PROTECTING ACCESS TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

RTKnet: Waste Sites

Superfund, Brownfields, Waste Processing (incinerators, generators, etc)

As Mess is Sent to Landfills, Officials Worry About Safety (New York Times)

Although BP's environmental unit claims that oily waste material is not hazardous, environmental lawyers, local officials, and residents surrounding landfills are worried about health risks. Chemist Marianne L. Horinko of the EPA asserts, "I think these communities are properly concerned...If you have a sufficient concentration [of oil waste], it will exhibit the characteristics of toxicity."

(17 Jun 2010)

As Cleanup Nears, Neighbors of Price's Pit Superfund Site Still Worry About Long-Term Health Effects (Atlantic-City Pleasantville Brigantine)

Nearly thirty years after describing a New Jersey landfill as "the most serious environmental problem in the United States," the EPA plans to begin cleanup of the Superfund site in August. For years, local residents uknowingly consumed contaminated water and are now concerned about the link between the polluted groundwater and their health problems.

(08 Jun 2010)

EPA Expands Public Participation on Hazardous Waste Cleanup (U.S. EPA)

The EPA has launched an initiative to help communities more effectively participate in government decisions related to land cleanup, emergency preparedness and response, and the management of hazardous substances and waste. The Community Engagement Initiative (CEI) plan lays out steps to provide communities with information and opportunities to influence decisions on environmental cleanups. Read the plan.

(21 May 2010)

Tell EPA How to Improve Land Revitalization Efforts (U.S. EPA)

The Solid Waste office at EPA has posted their newest question of the month: How can EPA improve and expand on land revitalization efforts? Submit your ideas to the EPA blog. Previous blog discussions can be read here.

(01 Apr 2010)

EPA Solid Waste Office Holding Video Town Hall (U.S. EPA)

EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Reponse (OSWER) will be holding a video town hall discussion on March 30, 2010 from 2:00-2:45 PM ET. The topic of the discussion is effective land use. EPA wants to know what you think about EPA’s land use policies. What role do you see EPA playing in land reuse? How can land cleanup contribute to effective reuse? To join in, go here.

(26 Mar 2010)

Coal's Toxic Sludge (Rolling Stone)

Rolling Stone reports on the hazards of coal waste, and industry efforts to thwart regulations. The article draws on TRI data and also describes the Bush administration's efforts to conceal information on the hazards of coal ash.

(26 Mar 2010)

EPA Announces New Action to Prevent Coal Ash Releases (U.S. EPA)

EPA will collect information from electric utilities on the structural integrity of their coal ash impoundments and conduct on-site assessments. According to EPA, "The assessment and analysis of all such units located at electric utilities in the U.S. will be compiled in a report and made available to the public." The actions are in response to the 2008 coal ash spill in Tennessee.

(09 Mar 2010)

Coal Ash Story Belies 'Clean Coal' Myth (Associated Press)

The long and dirty story of the fate of the toxic wastes from a Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash spill in 2008 contradicts the idea that coal can be "clean." The story also shows how difficult tracking the fate of such waste can be.

(09 Mar 2010)

EPA Proposes 8 New Superfund Sites, Adds 10 Sites (U.S. EPA)

EPA is adding 10 hazardous waste sites to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL), and proposing to add an additional 8 sites. The proposed sites are in FL, MI, MO, MT, NC, NY, and TN.

(02 Mar 2010)

Coal Ash Problem Worse Than First Revealed (OMB Watch)

A new report from the Environmental Integrity Project and Earthjustice uncovers dozens of cases where ponds of toxic coal combustion waste have leaked into nearby wetlands, streams, and groundwater supplies.

(02 Mar 2010)