Environmental, Health and Safety News | Volunteer EHS News Network Dedicated to Protecting People & Our Planet

DHS Releases Names of Skilled Nursing Facilities in Wisconsin with Active COVID-19 Public Health Investigations

Today the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) released the names of skilled nursing facilities (nursing homes) with active COVID-19 facility-wide public health investigations. On May 13, 2020, there are 38 nursing homes with active public health investigations in Wisconsin. People who live in nursing homes are among our most vulnerable when it comes...
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FAIR Toolkit Launch

The Pistoia Alliance Launches Toolkit to Accelerate Implementation of FAIR Data Principles Backed by major pharma, the toolkit will improve data management and data sharing, supporting AI and machine learning to advance the Lab of the Future Boston, May 14 2020, The Pistoia Alliance, a global, not-for-profit alliance that works to lower barriers...
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New Chemical Accident Reporting Requirements

This Operating Experience Level 3 (OE-3) document provides information on a new requirement imposed by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) to report certain accidental releases of chemicals. The CSB requires reporting of any accidental release into the ambient air that results in a fatality, serious injury, or substantial property damage....
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Complimentary Webinar Employer Workplace Prevention of COVID-19 Airborne Transmission

Employer Workplace Prevention of COVID-19 Airborne Transmission:Applying OSHA’s Hierarchy of Controls Maintain a safe work environment by learning about personal protection for infectious diseases, COVID-19 airborne prevention and recommendations for engineering work-practice. Provide a safe and healthful work environment to your employees as required by OSHA’s General Duty Clause law. Complimentary Webinar presented by...
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35 years later, Bhopal gas leak failures resurface in Vizag

In Vizag, the 11 deaths so far and hundreds of affected people in hospital indicate that styrene must have escaped in extremely high concentrations and affected the nearby population. Thirty six years after the Bhopal disaster, it is distressing to see accidents from hazardous industries. The fields of occupational and environmental medicine, toxicology, and...
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DHS Announces Hospital Metrics for Badger Bounce Back

Today the Department of Health Services along with the State Emergency Operations Center launched hospital gating criteria as part of the Badger Bounce Back Plan . The criteria, developed with input from the Wisconsin Hospital Association and the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, sets hospital metrics to be able to move into Phase 1 of...
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Knowledge Graphs and Semantic Models for Drug Discovery and Healthcare

By Ilaria Maresi, The Hyve and Ian Harrow, the Pistoia Alliance Data for drug discovery and healthcare is often trapped in silos which hampers effective interpretation and reuse. To remedy this, such data needs to be linked both internally and to external sources to make a FAIR data landscape which can power semantic...
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Governor Evers Suspends Rules to Ensure Patient Care, Coverage Continues During COVID-19 Pandemic

Governor Tony Evers and Secretary-designee Andrea Palm have issued another emergency order suspending some administrative rules for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Department of Safety and Professional Services. This allows health care and emergency services workers to maximize the time and resources they can dedicate to patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic....
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Solar and Wind Cheapest Sources of Power in Most of the World

(BloomBerg) A decade ago, solar was more than $300 a megawatt-hour and onshore wind exceeded $100 per megawatt-hour. Today, onshore wind is $37 in the U.S. and $30 in Brazil, while solar is $38 in China, the cheapest sources of new electricity in those countries. Battery storage is also getting more competitive. The levelized...
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Wisconsin to Provide Temporary Food Benefits for Children Missing School Meals

In a COVID-free world, more than 400,000 Wisconsin children receive free or reduced price meals through the National School Lunch Program while attending school. To ensure that those same students continue to have access to nutritious meals while staying safer at home during the pandemic, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services is providing more...
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DHS Releases Data About COVID-19 Public Health Investigations and Outbreaks Across Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) released new data today on its website about COVID-19 facility-wide public health investigations and outbreaks in areas across the state. On April 29, 2020, Wisconsin has 187 COVID-19 facility-wide public health investigations and outbreaks in the five public health regions of Wisconsin (Northeastern, Northern, Southeastern, Southern, and...
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Prevent Underage Drinking: Have Small Talks

