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Archive for January 16th, 2014
California wildfire: why winter hasn’t brought relief
Posted by Associated Press: Raquel Maria Dillon on January 16th, 2014
Associated Press: Homes burned in a wildfire threatening neighborhoods in dangerously dry foothills of Southern California's San Gabriel Mountains on Thursday, fanned by gusty Santa Ana winds that spit embers into the city below. Residents who awakened in the pre-dawn darkness to see flames approaching were ordered to evacuate.
Television images showed several structures engulfed in flames in a neighborhood abutting Angeles National Forest, just north of the San Gabriel Valley community of Glendora. Homes are nestled...
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Australia: Heatwave stretches services and brings bushfire warnings
Posted by Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Lisa Whitehead on January 16th, 2014
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: Southern Australia is heading for the fourth day of an intense heatwave that's brought record-breaking temperatures.
The scorching heat has put a strain on electricity supplies and stretched ambulance services.
Tomorrow Victoria is potentially facing its worst bushfire threat since Black Saturday.
Strong winds and temperatures over 40 degrees are forecast across the state and South Australia has also issued a severe bushfire warning for tomorrow.
Lisa Whitehead...
EPA: Bristol Bay Mine Threatens World’s Largest Salmon Fishery
Posted by Environment News Service: None Given on January 16th, 2014
Environment News Service: Proposed large-scale mining in Alaska`s Bristol Bay watershed would pose risks to the world`s largest sockeye salmon fishery and Alaska Native cultures dependent on salmon, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concludes in its final Bristol Bay Assessment released today.
The report, titled "An Assessment of Potential Mining Impacts on Salmon Ecosystems of Bristol Bay, Alaska," is a scientific report, not a decision document, Dennis McLerran, regional administrator for EPA Region 10, told reporters...
Pregnant Women Warned Against Drinking Water In W.Va. Area
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 16th, 2014
National Public Radio: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging pregnant women who live in the areas of West Virginia where a toxic chemical leaked into the water supply last week to drink bottled water, even in places where the no-use ban has been lifted. The move comes "out of an abundance of caution," the CDC and the state's Bureau of Public Health say.
The federal agency said Wednesday that pregnant women should stick to bottled water "until there are no longer detectable levels of MCHM in the water...
Far West Got Drier Last Year, Data Shows
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 16th, 2014
New York Times: Drought conditions in California and elsewhere in the Far West intensified last year, government scientists said Wednesday, adding to concerns about water supplies in the region. Although on the whole 2013 was a wetter than average year for the contiguous 48 states, the scientists said, that statistic masked sharp regional differences. Many states east of the Rockies had much higher than average precipitation, helping to alleviate drought in the central United States and the Southeast. “But California...
Alaska mine threatens salmon, native cultures -U.S. agency
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 16th, 2014
Reuters: Large-scale mining in the Bristol Bay watershed poses serious risks to salmon and native cultures in this pristine corner of southwest Alaska, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in a report released on Wednesday.
The EPA said a mine could destroy up to 94 miles of salmon-supporting streams and thousands of acres of wetlands, ponds and lakes. The report focused on the impact of mining in an area where a Canadian-based company wants to build a large copper and gold mine.
Polluted water...