Environmental Geochemistry Issues Semi-Monthly

Overpumping of Central Valley Groundwater Creating a Crisis, Experts Say (Bettina BOXALL, Los Angeles Times ; March 18, 2015) http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-groundwater-20150318-story.html#page=1 CALIFORNIA :  State Farmers Begin to Confront Their Ominous Groundwater Shortage (Deborah KAHN, Climate Wire/E & E News ; March 6, 2015) http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060014598 California's Largest Groundwater Reservoir - The Central Valley Aquifer Central Valley Aquifer System  HA 730-B (Groundwater Atlas of the United States, California, Nevada; US Geological Survey ) http://pubs.usgs.gov/ha/ha730/ch_b/B-text3.html N. B.:  For additional information concerning the impact of the Drought in California , please refer to "Blog Archives" for former blog posts on the following dates: September 21, 2014 July 2, 2014 June 18, 2014 April 21, 2014

Fukushima Accident ( World Nuclear Association ; February 2015)

Vietnam Environment - current issues - Geography

California Orders Oil Companies to Stop Drilling Near Drinking Water Supplies (Ari PHILLIPS, ThinkProgress.org; March 4, 2015) http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/04/3629578/california-halts-oil-drilling-at-12-wells/ Memo:  CalEPA Review of Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program  ( California Environmental Protection Agency ; March 2, 2015) http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Publications/Reports/2015/UICFindings.pdf N. B.:  Please refer to my most recent former blog posts dated February 5 and 9, 2015 for more information on this on-going issue . Other News... Sulphur Creek Oil Spill  ( Access Washington ; Washington State Department of Ecology) http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/SulphurCreekSpill/index.html Work Starting to Catch, Treat Oil-Soaked Birds Near Sunnyside  (Annette CARY, Tri-City Herald ; March 4, 2015) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2015/03/04/3440558_work-starting-to-catch-treat-oil.html?rh=1

Dan River Coal Ash Spill... NC Fines Duke Energy $25 Million (Bruce HENDERSON, The Charlotte Observer ; March 10, 2015) http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article13207667.html N. B. :  For full coverage on the Dan River Coal Ash Spill , please refer to the most recent blog posting dated February 18, 2015 from CharlotteObserver.com under "Blog Archives" Other News Oil by Train Opposed  (Richie DEMARIA, The Santa Barbara Independent ; March 10, 2015) http://www.independent.com/news/2015/mar/10/oil-train-opposed/

Houston Ship Channel Remains Partially Shut:  U. S. Coast Guard ( Reuters ; March 10, 2015) http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/10/us-oil-shipping-crash-idUSKBN0M61PG20150310 Video:   Houston Ship Channel Remains Partially Shut  ( Reuters - Top News ; March 10, 2015) http://reut.rs/1KS4N0n Interestingly enough, there was a fuel-oil spill touted as "one of the worst ... in over a decade..." that occurred in the Houston Ship Channel almost one year ago... Houston Ship Channel Partially Reopens After Oil Spill (Lynn COOK, The Wall Street Journal ; March 25, 2014 ) http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304679404579461543331217048

CSX Agrees to EPA Order for Clean-Up of Areas Impacted by West Virginia Train Derailment ( EPA Newsroom , New Releases by Date; March 6, 2015) http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/52044B369010B18385257E00006BC6DF EPA Orders CSX to Clean Up Areas Impacted by West Virginia Train Derailment ( EPA Newsroom , New Releases by Date; February 27, 2015) http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/D095AECE58BEA08385257DF9007C782D N. B.:  For more information on the West Virginia Train Derailment , please refer to the original News article posted on February 16, 2015 in " Blog Archives" .

Fire burning after train carrying crude oil derails in Northern Ontario | CP24.com ( The Canadian Press ; March 7, 2015) EPA:  Illinois Oil Train Derailment Threatens Mississippi River (Curtis TATE, MCCLATCHY Washington Bureau ; March 7, 2015) http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/03/07/259010/epa-illinois-oil-train-derailment.html N. B.:   According to the aforementioned MCCLATCHY Washington Bureau article, there have been a "total of five (5) crude oil train derailments in the United States and Canada in as many weeks". UPDATE 4 - Canadian Nat'l Crude Oil Train Derails in Ontario, on Fire, Leaking (Jeff HODGSON, Reuters ; March 27, 2015) http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/07/canada-derailment-idUSL1N0W90G420150307 N. B.:   A ccording to the aforementioned Reuters article, these " tank cars were the newer Casualty Prevention Circular 1232 model, which are widely regarded as better-protected against damage than older types."

BNSF:  Oil Train Derailment Near Galena Involved Safer Tank Cars (Staff and Wire Reports, The Chicago Tribune ; March 5, 2015) http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-galena-train-derailment-20150305-story.html BNSF Oil Train Derails in Rural Illinois; Two Cars Aflame (Edward MCALLISTER and Catherine NGAI, Reuters ; March 5, 2015) http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/05/us-oil-train-derailment-bnsf-railway-idUSKBN0M12LK20150305 Meanwhile, back in California... A Growing Risk:  Oil Trains Raise Safety and Environmental Concerns (Cory GOLDEN, Western City ; February 2015) http://www.westerncity.com/Western-City/February-2015/A-Growing-Risk-Oil-Trains-Raise-Safety-and-Environmental-Concerns/ Alon Delays Work on Oil-by-Rail Terminal Planned for Rosedale Highway Refinery (John COX, The Bakersfield Californian ; February 26, 2015) http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/business/kern-gusher/x406538749/Alon-delays-work-on-oil-by-rail-terminal-planned-...

High Levels of Benzene Found in Fracking Waste Water  (Julie CART, Los Angeles Times ; February 11, 2015) http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-fracking-20150211-story.html#page=1 Selected Research Articles: Potential Contaminant Pathways from Hydraulically Fractured Shale to Aquifers (Tom MYERS, 2012) http://www.oasen.nl/Lists/Downloads/Meyers_Potential%20Contaminant%20Pathways%20from%20Hydraulically%20Fractured%20Shale%20to%20Aquifers.pdf A Critical Review of the Risks to Water Resources from Unconventional Shale Gas Development and Hydraulic Fracturing in the United States  (VENGOSH et al., 2014) http://sites.nicholas.duke.edu/avnervengosh/files/2011/08/es405118y1.pdf In Fracking's Wake:  New Rules are Needed to Protect Our Health and Environment from Contaminated Wastewater  (HAMMER and VANBRIESEN, 2012) http://www.nrdc.org/energy/files/Fracking-Wastewater-FullReport.pdf