [42] https://www.sej.org/category/event-types/professional-meetings [43] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science [44] https://www.sej.org/headlines/oregon-s-drinking-water-risk-clearcutting [45] https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/oregon-s-drinking-water-risk-clearcutting [46] https://www.sej.org/headlines/climate-change-hastening-demise-pacific-northwest-forests [47] https://columbiainsight.org/climate-change-is-hastening-the-demise-of-pacific-northwest-forests/ [48] https://www.sej.org/headlines/quinault-nation-calls-fall-coastal-coho-fishery-conservation [49] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [50] https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/quinault-nation-calls-off-fall-coastal-coho-fishery-for-conservation/ [51] https://www.sej.org/headlines/thousands-eastern-oregonians-face-crisis-contaminated-well-water [52] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture [53] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer [54] https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/eastern-oregon-crisis-contaminated-well-water/283-f471a5f9-f8ec-448f-b606-d7eeb36e4653 [55] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest?page=9 [56] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest?page=6 [57] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest?page=7 [58] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest?page=8 [59] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest?page=11 [60] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest?page=12 [61] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest?page=13 [62] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest?page=14 [63] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest?page=74