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

Stay Safe During Heat Wave

High temperatures are expected over much of Wisconsin during the next several days, and the Department of Health Services is reminding residents to take steps to stay cool during this heat wave. “ Hot temperatures and humidity can be dangerous and even deadly,” said Jeanne Ayers, State Health Officer. “During this heat wave, it’s...
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Department of Health Services, Department of Natural Resources, and Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection Work to Make Groundwater Cleaner

Working together to make sure the water you drink is safe, the Department of Health Services (DHS), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) have reviewed key compounds that can be in Wisconsin’s groundwater and the effects they could have on health. State health officials today...
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Fight the Bite! Take Action to Prevent Tick and Mosquito Bites

With the unofficial start of summer behind us, many Wisconsin residents are looking ahead to warmer weather and all the resources our state has to offer. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has launched a statewide campaign to help everyone Fight the Bite and avoid tick and mosquito bites this season. Many people...
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Teens, Young Adults Visit Emergency Rooms More than Others for Heat-Related Illnesses, New Data Review Finds

A new look at data from Minnesota and Wisconsin found that teens and adults 15 to 34 years old in both states are the most likely to visit the emergency department for heat-related illness. This finding was somewhat surprising as the majority of public health alerts during heat waves focus on the very young...
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Foodborne Illness Advisory: Del Monte Vegetable Trays Pose Potential Salmonella Risk

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Minnesota Department of Health, and Wisconsin local health departments are working with the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate an ongoing multi-state outbreak of salmonellosis linked to consumption of certain Del Monte vegetable...
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Inspirational 2019 UX conference for the life sciences

The User Experience for Life Science team held their 2nd Pistoia Alliance User Experience for Life Sciences Conference on the 8th-9th May 2019 at GSK, Stevenage, UK. It attracted 120 delegates, from over 50 organisations along with some special guests, who gathered for two days of sharing knowledge and hands-on workshops. The conference was...
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Background information and news about AI and ML – for novices and not only

What is the difference between AI, ML and Deep Learning? How to set-up image recognition in TensorFlow? Why many AI methods are considered “black boxes” that defy explanation of the results they provide, and what can be done to overcome this? Answers to these and many more questions of potential interest to both...
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AI in life sciences still being held back by data issues and skills shortage

Recent Press Release: Boston & London, Wednesday 15 May, 2019 – The Pistoia Alliance, a global non-profit that works to lower barriers to innovation in life sciences R&D, today announced new survey results showing access to data (52 percent) and lack of skills (44 percent) are the biggest barriers to the adoption of AI and...
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AbVance – new publication submitted

Pistoia Alliance AbVance: focus on advancing the state of the art in antibody complex modelling for drug discovery. Review on ‘Computational approaches to therapeutic antibody design’ submitted for publication. Members of the Pistoia Alliance AbVance initiative have recently submitted a review entitled “Computational approaches to therapeutic antibody design: established methods and emerging trends” for...
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Data Sharing challenges and AI

With the rise of AI & ML within Life Sciences & Health, it’s become obvious that a key blocker to success is not the maturity of the AI tools and techniques but access to data in sufficient volume and quality for the AI & ML methods to analyse. In this blog we discuss some...
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Three new use cases identified from Pistoia Alliance blockchain workshop

Jake Dreier, Pistoia Alliance discusses the outcomes from our Blockchain Use Case Analysis workshop. The Blockchain Use Case Analysis Workshop on 12 March 2019 was an incredibly exciting experience to be a part of. Representatives from companies around the world gathered to collaborate, analyze, and develop use cases for blockchain technology in Life Sciences...
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CoE for AI in Life Sciences – seeks input to future priorities

The Pistoia Alliance is looking at future priorities for our CoE for AI in Life Sciences and Health. Building on the feedback after our recent London workshop Mar 2019 and the webinars & events over the last few months. Our current list is below and we welcome your views on the priorities here and...
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Business Analysis and User Experience

