#potomac-sewage-spill

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US news
fromThe Washington Post
3 days ago

Plan to reinforce sewer pipe was delayed for years before Potomac disaster

Delays in environmental reviews led to a catastrophic sewer line failure, resulting in a massive release of untreated wastewater into the Potomac River.
#epa
Public health
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

EPA moves to designate microplastics and pharmaceuticals as contaminants in drinking water

EPA proposes to include microplastics and pharmaceuticals in drinking water contaminants list, responding to public health concerns.
US Elections
fromFuturism
1 day ago

EPA Now Values Human Lives at $0

The EPA's updated policies have effectively assigned a zero value to human life in pollution regulation, weakening air quality standards significantly.
New York Islanders
fromCurbed
2 days ago

This Electric-Green Stream Is Actually a Good Thing

Clove Lakes Park in Staten Island faces odor issues linked to wastewater management, prompting investigations by environmental authorities.
California
fromLos Angeles Times
1 day ago

Endangered salmon returned to Northern California, then the money dried up

The state is ending support for salmon restoration efforts, jeopardizing the reintroduction of winter-run Chinook to ancestral waters.
NYC politics
fromGothamist
2 days ago

New Yorkers stopped composting after city stopped giving them fines, report shows

Enforcement of composting fines in New York City has decreased, leading to a significant drop in compost collection since 2025.
New York City
fromGothamist
2 days ago

Reforms to 'wild west' private trash industry come to Manhattan's Chinatown

Manhattan's Chinatown will implement new trash reforms requiring businesses to use authorized waste companies by May 2024.
Upper West Side
fromGothamist
2 days ago

NY is relaxing restrictions on eating Hudson River fish - but maybe go easy for now

Fish consumption advisories for the lower Hudson River have been updated, allowing limited consumption for sensitive groups, but caution remains essential.
#oil-spill
Environment
fromenglish.elpais.com
3 days ago

Hair vs. oil: The curious method to clean beaches affected by the spill in the Gulf

A citizen initiative in Veracruz uses clean hair to combat oil spills by creating nets that absorb crude oil from the ocean.
Environment
fromenglish.elpais.com
3 days ago

Hair vs. oil: The curious method to clean beaches affected by the spill in the Gulf

A citizen initiative in Veracruz uses clean hair to combat oil spills by creating nets that absorb crude oil from the ocean.
East Bay (California)
fromThe Oaklandside
5 days ago

OUSD lead crisis: Almost all drinking water sources are now safe

Only two water fixtures remain out of service in Oakland schools due to lead contamination, following significant improvements in water safety measures.
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
6 days ago

Water companies accused of more than 3,000 environmental rule breaches

The Environment Agency identified over 3,000 environmental breaches by water companies after conducting more than 10,000 inspections in the past year.
Boston food
fromwww.theguardian.com
6 days ago

Soy what? 40,000lbs of spilled tofu leads to unforgettable' odor in Missouri town

A truck accident in Missouri spilled 40,000lbs of tofu, creating an unforgettable smell and prompting extensive cleanup efforts.
Public health
fromwww.npr.org
3 days ago

EPA flags microplastics, pharmaceuticals as chemicals of concern in drinking water

The Trump administration has included microplastics and pharmaceuticals in a draft list of drinking water contaminants for the first time.
UK news
fromwww.independent.co.uk
1 week ago

Sewage spilled into English rivers, seas and lakes once every two minutes in 2025

The Independent provides critical journalism on various issues, emphasizing the importance of accessible reporting without paywalls.
Brooklyn
fromThe Cool Down
1 week ago

City residents worry about hidden threat lurking underground in trendy neighborhood

The Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn poses health risks due to pollution and toxic waste, impacting residents' quality of life.
fromWashingtonian - The website that Washington lives by.
2 weeks ago

The Broken Sewer Line That Filled The Potomac River With Poop Has Been Repaired. What Happens Next? - Washingtonian

After 55 days of construction, which involved enough gravel to cover four football fields and enough fuel to power a dozen homes for a whole year, the pipe is once again funneling sewage from Fairfax and Loudoun Counties to the Blue Plains Advanced Water Treatment Plant in Southwest DC.
Washington DC
Public health
fromKqed
3 days ago

In 2026, the Bay Area Still Has Lots to Learn from 'Silent Spring' | KQED

MAHA and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. share skepticism of corporate power but diverge on issues like vaccines and pesticide regulation.
Washington DC
fromThe Atlantic
2 weeks ago

What Caused the D.C. Sewer Disaster

A major sewer pipe collapse in Washington, D.C. caused one of the worst raw-sewage spills in U.S. history, potentially linked to a design flaw from the 1960s involving boulder fill that may affect other sections of the pipeline.
Public health
fromMail Online
6 days ago

Health warning issued for thousands as toxins flood multiple US states

Over half a million Americans are advised to stay indoors due to hazardous air quality caused by toxic fine particulate matter.
#sewage-spill
fromEarth911
1 week ago

Counting The Growing Cost of President Trump's Environmental Policy

The repeal of the 2009 Endangerment Finding removed the legal basis for all federal greenhouse gas regulation for cars, power plants, and oil fields at once.
Environment
East Bay (California)
fromThe Oaklandside
2 weeks ago

Illegal dumping fines could go up a lot in Oakland

Oakland is increasing fines for illegal dumping, with first-time violators now facing $1,500 instead of $750, and eliminating the three-year fine reset mechanism.
fromwww.scientificamerican.com
3 weeks ago

A $1.3-billion river dredging in North Carolina by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could unleash forever chemicals'

Burdette worked with a team of North Carolina State University scientists who measured PFAS concentration in the blood of alligators and found that it was correlated with immune issues in the animals—another worrying sign in a decades-long history of PFAS poisoning in Cape Fear.
Miami food
Everyday cooking
fromTasting Table
3 weeks ago

Don't Put This Type Of Seafood Down Your Sink Drain - Tasting Table

Garbage disposals cannot process shellfish shells because their chitin composition is too hard for the machine's blending mechanism to break down.
UK news
fromwww.independent.co.uk
3 weeks ago

UK water giant to pay 44.7m over unacceptable' sewage spills

Welsh Water faces a £44.7 million penalty from Ofwat for serious breaches in sewage network operation, maintenance, and environmental protection.
SF politics
fromABC7 San Francisco
3 weeks ago

Environmental groups sue to stop Trump's water diversions in California

Trump's executive order diverts more federal water to Central Valley farmers, bypassing state officials and environmental protections, prompting lawsuits from environmental groups claiming violations of the Endangered Species Act.
Environment
fromwww.scientificamerican.com
2 weeks ago

Crabs are cannibalizing one another with surprising rapacity in parts of the Chesapeake Bay

Blue crabs in Chesapeake Bay cannibalize each other at such high rates that they are their own primary predatory force, accounting for 97 percent of crab deaths and injuries over a 36-year study.
fromabc7.com
3 weeks ago

Massive fire erupts on scrap metal barge in Delaware Bay

A massive fire broke out Tuesday morning on a barge carrying huge piles of scrap metal on the Delaware Bay near New Castle. The U.S. Coast Guard responded after 8 a.m. to reports of the fire and dispatched a helicopter and two boats, Petty Officer First Class Matthew West said. Local fire departments, including those from Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware, also responded.
US news
US politics
fromGothamist
1 month ago

ICE could face legal battle over state water rules in plan to build NJ detention center

New Jersey's Highlands Water Protection Act may block ICE's plan to convert a Roxbury warehouse into a detention center by requiring environmental scrutiny in water-sensitive areas.
fromenglish.elpais.com
3 weeks ago

An oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is met with two weeks of evasive responses

Beaches, mangroves, fish, turtles and manatees. Little by little, oil has coated them all. About two weeks have been enough for the sticky black residue to permeate everything in its path. Its advance has been met with an outcry. Since the first fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico reported the discovery of chapapote (petroleum residue) in their nets on March 2, the progression has been documented by the affected communities.
Environment
fromLos Angeles Times
1 month ago

Fear that herbicides are poisoning Orange County creeks blows up on social media

We want an end to the use of herbicides in our creeks. This idea that we're just going to spray, hose down these creeks and leave them dead is unacceptable. Linas and other residents have filed requests for records detailing the chemicals the county uses to control vegetation in the waterways, such as glyphosate, triclopyr and imazapyr.
California
Washington DC
fromWashingtonian - The website that Washington lives by.
1 month ago

Trump's War on Law Firms Fizzles Out; His War in Iran, However, Is Still Going; DC Lifts Potomac Water Advisory - Washingtonian

Area school systems open on two-hour delay due to icy roads; rainy day expected with high of 46 degrees; Michael Shannon performs R.E.M.'s 1986 album tonight; DOJ drops appeals defending Trump's executive orders against law firms.
#epa-enforcement-decline
fromArs Technica
3 weeks ago
Environment

What crackdown? Trump's EPA enforcement claims don't pass sniff test.

EPA criminal enforcement cases dropped 76 percent in Trump's first year compared to Biden's first year, with only 16 cases filed despite recent high-profile prosecutions and $17 million in criminal fines.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago
Environment

Enforcement of laws against polluters nearly non-existent in US, analysis finds

EPA enforcement against major polluters dropped sharply during January 2025–January 2026, with dramatically fewer consent decrees across major environmental laws.
Environment
fromArs Technica
3 weeks ago

What crackdown? Trump's EPA enforcement claims don't pass sniff test.

EPA criminal enforcement cases dropped 76 percent in Trump's first year compared to Biden's first year, with only 16 cases filed despite recent high-profile prosecutions and $17 million in criminal fines.
California
fromLos Angeles Times
1 month ago

California's plastic bill faces challenges from federal court and GOP attorneys general

California's single-use plastic law faces legal challenges from federal courts and Republican attorneys general who claim plastic reduction initiatives violate antitrust laws and harm consumers through corporate collusion.
Environment
fromTruthout
4 weeks ago

House Bill Could Weaken EPA Oversight of Hazardous Chemicals

House conservatives propose rolling back 2016 reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act, weakening EPA authority to regulate hazardous chemicals despite ongoing groundwater contamination cases like Jones Road.
California
fromSFGATE
1 month ago

'Explosion' of invasive species threatens Calif.'s Central Valley

Golden mussels, an invasive Asian species, have reached California's critical Friant-Kern Canal within two years of first appearing in North America, threatening water infrastructure and native ecosystems.
US politics
fromAxios
1 month ago

Trump and Maryland Gov. Moore trade barbs over Potomac River sewage spill blame

Officials dispute responsibility after a Potomac sewage spill; FEMA was ordered to assist while DC Water uses bypass pumps to repair the broken pipe.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Dirty water, death and decline: the inside story of a privatisation scandal

Sarah Lambert took her usual morning swim for 40 minutes off Exmouth town beach before her volunteer shift helping disabled people get access to the water. A wheelchair user herself, Lambert's regular sea swims twice a week between the lifeboat station and HeyDays restaurant were the perfect form of exercise for her disability.
Public health
fromwww.npr.org
1 month ago

What we know about the massive sewage leak in the Potomac River

Approximately 243 million gallons of wastewater has overflowed from the pipe that collapsed on January 19 in Montgomery County, Md., according to a release from DC Water. That translates into 368 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of sewage. The brunt of this surge happened in the first five days, before interim bypass pumping was activated a system that reroutes sewage around the damaged section.
US news
fromTheregister
2 months ago

S Twatter: When text-to-speech goes down the drain

A Reg reader received an automated call warning of potential water discoloration during planned works from January 19-25. The message advised running taps for twenty minutes if the water appeared discolored - standard stuff, if a bit robotic. In the recording forwarded to us, a female voice told our reader what to expect. All good, if a little robotic. However, things went off the rails a bit when the robot attempted to read out the URL for Severn Trent: http://www.stwater.co.uk/discolouration.
Artificial intelligence
San Francisco
fromMission Local
2 months ago

Comic: How San Francisco's sewers do (and don't) work

Heavy or prolonged rain causes San Francisco sewer pipes to fill and overflow, pushing water and raw sewage into streets and buildings.
National Hockey League
fromFear the Fin
2 months ago

Quick Bites: Sharks have capital in Washington

San Jose won 3-2 over Washington after midgame lineup changes and a quick offensive burst, supported by key saves from Nedeljkovic and strong play from Thompson.
US politics
fromwww.mediaite.com
1 month ago

Wes Moore Hits Back At Trump's Request For Him To Ask Politely' For Help Over Potomac Spill

