Entries by Codi Kozacek

The Stream, March 12: Irrawaddy Dolphins Threatened by Hydropower Project on the Mekong River

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Hydropower Environmental groups have raised concerns that the population of Irawaddy dolphins in the Mekong River—which now consists of an estimated 85 individuals—will disappear if construction of a dam on the river is completed, Time reported. A report from the World Wildlife Fund says that explosions during the dam’s construction could kill dolphins in the […]

The Stream, March 11: Radioactive Water Still Biggest Problem at Fukushima

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Leaks of contaminated water from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was damaged by an earthquake and tsunami three years ago, are still the biggest problem facing the site’s cleanup, the Associated Press reported. Without improved water management that can keep the leaks out of the soil, groundwater and ocean, residents who evacuated the […]

The Stream, March 10: Australia Coal Seam Gas Operation Fined for Polluting Groundwater

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Pollution A coal seam gas operation in Australia’s Pilliga forest contaminated groundwater supplies with arsenic, lead and uranium after the facility’s storage ponds leaked, the Guardian reported. The contamination led to a $1,500 fine and calls from environmentalists and farmers to halt the operation, though the company says the groundwater was not part of a […]

The Stream, March 7: Antarctic Research Base Wastewater Chemicals Contaminate Penguins

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Scientific research stations in Antarctica are contaminating the surrounding environment through wastewater discharges, and toxic chemicals have been found in the tissues of penguins and fish, sediments, and dust, National Geographic reported. Though it is unclear what effect the chemicals are having on the animals, levels in some sediment samples were as high as those […]

The Stream, March 6: U.S. Coal Company Will Pay Largest Civil Penalty Ever Under Clean Water Act

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United States Pollution Alpha Natural Resources, a United States coal company, has been leveled with a $US 27.5 million penalty for violating the federal Clean Water Act and has agreed to spend an additional $US 200 million to clean up water pollution from its mines in Appalachia, The New York Times reported. The cleanup is […]

The Stream, March 5: U.S. Judge Finds Corruption in Ecuador’s Decision on Chevron Water Pollution Case

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Pollution A federal judge in the United States ruled that actions by lawyers representing plaintiffs in a decades-long Ecuador water pollution case were corrupt, making it less likely that Chevron—the oil company accused of pollution—will end up paying the $US 9.5 billion fine ordered last year by Ecuador’s highest court, The New York Times reported. […]

The Stream, March 4: Uncertain Fate for Dam on Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River

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Conservationists worry that the Myitsone hydropower project on Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River will resume construction after a 3-year pause initiated by Myanmar president Thein Sein, the Guardian reported. The Chinese-backed dam has already displaced communities along the river, and as much as 90 percent of the electricity it would generate would go to China. U.S. Pollution […]

The Stream, March 3: Progress “Stubbornly Slow” on Safe Water, Sanitation in Southern Africa, Report Says

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Africa More than 100 million people in southern African countries lack access to safe drinking water and 174 million lack access to toilets, despite economic growth in the region, the Guardian reported, citing a new report from the international organization WaterAid. The report found that progress on improved access has been slow for the past […]

Joint U.S.-Canada Agency Calls for Big Phosphorus Reductions in Lake Erie

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Curbing harmful algal blooms and oxygen-deprived dead zones in the Great Lakes requires pollution to be drastically reduced. Image courtesy Tom Archer / Michigan Sea Grant An algal bloom spreads across Lake Erie near Point Pelee, Ontario. Blooms in the lake consist primarily of tiny cyanobacteria that can release toxins capable of causing skin rashes […]

West Virginia Chemical Spill Reflects Dramatic Weakness in U.S. Resolve to Enforce Drinking Water Safety

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Poisoned water shut down state capital and exposed endemic carelessness in oversight. Photo & caption courtesy West Virginia National Guard Public Affairs via Flickr Creative Commons Members of the West Virginia National Guard’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package draw water samples from across the Kanawha Valley to determine levels […]

The Stream, February 28: Turkey-Cyprus Water Pipeline Has Political Implications

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A pipeline project moving water from Turkey to northern Cyprus is expected to be completed this year and should provide much needed relief for drought-hit farmers, the Associated Press reported. The project, however, has also become a source of political tension between Turkish populations in northern Cyprus—which Turkey invaded in 1974—and Greek populations in southern […]

The Stream, February 27: Australia Caps Murray-Darling Water Buybacks at 1,500 Gigaliters

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Australia New South Wales and the federal government of Australia have reached a new agreement about government water buybacks in the Murray-Darling River Basin, capping the buybacks at 1,500 gigaliters, the Guardian reported. The buybacks transfer water rights from farmers and other water users to the government, and are meant to keep enough water in […]