Environment
Minnesota regulators vote to pursue environmental review for proposed carbon pipeline network
Minnesota regulators voted Thursday to proceed with an environmental review for part of a proposed but disputed pipeline network that would carry planet-warming carbon dioxide from Midwest ethanol plants to a permanent underground storage site.
EPA releases initial data in nation’s most comprehensive PFAS monitoring effort
The data collected under UCMR 5 will ensure science-based decision-making and help EPA better understand national-level exposure to these 29 PFAS and lithium.
Houston and San Antonio face sewer, water struggles amid central US deadly heat wave
Deadly heat has gripped Texas for much of the summer and has now spread into other parts of the central U.S., where it is expected to persist for days. Triple-digit temperatures are buckling roads, straining water systems, and posing a threat to the power grid of the nation’s energy capital.
Leaking milk into city's sewer system forces closure of 110-year-old creamery
(UI) — Hastings Creamery, a longstanding dairy institution that has served Minnesota and Wisconsin for over a century, has closed its doors due to an incident involving the release of substantial amounts of milk and cream into the city's wastewater plant.
Biden administration allocates $200 million in federal infrastructure grants to upgrade water tunnels
Some of the 169 projects that make up the first batch in a $1 billion initiative being rolled out over five years under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act would upgrade the culverts to allow water — and fish — to flow more freely.
US judge blocks water pipeline in Montana, citing 'valid concerns' from environmentalists
U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy said in a Wednesday ruling that environmentalists who sued to stop the pipeline raised valid concerns that its construction would disturb the wilderness area, where motor vehicles, roads or structures are largely prohibited under federal law.
Wisconsin governor greenlights funds for PFAS eradication in stormwater, sewer systems
(UI) — Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources have announced new funding available to help communities address per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in wastewater.
Belgian chemical company to spend $393 million cleaning PFAS contamination in New Jersey drinking water
The company has been investigating and remediating PFAS at its West Deptford site since 2013, including working with the town to install a drinking water treatment system on a municipal well, constructing and operating an offsite groundwater pump-and-treat system, and enhancing on-site groundwater treatment systems.
3M reaches $10.3 billion settlement over contamination of water systems with ‘forever chemicals’
Chemical manufacturer 3M Co. will pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over the contamination of many U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds used in firefighting foam and a host of consumer products, the company said Thursday.
The water in Mississippi’s capital is safe to drink, city officials say
Jackson has struggled with water problems for decades. Most of the city lost running water for several days in August and September after heavy rainfall exacerbated problems at the city’s main water treatment plant.
Spain to invest $2.4 billion in drought measures, including wastewater infrastructure and desalination plants
Ribera said $1.5 billion would go toward building the infrastructure to double the use of treated wastewater in urban areas and constructing new desalination plants to increase the national supply of drinking water.
Federal agency aims to reduce methane leaks with new natural gas pipeline rules
The proposal by the Transportation Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration would significantly improve the detection and repair of leaks from natural gas pipelines, keep more product in the pipes and prevent dangerous accidents, officials said
United Rentals introduces low-emissions generators for worksite electrification
The generators are equipped with dual interchangeable and removable electrical panels, making it fast and easy to customize the generators to various power needs. In addition to the environmental benefits, the generators run much quieter than traditional generators.
Broken water pipe in Jackson, Miss., leaks 5 million gallons per day
(UI) — The leak at the old Colonial Country Club in Jackson, Miss., wasted an estimated 5 million gallons of drinking water daily in a community that had none to spare, forcing citizens to boil their tap water and businesses to close because their faucets were dry.
California American Water to sign pure water Monterey expansion agreement
(UI) — California American Water plans to sign the Pure Water Monterey Expansion agreement – an expansion project that will aid future water supplies for the Monterey Peninsula, along with desalination and an aquifer storage and recovery system that stores excess winter river flows for use during dry months.