In a major effort to prevent underage drinking, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) today launched Small Talks, a campaign to reduce the number of kids who drink alcohol before the age of 21. This statewide effort, unveiled in conjunction with Alcohol Awareness Month, encourages adults – especially parents and caregivers – to...
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COVID-19: Safer at Home is Working

People across the state of Wisconsin have risen to the challenge of COVID-19 by changing the way they work, play, and interact with friends and family. By staying Safer at Home , practicing physical distancing, and continuing to wash hands and cover coughs, Wisconsinites are making a difference and beginning to flatten the curve....
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Over 215,000 Wisconsin Households to Receive Additional FoodShare Benefits in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced today that more than 215,000 FoodShare households will be receiving additional benefits. These benefits will help those Wisconsin families stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The effects of the pandemic have been hard on all Wisconsinites, but especially hard on the most vulnerable people in our...
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VR Hackathon

David Proudlock, Innovation Consultant at the Pistoia Alliance shares his experience of judging the Virtual Medicine Conference Virtual Reality Hackathon and explores the potential of AR/VR in life science and digital healthcare The advent of extended, augmented or virtual reality has seemingly been on the cusp of mainstream adoption for many years, there...
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SEED Project

The post SEED Project appeared first on Pistoia Alliance.
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Dr Michael Osterholm, head of CIDRAP, weekly podcasts on covid-19

In case you haven’t heard these, Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director of CIDRAP (Univ of MN Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy), has spent his life working with epidemics and he’s been giving weekly podcasts on covid-19 for 5 weeks. They are listed here: Episode 1: How We Got Here...
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Just released OSHA memo on decontaminating N95 respirators

This memo was released by OSHA Friday evening….. https://www.osha.gov/memos/2020-04-24/enforcement-guidance-decontamination-filtering-facepiece-respirators-healthcare
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WEBINAR | COVID-19 and Your Workplace: Getting Back to Work Safely

COVID-19 and Your Workplace: Getting Back to Work Safely Here are three simple questions: Does your organization have an updated infectious disease control program? Does your organization have training modules for supervisors and employees to understand COVID-19 exposures and best practices? Do you know the recordkeeping requirements for COVID-19? If you answered “no” to...
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EPA Publishes Scope Documents for 20 Risk Evaluation Chemicals

(PAINT.ORG) This month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published 20 draft scope documents for high-priority chemicals undergoing Risk Evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). These are the 20 high priority chemicals that EPA designated for TSCA Risk Evaluation in December 2019. EPA is accepting comments on the first 13 scoping documents,...
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New class action launched over Pfas toxic firefighting chemicals used by defense

Lawyers have launched a new class action on behalf of tens of thousands of residents over the defense department’s use of toxic firefighting chemicals. The case will allege defence’s use of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Pfas) had “cataclysmic consequences” for residents in Wodonga, Darwin, Townsville, Wagga Wagga, Edinburgh and Bullsbrook. The highly persistent and probable...
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U.S. Department of Labor Announces OSHA Interim Enforcement Response Plan to Protect Workers during the Coronavirus Pandemic

OSHA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today announced an interim enforcement response plan for the coronavirus pandemic. The response plan provides instructions and guidance to OSHA Area Offices and compliance safety and health officers (CSHOs) for handling coronavirus-related complaints, referrals, and severe illness reports. During the coronavirus...
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Free CDC webinar on Elastomeric Respirators for U.S. Healthcare Delivery

Here is a link to details about reusable elastomeric respirator use in healthcare. This includes findings and recommendations from a compilation of ongoing studies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wd5Bx2fVDI This webinar provides an overview of respiratory protection and guidance surrounding supply shortages. This webinar also provides information on infection prevention measures, strategies for optimizing the supply of N95...
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Risk based chart on when to use masks or respirators for Covid-19

