"In Flint, Fears of Showering Bring Desperate Measures"
"FLINT, Mich. — Near the top of the daily challenges that Flint residents face in a city without safe drinking water is how and where to shower."
Source: NY Times, 04/14/2016
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Chesapeake Bay’s Crab Population Hits Four-Year High, Survey Finds
"The [Chesapeake] Bay’s blue crab population increased to its highest level in four years, and the number of spawning-age females — a key ingredient for future abundance — nearly doubled from last year, according to survey results released Tuesday."
Source: Bay Journal, 04/14/2016
"Obama To Issue New Offshore Drilling Rules On Thursday: Source"
"The Obama administration will announce Thursday safety regulations for offshore oil and natural gas drilling to prevent the kind of explosion that happened six years ago on a BP rig in the Gulf of Mexico, an official told Reuters."
Source: Reuters, 04/14/2016
"European Parliament Backs Glyphosate But With Conditions"
"European politicians advised on Wednesday that the herbicide glyphosate should only be approved for another seven years, rather than the 15 proposed by the EU executive, and should not be used by the general public."
Source: Reuters, 04/14/2016
Confirmation That Zika Causes Microcephaly Shifts Debate To Prevention
"After several weeks of study and debate, U.S. health officials concluded that infection with the Zika virus during pregnancy causes the birth defect microcephaly, a finding that experts hope will refocus attention on efforts to stop infections and prompt U.S. lawmakers to fund emergency prevention efforts."
Source: Reuters, 04/14/2016
Secret Congressional Reports of Interest to Environmental Reporters
Thanks to the Federation of American Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy, we can share some recent CRS reports of interest to environmental journalists.
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Finding Pipelines Near You with Databases
For environmental reporters, pipelines are a frequent source of major news stories. Enterprising journalists may want to find nearby pipelines before they leak or blow up. The National Pipeline Mapping System is a basic tool that can help.
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Do Arizona Journalists Have To Show Their Papers?
Access to legislatures is critical to journalistic coverage of government — at least if government is to be accountable and democratic. So it caused a stir when Arizona House Speaker David Gowan (R) banned reporters from the floor unless they passed extensive background checks.
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Oil Lobby Group Part of Government — Doesn't Have To Disclose
The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) lobbied successfully to pass and preserve the "Halliburton Loophole," which exempts the oil and gas industry from the law requiring disclosure of toxic fracking chemicals.
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High-Hazard Chem Plants — Can Secrecy Substitute for Safety?
Reflexive secrecy has been a hallmark of government efforts to deal with highly hazardous chemical facilities in recent decades. Another reminder of that secrecy came in an April 11, 2016, piece in Greenwire by Sam Pearson. Photo: The fertilizer plant in West, Texas, that exploded in 2013, killing 15 people, by Shane Torgerson, courtesy of Wikipedia.
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