Water & Oceans

Wildfires Used To ‘Sleep’ At Night. Climate Now Makes Them Burn Overtime

"Burning time for North American wildfires is going into overtime. Flames are lasting later into the night and starting earlier in the morning because human-caused climate change is extending the hotter and drier conditions that feed fires, a new study found."

Source: AP, 04/21/2026

"Record US Drought Sparks Worries About Fires, Water Supply And Food Prices"

"Drought in the contiguous United States has reached record levels for this time of year, weather data shows. Meteorologists said it’s a bad sign for the upcoming wildfire season, food prices and western water issues."

Source: AP, 04/21/2026

Maine Tightens Limits On PFAS In Drinking Water. Are Communities Ready?

"Nearly four dozen water systems that provide drinking water across Maine would be at risk of violating new limits on “forever chemicals” if the state began enforcing updated rules on the toxic substances today, showing how much work they have left to do to meet new requirements."

Source: Maine Monitor, 04/21/2026

Asia’s Longest Free-Flowing River Polluted By Arsenic From Myanmar Mines

"Independent testing of the Salween River began in September 2025 after researchers found alarming levels of toxic contaminants in the nearby Kok, Sai and Ruak rivers in Thailand, much of it linked to unregulated mining in Myanmar."

Source: Mongabay, 04/21/2026

"‘The Absolute Edge Of Precedent’: FERC Prepares To Take On Data Centers"

"The commission is pushing to get data centers onto the grid, and fast. The high-stakes move could tip the balance of regulatory power against the states."

Source: E&E News, 04/21/2026

Trump Interior Dept. Unveils Emergency Plans For Colorado River

"The Trump administration will pull its emergency levers to head off a major water and power crisis." "Interior said it will cut releases out of one of the river’s two main reservoirs, Lake Powell, to the minimum amount legally allowed — 6 million acre-feet — between now and October."

Source: E&E News, 04/21/2026

Green Group Warns Potomac Is Nation's Most Endangered River

"The Potomac River, otherwise known as “the nation’s river,” has been named the most endangered river in the country, following a massive sewage spill earlier this year and the ongoing buildout of thirsty data centers across the watershed."

Source: Virginia Mercury, 04/21/2026

"Environmental Groups Sue to Block BP’s Plan to Drill in Deep Gulf Waters"

"Environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Monday to stop the British oil giant BP, which operated the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform that exploded in 2010, from starting a new $5 billion drilling project in ultra-deep waters in the Gulf of Mexico."

Source: NYTimes, 04/21/2026

DOJ Files Complaint Against DC And Its Sewage Authority For Massive Spill

"The Justice Department filed a complaint Monday in federal court against the city of Washington, D.C., and its water and sewer authority, seeking financial penalties for their role in a leak that led to millions of gallons of raw sewage spilling into the Potomac River."

Source: AP, 04/21/2026

"BP Sued In Kenya Over Alleged Toxic Waste From 1980s Oil Exploration"

"The High Court in Kenya ruled Thursday that a class action lawsuit can move forward against multinational oil and gas company BP alleging that decades-long toxic waste disposal contaminated drinking water in northern Kenya."

Source: AP, 04/20/2026

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