New advances in modeling contaminant transport offer a clearer picture of how to protect karst aquifers.
water pollution
Posted inNews
Pollution from Wildfires Can Contaminate Our Water for up to 8 Years, Study Finds
An analysis of 500 watersheds found levels of organic carbon, phosphorus, and other pollutants up to 103 times higher after a wildfire.
Posted inResearch & Developments
EPA to Rescind Rules on Four Forever Chemicals
The EPA plans to reconsider drinking water limits for four different PFAS chemicals and extend deadlines for public water systems to comply, according to The Washington Post.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of chemicals that are widely used for their water- and stain-resistant properties. Exposure to PFAS is linked to higher risks of certain cancers, reproductive health issues, developmental delays and immune system problems. The so-called “forever chemicals” are ubiquitous in the environment and widely contaminate drinking water.
Posted inResearch & Developments
EPA to Cancel Nearly 800 Environmental Justice Grants
The EPA plans to cancel 781 grants, almost all focused on environmental justice, according to a court document filed last week.
In Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council v. Department of Agriculture, a coalition of nonprofits is challenging the Trump administration’s freezing of funding from the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In the recent court document, Daniel Coogan, an administrator in the Office of Mission Support for the EPA, stated that the agency completed a grant-by-grant review of its awards to ensure that grants aligned with administration priorities. Those that were not aligned were targeted for termination.
Posted inFeatures
Delegations Drive One Water Dialogues
Proactive approaches allow water practitioners to address issues in innovative, inclusive ways.
Posted inNews
WWII Ordnance Is Polluting the Baltic Sea
Discarded explosives were dumped into the Baltic and North seas after World War II. Their deadly legacy is still with us.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Trump Administration Plans to Fire More Than 1,000 EPA Scientists
The Trump Administration plans to fire more than 1,000 scientists in the EPA’s research arm. The layoffs are part of a “reduction in force” that comes after the agency already fired hundreds of probationary workers. (A federal judge has since ordered that these employees be reinstated, and though the administration has complied, most of the workers have been placed on administrative leave.)
Posted inResearch & Developments
EPA Moves to Rewrite Water Rules Following Sackett Decision
EPA administrator Lee Zeldin announced today that the agency would kick off a review of EPA rules and redefine “waters of the United States” to ensure that the agency aligns with the 2023 Supreme Court decision Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which limited the implementation of the Clean Water Act.
Posted inResearch & Developments
EPA Plans to Close Environmental Justice Offices, Leaving Communities to Face Pollution Alone
Yesterday, news broke that a memo from Lee Zeldin, the new administrator of the EPA, directed the agency to eliminate all offices that focus on environmental justice.
Posted inNews
Wildfires Raise Concern About Remobilized Radioactive Contamination
Researchers collected soil and ash after the 2020 wildfires in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Chemical tests suggested that the fires made it easier for contaminants to wash into nearby rivers.