When to use masks or respirators for Covid-19 is confusing. Chart below suggests general concepts for selecting based on risk and protection effectiveness for worker using it. From University of Arizona Occupational Medicine.
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OSHA Issues Guidance for Respirators Certified under Other Countries’ Standards During COVID-19 Pandemic

On Friday 4/3/2020, OSHA issued guidance that allows for use of some alternative respirators – see news release here: https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/national/04032020-0 and Enforcement Guidance here: https://www.osha.gov/memos/2020-04-03/enforcement-guidance-use-respiratory-protection-equipment-certified-under.
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Several Free ASSP podcasts on Covid19

Listen to the latest podcast to learn how to assess your workers’COVID19 risk level and discover steps you can take to protect them. https://www.assp.org/standards/safety-standards-and-tech-pubs-podcast
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Department of Energy Announces New Funding to Train Emergency Response and Building Professionals

The U.S. Department of Energy announced $4.5 million in funding for training programs for professionals who interact with distributed energy resources, including solar energy systems, storage systems, “smart” building technologies, and electric vehicles. These professionals include those that lead the nation’s emergency response and resilience planning, including firefighters, first responders, and safety officials. Read...
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Chernobyl in Ukraine: Firefighters battling radioactive forest

Emergency units are trying to contain fires in radiation-contaminated forest near the abandoned Chernobyl nuclear plant. The fires have caused a spike in radioactivity in the area. The fires have raised fears that radiation from the area could be dispersed farther afield, but authorities said while radiation in the fire zone was far above...
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Governor Evers Suspends Rules to Ensure Health Care Staffing, Patient Care

Governor Tony Evers and Secretary-designee Andrea Palm have issued two emergency orders suspending some administrative rules for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to help maximize our state’s health care workforce while ensuring patients continue to get the care they need during the COVID-19 pandemic. “These are very difficult times, especially for our healthcare...
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Governor Evers Announces Resilient Wisconsin

Governor Tony Evers and Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm announced the new Resilient Wisconsin initiative today to provide tools and resources to Wisconsinites dealing with stress and mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are announcing Resilient Wisconsin today, in the middle of this pandemic, because building resilience is how...
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Wisconsin Encourages Patients and Providers to Use Telehealth Options for Health Care Visits During COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

While keeping people distanced from each other during the current public health emergency is critical to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the people of Wisconsin still require health care – related to COVID-19 or not. Using computers, tablets, cell phones, and other technology to conduct health care visits at a distance, known as telehealth,...
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CPAPs can be repurposed into ventilators.

To my friends here in the health and medical fieldsplease share that CPAPs can be repurposed into ventilators. A life line to many. Thank you, Christopher Haase Source and science;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470429
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Toxnet Occupational Health relational database information moved to Haz-Map.

With the National Library of Medicine’s decision to shutdown Toxnet much of its content moved to other NLM website, independent of NLM at http://haz-map.com/ The content of the Haz-Map data tables is the same but the user interface has been improved. Improvements include adding chemical structures, adding popup tips to some agent fields, adding...
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Cancer risk among career firefighters are at increased risk for five cancers with typically stronger associations in those diagnosed younger than the age of 50

ConclusionMale career firefighters in Florida are at increased risk for five cancers with typically stronger associations in those diagnosed younger than the age of 50, while there was evidence for increased thyroid and brain cancer, and possibly melanoma risk in female firefighters. Larger cohorts with adequate female representation, along with the collection of well‐characterized...
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Good webinar from Duke about their massive program to decontaminate N95 filtering facepieces

Good webinar from Duke about their massive program to decontaminate N95 filtering facepieces viewed here; https://vmw-oesoapps.duhs.duke.edu/N95Webinar/GMT20200331-190119_Duke-Healt_3840x2160.mp4
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Free Webinar: Workplace Safety During Coronavirus

It not only deals with workplace safety and covid19 but how to avoid catching it and spreading it at home. Listen to webinar on YouTubehttps://youtu.be/Snjdcznz8Kw
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CDC/NIOSH Guidance on decontamination of N95s just released

