Free Republic

Natural gas developers in Pennsylvania are hoping a recent water quality report by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission could squelch plans for a fracking ban that’s currently being considered by the neighboring Delaware River Basin Commission. The SRBC’s Remote Water Quality Monitoring Network report, which was released last month, revealed that water quality scores at 14 of the 16 stations in the basin were in the “good” or “excellent” categories According to a fact sheet from the Susquehanna commission, the monitoring stations are located in areas where active drilling takes place, as well as areas free of development, in order...

The Trump administration seems to be leaning towards allying with the oil refining industry in its fight against Big Corn and federal rules requiring the use of corn ethanol. Reuters reports that the U.S. EPA apparently granted an exemption to Andeavor, a large oil refiner, from having to comply with blending requirements as part of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) last month. The RFS requires refiners to blend biofuels, such as corn ethanol, into their refined fuels. If they can’t or find it too costly, they are required to purchase credits. The law dates back to 2007 under the George...

An unidentified patient in Florida is being treated after being infected with a brain-eating amoeba last week, according to the Florida Department of Health. It is the fourth known case this year of infection by the parasite Naegleria fowleri. "We believe that the individual contracted the infection after swimming in unsanitary water on a single private property," said Mara Gambineri, the health department's communications director, noting that there is no risk to the general public. The parasite is almost always deadly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 1962 and 2015 there were 138 known cases of...

Representatives from Golden State Water Co. insist that Morita’s predicament is isolated. They also say they flushed the pipes last week and, since then, the water has been clear. Morita collected the water in a jar but Golden State says they couldn’t test the sample because it has to be collected in special containers. “The water meets all drinking water standards, so it should be considered safe to drink. I understand the concern, though. I was concerned when I saw the discolored water,” said Kate Nutting, the general manager of Golden State Water’s southwest division

Dr. Ann Maest is a managing scientist at Straus Consulting, and she’s the go to expert on all things groundwater. In the press release announcing her reappointment to the National Academy of Sciences, they mention that she is focused on the environmental effects of mining and petroleum extraction and production, and, more recently, on the effects of climate change on water quality. Maest is in high demand as an expert for those looking to stop oil and mineral exploration. She’s also heavily used by the federal government, even though after new details about her past work are coming to light...

Arnold Schwarzenegger's self-styled reputation as a “green” governor is under scrutiny again as he selects leaders for water quality agencies statewide. The appointees are virtually invisible to most people, but the panels they serve on are battlegrounds for regulations, penalties and permits that affect California's waterways. Each of the state's nine regional water boards has nine board positions – a total of 81 slots. Nearly a third of the posts are vacant, including three in San Diego County. The local board's most recent chairman, University of San Diego environmental law professor Jack Minan, said he was mystified when Schwarzenegger recently...

PERCHLORATE PARANOIA PERCOLATING IN PASADENA: Misperceiving "Malign Intent" in New Water Quality Guidelines By Wayne Lusvardi Newspaper columns in Southern California newspapers are bubbling with a new paranoia from those on the left side of the political spectrum about the recently released new safety guidelines for perchlorate in drinking water recommended by the National Academy of Sciences. The suspicion is that the Bush administration has somehow put its thumb on the prestigious National Academy, and like allegedly rigged elections and deceitful wars, is jeopardizing children's health by loosening the former EPA standard of 1 part per billion to 20 parts...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration said Wednesday it would reinstate a Clinton-era plan to sharply restrict the amount of arsenic allowed in drinking water to help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. The Environmental Protection Agency was widely criticized in March when it suspended a regulation written by the Clinton administration that would slash the amount of arsenic in tap water to 10 parts per billion (ppb). The incoming administration said it wanted another study of the health risks before adopting a rule that would be costly to many businesses and small communities. Christine Todd ...

Ameriscan, April 3, 2002 Great Lakes U.S. Policy Committee Unveils Cleanup Strategy MUSKEGON, Michigan, April 3, 2002 (ENS) - All 31 polluted harbors on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes will be cleaned up by 2025 under a new strategy announced today by the Great Lakes U.S. Policy Committee. The proposal, Great Lakes Strategy 2002 - A Plan for the New Millennium, was announced by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Whitman during a visit to Muskegon. "The Great Lakes are American treasures - home to residents from eight states and home away from home for vacationers and visitors...

Most U.S. Coastal Waters Polluted WASHINGTON, DC, April 2, 2002 (ENS) - Almost half the nation's coastal waters are so polluted that their usefulness to humans and their ability to support aquatic life are impaired, finds a new report by a quartet of federal agencies. The study, the first environmental report card on the condition of the nation's coastal waters, rates the quality of these resources as fair to poor. The report finds environmental problems facing most of the nation's estuaries: the highly productive regions where fresh water meets the salty seas. (All photos courtesy EPA National Estuary Program)...