In an effort to capitalize on the natural gas contained in the Utica and Marcellus shale formations in West Virginia, Equitrans Midstream Corp. is constructing the Mountain Valley Pipeline running through eleven West Virginia counties and Southeastern Virginia. Equitrans and the pipeline’s other owners hope to provide up to 2 billion cubic feet of gas […]
Changes sought by industry to the DEP rules regarding water quality standards for human consumption were passed by the Legislature on February 10. The DEP incorporated the changes into the proposed rules as “a compromise” between the views of industry and environmental groups, but the measure was opposed strongly by West Virginia Rivers, the chief […]
In 2014, a leak from an aboveground storage tank on the Elk River just above the drinking water intake for Charleston and much of Kanawha County polluted drinking water for 300,000 consumers. As a result the West Virginia Legislature passed the Aboveground Storage Tank Act imposing strict safety and inspection rules on such tanks. Almost […]
On November 11, 2021 a $34million settlement was reached between residents of Bennington, VT, and Saint-Gobain Corporation, which formerly operated a Teflon factory in the area. Teflon was made using PFOA, the infamous “forever chemical” that fouled the Ohio River near Parkersburg, West Virginia. PFOA contamination affected some 2,400 properties and 8,000 residents in the […]
For 100 years, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) has protected nearly 1000 bird species in the United States against being “taken” or killed except under prescribed circumstances. This statute prohibits hunters from intentionally killing birds without a permit, but has also been interpreted by courts and the Interior Department to prohibit incidental taking – […]
By Natasha Lasky, ODP Staff Writer The White House announced Friday that President Biden will use his executive authority to restore protections for three national monuments drastically reduced during the Trump Administration. He will reestablish and increase the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, both of which are in Utah. The orders […]
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed 23 species from the Endangered List because, despite efforts to save them, they have become extinct. Among these is the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, known as the Good Lord Bird because anyone lucky enough to catch sight of the large beautiful bird blurted out the Lord’s name. Also now extinct […]
In a stark example of how climate change can damage the outdoor recreation industry, heat and drought in the Rocky Mountain area have nearly dried up many prized trout streams. The Associated Press reported in a September 7, 2021 article that the Mountain West region has become hotter and drier and has experienced more frequent […]
Leading medical, nursing and public health journals throughout the world published a joint editorial on September 5, 2021 calling for urgent action on climate change. The editorial focused on rising health problems already being felt from rising global temperatures. In the past 20 years, heat-related mortality among people over 65 years of age has increased […]
In January 2021, the Biden Administration announced that it would establish a new, interim cost figure for the damage caused by a ton of greenhouse gas emissions. The executive order said “An accurate social cost is essential for agencies to accurately determine the social benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions when conducting cost-benefit analyses of […]