The CDC/NIOSH Guidance on decontamination and reuse of filtering facepiece respirators was just released. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/decontamination-reuse-respirators.html
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Free Resources for Pandemic Support form CCOHS

To support workplaces in protecting the health and well-being of their employees during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, CCOHS has made helpful resources, courses and PDF versions of guides available free of charge. Online Courses Pandemic Awareness Pandemic Planning Mental Health: Awareness Mental Health: Health and Wellness Strategies Mental Health: Signs, Symptoms & Solutions...
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supply Equivalents (from ECRI)

Of possible interest is the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supply Equivalents (xlsx): “Best matches for the three most popular exam gloves, disinfecting wipes, face shields, isolation gowns, IV solutions, N95 air purifying respirators, shoe covers, surgical masks, and universal transport medium based on key performance indicators (KPIs) and functional equivalence” Spreadsheet: https://assets.ecri.org/PDF/COVID-19-Resource-Center/COVID-19-Supply-Chain/COVID-ECRI_CrossCHEQ-PPE_03302020.xlsx I am...
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EPA suspends enforcement of environmental laws amid coronavirus

(The Hill) “This EPA statement is essentially a nationwide waiver of environmental rules for the indefinite future. It tells companies across the country that they will not face enforcement even if they emit unlawful air and water pollution in violation of environmental laws, so long as they claim that those failures are in some...
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Webinar COVID-19: Transportation Workers–Impact of Emergency Declarations and Other Occupational Health Issues

TopicCOVID-19: Transportation Workers–Impact of Emergency Declarations and Other Occupational Health Issues DescriptionCOVID-19 has affected many industries including transportation. Truck drivers and many other transportation workers have been identified as essential critical infrastructure workers during this pandemic. Commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers and others face unique challenges during normal operations, but during this crisis, many...
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Recording link from yesterday’s COVID-19 Respiratory Protection Session 1 Webinar

Access to the recorded session, pdf of slides, and to register for Session 2 Wednesday, April 1 at 3:00PM EDT:https://osherc.sph.unc.edu/continuing-education/seminars/index.html
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Webinar COVID-19: Protecting Health Care Workers –Decontamination & Reuse of Respirators

Friday, March 27, 2020, at 12:00 PM EDT 1.5 hour webinar with live Q&A Occupational health care providers in the United States (U.S.) are currently addressing emergency protocols for protecting health care workers (HCWs) from COVID-19. However, there are many unanswered questions related to protecting HCWs especially with the limited supply of personal protective...
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Health care workers need protection during pandemic: NUPGE and HSABC release new research showing higher precautions recommended

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) and Health Sciences Association of BC (HSA) released today a research paper focused on respiratory protection for health workers caring for COVID-19 patients. “Health care workers around the world are reporting that personal protective equipment guidelines are inconsistent and in short supply. As this pandemic...
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NIEHS ALL-HANDS MESSAGE**: PRESS RELEASE: COVID-19 Workers Get Training to Protect Their Own

COVID-19 Workers get training to protect their own health https://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsroom/releases/2020/march23/index.cfm Today, the National Institutes of Health will launch a new website with important educational resources for Coronavirus workers dealing with the spread of COVID-19. The initiative got underway after Congress passed a supplemental appropriation of $10 million on March 6 “for worker-based training to...
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Two Additional Cases of COVID-19 Confirmed in Dane County

