Water & Oceans

"Baltimore has joined with other major U.S. cities in defending the federal government's authority to impose a 'pollution diet'  on the Chesapeake Bay."

"Plastic is everywhere, and with good reason: it's cheap, lightweight, and durable and can be turned into practically anything, from filmy plastic wrap to colourful children's toys to vital components in a computer or a heart valve. But scientists are discovering that plastic debris in the world's oceans, and in large bodies of water such as the Great Lakes, could be a far more serious environmental problemthan previously realized."

"Just a few miles from the spot where Enbridge Inc plans to build a massive marine terminal for its Northern Gateway oil pipeline, Gerald Amos checks crab traps and explains why no concession from the company could win his support for the project."

"The tiny plastic particles found in many facial cleansers and soaps promise a gentle scrubbing and luxuriously smooth skin. But those little beads of grit are also piling up in waterways, where they can suck up toxins and harm wildlife, environmentalists say. Because of those concerns, Illinois is one of several states considering legislation to force manufacturers to drop products that use the particles, called microbeads."

"From all over California, farmers, environmental lawyers, wildlife groups, cities and even the Fresno County sheriff have posted thoughts in a siege of protests to state officials about the use of this year's puny snowpack and half-empty reservoirs."

"An agreement that settles decades of conflict over water in the Upper Klamath River Basin was signed today by officials from the federal government, the states of Oregon and California, tribal authorities and water users."

"The city of Portland, Ore., is flushing 38 million gallons of drinking water down the drain because a 19-year-old man urinated in an open reservoir early Wednesday morning, city water officials said, prompting criticism from some who called the move 'wasteful.'"

"The Environmental Protection Agency said it will delay for a month issuing a rule to shield fish from being killed when electric utilities and factories use water for cooling machinery."

"Over the years, the Chesapeake Bay has been known for many things: bountiful seafood, such as clams, oysters and the bay’s iconic blue crabs; its boating, fishing and water sports industry; its curly-haired duck-hunting dogs."

"It is touted as the largest Superfund cleanup ever, one that will remove 4.3 million cubic yards of sediment contaminated with a stew of pollutants from the Passaic River and even make it safe for people to fish there again without significantly raising their risk of cancer."