Marine Pollution Control8631 West Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, MI 48209 USA
313.849.2333 - 24/hour
11320 E Lakewood Blvd., #11
Holland, MI 49424
800-521-8232 – 24/Hour
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Kalamazoo River oil spill won't cause long-term health problems for recreational users, final study concludes
June 4, 2014
LANSING, MI – The 2010 ban against recreational use of the Kalamazoo River in areas where water was tainted by spilled oil was lifted in June of 2012.
Now the finalized public health assessment of the oil spill has concluded that no long-term harm to people's health is expected from contact with chemicals in the river's surface water during recreational activities such as wading, swimming, or canoeing, according to a news release Wednesday from Michigan Department of Community Health.
The finalized the Public Health Assessment evaluates chemicals in surface water and fish in the portions of the Kalamazoo River affected by the spill.
L.A. Spill Case Has Exposed Flaw in Pipeline Safety Oversight
June 3, 2014
On March 17, a Los Angeles-area oil pipeline spilled between 1,500 and 3,000 gallons of crude onto a neighborhood street, surprising residents and creating a noxious mess that took weeks to fully rectify.
The pipeline's owner, Phillips 66, must have been plenty shocked, too. It thought the pipe was empty.
Phillips 66 told state officials that it took ownership of the pipe through a 2001 acquisition, that it never used the line, and that it didn't know it still contained oil, according to Rep. Janice Hahn, whose Congressional district includes the spill site. The company and state oil pipeline regulators declined to confirm those statements or discuss other aspects of the case, citing an ongoing investigation into the spill.
Environmental Protection Agency plans sharp reduction in carbon dioxide emissions
June 2, 2014
The New York Times has reported that the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States plans to release a "draft proposal on Monday to cut carbon pollution from the nation's power plants".
The New York Times has reported that the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States plans to release a "draft proposal on Monday to cut carbon pollution from the nation's power plants".
According to an article by Coral Davenport, the goal will be to reduce emissions from these plants to 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.
Great Lakes could get updated environmental plan
June 2, 2014TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The Obama administration is proposing an updated blueprint for Great Lakes environmental restoration that puts greater emphasis on climate change and using science to select projects and measure their effectiveness.
Congress has appropriated roughly $1.6 billion for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, with the first installment in 2010. The administration is proposing to extend the program another five years.
The initiative is designed to accelerate progress toward dealing with the freshwater seas’ most pressing environmental threats, including toxic pollution, invasive species, loss of wildlife habitat and runoff that causes toxic and nuisance algae blooms.
Japan to Begin Underground Ice Wall at Fukushima
June 2, 2014
Japan will on Monday start constructing an underground ice wall at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, freezing the soil under broken reactors to slow the build-up of radioactive water, officials said.
Japan will on Monday start constructing an underground ice wall at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, freezing the soil under broken reactors to slow the build-up of radioactive water, officials said.
The wall is intended to block groundwater from nearby hillsides that has been flowing under the plant and mixing with polluted water already there.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority, the national watchdog, last week gave the go-ahead to beginning the construction of the ice wall at Fukushima Daiichi, owned and operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO).