Environment
U.S. Judge Revises Environmental Ruling on Pipeline Permits
A U.S. Judge partially revised a ruling that blocked pipeline crossings below streams and waterways, allowing crossings for utility and maintenance projects but continuing to require permits for pipeline construction projects.
Supreme Court Rejects Narrow View of CWA in Maui Wastewater Case
The Supreme Court ruled that a Maui treatment plant's discharge of polluted water into the ground, rather than directly into nearby waterways, does not relieve it of complying with the Clean Water Act.
Great Lakes Get Extra Funds for Cleanups, Invasive Species
Additional funds provided by Congress for Great Lakes environmental improvements will be used to hasten cleanups of highly toxic sites and step up work on other longstanding forms of pollution, federal officials said.
EPA Announces $2.5 Million Plan to Advance Detroit River Area Cleanup
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has signed a $2.5 million agreement to design a project that will reverse contaminated sediment and create a substantial new habitat at a waterfront park under development in Detroit.
White House Unveils Plan to Speed Big Projects Permits
The Trump administration on Thursday unveiled a plan to speed permitting for major infrastructure projects like oil pipelines, road expansions and bridges, one of the biggest deregulatory actions of the president's tenure.
South Carolina: Google can Pump Drinking Water for Servers
South Carolina is allowing Google to cool its servers by pumping nearly 550 million gallons of water annually from a declining aquifer.
Sewage from Manhole Spills into Durham, N.C. Creek
City officials in Durham, N.C., said the state Department of Environmental Quality was notified after a buildup of rags blocked a sewer main and caused a spill into Ellerbe Creek.
Trump Administration Drops Obama-Era Water Protection Rule
The Trump administration on Thursday revoked an Obama-era regulation that shielded many U.S. wetlands and streams from pollution but was opposed by developers and farmers who said it hurt economic development and infringed on property rights.
Water Utilities Recognized For Forward-Thinking Initiatives
The Utility of the Future Today program announced it has recognized the efforts of 43 U.S. water utilities this year for their efforts to transform their operations through innovation and technology.
Judge Blocks Obama-Era Water Initiative Pending Revision
A federal judge in Georgia has blocked enactment of the 2015 Waters of the United States rule in Georgia and nine other states that filed suit against the measure while it's under review by the Trump administration.
EPA Expected to Limit State Authority over Pipeline Approval Process
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was scheduled to release a proposed rule in August limiting the ability of states to delay or even prevent the building of pipelines, by delaying approval of water quality certifications required under the Clean Water Act.
WasteWise Winners Divert Waste from Landfills
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 10 winners of its 2018 WasteWise program, which encourages organizations and businesses to achieve sustainability in their practices and reduce select industrial wastes. For 2018, winners collectively prevented more than 356,000 tons of waste from entering landfills and saved their organizations more than $19.6 million in avoided landfill fees.
EPA Finalizes Affordable Clean Energy Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the final Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule, replacing the prior administration’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) with a new rule that empowers states to reduce emissions, while providing affordable and reliable energy for all Americans.
EPA Launches 60-day Comment Period for Clean Water Act Changes
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today issued a proposed rule to implement Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) intended to streamline the approval process for permits that are often an obstacle for pipelines and other infrastructure projects.
Consumers Energy Releases Rare Turtles Protected During Pipeline Project
Twelve rare, juvenile Blanding’s Turtles hatched from incubated eggs were released recently back into a turtle-friendly habitat created for them near Saginaw, Mich., by Consumers Energy employees.
Brown and Caldwell
Brown and Caldwell, a leading environmental engineering and construction firm, was selected by King County, Wash., Wastewater Treatment Division as prime consultant on development of the county’s Clean Water Plan. This four-year effort will chart a path for future water-quality investments and initiatives in the central Puget Sound region.
Markwest Agrees to Payment for Pipeline Installation Issue
A subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum's MPLX midstream partnership agreed with West Virginia regulators to pay $124,030 for environmental violations related to a pipeline installation.
Miami gets $99.7 Million Federal Loan for Wastewater Upgrade
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department with a $99.7 million federal loan to build 14 injection wells designed to stop wastewater from going into the Atlantic Ocean.
Herrenknecht’s E-Power Pipe Nominated for Major International Award
Herrenknecht was nominated for the bauma Innovation Award 2019 in the “Machine” category. The company’s E-Power Pipe technology is a trenchless method for the economic and environmentally friendly installation of underground cables.
Breaking Records in a Conservation Park
Watercare Services of New Zealand engaged McConnell Dowell and McMillen Jacobs to increase the outfall capacity for its Army Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project involved installing a new wastewater outfall, upgrading the existing pump station and building a new ultraviolet disinfection facility.
Outdated Sewer System Responsible for Virus in Famed Croatian Oysters
Authorities have detected norovirus, which causes diarrhea and vomiting, in parts of the Mali Ston bay — triggering shock and alarm among the breeders.
Call or Click for Safe Digging
Calling 811 before any digging begins starts the process of identifying and marking buried utility lines in the United States and preventing the damage, service disruption, injuries, potential fines and costly repairs that result from unintentionally hitting them.
L.A. Wants to Spend $8 Billion to Recycle All of Its Wastewater by 2035
The City of Los Angeles is considering a wastewater reclamation project that could end up supplying one-third of the city’s water by 2035.
New Jersey Raises Protective Status of 749 miles of Waterways
New Jersey is adding 749 miles (1,205 kilometers) of rivers and streams to its inventory of waterways that have a high level of protection from pollution and development.
Utility Denies Water Pollution Allegations
A utility is denying allegations by two environmental groups that it polluted a river with heated wastewater from a coal-fired power plant in New Hampshire.
Maryland Stormwater Partnership Ahead of Schedule, Under Budget
A stormwater partnership between Prince George’s County, Maryland and Corvias reported it has completed its initial pilot phase ahead of schedule and under budget.
It’s Complicated: The Politics of Pipelines
by Robert Carpenter | Editor-in-Chief Growing up in rural Oklahoma seems so long ago, so far away. It was a simpler time for many reasons, but nonetheless an enjoyable time and definitely life-shaping. Back then, the area’s primary economic drivers were wheat, cattle and oilfield (gas was viewed a..
Judge Halts Keystone XL for Environmental Study
NEW YORK (AP) — Environmentalists cheered a federal court order Thursday that blocks a Trump administration permit for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, pending an environmental review. The pipeline would begin in Alberta and shuttle as much as 830,000 bpd of crude through a half dozen ..
EPA Examining Further Changes To Methane Leak Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking a second look at its requirement for natural gas pipelines to repair compressor leaks as part of the methane emissions final rule the agency published in 2016. That rule – a new source performance standard (NSPS) regulating methane and volatile org..
Florida DEP Invests $90 Million In Water Quality Improvement Projects
Florida Department of Environmental Protection has provided more than $90 million toward the recent completion of seven water quality improvement projects in Central and South Florida. The funding was awarded through the Division of Water Restoration Assistance’s various funding resources and progra..
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- 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
- Arkansas governor allocates $42 million for water infrastructure projects
- Federal judge finds Flint, Mich, in contempt over lead water pipe crisis