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Archive for April 20th, 2011
United Kingdom: Farmers face imminent water restrictions due to dry spell
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 20th, 2011
Guardian: Restrictions could be imposed on farmers extracting water from rivers in the next few weeks, should the current dry spell continue, the government has warned, after new figures showed that many river levels in England and Wales are "exceptionally low" for the time of year.
As some water companies began to replenish reservoirs from rivers, the Environment Agency reported that south-east England had received only 2.3mm of rain so far this month – just 6% of the long-term average. It comes on top...
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3,200 Gulf wells unplugged, unprotected
Posted by Associated Press: Jeff Donn on April 20th, 2011
Associated Press: More than 3,200 oil and gas wells classified as active lie abandoned beneath the Gulf of Mexico, with no cement plugging to help prevent leaks that could threaten the same waters fouled by last year's BP spill, The Associated Press has learned.
These wells likely pose an even greater environmental threat than the 27,000 wells in the Gulf that have been plugged and classified officially as "permanently abandoned" or "temporarily abandoned." Those sealed wells were first tallied and reported as...
Deepwater Horizon and the Gulf oil spill – the key questions answered
Posted by Guardian: Ben Bryant on April 20th, 2011
Guardian: Why was there an explosion and fire on Deepwater Horizon oil rig?
According to BP's September 2010 report, the accident started with a "well integrity failure". This was followed by a loss of control of the pressure of the fluid in the well. The "blowout preventer", a device which should automatically seal the well in the event of such a loss of control, failed to engage. Hydrocarbons shot up the well at an uncontrollable rate and ignited, causing a series of explosions on the rig.
How many...
Canada: Alberta’s oil sands play dirty
Posted by Vancouver Observer: Barry Saxifrage on April 20th, 2011
Vancouver Observer: As ordinary Canadians dig deep to ease their carbon footprint, Alberta's oil-sands pollution wipes out their sacrifice.
Barry Saxifrage Posted: Apr 20th, 2011 Send Article Print Article Read More:Canada News Investigations Sustainability Alberta Alberta oil sands Alberta Tar Sands Carbon Footprint Climate Change co2 fossil fuels Prime Minister Stephen Harper « prevnext »
The Alberta oil sands are grabbing huge chunks of Canada's limited CO2 allotment away from other businesses and families,...
Pa. wants to end gas-drilling wastewater discharge
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 20th, 2011
Associated Press: Amid criticism from environmentalists and growing concern from scientists, Pennsylvania on Tuesday asked the state's booming natural gas industry to halt disposing of millions of gallons of contaminated drilling wastewater through treatment plants that discharge into rivers and streams.
The plants are ill-equipped to remove pollutants from the wastewater -- which is intensely salty and tainted with chemicals. The state Department of Environmental Protection said recent water tests suggest the...