The Stream, January 3: Quake Concerns Suspend Well Operations in Ohio

Ohio has suspended operations at five deep wells used to dispose of fracking-related fluids, citing concerns of a possible link between well activity and nearly a dozen quakes in the area in the past year, Reuters reported.

United States
Is Utah getting closer to a water rights settlement with the Navajo Nation?

The Venice of Northwest Alaska? Bridges are shifting, outdoor stairways are hanging over the ground, and sagging water pipes are about to break and freeze as the permafrost is sinking in a village in northwestern Alaska, Alaska Dispatch reported.

Asia and Australia
At least eight people have died since the outbreak of a deadly water-borne disease in a flood-stricken area in the Philippines, AFP reported.

An Australian chemical plant reopened today under strict supervision after it was shut down last year following a series of leaks near the city of Newcastle, AAP reported.

South America
Nearly a month after a government crackdown on environmental activists in Peru, protests have resumed in the Andean town of Cajamarca against Newmont Mining’s $4.8 billion gold-mining project, according to Reuters.

Nature reports on scientists’ efforts to track the rapid retreat of the Patagonian Ice Fields and the consequences for local water resources.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.