The Stream, December 3: Chinese Miners Will Pay Security Deposit for Environment

China has unveiled plans to clean up the resource extraction industry by making mining companies pay a fee to local governments for environmental funds, Reuters reported. The fee is only refunded if the company does not create pollution, and will otherwise be used to restore the environment.

Wastewater Treatment
Countries in the Caribbean say that larger storms and flooding events caused by climate change are making it more difficult to manage their wastewater, Inter Press Service reported. Many urban areas are served by septic tanks instead of centralized wastewater management systems, making them more vulnerable to sea level rise and sewage overflows during heavy rains.

Scientists from the United States Environmental Protection Agency are looking for any environmental effects from the billions of gallons of raw and partly treated sewage released during Super Storm Sandy last year, Newsday reported. They will compare water and sediment samples from sites near the flooded wastewater treatment plants to samples taken before the storm in 2008.

Japan
Storage space for contaminated water at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant could be inadequate in two years, according to government officials, the Associated Press reported. The Japanese government has announced new plans for controlling both the influx of water into the plant and leaks of contaminated water from storage.

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.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek