Environmental Geochemistry Issues Semi-Monthly

Tankers Carrying Oil D erail , Catch Fire in Va .   (Alan SUDERMAN and Michael FELBERBAUM, Associated Press/ABC News ; April 30, 2014) http:// abcnews.go.com /US/ wireStory /train-catches-fire- lynchburg - va -derailment-23535898

California's Thirsty Farmland   (Stephanie STROM, The New York Times; April 20, 2014) http:// mobile.nytimes.com /2014/04/21/business/energy-environment/ californias -thirsting- farmland.html ?referrer= For additional information on Drought Relief , please refer to my former blog post dated 1/15/2014 for a link to programs offered by the US Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) .

BP Refuses to Fund Gulf Oil Spill Studies   (Ed CROOKS, Financial Times; April 20, 2014) http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cdf8ba8c-c8a3-11e3-8976-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2zU588UYj Wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico Still Suffering Four Years after BP Oil Spill:  Report  (Suzanne GOLDENBERG, The Guardian; April 9, 2014) http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/apr/09/wildlife-gulf-of-mexico-bp-oil-spill Research Articles: Composition and Fate of Gas and Oil Released to the Water Column during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill   (REDDY et al., 2012) http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/241400.pdf Organic Contaminants, Trace and Major Elements, and Nutrients in Water and Sediments Sampled in Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill  (NOWELL et al., 2012) http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1123&context=usgspubs

Keystone Review Delay Draws Angry Reaction from Backers   (Jim SNYDER and Susan DECKER, Bloomberg ; April 18, 2014) http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-18/keystone-decision-delayed-by-u-s-over-nebraska-route.html Keystone XL Pipeline Decision Delayed as Administration Eyes Elections   (Paul LEWIS, T he Guardian ; April 17, 2014) http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/apr/18/keystone-xl-pipeline-decision-delayed-november-elections   For those interested or currently researching the "geochemical or environmental impacts" of produced waters, the following "tool" is now available: Technical Announcement:  USGS Releases New National Produced Waters Geochemical Database  ( USGS ; April 17, 2014)   http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3871&from=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=gplus#.U1NRRKKTLTE U. S. Geological Survey National Produced Waters Geochemical Database v2.0 (PROVISIONAL) [BLONDES et al., 2014] http://ener...

  News Articles Mercury Levels in Alberta Oil Sands 16 times Higher than Normal:  Environment Canada Scientists   ( The Huffington Post ; January 2, 2014) http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/01/02/mercury-levels-oilsands_n_4532618.html Scientists Find 7,300-Mile Mercury Contaminated "Bulls-Eye" Around Canadian Tar Sands (Emily ATKIN, ClimateProgress; December 30, 2013) http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/12/30/3107761/tar-sands-mercury/ Mercury Levels Rising in Expanse Around Alberta Oilsands   (Margaret MUNRO, Canada.com ; December 29, 2013) http://o.canada.com/news/mercury-levels-rising-in-expanse-around-alberta-oilsands/ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Legacy of a Half Century of Athabasca Oil Sands Development Recorded by Lake Ecosystems (KUREK et al., 2013) http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/01/02/1217675110.full.pdf+html Evaluation of Four Reports on Contamination of the Athabasca River System by Oil Sands ...

In light of the 2nd Annual "Fossil Fuel Divestment Convergence" Conference recently held at San Francisco State University from April 4 - 6, 2014,  today's post is centered on this emerging topic that is currently gaining momentum. Harvard Faculty Members Urge University to Divest from Fossil Fuels  (Suzanne GOLDENBERG, The Guardian; April 10, 2014) http:// www.theguardian.com /environment/2014/ apr /10/harvard-faculty-letter-divest-fossil-fuels-oil After Rejections, College 'Fossil Free' Divestment Buckles Down for Long Haul   (Hailey LEE,   USA Today ; March 14, 2014) http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/voices/after-rejections-college-fossil-free-divestment-buckles-down-for-long-haul San Francisco State Joins Campaign to Divest Money from Fossil Fuels  (Laura DUDNICK,  San Francisco Examiner; April 8, 2014) http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/sf-state-joins-campaign-to-divest-money-from-fossil-fuels/Conten...

I must admit, reading this first article e licited today's blog post's title... Exxon Mobil's Response to Climate Change is Consummate Arrogance  (Bill MCKIBBEN, The Guardian ; April 3, 2014) http:// www.theguardian.com /environment/2014/ apr /03/exxon-mobil-climate-change-oil-gas-fossil-fuels N. B.:  Please refer back to my March 6, 2014 blog post concerning the CEO of Exxon Mobil . Some more "food for thought"... Fracking Firm to Drill on Former Explosives Site   (Damian CARRINGTON, The Guardian ; April 7, 2014) http:// www.theguardian.com /environment/2014/ apr /04/ fracking -former-explosives-site-dart-energy Foreign Frackers Find Comfort in Water-Hungry Spain   (Nick LEIBER and Todd WHITE, Bloomberg; April 3, 2014) http:// mobile.bloomberg.com /news/2014-04-02/foreign- frackers -now-find-comfort-in-water-hungry- spain.html Oil Giant Cut ting Jobs in Kern County   ( KGET 17 News; March 27, 2014) http:// m.kerngo...

Land: California Lawmaker Opens Inquiry into EPA's Toxic Waste Cleanup Program   (Matt DRANGE and Susanne RUST, The Center of Investigative Reporting/The Guardian ; April 2, 2014) http:// www.theguardian.com /environment/2014/ apr /02/california-lawmaker-opens-inquiry-epa-toxic-waste-cleanup-program Toxic Trail:  How a Landmark Cleanup Program Leaves Its Own Toxic Legacy   (Susanne RUST and Matt DRANGE, The Center for Investigative Reporting ; March 14, 2014) http:// www.theguardian.com /environment/ ng -interactive/2014/mar/- sp -toxic-waste-silicon-valley-trail Air: Pollution Killed 7 Million People Worldwide in 2012 Report Finds   (Andrew JACOBS and Ian JOHNSON, New York Times , March 25, 2014) http:// mobile.nytimes.com /2014/03/26/world/pollution-killed-7-million-people-worldwide-in-2012-report- finds.html ?referrer= Water : EPA Raids Texas Company on Clean Water Act Violations   (Sara JEROME, Water Online .com ; Marc...

Anadarko to Pay $5 Billion for Environmental Cleanup   ( CNN Money ; April 3, 2014) http:// money.cnn.com /#!/articles/2014/04/03/news/companies/ anadarko - settlement.json ?category=Latest