Environment
Federal court denies tribes’ bid to halt $10 billion transmission line project in Arizona
A federal judge has rejected a request by Native American tribes to stop work on a $10 billion transmission line being built through a remote southeastern Arizona valley that will carry electricity from New Mexico to California.
Biden administration grants $830 million to improve climate-resilience of nation’s aging infrastructure
The money is expected to improve stormwater systems, roads, ports, and other infrastructure across 37 states, Washington, D.C. and the Virgin Islands, particularly those battered by increasingly frequent extreme weather events brought on by the planet’s warming.
Wisconsin appeals court rules regulators must establish PFAS restrictions before mandating clean-up
Environmental regulators can’t unilaterally force polluters to clean up contamination from so-called forever chemicals without going through the Legislature to establish specific limits on the compounds, a state appellate court ruled Wednesday.
EPA grants Louisiana power to approve underground carbon storage wells
Carbon capture technology is aimed at reducing emissions from industrial sources like ethanol plants and coal-fired power plants. The captured carbon can be transported via pipelines for injection in wells deep underground. It is these wells that Louisiana will now have the power to approve.
Federal appeals court upholds judge’s dismissal of Dakota Access Pipeline protesters’ lawsuit
A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a federal judge’s 2021 decision dismissing a lawsuit filed by protesters of the Dakota Access Pipeline, who alleged law enforcement officers used excessive force during a clash in 2016.
$48 million federal grant allocations to protect groundwater while supporting underground CO2 sequestration
The EPA has, under the Safe Drinking Water Act, developed stringent federal requirements for injecting CO2 that protect public health by ensuring injection wells do not contaminate underground sources of drinking water.
Feds OK gas pipeline expansion in Pacific Northwest over environmentalist protests
The 1,377-mile (2,216-km) pipeline will run from the Canadian border through a corner of Idaho and into Washington state and Oregon, connecting with a pipeline going into California.
US military to begin draining leaky fuel tank facility that poisoned Pearl Harbor drinking water
The military next week plans to begin draining fuel from World War II-era underground fuel tanks in Hawaii, nearly two years after the massive facility sickened 6,000 people when it leaked jet fuel into a Pearl Harbor drinking water well.
Federal, local officials secure $450 million dredging deal to clean up Milwaukee waterways
Federal, state and local officials have agreed to spend about $450 million to dredge contaminated sediment from Milwaukee’s Lake Michigan harbor and area rivers.
Environmental groups ask for EPA intervention in leaking Alabama water system
The petition asks for the EPA to assist in funding upgrades to the drinking water system, participate in receivership proceedings and develop and enforce a long-term consent decree to address infrastructure.
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.
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- DeLa Express seeks FERC approval for Permian-to-Louisiana gas pipeline project
- OSHA penalizes Houston contractor over safety violations resulting in worker's death
- Fiber infrastructure has no known expiration date, Fiber Broadband Association research concludes
- Nevada OSHA fines Elon Musk's Boring Company over safety violations in Vegas tunnel project
- Michigan lawmakers introduce bills to create septic codes throughout the state
- Indiana American Water to gain 8,000 water customers with Silver Creek Water acquisition
- New York State OKs $57.8 million underground transmission line linking Nanuet to West Nyack
- Arkansas governor allocates $42 million for water infrastructure projects
- Federal judge finds Flint, Mich, in contempt over lead water pipe crisis