Water & Oceans

"A bill drastically reducing the scope of the Clean Water Act passed through committee in the U.S. House and will likely reach the floor for debate later this month. The legislation would narrow the definition of bodies of water that qualify for protection under the Clean Water Act and would remove laws requiring permits before discharging pesticides or manure-contaminated stormwater from factory farms into waterways."

"Disaster survivors are having to wait longer to get aid from the federal government, according to a new Associated Press analysis of decades of data. On average, it took less than two weeks for a governor’s request for a presidential disaster declaration to be granted in the 1990s and early 2000s. ... It’s taking more than a month, on average, so far during Trump’s current term, the AP found."

"A new digital platform, Blue Corridors, showcases 30 years of tracking data revealing global whale migrations and mounting threats from ships, fisheries and climate change."

"Chris Wright, who travels to Europe next week to promote American gas, called climate change “not incredibly important.”"

"Fat Bear Week, an online vote conducted via a single-elimination bracket, will take place from Sept. 23 to 30, the National Park Service announced Thursday."

"More than a quarter of U.S. homes — worth a combined $12.7 trillion — are exposed to “severe or extreme climate risk,” according to a new Realtor.com analysis. The report examined threats from wildfires, floods and wind damage — hazards that have been top of mind after a string of recent disasters."

"In March 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law meant to curb “frivolous lawsuits” that he said were raising insurance rates for consumers while enriching predatory lawyers and scaring off insurance carriers. But a new analysis suggests the law — which has served as a model for other states — may have benefited insurance companies more than it has protected consumers."

"Working from a dock on St. Helena Island, S.C., on a sweltering day this summer, Ed Atkins pulled in a five-foot cast net from the water and dumped out a few glossy white shrimp from the salt marsh."

"As the US wrestles with how to deal with widespread PFAS pollution in drinking water supplies, most utilities are lacking advanced filtration systems that could protect public health from not just PFAS but an array of harmful contaminants, according to a new study."

"In a move celebrated by US meat and poultry producers but mourned by environment and health advocates, federal regulators are walking back a proposed rule that would have strengthened water pollution standards for slaughterhouse operators."