Two groups focused on food safety are concerned about the government’s decision to extend compliance dates for Produce Safety Rule agricultural water requirements in the Food Safety Modernization Act. The Center for Science in the Public Interest and Center for Food Safety are worried that delaying this enforcement would cause more than 700,000 cases in … Read more
The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) Wastewater Branch has issued a Notice of Violation, Permit Suspension and Order to the Haleiwa Beach House Restaurant because its wastewater system is causing “an imminent threat to public health” by spilling wastewater onto a neighboring property used by children for educational purposes. Stuart Yamada, Environmental Management Division … Read more
In Minneapolis yesterday, a federal judge dismissed a challenge brought by the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Pork Producers Council against the EPA. Those groups wanted to block the EPA’s ability to release public information about polluting factory farms to citizens and groups concerned about clean water. Food & Water Watch, Iowa Citizens for … Read more
The U.S. House voted on Monday to approve legislation that would prevent the development of regulations expanding the scope of the federal Clean Water Act. Groups such as the National Pork Producers Council supported this action, stating that the regulations would be detrimental to agriculture. The bill, HR 5078, entitled the “WOTUS Regulatory Overreach Protection … Read more
Food & Water Watch states that the crisis over Toledo’s compromised water system is only the beginning in the United States. Earlier this month, levels of a toxin called microcystin prompted government officials to tell consumers not to use the water for drinking, cooking, bathing, or teeth brushing. That toxin is produced by a strong … Read more
Environmental Working Group has released a report called Broken Stream Banks that found pollution from farmland is a major problem in southern Minnesota, and wherever row crops are common in the U.S. the report states that this issue can be solved with the use of buffers, including grass strips, trees, and permanent vegetation. The report … Read more
The focus of World Water Day 2014 is energy. The United Nations designated March 22, 1993 World Water Day and it has been observed annually since then as a day to focus attention on freshwater resources. Each year, a different aspect of freshwater management is highlighted. This year’s focus is energy. Organizers hope this year’s … Read more
Food & Water Watch is targeting poultry industries in Maryland that contribute to nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. Legislation introduced by Senator Richard Madaleno (D-18) and Delegate Shane Robinson (D-39), called the Poultry Fair Share Act, would hold Maryland’s big poultry companies partially accountable for cleanup. Water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed has … Read more
According to the Charleston Gazette, a Marshall University scientists and member of the state Environmental Quality Board said he found formaldehyde in local water samples linked to the Freedom Industries chemical spill three weeks ago. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen. This issue affects customers of West Virginia American Water. The first chemical found in the water, … Read more
NPR has a story on on mass production of meat in America is causing phosphorous pollution. The need for efficiency in food production is damaging the soil and water. Plants need phosphorous in order to grow. Most farmers used to get that mineral into their fields from animal waste. But then the inorganic fertilizer industry … Read more