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and Public Health Madison & Dane County announced today that two additional people have contracted COVID-19 . Both had contact with the confirmed case reported earlier this week. Both patients are isolated at home. “This brings the total of confirmed cases to seven in just one week....
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Three Additional Cases of COVID-19 Confirmed in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Fond du Lac County Health Department, and Waukesha County Public Health Department announced today that a fourth, fifth, and sixth person have tested positive for COVID-19 in our state. The Waukesha County patient was exposed while traveling in the United States and internationally, and is currently isolated...
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Third Case of COVID-19 Confirmed in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and Public Health Madison and Dane County announced today that a third person has tested positive for COVID-19 . The person was exposed while traveling in the United States and is currently isolated at home. County health officials are working to determine the people who have been...
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Second Case of COVID-19 Confirmed in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Pierce County Public Health Department announced today that a second person has tested positive for COVID-19 . The person was exposed while traveling within the U.S. and is currently isolated at home. County health officials are working to determine people who have been in contact...
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State Health Agency Offers Tips for Travelers in Response to COVID-19

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is urging people who are planning trips and returning travelers to pay attention to guidance for travel provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to avoid catching or spreading COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus). “The reality is that we really have to carefully consider our...
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“Public Lands: Bundy’s Trenches May Force Confrontation With BLM”

“The Bureau of Land Management is investigating whether Nevada rancher Ryan Bundy illegally built new irrigation infrastructure across Gold Butte National Monument, the same area where his family unlawfully...
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Yellowstone, Grand Canyon Join National Parks Set For Limited Reopening

“Two of the most popular national parks in the American West – Yellowstone and Grand Canyon – will welcome back visitors on a limited basis over the next several...
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“Clean Energy Has Shed Nearly 600,000 US Jobs Due To Pandemic: Report”

“The U.S. clean energy sector has lost 17% of its work force, or nearly 600,000 jobs, as stay-at-home orders halt production of components from solar panels to electric cars...
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“B.C. Announces Plan To Clean Up 2,000 Oil And Gas Wells”

“Calling orphan and inactive oil and gas wells “an environmental stain on British Columbia,” Premier John Horgan announced on Wednesday a plan to clean-up more than 2,000 wells and...
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“FERC Order Could Bar Offshore Wind From U.S. Power Market”

“A contentious order that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued last year could block offshore wind developers from the nation’s largest capacity market, analysts say.” Climate Change Energy &...
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As US Meat Workers Sicken And Supplies Dwindle, Exports To China Soar

“U.S. President Donald Trump ordered meat processing plants to stay open to protect the nation’s food supply even as workers got sick and died. Yet the plants have increasingly...
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“AP Exclusive: CDC Guidance More Restrictive Than White House”

“Advice from the top U.S. disease control experts on how to safely reopen businesses and institutions during the coronavirus pandemic was more detailed and restrictive than the plan released...
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Science and Health Officials Offer Sobering View of Reopening Readiness

“The scientists and public health officials who are leading the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday painted a sobering picture of a country ill-prepared to reopen...
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“States Sue Trump’s EPA Over Rule Relaxation During Pandemic”

“Nine states sued the Trump administration for allegedly abdicating its responsibility to enforce U.S. environmental laws during the pandemic, challenging a recent plan to relax enforcement due to worker...
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“Ocasio-Cortez To Co-Chair Biden-Sanders Campaign Climate Task Force”

“Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will co-chair a task force for Joe Biden’s campaign on climate change, a move that adds progressive credentials to the former vice president’s effort to...
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Habitat degradation threatens Amazon species; one region offers hope: Studies

The Amazon rainforest is falling to pieces — deep cracks intrude ever farther into old growth forest, while devastating wildfires spring up to consume degraded fragments. This shattering, occurring...
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Amazon road projects could lead to Belize-size loss of forest, study shows

Road projects planned for the Amazon Basin over the next five years could lead to the loss of 2.4 million hectares (5.9 million acres) of native forest over a...
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U.S. fund that supports Sumatran rhino research faces deep cuts under Trump

The Sumatran rhinoceros — the smallest, hairiest and most endangered of all rhino species — is today only found in Indonesia. But for a quarter century, the remaining few...
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CSB Releases New Guidance Document for Boards of Directors and Executives Focused on High Hazard Accident Prevention

CSB Releases New Guidance Document
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Naga tribes of Myanmar face loss of land and forest under new law

