Water / Public News Service

Along with flooding, Virginia is experiencing sea level rise. Between 1950 and 2023, the state has seen a 14-inch rise in sea level rise, putting 45,000 homes at risk of tidal flooding. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Wetlands forming on VA surface mines, impacts uncertain

A recent report found wetlands forming on surface mines in Virginia can benefit the state. The wetlands form because surface mining flattens land…

Missouri wetlands have been reduced to 643,000 acres, a loss of 87% from their original footprint. (rodimovpavel/Adobe Stock)

MO duck-hunting season portends a grim future

Missouri's duck-hunting season runs through January, and many enthusiasts are concerned about how plentiful their future quarry will be because of a …

At least 33 different types of wetlands occur in Michigan. Twenty-six are considered rare because fewer than 100 are intact, Eight of the 26 rare wetland types are considered imperiled and at high risk of extinction. An additional three wetland types are considered critically imperiled and at very high risk of extinction. (rodimovpavel/Adobe Stock)

Wetlands ruling worries MI duck hunters

Michigan's duck-hunting season runs through January, and many enthusiasts are concerned about how plentiful their future quarry will be because of a …

Duck hunting season is already underway in Arkansas and the Natural State is home to five major classes of wetlands based on water source, geology and landscape position. (Ajamils/AdobeStock)

Duck hunting faces environmental crossroads after spring SCOTUS ruling

Arkansas and other states are dealing with the fallout from a Supreme Court decision in May, which effectively removed federal protections for more …

A new report found PCB concentrations from 2016, the last year the Hudson River was dredged, have changed little since the dredging began. (Adobe Stock)

Report: EPA’s Hudson River dredging failed

In a new report, a coalition of New York environmental groups said dredging the Hudson River of toxic chemicals has failed. The report by Friends of …

Alaska's Brooks Range is home to critical caribou habitat that covers about 157,000 square miles, which is equal in size to the state of Montana. (Adobe Stock)

Opposition grows to major road project in AK's iconic Brooks Range

Opposition is growing among hunters and anglers to a proposed road in Alaska's iconic Brooks Range. The state has invested millions in the project…

Using federal incentives, the USDA is calling on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations to add anaerobic digesters that collect methane from manure to be used for electricity. But conservation groups countered it will do little to reduce harmful emissions from industrial ag operations. (Adobe Stock)

Family farm groups blast conservation incentives for industrial ag

Minnesota has been in the headlines over nitrate levels in drinking water and some conservation groups argued industrial farms are being given too man…

The USDA says producers can increase their environmental stewardship activities through the department's Conservation Stewardship Program. (Adobe Stock)

Family farm advocates suspect profit motive behind some 'conservation' practices

Midwest family farm advocates have sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, opposing recent additions to conservation practices they said …

A great egret forages for fish in a shallow pond in Marion County, Ill. (Adobe Stock)

IL wetlands at risk in backlash from spring SCOTUS ruling

States like Illinois are dealing with the fallout of a Supreme Court decision made earlier this year. In May, the U.S. Supreme Court effectively …

According to Pacific Environment, wind-assist propulsion can reduce greenhouse gas emissions per cargo ship by 30% over the course of a voyage. (Cargill and BAR Technologies)

Southern CA ports lead the way for 'green' shipping

The importance of making ports and shipping more environmentally friendly was the topic of a town hall meeting on Tuesday. Three California members …

In a poll this year, 85% of Arizonans agreed the state should do more to manage groundwater in all parts of the state, and 79% agreed the water crisis cannot be addressed without Arizona safeguarding all its groundwater supplies. (Adobe Stock)

AZ expert sheds light on state's challenging water outlook

An Arizona water expert said the state faces a challenging situation with the Colorado River being overallocated, compounded with what she calls a …

Farms are in a unique position to slow global warming by reducing methane emissions, which are more than 80 times more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere than CO2. (Adobe Stock)

Removing barriers and making space for next generation farmers

As Congress drafts the next Farm Bill, the National Young Farmers Coalition is calling on lawmakers to tackle climate disruptions and racial equity …

Harmful chemicals including lead, particulate matter, pesticides, and phthalates added to plastics, impair brain development in children. (Adobe Stock)

Ohio children are being harmed by toxic chemicals

Children of color and from low-income families in Ohio and across the nation are not only exposed to more dangerous toxic chemicals including lead…

More than 10 trillion gallons of water have been lost from the Colorado River basin between 2000 and 2021, according to a recent UCLA study. (Paul Moore/Adobe Stock)

