article thumbnail

Cumulative Impacts: Why Environmental Protections Need to Take Them into Account

Union of Concerned Scientists

When I began working as a state government scientist in Minnesota, I was motivated to advance environmental protections that prevent against pollutants from crossing from one environmental medium to another, such as from the air to water. To understand cumulative impacts, we can use the analogy of a doctor’s appointment.

article thumbnail

2022 Election: Water Regulation and Spending Punctuate State and Local Ballots

Circle of Blue

Groundwater regulation, legal rights to clean water, and spending measures highlight this election cycle. Voters in parts of Cochise and Graham counties will decide whether to join the state’s more populated districts and regulate groundwater extraction. Local Regulation. Photo © Keith Schneider / Circle of Blue. State Spending.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

What’s Up With Water – November 1, 2021

Circle of Blue

In New York state, voters have a chance to enshrine environmental protections in their state constitution, which could revive a legal movement that flourished in the United States a half-century ago. Environmental Protection Agency and passed landmark environmental laws to protect air, land, and water.

2021 278
article thumbnail

The Stream, September 14, 2021: Could Rainwater Harvesting Solve Water Scarcity in Mexico City?

Circle of Blue

HotSpots H2O: ‘Global Indigenous Agenda’ Calls for Water, Land, and Resource Governance at 2021 IUCN World Conference — Indigenous activists and organizations from around the world met virtually this week for the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Zoom-based World Conservation Congress. 6,000 LEAD SERVICE LINES.

2021 240
article thumbnail

What’s Up With Water – December 6, 2021

Circle of Blue

In Uganda, national regulators are cracking down on the illegal destruction of wetlands in an attempt to reduce flood risk in the east African country. Regulators are keen to act because wetlands reduce flood risk by absorbing heavy rains. Environmental Protection Agency when utilities assess the cost of controlling sewage pollution.

2021 246
article thumbnail

Will the EPA Strengthen Ethylene Oxide Standards Without Outside Interference?

Union of Concerned Scientists

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates emissions of EtO, yet the agency is years behind on updating standards and control requirements, despite mounting evidence of the harm of long-term EtO exposure. A decade overdue , EPA is finalizing updated regulations for commercial sterilizers now.

article thumbnail

What’s Up With Water – May 24, 2021

Circle of Blue

In the United States, an investigation by USA Today found a patchwork of regulations for the nation’s water towers and tanks. Environmental Protection Agency told USA Today it is considering whether to issue nationwide rules for the cleaning of water towers and tanks. This week, Circle of Blue looks at how the U.S.

2021 246