Brett Walton

About Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club's Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton

Entries by Brett Walton

Federal Water Tap, August 23: EPA Updates Human Health Guidelines for Pesticides in Drinking Water

August 23, 2021/in Federal Water Tap/by Brett Walton

The Rundown The EPA adds health guidelines for 43 pesticides and updates toxicity levels for 104 others. The EPA’s chemicals assessment division analyzes the toxicity of several industrial chemicals. The EPA also orders a low-income, majority Black city in Illinois to clean up sewage spills. FEMA re-evaluates a flood-risk reduction The Bureau of Land Management […]

Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton

circleofblue.org/author/brett

The Stream, August 20, 2021: Taliban Takeover Threatens Afghanistan Water Security, Scholars Say

August 20, 2021/in The Stream/by Brett Walton

The Taliban do not have the expertise to manage Afghanistan’s already troubled water systems, researchers say.

Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton

circleofblue.org/author/brett

The Stream, August 19, 2021: Hundreds Flee Deadly Water Conflict in Northern Cameroon

August 19, 2021/in The Stream/by Brett Walton

YOUR GLOBAL RUNDOWN Hundreds of people flee deadly conflict over water in northern Cameroon. An Indian reservation in Oregon tests solar distillation technology as a stopgap drinking water measure. California’s governor says he will consider mandatory water conservation by the end of September. A World Meteorological Organization report highlights climate and extreme weather in Latin […]

Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Shrinking Reservoirs Trigger Deeper Water Cuts for Lower Colorado River

August 17, 2021/in Water News, WEF/by Brett Walton

Federal government declares, for the first time, a Tier 1 shortage due to low water at Lake Mead.

Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Federal Water Tap, August 16: Senate Passes Infrastructure Bill

August 16, 2021/in Federal Water Tap/by Brett Walton

The Rundown Trillion-dollar infrastructure package now heads to the House Ten water and wastewater facilities notified the EPA that they are not receiving enough chlorine or other disinfectants. NOAA publishes an interactive map showing the risk of airborne toxins from algal blooms along Florida’s Gulf Coast. And lastly, FEMA announces funds to help disadvantaged communities […]

Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton

circleofblue.org/author/brett

The Colorado River Basin’s Daunting New Math

August 13, 2021/in Water News, WEF/by Brett Walton

The basin’s big reservoirs have fallen to uncharted territory. The forecast isn’t any better.

Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Dry Wells in Northern California Bring Home the Costs and Stresses of Drought

August 11, 2021/in Water News, WEF/by Brett Walton

A relentless interval of hot, dry weather, made worse by the buildup of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, has turned Glenn County, California, and the surrounding area, into a cauldron of flame, dust, and smoke.

Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Federal Water Tap, August 9: Infrastructure Bill Edges Forward in Senate

August 9, 2021/in Federal Water Tap/by Brett Walton

The Rundown Senators muster enough votes to overcome a filibuster in Senate debate over the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. The Senate Appropriations Committee boosts spending for Bureau of Reclamation water programs in a 2022 budget bill. Feds propose a settlement over a 2014 incident in North Dakota that was the largest inland spill of produced […]

Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Federal Water Tap, August 2: Senate Begins Infrastructure Bill Debate

August 2, 2021/in Federal Water Tap/by Brett Walton

The Rundown Senators release details of their infrastructure deal. The EPA offers grant funding to research public acceptance of recycled water. The EPA also prepares to strengthen pollution limits for coal-fired power plants and outlines its plan for defining waterways protected by the Clean Water Act. A watchdog agency says FEMA should make better use […]

Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Constant, Compounding Disasters Are Exhausting Emergency Response

July 6, 2021/in Water News, WEF/by Brett Walton

Fires, droughts, floods, power outages. The interval between disasters is shortening, or in some cases disappearing altogether.

Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Federal Water Tap, June 28: Infrastructure Deal Details Yet to Emerge

June 28, 2021/in Federal Water Tap/by Brett Walton

The Rundown Ten senators settled on an infrastructure package. A federal watchdog says that the Defense Department should report more information to Congress on PFAS cleanup costs. The Army Corps of Engineers will proceed with an environmental impact statement for the Line 5 oil pipelines, in northern Michigan. Three water-related bills move out of the […]

Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton

circleofblue.org/author/brett

Drought, The Everything Disaster

June 24, 2021/in Water News, WEF/by Brett Walton

When water stops flowing, painful days are at hand.

Brett Walton

Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton

circleofblue.org/author/brett

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About Brett Walton

Entries by Brett Walton