Railway Company Settles Clean Water Act Violations in Maine and Mass.
BOSTON – Pan Am Railways has agreed to settle EPA allegations that they violated the federal Clean Water Act at two of its railyards operating in Waterville, Maine, and East Deerfield, Mass. The company has agreed to pay a fine of $152,000 to resolve the violations
MEDIA ADVISORY: EPA Participates in North Birmingham Summer Youth Camps to provide Environmental Education
ATLANTA – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) personnel will participate in 4 summer youth camps throughout the North Birmingham area in attempt to reach campers in grades K-7 affected by the environmental issues in North Birmingham
How Training Workshops Strengthen Environmental Justice Understanding
By Marcelo Norsworthy U.S. EPA Region 6 EJ Workshop, Arkansas LaQuinta Downtown Conference Center, June 16-18, 2015 Environmental justice issues are inextricably linked to broader social justice concerns. That relationship was clear last month at Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6’s…
New Study Emphasizes Need to Find and Fix Methane Leaks; Reveals Limits of Voluntary Action
By N. Jonathan Peress A study published today in Environmental Science & Technology confirms official figures from the Environmental Protection Agency showing that an enormous amount of methane – about 80 billion cubic feet per year – is escaping from thousands of key nodes along the…
Timing is Everything: How California is Getting Electricity Pricing Right and Bringing Clean Power to the People
By Jamie Fine Anybody managing a household budget knows it pays to plan ahead. With advanced thinking we can buy favorite items with coupons, when they’re on sale, in bulk, or at the cheapest store in the area. Similarly, we know that buying under duress, or in the touristy spot, will likely…
White House Honors Florida Faith Leader for Climate “Champions of Change”
ATLANTA – On Monday, July 20th, the White House will recognize Steven Beumer of Maitland, Fla., as a “Champion of Change” for his efforts in protecting our environment and communities from the effects of climate change. The Champion of Change event will feature remarks by Environmental…
White House Honors Georgia Faith Leader for Climate “Champions of Change”
ATLANTA – On Monday, July 20th, the White House will recognize Reverend Gerald Durley of Atlanta, Ga., as a “Champion of Change” for his efforts in protecting our environment and communities from the effects of climate change. The Champion of Change event will feature remarks by Environmental…
This Summer Prevent Pests by Reducing Moisture Outside of Your Home
By Marcia Anderson Like most suburban dwellers, I spent the past few weekends trimming vegetation, mowing the lawn and making sure gutters and other areas around the house were clean of debris and standing water. I soon realized that the mosquito, black fly, and other insect populations were…
Home Energy Audits are Easy and Worth Your Time
By Curt Spalding, Regional Administrator I had a great visit recently with a couple of eager young energy consultants sent by my electric utility, and I’m feeling rather good about the results. I learned that all in all, my 2,500-square-foot colonial home is reasonably energy efficient. And I…
Timing is Everything: How California is Getting Electricity Pricing Right and Bringing Clean Power to the People
By Jamie Fine Anybody managing a household budget knows it pays to plan ahead. With advanced thinking we can buy favorite items with coupons, when they’re on sale, in bulk, or at the cheapest store in the area. Similarly, we know that buying under duress, or in the touristy spot, will likely mean…
Bridging the Gap: EPA’s Report on the Environment Provides a Tool for Communicating Health and Environmental Trends
By Kayla Iuliano One of the big lessons I learned as a graduate student at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health was the key role that effective communication plays in bridging the gap between science and reducing diseases and environmental health risks. Not only was that an important concept to…
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: July 20, 2015
The $50 billion plan to save Louisiana’s wetlands By Robert Boos, PRI. July 19, 2015 " Louisiana is in trouble. The Mississippi River Delta is disappearing into the Gulf of Mexico at the rate of 16 square miles a year, some of the fastest land loss on the planet. The bayou lands are crucial…
Four things to look for in EPA’s new voluntary methane reduction proposal
By Mark Brownstein The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soon expected to propose its new “enhanced” Natural Gas STAR program , providing guidelines for oil and gas companies that want to voluntarily work to reduce their methane emissions. Calls for voluntary measures by industry to…
New Grading System for Mystic River Watershed Gives Public Better Localized Information
BOSTON – In coordination with the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA), EPA is utilizing an enhanced, more locally-specific analysis of water quality in the Mystic River Watershed to illuminate environmental conditions for the public. Instead of one grade for the entire watershed, EPA and…
What we know — and what we don’t — about global warming
By Gernot Wagner By Gernot Wagner and Martin L. Weitzman: Two quick questions: Do you think climate change is an urgent problem? Do you think getting the world off fossil fuels is difficult? This is how our book “ Climate Shock ” begins. In fact, it’s not our quiz. Robert Socolow from…
Transforming Reflections into Action: Civil Society and Human Rights
By Danny Gogal For the second time in nearly five years, the United States reported to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council about its work to provide for human rights in the U.S. In May, EPA was a part of the U.S. Delegation that traveled to Geneva, Switzerland to present information about…
Smart Shots: How to Take Great Nature Photos With Your Cell Phone
By Chrislyn Johnson Here in the Heartland, we have an abundance of beautiful natural scenes from Missouri’s Ozarks to the plains of western Kansas. By fulfilling our mission to protect the environment, all Americans have the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors in its unspoiled glory. You can…
This Week in EPA Science
By Kacey Fitzpatrick Science was celebrated around the world this week as NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft made the first ever visit to Pluto, sending high resolution pictures of its surface billions of miles back to earth. And science was happening here on the ground too! Check out the EPA…
Sharing a Passion for Nature with a New Generation
by Jorine Campopiano It’s all or nothing. I’m all-in. This is the way I live my life. I am passionate about what I do and work hard on the things I care about. I feel lucky to work as an Environmental Education Coordinator for EPA’s Region 9 in California, where every day I get to work…
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: July 17, 2015
East bank levee authority approves $9.2 million in BP settlements By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. July 16, 2015 " The east bank levee authority agreed Thursday (July 16) to settle BP oil spill damage claims totaling $9.2 million, including $8.2 million for levee districts in East…