Wes Moore refused Trump's condition to fix the Potomac spill, asserting the ruptured D.C. pipe sits on federal land and Maryland assisted Washington, D.C.
fromwww.independent.co.uk
2 months ago

King owns part of Wigan site that has become UK's worst illegal waste dump'

A portion of the land dubbed the UK's worst illegal waste dump is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster, the King's extensive private portfolio of properties and estates. The waste site in Bickershaw, Wigan, is part of the UK's mounting crisis of illegal dumping. But the Duchy has said due to an ancient feudal legal framework from more than 700 years ago, it is in effect exempt from cleaning up the site, according to an investigation by Channel 4 News.
UK news
fromEarth911
1 month ago

The State of Plastic Bans in the United States

Many cities have also banned polystyrene foam containers. While this movement is gaining ground, it still faces strong opposition. Each American uses about 365 single-use plastic bags every year. With a population of 330 million, this adds up quickly. Only about 9% of all plastic ever made has been recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, waterways, or breaks down into microplastics found in human blood, tap water, and table salt.
Environment
Environment
fromGothamist
1 month ago

Environmental groups sue NYC over Willets Point wastewater plant

Environmental groups are suing New York City over plans to chlorinate wastewater entering Flushing Creek, arguing chlorine won't reduce sewage volume and may harm wildlife.
fromWashingtonian - The website that Washington lives by.
2 months ago

General Strike Over ICE Prompts Protests and Business Closings Today; Trump Sues IRS Over Leak; No Sewage From Burst Pipeline Flowed Into Potomac Yesterday - Washingtonian

Good morning. Another very cold, very windy day awaits you, with a high around 21 that the wind will knock down to values as low as -2. A low near 7 overnight that, again with the wind, will feel as col as -5. Here's WTOP's list of closings and delays as the region continues to dig out from last weekend's storm.
US politics
California
fromThe Mercury News
2 months ago

Letters: If polluters paid for damage, state's deficit would be less

Fossil fuel companies should be held financially responsible for climate-driven damages to reduce taxpayer burdens and accelerate the transition to renewable electricity and all-electric buildings and vehicles.
US politics
fromwww.esquire.com
2 months ago

The First Veto of Trump's Second Term Is as Toxic as You'd Expect

A long-delayed Colorado water pipeline contaminated with uranium and radiation remains unfinished after President Trump vetoed congressional funding, leaving rural towns without safe tap water.
Environment
fromTruthout
1 month ago

EPA Repeals Regulations for Mercury and Toxic Air Pollutants From Power Plants

EPA repealed the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, removing stricter mercury and particulate limits and continuous monitoring requirements for coal and oil-fired power plants.
US politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
2 months ago

Troubled waters: How the UK's water companies became a national disgrace

Donations fund on-the-ground, paywall-free journalism covering issues from reproductive rights and Big Tech to failing water infrastructure and public-health crises.
Environment
fromThe New Yorker
1 month ago

The Trump Administration Has Toppled a Landmark E.P.A. Finding

The administration rescinded the EPA endangerment finding, denying CO2 as a pollutant despite scientific consensus that fossil-fuel CO2 drives rapid warming and climate danger.
Environment
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

It's a catastrophe': Wellington rages as millions of litres of raw sewage pour into ocean

Raw and partially screened sewage has been pouring into Wellington's coastline for over two weeks, causing environmental damage, public-health risks, and community outrage.
Environment
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

The death of Heather Preen: how an eight-year-old lost her life amid the UK sewage crisis

England's water companies have routinely dumped raw sewage, causing environmental degradation and health tragedies while accountability remained limited.
Environment
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Horror in Wellington as millions of litres of untreated sewage flow into the sea

A Moa Point outfall pipe failure released about 70 million litres of raw sewage into coastal waters, prompting beach closures and months-long repair expectations.
Environment
fromenglish.elpais.com
2 months ago

The EPA will no longer calculate the lives saved thanks to air pollution restrictions

EPA will stop monetizing health impacts in air-pollution cost-benefit analyses and instead prioritize assessing compliance costs to industry for PM2.5 and ozone rules.
fromKqed
2 months ago

Sonoma County Storms Spill Wastewater into Russian River, Residents Warned to Stay Away | KQED