The roles of User Experience Designer and Business Analyst in Life Sciences In recent years Business Analysis and User Experience Design have been in demand in Life Sciences organisations. Companies are increasingly relying on these two complementary disciplines when it comes to designing and implementing digital solutions. Business communities are actively taking crossover...
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HELM Peptide Monomer Guidelines released

The HELM team is pleased to announce the publication of monomer guidelines for peptides. Monomers are the building blocks of bio-molecules and HELM adopters need to decide what monomers they want to use very early in their journey with HELM. Until now there has been guidance on nucleotide monomers, but limited information on...
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The Pistoia Alliance Calls for Greater Focus on ‘Science not Geography’ in Push for Global Collaboration

Three-day EU conference covering range of topics examines how technology is driving change in life sciences R&D and improving patients’ health London, 18th March, 2019 – The Pistoia Alliance, a global, not for profit alliance that works to lower barriers to innovation in life sciences R&D, is urging industry stakeholders worldwide to focus...
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Federal Black Lung program is failing to prevent new illnesses AND running out of money.

By Joe Davidsonhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/11/black-lung-disease-cases-grow-while-federal-programs-financing-suffers Like the miners who work underground in dark and dangerous conditions, black lung disease is, for many, largely out of sight, out of mind. But for folks such as Gary Hairston, who spent more than 27 years in the mines around his Beckley, W.Va., home, the ailment is ever-present. He lives...
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550,000 Acres on Fire in Alaska

Two small communities near Anderson, Alaska were ordered to evacuate late Thursday due to a wildfire, as the state’s summer of heat and smoke continues. The Kobe Fire was reported at 6:45 p.m. Thursday and by 10:50 p.m. had grown to 600 acres, The Alaska Division of Forestry reported. There are no reports that...
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Updated Consolidated List of Lists under EPCRA/CERCLA/CAA 112(r)

EPA revised the consolidated list of chemicals subject to the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA); Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); and Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act; also known as the List of Lists. The List of Lists is available as a PDF file and as an Excel...
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Protecting pregnant employees who work with chemicals

Lists for pregnant employee chemicals to avoid. When reviewing (SDS) safety data sheet’s, in addition to Section 11, Toxicology, Also review the hazard statements in Section 2, Hazards Identification, where you may see something like “H360 May damage fertility or the unborn child.” While there is not ONE definitive list of reproductive toxinS,...
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Study: fertilizer is root cause for increased global methane emissions, not cows

While the cattle industry is repeatedly accused of being the main culprit for increased global methane emissions (and a leading cause for climate change), a new study shows that the fertilizer industry is the root cause. The report by researchers from Cornell, published in Elementa, shows that emissions of methane from the industrial fertilizer...
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Anesthetic Gas: A Risk for Veterinary Workers

There is increasing evidence that exposure to isoflurane, the anesthetic gas commonly used in veterinary practice, may pose health risks, including nervous or reproductive system harm. A new Workplace Hazard Update, Isoflurane May Harm Veterinary Worker Health (PDF), details how staff are exposed. It also provides guidance for minimizing exposure. A California Department of...
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DOE Releases New Study Highlighting the Untapped Potential of Geothermal Energy in the United States

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Energy released a groundbreaking analysis detailing how the United States can benefit from the vast potential of geothermal energy. The analysis culminated in a report, GeoVision: Harnessing the Heat Beneath Our Feet, which summarizes findings showing that geothermal electricity generation could increase more than 26-fold from...
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In case you forgot…60,000 tons of dangerous radioactive waste still sits on Great Lakes shores

More than 60,000 tons of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel is stored on the shores of four of the five Great Lakes — in some cases, mere yards from the waterline — in still-growing stockpiles. “It’s actually the most dangerous waste produced by any industry in the history of the Earth,” said Gordon Edwards,...
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Work-Related Asthma in the ER

Most people who go to work don’t expect to end up at the emergency room for asthma. According to a Work-Related Asthma Prevention Program (WRAPP) pilot study, an estimated 1 in 4 adults who wound up in the ER for asthma in 2016 were there because of their exposures from work. The study also...
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EPA to Hold First Meeting of the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will hold the first meeting of the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg Act), for Pigment Violet 29 (PV29), the first...
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EPA to Propose Revisions to Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) Rule

(PAINT.ORG), EPA provided notice in the Federal Register that it will be releasing a proposed rule to revise its Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule. The agency said the proposed amendments would support Agency data collection efforts, align reporting with amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by requiring that confidentially claims be substantiated, and make...
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EPA and federal partners seek public input on draft GLRI Action Plan III

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its federal partners are seeking additional input from the public on developing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan III. The plan will outline priorities and goals for the GLRI for the years 2020-2024. Input will be received until May 24, 2019. Last summer, EPA received...
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CSB Calls on EPA to Update HF Study in Wake of the 2017 Husky Refinery Fire

Washington, D.C. April 24, 2019 – Today, the US Chemical Safety Board released a letter calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to review its existing Hydrofluoric Acid (HF) study to determine the effectiveness of existing regulations as well as the viability of utilizing inherently safer alkylation technologies in petroleum refineries. CSB Interim Executive...
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The rise of Candida auris embodies a serious and growing public health threat: drug-resistant germs.

(NewYorkTimes) Last May, an elderly man was admitted to the Brooklyn branch of Mount Sinai Hospital for abdominal surgery. A blood test revealed that he was infected with a newly discovered germ as deadly as it was mysterious. Doctors swiftly isolated him in the intensive care unit. The germ, a fungus called Candida auris,...
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Post Fukushima – 23 countries still have bans on food imports from Japan because of the nuclear incident.

In 2015, the Japanese government filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization. Japan said all the seafood it ships is safe because it meets strict standards on radioactive substances. Japan called South Korea’s actions unfair and discriminatory. A WTO dispute panel supported Japan in February last year and recommended South Korea correct its...
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U.S. Green Building Council Launches LEED v4.1

Source (PAINT.ORG) On April 2, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that the new version of the LEED green building program – LEED v4.1 – is now available for cities, communities and homes. According to USGBS, LEED v4.1 certification recognizes leadership by emphasizing performance monitoring, fully integrated design, social equity and human health factors. Green...
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Update: Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule

Source (PAINT.ORG) In response to a number of Supreme Court cases that have complicated what constitutes WOTUS, or the “waters of the United States,” the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers pursued a rulemaking during 2014 and 2015 to revise the regulatory definition of WOTUS. In May 2015, EPA...
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EPA Publishes List of 40 Chemicals for Prioritization Review under Amended TSCA

(Source PAINT.ORG) On March 21, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register its list of 40 candidate chemicals for high and low priority under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The list designates 20 high priority and 20 low priority candidates. Several of the high priority chemicals are used in...
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Update: AIM VOC Rulemakings in New York, Colorado and California

From (PAINT.ORG) Colorado and New York are proposing to adopt the Northeast Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) Phase II model rule limiting volatile organic compound (VOC) content for AIM (Architectural and Industrial Maintenance) coatings. In addition, the OTC states will likely begin working on the OTC Phase III AIM model rule in the next year...
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A Mysterious Infection, Spanning the Globe in a Climate of Secrecy

” In the United States, two million people contract resistant infections annually, and 23,000 die from them, according to the official C.D.C. estimate. That number was based on 2010 figures; more recent estimates from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine put the death toll at 162,000. Worldwide fatalities from resistant infections are estimated...
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Giant Daily Drivers and Cellphones have U.S. Pedestrian Deaths Still Climbing

According to the National Highway Association, 6,227 people were killed on the road last year, more than any year since 1990. The upward trend in pedestrian deaths started at the beginning of this decade and shows no signs of slowing down. Bigger cars and distractions from cellphones are two leading causes of this growing problem. Read...
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OSHA’s Occupational Medicine Resident Elective

