The Stream, January 9: Two Fracking Lawsuits Filed in the U.S. This Week

The Global Rundown

Two lawsuits involving hydraulic fracturing were filed in the United States this week. In Pakistan, residents of drought-stricken Tharparkar District are getting relief from the Sindh provincial government, and the Indus River Delta is being swallowed up by rising sea levels. In Florida, engineers must find a way to send water from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades, and the Natural Resources Defense Council is tracking state action to prevent water system leaks.

“Here we are on higher land and located further inland so the waves and the winds are not as strong – we had no choice but to move as our homes were being submerged.” – Sammar Dablo, Pakistani fisherman, on having to relocate as the Indus River Delta loses ground to the rising sea. (Reuters)

By The Numbers

500 Number of deaths attributed to drought in Pakistan’s Tharparkar District. The government of Sindh province has recently announced they will provide the district with assistance, building reservoirs, canals, solar submersible pumps and other infrastructure. Central Asia Online

451,000 acres Size of Florida’s Lake Okeechobee. Hydrologists and engineers must find a way to send water from the lake south in order to restore historic flows to the Everglades. They face barriers in the form of high phosphorus pollution in the lake, as well as inadequate drainage and storage. News-Press.com

Science, Studies, And Reports

The Natural Resources Defense Council has released a tool to track state policies to reduce water leaks. Billions of gallons are lost every day to water system leaks in the United States. The new online tool allows users to see actions being taken to prevent leaks by governments in each state. Natural Resources Defense Council

On The Radar

Two lawsuits involving hydraulic fracturing were initiated by environmental groups in the U.S. this week. A coalition of advocacy groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday, asking that they require companies to disclose chemicals used in fracking. The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Obama administration on Thursday seeking disclosures on “where, when and how much fracking has occurred” in the Gulf of Mexico. Bloomberg News