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"Dam Removal Begins, And Soon the Fish Will Flow"

"Port Angeles, Wash. — In a deep turquoise pool in a gorge of steep granite and thick Douglas fir, dozens of salmon swam fitfully. Swirling and slow, they made their way up one side of the riverbed, only to run into the steep concrete face of Elwha Dam — the formidable barrier that for nearly 100 years has cut off most of the Elwha River from the salmon that traditionally populated it."

Source: LA Times, 09/19/2011

"Obama Warns Iceland on Whaling Activity"

"In a move hailed by conservation activists, President Barack Obama initiated potential diplomatic sanctions against Iceland this week for its commercial whaling activity. The sanctions include six measures ranging from possibly limiting cabinet-level visits to Iceland to limiting cooperation with Iceland in the Arctic region."

Source: Green (NYT), 09/19/2011

"China Invests Billions in Canada Oil Sands"

"FORT McMURRAY, Alberta -- As U.S. companies look toward oil riches in northern Canada, they're encountering increasing competition - as well as some much-needed cash infusions - from the Far East. U.S. and Canadian companies have dominated Alberta's oil sands for decades. Now, though, Chinese firms are rushing to snap up Canadian oil sands resources and invest in ongoing projects - to the tune of $15 billion in the past 18 months in Alberta alone."

Source: Houston Chronicle, 09/19/2011

"Farmers Fear Tighter Limits on Dust"

Republicans in Congress are whipping up fear among Midwest farmers that EPA will burden them with tighter dust-control regulations. The only problem is that it isn't true.

"Arizona farmer Kevin Rogers has a new routine in the morning: Checking the wind. If it’s too high, he’s required to park his tractors and combines for the day to keep from kicking up dust that’s long been a major cause of air pollution in the Phoenix area.

Source: Des Moines Register, 09/19/2011

"DEP Inspections Show More Shale Well Cement Problems"

Despite confident assurances from leaders in the go-go shale gas industry that pollution problems don't exist, records from Pennsylvania's environmental agency show that faulty casings and cement do indeed cause pollution of drinking water.

"At the recent Shale Gas Insight conference in Philadelphia, the CEO of one of the largest Marcellus Shale drilling companies in Pennsylvania was unequivocal in his message that methane contamination of drinking water supplies from faulty gas wells is at an end.

Source: Scranton Times-Tribune, 09/19/2011

New Disposal Rules Could Mean Less Oil Waste Buried in N. Dakota Land

"TIOGA - Brenda and Richard Jorgenson have a long list of reasons why they dislike and fear the reserve pit from an oil well buried on their land, located a half-mile from their house. They say it reeked of chemicals when it was being filled with diesel-saturated mud, rock cuttings and fluids left over from drilling last year."

Source: Bismark Tribune, 09/19/2011

"Baltimore Housing Authority Racking Up Legal Bills for Lead Cases"

"The Housing Authority of Baltimore City often cites a lack of funds to explain its refusal to pay nearly $12 million in court-ordered judgments to former public housing residents who suffered permanent lead-paint poisoning as children. But the city's public housing agency has paid private lawyers about $4 million since 2005 to defend against those lead-paint claims. In May and June alone it spent $228,000 on legal fees, a total that works out to more than $5,000 per day, including expenses."

Source: Baltimore Sun, 09/19/2011

"Safety Risks Underscored by Violations at ExxonMobil Refinery"

"As an investigation by the Center for Public Integrity’s iWatch News  has shown , oil refining is one of the country’s most dangerous industries, where even seemingly small recurring events such as equipment breakdowns and fires can have fatal consequences.  Yet an easily manipulated regulatory system allows companies to delay or avoid improvements. While the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration occasionally appears to take a tough stance, identifying perils and proposing fines, the fines are often small and can be appealed for long periods of time, delaying fixes."
 
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Source: iWatch News, 09/19/2011
October 3, 2011

National Press Club Transparency Forum

“Access Denied: Science News and Government Transparency”  On Monday Oct. 3, from 3 to 5 p.m., the National Press Club will host a panel of journalists and invited administration officials to critique what journalists and the government are (or aren’t) doing to live up to the promise to make science more transparent and accessible to the public. Call the National Press Club to reserve: 202-662-7501

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