AZ celebrates Colorado River conservation agreements

Arizona leaders are celebrating the federal government's just over $63 million investment for water conservation, efficiency and protection of the …

Cedar Rapids, in eastern Iowa, had only 15.5 inches of rain in all of 2022, which is about half of what it would normally get by early October. (Adobe Stock)

IA implements first-ever drought plan

The State of Iowa has just put its first-ever drought plan to work to help it manage one of the longest and most severe dry periods in recent history…

One of North Dakota's more popular hunting seasons, the firearm deer season, runs for roughly two weeks each November. (Adobe Stock)

Tips for protecting natural resources while hunting this fall

North Dakota's firearm deer-hunting season kicks off Nov. 10, and pheasant hunting is already underway. Conservation voices have some guidance on how …

Streams play a critical role in carrying sediments, nutrients and other materials into rivers and lakes and on to the ocean, according to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. (Adobe Stock) <br />

EPA cites hundreds of WV streams as impaired

The federal Environmental Protection Agency says West Virginia isn't accurately keeping track of how many of the state's streams are polluted…

Rural Webster County, Iowa, uses money offered by the state to test water wells. Some 43 million Americans rely on private wells for their water, but many don't have those wells tested for water quality. (Tony Leys/KFF Health News)

Rural IA boosts efforts to test private wells

By Tony Leys for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Service Collabor…

Port Richmond, Staten Island has the highest number of lead/possibly lead service lines (60.67%) in New York City. Conversely, Fresh Meadows in Queens had the lowest rate (20.56%). This comes in spite of the city banning lead-pipe installations in 1961 and use of lead solder in 1987. (Adobe Stock)

NY bill provides insight on location of lead pipes

New York environmental groups want Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a bill making it easier to know where lead pipes are located. The Lead Pipe Right to …

Virginia and West Virginia residents say they're worried about the safety of a natural-gas pipeline that, once built, will run for more than 300 miles through their communities. (Facebook/Appalachians Against Pipelines)

Communities concerned about MVP pipeline water pollution, explosion risk

After a federal appeals court this week denied a request from a group of Virginia landowners to stop construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline on t…

The Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Blueprint has set a deadline for watershed states to have pollution-reduction practices in place by 2025. (flownaksala/AdobeStock)

Halfmoon, Pequea Creek restoration project aims to restore watershed health

Pennsylvania has received more than $3 million in federal funding for watershed restoration projects. Conservation groups say it will help the state …

A mining exploration project has been proposed near Grimes Creek, a tributary of the Boise River. (Autumn/Adobe Stock)

Mine exploration project near Boise River headwaters raises alarm

Conservation groups are concerned about a mining exploration project proposed near the headwaters of the Boise River. The Idaho Copper Corporation …

Pumped storage hydroelectric facilities have been built around the world, including the Spanish facility above. (contributor_aerial/Adobe Stock)

Pumped storage energy project in NW could destroy sacred tribal resources

Critics say a proposed hydroelectric project in the Columbia River Gorge could damage cultural resources for nearby tribes. The company Rye …

About 345,000 hogs and pigs live on Wisconsin farms, according to the latest USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service - Hogs and Pigs report. (Adobe Stock)

WI small-farm advocates push back on CAFOs

Family-farm advocates in rural Wisconsin are pushing back on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs, as the livestock industry becomes more …

More than 600 lakes and ponds comprise about 107,000 surface acres in Yellowstone, according to the National Park Service. (Adobe Stock)

Outdoor advocates file suit to stop sewage facility near Yellowstone

The Bozeman-based group Upper Missouri Waterkeeper and its members have filed a complaint in District Court to stop the operation of a new wastewater …

Pipeline Number 5 lies beneath the Straits of Mackinaw. Opponents claim the aging oil line threatens the largest freshwater system in the world. (ehrlif/Adobe Stock)

Fast-track Line 5 permitting push met with protest

Michigan's Senate GOP pushed for fast track of Enbridge's Line 5 tunnel construction at a press conference this week. Sen. John Damoose, R-Harbor …

The Pentagon has already provided 53 towns with alternate drinking water sources. However, the Department of Defense only provides alternate sources when PFAS levels are above 70 parts per trillion. (Adobe Stock)

Report: PFAS water contamination risks at NY, US military sites

A report from the U.S. Department of Defense finds 245 of its 275 installations are close to groundwater sources, including 13 in New York State…

A U.S. Water Alliance poll found 85% of voters find ensuring a reliable supply of water extremely or very important. (Adobe Stock)