The Naga tribes inhabit the hills in the northwestern corner of Myanmar and northeast India. They had long been isolated from outside culture, dwelling in independent village republics. This...
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Endangered bats are evolving to fight off an exotic fungal disease

A mysterious disease is wiping out one of the world’s smallest bats, the aptly named “little brown bat,” which has an extensive range across the United States and Canada....
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Chinese boat that dumped Indonesian crews at sea was also shark-finning: Reports

JAKARTA — Conservationists are calling for an investigation into alleged illegal fishing by a Chinese tuna company that kept Indonesian seamen as virtual slaves, leading to the deaths of...
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Australia’s logging ‘madness’ fuels more fires, hastens ecosystem collapse

A thick, acrid scent of smoke marks the last summer season in Australia, which has become known as the “black summer.” Between June 2019 and March 2020, a series...
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Scientists warn Congress against declaring biomass burning carbon neutral

The United Kingdom’s Drax power stations, one of the world’s largest users of woody biomass for energy production. Shown here is the Drax biomass dome, which once burned coal....
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Large indigenous territories are necessary for culture and biodiversity in Brazil, study says

An indigenous family in Brazil from the Tucuxi group. Fábio Rodrigues Pozzebom/ABrCC BY 3.0 Br. In Brazil, indigenous lands make up 13.5% of the national territory and are home...
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Audio: What can we expect from tropical fire season 2020?

On today’s episode of the Mongabay Newscast we look at what’s driving the intense fire seasons we’ve seen around the world in recent years, what can we expect from...
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“PPE May Not Fully Virus-Protect Wildfire Crews: Researchers”

“Personal protective equipment may not be sufficient to protect firefighters battling wildfires from Covid-19 because unavoidable smoke inhalation may increase their disease risk, researchers say.” Air Disasters Environmental Health...
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“Conservationists Sue Trump Administration Over Border Wall”

“A coalition of conservation groups is suing the Trump administration over its signature border wall, arguing that the transfer of military funds for the wall’s construction is unconstitutional and...
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“Manhattan Faces a Reckoning if Working From Home Becomes the Norm”

“Even after the crisis eases, companies may let workers stay home. That would affect an entire ecosystem, from transit to restaurants to shops. Not to mention the tax base.”...
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“Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s California Water Plan”

“A federal court on Monday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to pump more water to the agricultural Central Valley, which critics said would threaten endangered species and salmon...
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“When Will Renewables Pass Coal? Sooner Than Anyone Thought”

“A milestone in the clean energy transition may arrive earlier than expected, with renewables overtaking coal as a leading source of electricity by the end of this year, according...
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“To Mask or Not? The Weighty Symbolism Behind a Simple Choice”

“Coronavirus masks have become the latest symbol in the culture wars, with many liberals and conservatives in the United States taking opposing sides, much as they have in the...
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“Natural Gas Exports Slow as Pandemic Reduces Global Demand”

“Businesses in the United States, Israel and other countries were planning to invest billions in export terminals. Now, those projects are being canceled or delayed.” Climate Change Disasters Economy...
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“The Pandemic Will Permanently Change the Auto Industry”

“Plunging sales could force factories to close and lead to takeovers and mergers, but also bolster sales of electric cars.” Disasters Economy & Business Energy & Fuel Environmental Health...
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Trump Falsely Claims COVID Numbers Are ‘Going Down Almost Everywhere’

“President Donald Trump falsely claimed Monday that the coronavirus is abating in the U.S., despite data showing that the virus is on the rise in some states and a...
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Oil Firms That Bought Back Stock Got $15.5 Million In Coronavirus Funds

“At least two oil and gas firms that boosted investors’ portfolios by buying back stock in 2019 received $15.5 million this year from a program designed to rescue small...
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‘They never intended to conserve it’: Outcry as loggers gut Cambodian reserve

In late February, conservationist Kheng Khou tried to enter Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, which he routinely patrols with other members of the Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN). Instead, he...
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Cambodian firm accused of creating a ‘monopoly in the timber business’

