Category Archives: drinking water

New EPA report on health impacts of chlorpyrifos

Posted on January 11, 2015 by tbach

Environment Health News just published this article about this recent EPA study concluding that chlorpyrifos, an insecticide used on corn and other U.S. crops, poses health risks to workers and can also contaminate drinking water. Chlorpyrifos is one of the most commonly … Continue reading →

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West Virginia Responds to the Elk River Spill With SB373

Posted on March 19, 2014 by caitlin

At least nineteen lawsuits have been filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court in response to the January 9, 2014 chemical spill, where the company’s Charleston facility leaked MCHM into the Elk River. The claims, mainly filed on behalf of the … Continue reading →

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PCBs, GE, & FOIA

Posted on March 9, 2014 by tbach

Yesterday’s Albany Times Union published damning information about GE’s PCB contamination of the Hudson River.  The polluted 200-mile stretch from Hudson Falls to the Atlantic Ocean makes it one of the largest Superfund sites, according to the EPA.  PCBs were banned in 1977 and are … Continue reading →

Posted in carcinogens, CERCLA, drinking water, environmental cleanup, environmental law, EPA, fish consumption advisories, FOIA, PCBs, public health, synthetic chemicals | Tagged | Comments Off on PCBs, GE, & FOIA

Water Safe to Drink After West Virginia Spill (Just Not for Pregnant Women)

Posted on January 19, 2014 by caitlin

On January 9, 7500 gallons of Crude MCHM, or 4-methylcyclohexane methanol, a chemical used to clean coal during processing, leaked from a storage tank at Freedom Industries and contaminated the Elk River and the drinking water supply in nine counties. … Continue reading →

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The New Water Atlas

Posted on November 17, 2013 by caitlin

The original California Water Atlas, a book addressing the state’s water crisis, was published in 1979. The book used maps and graphics to provide information about water supply, management, history, and governance. Almost 35 years later, computer specialists, designers, and … Continue reading →

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A Dam Shame – Reservoirs and Elevated Mercury Levels

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Alex English

One of the oldest forms of “renewable” energy comes from hydropower. From ancient grain mills to tanneries to hydroelectric generation, humanity has long harnessed the power of flowing water. Unfortunately, increased use of water power has corresponded with increased environmental impacts. Tanneries, … Continue reading →

Posted in drinking water, environmental health, fish consumption advisories, food contamination, mercury, public health, Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), risk communication, routes of exposure, vulnerable populations | Tagged | Comments Off on A Dam Shame – Reservoirs and Elevated Mercury Levels

Dead in the Water

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Alex English

Thanks to laws such as the Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act, tremendous progress has occurred in the past forty years: the Cuyahoga River no longer catches fire, Boston Harbor is generally free of fecal matter, and municipal water … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, agriculture and human health, algal blooms, Clean Water Act, climate change and health, cyanobacteria, dead zones, drinking water, environmental health, NIH, nonpoint source pollution, phosphorus, public health, routes of exposure, Safe Drinking Water Act, vulnerable populations, water quality standards | Comments Off on Dead in the Water

Indirect Potable Reuse: The Solution to Future Water Shortages

Posted on March 16, 2013 by molive

           Climate change poses an immediate and severe threat to freshwater sources. By mid-century, annual average river runoff and water availability are projected to decrease by ten to thirty percent over some dry regions at mid-latitudes, … Continue reading →

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Enviro Health Writ Large and Young

Posted on March 16, 2013 by tbach

Links between human health and environmental degradation were the main themes of a week-long conference organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in mid-February.  The 2013 TUNZA (a Kiswahili word meaning ‘to treat with care or affection’) International Youth … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change and health, drinking water, environmental health, indoor air pollution, intergenerational equity, international law, precautionary principle, Rio +20, UNEP | Comments Off on Enviro Health Writ Large and Young

What’s Next for the Great Lakes?

Posted on March 4, 2013 by mkyle

Harmful Algae Blooms Threaten Lake Erie The World’s Largest Source of Freshwater The Great Lakes contain the world’s largest supply of freshwater. In fact, according to NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), the Great Lakes contain 18% of the world’s supply … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, agriculture and human health, algal blooms, Clean Water Act, climate change and health, dead zones, drinking water, environmental health, environmental health law, EPA, Great Lakes, nonpoint source pollution, phosphorus, pollution control standards, public health, public health law, routes of exposure, water quality standards | Comments Off on What’s Next for the Great Lakes?