Nonprofit seeks to raise awareness for failing water systems

A national group is using today as a national day of action to raise awareness for U.S. water systems. The U.S. Water Alliance is behind the Imagine …

A 2020 study by the U.S. Water Alliance estimated that making all the needed investments in America's water infrastructure would add $4.5 trillion and 80,000 jobs to the U.S. economy by 2039. (HockleyMedia/peopleimages.com/AdobeStock)

'Day Without Water' observance illustrates reality of living without

Most of us take for granted clean, fresh water when we turn on the kitchen faucet, but it can be rare for many people, and it is why the ninth annual …

The 2022 Citizens Utility Performance Report showed Michigan utilities have below-average performance on most metrics that measure the primary purposes of a utility. The report compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia. (kavindu/Adobe Stock)

Legislation weighs in on energy options to drive down costs for Michiganders

The Michigan Legislature is weighing bills to increase the state's energy efficiency standards as part of a broad clean energy and climate package…

The Freshwater Challenge aims to restore 300,000 km of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of degraded wetlands globally by 2030 and to protect intact freshwater ecosystems. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Water crisis threatens $58 trillion in food security, sustainability

The world's water and freshwater ecosystems, with an annual estimated economic value of $58 trillion, are in a downward spiral - according to a new …

Wilderness areas comprise roughly 3.5 million acres of Montana's landmass, or almost 4%. (Adobe Stock)

MT seeks public input on environmental policy

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality wants to know what people think the state's next Environmental Policy Act should include. Critics …

Climate change board games emphasize teamwork and group success. Either all players win together, or no one survives. (pathdoc/Adobe Stock)

Climate change: Better understood through board games?

By Debra J. Rosenthal for The Conversation.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi for Michigan News Connection for the Public News Service-Conversation …

September marked the planet's fourth-hottest month in a row, and 2023 is on track to be the hottest year on record. (Adobe Stock)

Surge in renewables keeps hopes of averting worst climate impacts alive

Record growth in wind and solar energy, battery storage and electric vehicle sales have kept the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 within …

DTE Energy has a permit to discharge waste water from its Fermi 2 Power Plant. The permit will expire at midnight on Oct. 1, 2028. (Weerayuth/Adobe Stock)

Public comments sought on waste water permit for Fermi 2 nuclear plant

A draft permit for waste water from DTE Energy's Fermi 2 Power Plant is open for public comment until October 21. Michigan environmental groups are …

Climate change board games emphasize teamwork and group success. Either all players win together, or no one survives. (dvande/Adobe Stock)

Board games help players understand climate change

By Debra J. Rosenthal for The Conversation.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi for Missouri News Service for the Public News Service-Conversation …

The south slope of Crevice Mountain is one of the few designated places outside Yellowstone National Park where Yellowstone bison can roam. (Adobe Stock)

Activists buy out gold mine claim at Yellowstone National Park

When Crevice Mining Group made moves in 2021 to establish a gold mine on lands directly upslope from the Yellowstone River and in plain view from Yell…

For every $1 invested in conserving Colorado's prime wildlife habitat, lands along streams, lakes and rivers, and farmlands -- such as the Avant Vineyards in Palisade -- through tax credits, Coloradans receive up to $12 in economic benefits. (Colorado West Land Trust)

Colorado land trusts get $1 million in lottery proceeds for conservation

Great Outdoors Colorado, the lottery-funded program to preserve natural resources, has awarded a second $1 million grant to fuel conservation efforts …

Water Quality standards mandated by the federal Clean Water Act are designed to cap the amount of pollution entering West Virginia waters from industrial facilities, wastewater treatment plants, storm sewers, and other sources. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Volunteer water monitors: citizen scientists

Volunteer water monitoring is gaining popularity in West Virginia, and could help assess the impact on regional water quality of projects like the …

The development and presence of roads can reduce landscape permeability, lead to habitat loss and increase habitat fragmentation. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates say even small development damages sensitive MT ecology

New research by ecology experts in Montana showed even small amounts of development can cause a widespread decline in stream biodiversity. It does …

Salmon continue to struggle to migrate from the Pacific Ocean to Idaho to spawn. (NorthwestWildImages/Adobe Stock)

Presidential memo urges steps to restore NW salmon

The Biden administration wants to get serious about restoring salmon populations to the Northwest. A presidential memorandum directs federal …

Board games help players understand climate change

By Debra J. Rosenthal for The Conversation.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi for Ohio News Connection for the Public News Service-Conversation …

Measurements of electrical conductivity indicating elevated salinity is affecting the soil hundreds of meters from visible salt patches. (Rebecca Epanchin-Niell)