The Office of Occupational Medicine and Nursing (OOMN) in OSHA serves as an instructional site for current resident physicians who are receiving training in occupational and environmental medicine, general preventive medicine, and aerospace medicine. At any time throughout the year, OOMN may host up to four resident physicians for an eight week training rotation....
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OSHA’s new webpage Available on Radiation Emergencies

SHA’s new webpage on radiation emergency preparedness is intended to help protect the health and safety of workers during situations ranging from small, isolated incidents in laboratories to potentially catastrophic radiation releases at nuclear facilities. The webpage also provides resources on health and safety planning, medical monitoring and dosimetry, and other relevant topics. OSHA: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/emergencypreparedness/radiation/
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DOE Announces Up to $26.1 Million to Advance Hydropower and Marine Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Daniel Simmons announced up to $26.1 million in funding to drive innovative industry-led technology solutions to advance the marine and hydrokinetics (MHK) industry and increase hydropower’s ability to serve as a flexible grid resource. The Water Power...
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Trader Joe’s Phasing Out Single-Use Plastics Nationwide Following Customer Petition

By Madison Dapcevich As the world suffocates from its plastic addiction, a growing number of businesses are stepping up to the plate to reduce their plastic waste. Most recently, Trader Joe’s announced that it will be taking steps to cut back on plastic and other packaging waste after a petition launched by Greenpeace harnessed nearly 100,000 signatures. At the end...
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EPA Identifies 40 Chemicals to Prioritize for Risk Evaluation

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is publishing a list of 40 chemicals to begin the prioritization process – the initial step in a new process of reviewing chemicals currently in commerce under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). “EPA continues to demonstrate its commitment to the successful and timely...
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Preventing Illness from Silica Dust

Workers in construction and manufacturing jobs are often exposed to respirable crystalline silica, which is released when cutting or drilling into stone and concrete. Breathing silica dust is dangerous and can lead to serious and often fatal illnesses. There are steps employers must take to protect workers by reducing exposure to dust. These steps...
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March FoodShare Benefits will be Available March 1

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced today that funding for March FoodShare benefits is available. FoodShare members will see their benefits on their QUEST cards, and be able to use them, on March 1, 2019. Due to the recent federal government shutdown, February FoodShare benefits were issued early to members, on January...
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HELM Test Set now released

The HELM team is pleased to announce the publication of a set of HELM strings that can be used by external groups to test their HELM implementations. The set includes HELM1 and HELM2 plus in-line HELM and includes expected results for calculations and whether the HELM string should pass validation or not. There...
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Collaborating to mitigate drug law changes for the pharmaceutical industry

In 2016 the UK government amended the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act (MoDA) and added a section designed to control the newer synthetic cannabinoids in increasing supply on the black market. Unfortunately, the definition was drawn extremely broadly Pharmaceutical companies and other life science R&D organizations routinely work with controlled substances, narcotics and...
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New HHS-sponsored research provides new tool and updated guidance on mass chemical decontamination

More than a million first responders and emergency managers in the United States now have ascience-based chemical decontamination decision tool and updated guidance on how best to decontaminate a massive number of people after chemical exposure. The decision-support tool and guidance, as well as the scientific studies on which they are based, were completed under a contract between...
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EPA Releases First Major Update to Chemicals List in 40 Years

PAINT.ORG On Feb. 19, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an update of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory listing the chemicals that are actively being manufactured, processed and imported in the United States. A key result of the update is that less than half of the total number of chemicals on the current TSCA...
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The Department of Health Services Receives another Temporary Extension of the SeniorCare Program

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it is granting the Department of Health Services (DHS) an additional temporary extension of Wisconsin’s SeniorCare waiver. This is the second extension DHS has received in 2019 for the SeniorCare waiver, which expired at the end of 2018. This 60-day temporary extension allows the program...
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Additional Government Benefits Call Centers Closed Due to Winter Storm

