Yet another chemical identified as present in West Virginia chemical spill
By Richard Denison Richard Denison, Ph.D. , is a Senior Scientist. Just when you thought this story couldn’t get any weirder or worse, it has just been revealed that another chemical substance was present alongside the crude MCHM mixture that leaked into the Elk River and contaminated the…
Freight Collaboration Key Trend of Past Year
By Jason Mathers The just released 2014 State of Green Business report examined the top sustainable business trends of the past year. Right at the top of the list was collaboration. EDF agrees. We are seeing an uptake in the willingness of companies to work together on smart practices that…
What LEED Did for Buildings, This Could do for Shale Gas Production
By Matt Watson This commentary originally appeared on our EDF Voices blog . The Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD) put out the Open For Business sign today – a key milestone in this innovative effort to up the game on environmental protection in shale gas development. …
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: Jan. 21, 2014
Letter: Adley should be more concerned about loss of wetlands Letter to the Editor, W. Keith Hurtt, The Advocate. Jan. 21, 2014. “State. Sen. Robert Adley has written to confirm his respect for the rule of law and to deplore what he described as possibly the “worse case of neglect and law…
EPA Announces Nearly $5 Million in Grants to Support Research to Protect America’s Urban Watersheds with Green Infrastructure
Washington, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced nearly $5 million dollars in grants to five universities to evaluate innovative green infrastructure practices in urban areas, using Philadelphia, Pa. as the pilot area. These grants stem from a cooperative…
In the News: When it comes to climate change, do we take some economic pain now, or more later?
By Nancy Buzby That’s a key question recently posed by the New York Times in response to a draft report from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change . With business leaders feeling the economic risk to their operations, all eyes will turn toward next week’s World Economic…
New York Public Service Commission Signals Big Changes to Prioritize Clean Energy
By Elizabeth B. Stein In the last week of December, the New York Public Service Commission issued an Order that signals big changes coming soon to New York’s electric utility landscape. The Commission made it clear that it wants clean energy resources, including on-site, distributed power…
Expert panel discusses diversions as a coastal restoration tool
By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation Last week in Baton Rouge, The Water Institute of the Gulf hosted the inaugural meeting of the Expert Panel on Diversion Planning and Implementation . The panel – comprised of 12 experts in natural and social sciences, engineering and…
National Radon Action Month
By Wendy Dew I work in EPA’s Denver regional office, and we’re proud to congratulate 14-year-old Maison Ann Williams, from Utah, who was the first place winner in the 2014 National Radon Poster Contest. It never ceases to amaze me how engaged kids are in protecting the environment. Radon is a…
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: Jan. 17, 2014
Federal-state coastal restoration task force approves four new projects By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. Jan. 16, 2014. “A federal-state coastal restoration task force on Thursday gave initial approval to four new Louisiana restoration projects…” ( read more ) Bounty hunters making…
Statement of Environmental Defense Action Fund
January 16, 2014
Oil Well Operators in Hart County, Ky., Sentenced for Violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act
ATLANTA – Two oil well operators in Hart County, and Logsdon Valley Oil Co. Inc., were sentenced today in United States District Court by Senior Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr., for continued violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act, announced David J. Hale, United States Attorney for the Western…
EPA Administrator to Address World Economic Forum in Davos/Will highlight business and economic opportunities in addressing climate change
WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy will travel to the World Economic Forum in Davos next week to highlight President Obama’s Climate Action Plan and discuss the business and economic opportunities that come from addressing climate change. While there,…
CDC finally describes its derivation of “safe” level in WV spill – but erroneously claims it to be “highly conservative”
By EDF Blogs Richard Denison, Ph.D. , is a Senior Scientist. Jennifer McPartland, Ph.D. , is a Health Scientist. Slowly but surely, like the movement downstream of the spill’s plume, we are learning more about how government officials derived the 1 ppm “safe” level in the drinking water for…
Destructive Beetiles Found on Oahu Coconut Trees (Jan 9, 2014)
http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/blog/main/destructive-beetles-found-on-oahu-coconut-trees/ State of Hawai'i Department of Agriculture . Another new invasive pest has been detected on Oahu, one that damages coconut trees and other palm plants. The Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) was detected at Joint…
Upcoming Webinar: How Commercial PACE and ICP are Raising Investor Confidence in Energy Efficiency
By EDF Blogs By: Matt Golden, Senior Energy Finance Consultant The Investor Confidence Project (ICP) and Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs offer many opportunities for collaboration in the buildings and energy efficiency sector. We will be exploring this potential for…
Camano Island (WA) Chlorine Release Safely Resolved
(Seattle – January 15, 2014) During the early hours of January 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, at the request of state and local authorities, responded to a reported chlorine gas release at a private residence on Camano Island WA, a rural area 60 miles north of Seattle. According to…
Interior Department recognizes Environmental Defense Fund, partners for conservation efforts to restore the Colorado River delta
January 16, 2014
Some Records Are Not Meant to Be Broken
By Tim O'Connor Source: Drought Monitor By Tim O’Connor and Katie Hsia-Kiung 2013 was a record-breaking year in many respects. Peyton Manning broke the record for the most touchdowns and passing yards thrown in a single NFL season. At age 19, Ryan Campbell became the youngest person to…
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: Jan. 16, 2014
Jefferson Parish cancels Saturday marsh project due to 'huge success' already By Drew Broach, The Times-Picayune. Jan. 15, 2014. “Jefferson Parish officials have cancelled Saturday's Christmas tree marsh restoration volunteer project "due to the huge success of this past…