Study: Thousands of acres of MD farmland facing saltwater intrusion

Researchers have found the amount of land affected by saltwater intrusion on the Delmarva Peninsula has dramatically increased in recent years…

11 Idaho wastewater facilities accounted for more than half of discharge violations in 2022. (Kekyalyaynen/Adobe Stock)

Report: 520 discharge violations from ID sewage plants in 2022

A new report finds more than half of the sewage facilities in Idaho had pollution violations in 2022. The sixth annual analysis by the Idaho …

The Environmental Working Group published a peer-reviewed study in 2020 estimating more than 200 million Americans could have PFAS contamination in their drinking water. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates: Proposed EPA Cuts Would Slow PFAS Cleanup

Environmental advocates said proposed budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency will slow cleanup of toxic "forever chemicals," per- and poly…

Tonight: Great Lakes Documentary Premieres in Traverse City

They're calling it an "adventure conservation documentary," and the film has its first showing tonight in Traverse City. "Troubled Water" chronicles …

The lake bed of the Great Salt Lake is laced with arsenic, mercury and other toxic substances, according to the environmental law firm Earthjustice. (Jenny Thompson/Adobe Stock)

Lawsuit Argues UT Has Failed to Address Shrinking Great Salt Lake

Conservation and community groups have filed a lawsuit against Utah for what they claim is the state's failure to ensure enough water gets to the Grea…

Water Equals Life is a coalition of water justice advocates, environmental groups and social justice groups who have come together in a statewide campaign to ensure everyone's basic human need for access to clean, safe, and affordable water is met, regardless of income. (Bovart/Adobe Stock)

Michigan Residents Pay Among Highest Water Bills in U.S.

Michigan water rates have surged more than 40% since 2010, and it is a trend that's expected to continue as cities and utilities work to upgrade …

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PNS Daily Newscast - December 8, 2023

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Water

Wetlands forming on VA surface mines, impacts uncertain

MO duck-hunting season portends a grim future

Wetlands ruling worries MI duck hunters

Duck hunting faces environmental crossroads after spring SCOTUS ruling

Report: EPA’s Hudson River dredging failed

Opposition grows to major road project in AK's iconic Brooks Range

Family farm groups blast conservation incentives for industrial ag

Family farm advocates suspect profit motive behind some 'conservation' practices

IL wetlands at risk in backlash from spring SCOTUS ruling

Southern CA ports lead the way for 'green' shipping

AZ expert sheds light on state's challenging water outlook

Removing barriers and making space for next generation farmers

Ohio children are being harmed by toxic chemicals

AZ celebrates Colorado River conservation agreements

IA implements first-ever drought plan

Tips for protecting natural resources while hunting this fall

EPA cites hundreds of WV streams as impaired

Rural IA boosts efforts to test private wells

NY bill provides insight on location of lead pipes

Communities concerned about MVP pipeline water pollution, explosion risk

Halfmoon, Pequea Creek restoration project aims to restore watershed health

Mine exploration project near Boise River headwaters raises alarm

Pumped storage energy project in NW could destroy sacred tribal resources

WI small-farm advocates push back on CAFOs

Outdoor advocates file suit to stop sewage facility near Yellowstone

Fast-track Line 5 permitting push met with protest

Report: PFAS water contamination risks at NY, US military sites

Nonprofit seeks to raise awareness for failing water systems

'Day Without Water' observance illustrates reality of living without

Legislation weighs in on energy options to drive down costs for Michiganders

Report: Water crisis threatens $58 trillion in food security, sustainability

MT seeks public input on environmental policy

Climate change: Better understood through board games?

Surge in renewables keeps hopes of averting worst climate impacts alive

Public comments sought on waste water permit for Fermi 2 nuclear plant

Board games help players understand climate change

Activists buy out gold mine claim at Yellowstone National Park

Colorado land trusts get $1 million in lottery proceeds for conservation

Volunteer water monitors: citizen scientists

Advocates say even small development damages sensitive MT ecology

Presidential memo urges steps to restore NW salmon

Board games help players understand climate change

Study: Thousands of acres of MD farmland facing saltwater intrusion

Report: 520 discharge violations from ID sewage plants in 2022

Advocates: Proposed EPA Cuts Would Slow PFAS Cleanup

Tonight: Great Lakes Documentary Premieres in Traverse City

Lawsuit Argues UT Has Failed to Address Shrinking Great Salt Lake

Michigan Residents Pay Among Highest Water Bills in U.S.