After Governor Tony Evers issued a state of emergency for Wisconsin because of severe weather, more counties continue to do the same. This means some Wisconsin Income Maintenance Call Centers and agencies may be closed throughout the week, impacting the flow of information about BadgerCare Plus, FoodShare, Medicaid, and Wisconsin Shares benefits. People will...
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Winter Storm Causing Some Government Benefits Call Center Closures

In response to the ongoing winter weather and dangerously cold temperatures, Governor Tony Evers has issued a state of emergency for Wisconsin, and several counties are doing the same. This means some Wisconsin Income Maintenance Call Centers and agencies may be closed throughout the week, impacting the flow of information about BadgerCare Plus, FoodShare,...
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CSB Releases Final Report into Fatal 2014 Incident at DuPont La Porte Facility; Final Report Cites Numerous Safety Deficiencies

Final DuPont Investigation Reports Numerous Safety Definiciences
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Chemical Safety Board Deploying to Site of Refinery Explosion and Fire Outside Philadelphia, PA

CSB Deploying to Philadelphia Refinery Fire
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Will BLM Clampdown On Burning Man Imperil Festival’s Free Spirit Ethos?

“Burning Man started three decades ago as a low-key gathering of friends who celebrated summer solstice on a West Coast beach by setting a wooden man aflame. Now, event...
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“Strangled Ohio Wind Industry: ‘We Don’t Want To Give Up'”

“For the past five years, wind developers in Ohio have faced what they describe as among the most restrictive turbine-siting rules anywhere in the United States.” Climate Change Energy...
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“AP Fact Check: Trump And An Eco Legacy Not His Own”

“President Donald Trump and his aides this past week celebrated an environmental legacy that is not theirs to claim. In large measure, the progress they cited pre-dates Trump’s presidency....
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“Rare Sea Turtles Smash Nesting Records In Georgia, Carolinas”

“Rare sea turtles are smashing nesting records this summer on beaches in the Southeast, with scientists crediting the egg-laying boom to conservation measures that began more than 30 years...
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“Trump Administration Freezing Fuel Efficiency Penalties”

“The Trump administration said late on Friday it was issuing final rules to suspend a 2016 Obama administration regulation that more than doubled penalties for automakers failing to meet...
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Louisiana Cleaning Up After Storm Barry Brought Rain, Wind, Flooding

“Communities in Louisiana are taking the first steps toward recovery after Hurricane Barry made landfall in the state as a Category 1 storm Saturday before being downgraded to a...
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The Environment For Reporters Covering EPA Just Got A Lot More Toxic

“While the Trump administration is not known for velvety smooth relations with the news media, federal agencies are far more likely to ignore reporters than to officially scold them....
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“EPA To Allow Use Of Pesticide Considered ‘Very Highly Toxic’ To Bees”

“The Environmental Protection Agency approved broad new applications Friday for a controversial insecticide, despite objections from environmental groups and beekeepers who say it is among the compounds responsible for...
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EPA Plans to Curtail Ability of Communities to Oppose Pollution Permits

“The Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to weaken rules that for the past quarter-century have given communities a voice in deciding how much pollution may legally be released by...
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On public interest in conservation and internet data (commentary)

Conservationists are increasingly looking toward technology for aid. We are now better able to monitor forest change as result of deforestation or climate change, survey inaccessible areas for rare...
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Study finds lemurs in degraded Madagascar forest skinny and stunted

An iconic yet critically endangered species of lemur living in heavily degraded forests in Madagascar appears to be in poor health, a recent study has found. The study’s lead...
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Indonesian governor latest official busted for bribes in environmental case

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s anti-corruption agency has charged a governor from the island of Sumatra with bribery in connection to a land reclamation project, in the latest high-profile case of...
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GREENHOUSE GAS EQUIVALENCIES CALCULATOR WIDGET

A widget version of EPA’s popular Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator (https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator). The Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator translates abstract energy and emissions data into concrete terms you can understand, such...
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