PHNOM PENH – A surge in deforestation alerts from Cambodia’s Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary has raised fresh concerns over the role of a controversial timber firm in illegal logging....
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In Colombia’s La Guajira, the native Wayuu are forgotten in the dust

BOGOTA, Colombia — Droughts are lasting longer because of climate change and human intervention, but where does climate change leave off and human exploitation of natural resources begin? The...
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Dangerous levels of heat and humidity rising in frequency, study says

Have you ever stepped outside on a hot, humid day and — instantly starting to sweat — told yourself that the temperature must be higher than what the thermometer...
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With new law, Indonesia gives miners more power and fewer obligations

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s parliament has passed a controversial bill that effectively gives miners bigger concessions and longer contracts, with fewer environmental obligations. Activists have slammed the May 12 passage...
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Will fish boom amid pandemic-driven fishing bust?

When World War II broke out in 1939, it triggered an unintended fisheries experiment in the North Sea. Fishing vessels stayed away from fear of being blown up by...
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Bats: Resistant to viruses, but not to humans

The inhabitants of Culden village in northern Peru heard that the virus that causes COVID-19, the disease wreaking havoc around the world, originated in bats. So when they discovered...
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Philippines bids farewell to satellite that launched enviro policy into the space age

MANILA — When reports came out that the microsatellite Diwata-1 of the Philippines had re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere on April 6, ending its mission, it made headlines for being...
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Seed by seed, a women’s collective helps reforest Brazil’s Xingu River Basin

On any given morning, women from Brazil’s Moygu and Arayó villages can be found gathering baskets, bags and machetes. They pack water and beiju, a bread made from manioc...
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“Interior Sued Over Temporary Appointments Of Top Officials”

“Environmentalists on Monday sued the Interior Department over its temporary appointments of top officials to positions that typically require a Senate confirmation.” Environmental Justice Environmental Politics Government Laws &...
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“Environmental Groups To Sue State Over W.Va. Coal Fund”

“Environmental groups announced Monday that they plan to sue the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection over what they say is the agency’s failure to adhere to federal reporting...
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“Federal Judge Retains Freeze on Streamlined Pipeline Permitting”

“A federal judge is standing by his order barring a streamlined permitting process for oil and gas pipelines.” Energy & Fuel Laws & Regulations Pollution Water & Oceans National...
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“Trump Dismantles Environmental Protections Under Cover Of Coronavirus”

“The Trump administration is diligently weakening US environment protections even amid a global pandemic, continuing its rollback as the November election approaches.” Climate Change Environmental Health Environmental Politics Laws...
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Indonesia moves to end smallholder guarantee meant to empower palm oil farmers

JAKARTA — Palm oil companies will no longer be required to allocate a fifth of their land for smallholder farmers under a new bill, a move activists and officials...
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Activists challenge Indonesia deregulation bill that threatens environment

JAKARTA — Activists in Indonesia have filed a legal challenge to stop legislation that would dismantle environmental protections in favor of facilitating business. A coalition of civil society groups...
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Indonesia lifts export ban on baby lobsters aimed to protect wild population

JAKARTA — Indonesia will start exporting baby lobsters after a previous ban aimed at conserving the wild population of the crustacean was lifted by the fisheries ministry. Minister Edhy...
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Get sick or go hungry? Workers face dilemma at Freeport’s Grasberg mine

Thousands of workers at the world’s largest copper and gold mine, run by U.S.-based Freeport McMoRan in the Indonesian province of Papua, have been instructed to remain on the...
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For Philippine farmers reeling from disasters, lockdown is another pain point

ALBAY, Philippines — Ramon Oliva, a rice farmer from the Philippine province of Camarines Sur, has been tasked to look after the main dam at Mount Isarog in the...
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The mining map: Who’s eyeing the gold on Brazil’s indigenous lands?

President Jair Bolsonaro has made clear on multiple occasions that Brazil’s indigenous territories should be opened for mining and other resource exploitation, justifying such a move as a boost...
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