Congress approves measure to toss Biden’s water protections
Congress on Wednesday approved a resolution to overturn the Biden administration’s protections for the nation’s waterways that Republicans have criticized as a burden on business, advancing a measure that President Joe Biden has promised to veto.
Mountain Valley secures water permits for pipeline project in Virginia
(UI) — The 303-mile proposed pipeline is permitted to pass through the state's streams and wetlands thanks to a permit issued by Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality, according to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Army Corps further delays decision on Great Lakes oil tunnel
The Army Corps' Detroit district office said it revised the schedule after receiving more than 17,000 public comments during an initial “scoping” period. The agency in December ordered Enbridge to redo measurement of wetlands that could be damaged from roads and structures for tunnel construction.
Construction entities call for punishment for pipeline attacks, improved mapping in pipeline safety
(UI) — The Distribution Contractors Association (DCA) and the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA) have published a letter urging Congress to take action to address the enduring problem of physical attacks on critical energy infrastructure.
Groups accuse Alabama of discrimination in wastewater funds
Environmental organizations filed a civil rights complaint against Alabama on Monday, accusing the state of discriminating against minority communities in how it distributes funding for wastewater infrastructure, including money for families who need help dealing with raw sewage in their yards.
Communities await first US limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose restrictions on harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water after finding they are dangerous in amounts so small as to be undetectable. But experts say removing them will cost billions, a burden that will fall hardest on small communities with few resources.
Mayor: Water pressure should return to NJ city after break
Officials say water pressure should gradually return to a small New Jersey city across the Hudson River from Manhattan stricken by a water main break that left most residents with no water service or low water pressure.
Judge sets Aug. 1 as deadline for Flint’s lead pipe project
A judge has ordered Flint, Michigan, to replace any remaining lead or steel water lines by Aug. 1, the latest intervention after a series of missed deadlines. More than 10,000 pipes have been replaced, though at least 1,000 addresses still haven’t been inspected, according to the NRDC.
PG&E curtails plan to bury over 3,500 miles of power lines in effort to reduce wildfires
(UI) — In order to reduce the risk of wildfires in the western United States, California-based electric utility and natural gas supplier PG&E Inc. has scaled back its plans to lay over 3,600 miles of power lines underground through 2026. Beginning in June, PG&E will be tried for manslaughter in connection with fire fatalities allegedly resulting from its overhead power lines, which were blamed for the deadliest wildfire in California history in 2018.
U.S. appeals court re-establishes Trump-era water rule, energy industry celebrates
The Trump-era rule reinterprets part of the Clean Water Act that allows states and Native American tribes authority to deny approvals for interstate pipelines and other projects that pollute waterways in their areas. The new rule keeps states from blocking such projects unless they can prove the projects will directly pollute their waterways.
Toxic wastewater from Ohio train crash to be transported to Texas
The wastewater is being sent to Texas Molecular, which injects hazardous waste into the ground for disposal.
Atlas Copco launches fully electric self-priming dewatering pump range solution
(UI) — The E-Pump range, which comprises the PAC High Head and High Flow models, offers an electric alternative to diesel-powered dewatering pumps. This allows customers to reduce their CO2 footprint and operate in emission-restrictive areas with no fuel consumption. This flexible solution is ideally suited for many applications like sewage bypass, dewatering in mining, and urban construction projects with access to a power source.
EPA won’t challenge largest federal utility on new gas plant
The gas plant decision by the Tennessee Valley Authority came Jan. 10, capping a months-long conflict between the TVA and the Environmental Protection Agency — two federal agencies that are both charged with a mission to protect the environment.
Regulators propose $125K settlement with coal company over water pollution
West Virginia regulators have proposed a $125,000 settlement of a penalty order with a Kentucky coal company for alleged water pollution violations, according to a published report.
Oil spill settlement for undisclosed amount reached with California businesses
A pipeline operator said that it has reached a settlement with Southern California tourism companies, fishermen and other businesses that sued after a crude oil spill off the coast last year near Huntington Beach.
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