The exact volume of the spill remains unknown as crews continue to monitor the site. Tiffen noted that a final estimate will not be available until reports are submitted to state regulators, adding that the massive volume of stormwater currently in the river makes testing for pathogens more difficult. "It's complicated by the amount of storm water and how that would affect testing regardless of a spill," Tiffen said. "Because it tends to muddy the water, so to speak."
Environment
Environment
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

Water firms could be let off pollution fines as part of government overhaul

Government plans allow regulators to defer or reduce fines for water companies to prevent collapse while enforcing turnaround regimes and protecting investor stability.
fromLos Angeles Times
2 months ago

Heated debate over California water plan as environmentalists warn of 'ecosystem collapse'

The question of how to protect fish and the ecological health of rivers that feed California's largest estuary is generating heated debate in a series of hearings in Sacramento, as state officials try to gain support for a plan that has been years in the making. "I am passionate that this is the pathway to recover fish," said state Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. "This is the paradigm we need: collaborative, adaptive management versus conflict and litigation."
Environment
Environment
fromArs Technica
1 month ago

Under Trump, EPA's enforcement of environmental laws collapses, report finds

Environmental enforcement has declined sharply under the Trump administration, with fewer lawsuits, lower penalties, and reduced regulatory actions harming public health protections.
Environment
fromTruthout
2 months ago

Communities Say Congress Broke Its Promise to Clean Up Abandoned Coal Mine Lands

A House bill would withdraw $500 million from 2021 abandoned mine cleanup funds, jeopardizing reclamation and water treatment projects in Appalachian states.
Environment
fromwww.bbc.com
2 months ago

Beaver plan 'will not be affected by sewage issue'

Sewage misconnections are polluting Chaffinch Brook but Croydon Council says measures will prevent the pollution affecting planned beaver reintroduction in South Norwood Country Park.
Environment
fromwww.standard.co.uk
2 months ago

Cleaner River Thames but effects of climate change remain, health check finds

The River Thames' water quality has improved significantly, but climate change and nutrient pollution threaten its long-term ecological recovery.
Environment
fromTheregister
2 months ago

DoE oks next-gen nuclear to skip full environmental reviews

The Department of Energy allows many advanced nuclear reactors to qualify for a categorical exclusion, enabling streamlined NEPA reviews when certain conditions are met.
Environment
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

The 16-month battle to reveal the truth about Sydney Water's poo balls

Sewage-containing debris washed onto Malabar and other Sydney beaches while authorities delayed broader public warnings and contested the source.
Environment
fromsfist.com
2 months ago

Bayview Residents Quite Pleased That Their Sewage Treatment Plant Smells Less Terrible These Days

A $717 million upgrade to San Francisco's Southeast Treatment Plant significantly reduced neighborhood odors and added a 335-foot sculpture to improve the facility's appearance.
Environment
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

Masses of toxic litter pours from Rhine into North Sea each year, research finds

The Rhine transports thousands of tonnes of macrolitter annually into the North Sea, contaminating waters with microplastics, heavy metals and harmful additives.
Environment
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

Why does Sydney pump sewage into the ocean and put its famous beaches at risk of poo balls?

Sydney disposes most sewage via fast primary treatment, removing solids and discharging effluent through deepwater ocean outfalls, relying on ocean dilution reaching limits.
fromABC7 San Francisco
2 months ago

How several nonprofits are working to clean up wrecked, sunken boats in Oakland Estuary

Within a few minutes of moving down the estuary from Jack London Square, it started looking like something out of Pirates of the Caribbean. Boats, big and small, sank or half-sunk along the length of the estuary. Spicer pointed out a large sailboat listing on its side, which neighbors say has been disabled for months. "It was actually anchored in the center of the channel for quite some time. A lot of our community members reported it," she said.
Environment
#clean-water-act
Environment
fromLos Angeles Times
2 months ago

Very little plastic being recycled in California as state efforts falter

California's plastic recycling rates are extremely low across most plastic types, and regulatory setbacks undermine efforts to improve recycling under SB 54.
Environment
fromHigh Country News
2 months ago

Congress passes environmental funding without Trump's deep cuts - High Country News

Congress funded Interior, Forest Service, NOAA and EPA at current levels, rejected deep administration cuts, and blocked nearly 150 House budget riders.
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