Environmental Geochemistry Issues Semi-Monthly

California Court Ruling Ends Decades of State Pesticide Spraying : Center for Biological Diversity : Judge Strips State Food Agriculture Agency of Authority to Use Chemicals (Press Release; February 26, 2018)

Several water contamination issues that have been posted on this blog in past weeks concerning "fracking" or fracking fluid dumping in Kern County, CA; and the Keystone XL Pipeline analysis are still "on-going" .  As such, I have decided to provide their various links for your perusal today; as well as two addtional links from the  RT.com and the  National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) regarding a recent decision on a Fracking study made by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Local Water Issues in Kern County, CA USA : California Farmer Warns: "Don't Trust Oil Industry, State or Courts" to Protect Water | California Progress Report Investigation Reveals Fracking Fluids Were Illegally Dumped   ( KGET 17 News ; June 7, 2013) http://www.kget.com/news/local/story/Investigation-reveals-fracking-fluids-were/X8Pqy7i5VUOWwnoZt7De_Q.cspx Keystone XL Pipeline Issues : Green Group Sues State Department for Acce...

For this week's blog post, under the guise of "fairness" , I present a recent research publication from Duke University (as discussed in an article published by RT.com available below ) that shows Hydraulic fracturing processes as having little to no impact on Water quality (as opposed to former Duke University research data presented in my July 9, 2013 blog post).  It is as follows: Department of Energy Study Claims Fracking is Safe, Contradicting Previous Findings  ( RT.com ; July 19, 2013) http://rt.com/usa/study-claims-fracking-safe-324/ Articles: Geochemical and Isotopic Variations in Shallow Groundwater in Areas of Fayetteville Shale Development, North Central Arkansas   (WARNER et al., 2013) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883292713001133 Impact of Shale Gas Development on Regional Water Quality   (VIDIC et al., 2013) http://www.marcellus.psu.edu/news/PDFs/scienceArticleMay2013.pdf

Fracking Issues in California: California Poised to Enact Dangerous Fracking Bill  (Dan BACHER, AlterNet.org; September 12, 2013) http://www.alternet.org/fracking/california-poised-enact-dangerous-fracking-bill Study Finds Fracking Fluid from Kentucky Spill May Have Killed Threatened Fish Species (James GERKEN, Huffington Post; August 28, 2013) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/28/fracking-fluid-kentucky-fish_n_3832139.html California’s Coastal Commission Urged to Protect Coast from Offshore Fracking   (Source: The Environmental Defense Center; Santa Barbara Independent; August 26, 2013) http://www.independent.com/news/2013/aug/26/california-coastal-commission-urged-protect-coast-/ Fracking’s Back: A Santa Barbara Report Brings the Controversial Practice to the Fore  (Patrick M. KLEMZ, New Times; August 14, 2013) http://www.newtimesslo.com/news/9876/frackings-back-a-santa-barbara-report-brings-the-controversial-practice-to-the-fore/ Groundwater Contami...

UPDATE 2 - French Court Rejects Challenge to Hydro-fracking Law (Emile PICY and Michel ROSE, Reuters; October 11, 2013) http:// www.reuters.com /article/2013/10/11/ france -shale-constitution-idUSL6N0I114E20131011 France Upholds Ban on Hydraulic Fracturing  (David JOLY, New York Times; October 11, 2013) http:// www.nytimes.com /2013/10/12/business/international/ france -upholds- fracking - ban.html Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids - Chemical Constituents: Fracking Firm was Barred from Using Chemical, Balcombe Meeting Told  (Fiona HARVEY and Adam VAUGHAN, The Guardian; October 10, 2013) http:// www.theguardian.com /environment/2013/ oct /10/ fracking -chemical- balcombe -meeting Report: Potential Groundwater Impact from Exploitation of Shale Gas in the UK (M. E. STUART, 2011) http:// nora.nerc.ac.uk /16467/1/OR12001. pdf N. B. : Figure 3.2 on page 18 of this report gives an interesting account of typical fracking fluid components used in the UK, as compared t...

For today, I wish to point back to my original December 23, 2012 blog post concerning Nitrates and Groundwater pollution by presenting an update featuring developments that have recently occurred. Included are a recent research article from PNAS, as well as a Youtube video from LEQUIA UdG regarding a possible solution toward nitrate groundwater pollution remediation.  They are as follows: Calif. Gov. Brown Signs Bill to Fight Water Crisis, Address Nitrate Contamination (Matthew MIENTKA, Medical Daily ; October 9, 2013) http:// www.medicaldaily.com /calif-gov-brown-signs-bill-fight-water-crisis-address-nitrate-contamination-259375 California Water Regulators Adopt Groundwater Cleanup Plan for Farmers   (CBS Sacramento, Associated Press ; September 22, 2013) http:// sacramento.cbslocal.com /2013/09/22/ california -water-regulators-adopt-groundwater-cleanup-plan-for-farmers/ Research Article: Long-Term Fate of Nitrate Fertilizers in Agricultural Soils   (SEBI...

High Methane Emissions in Oklahoma, Neighbors Linked to Oil and Gas   (Joe WERTZ, StateImpact Oklahoma ; November 26, 2013) http:// kgou.org /post/high-methane-emissions- oklahoma -neighbors-linked-oil-and-gas? utm_referrer =http%3A// m.kgou.org /%3Futm_referrer%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252F%23mobile/17969 Update from November 25, 2013 Blog Post Here is the ACTUAL article authored by Scot M. MILLER et al . for your perusal: Anthropogenic Emissions of Methane in the United States   (MILLER et al., 2013) http:// mediad.publicbroadcasting.net /p/ kgou /files/201311/ PNAS -2013-Miller-1314392110. pdf

For this week's blog post, I have chosen to satisfy my curiosity concerning Coal Ash or Slurry spills that have happened recently that were similar to the Duke Energy Coal Ash Spill; and the scientific research that ensued.  Two Coal Ash Spills of note that are featured today are the Coal Slurry Spill in 2013 from Obed Mine in Canada, and the Coal Ash Spill in 2009 from the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee, USA. Cleanup of Coal Ash Slurry Spill into Athabasca Ordered by Province   ( The Canadian Press/CBCNews.ca ; November 13, 2013) http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/#!/content/1.2432687 Alberta's Chief Medical Examiner Confirms Toxic Water Contamination from Massive Coal Slurry Spill (Donna LISENBY, EcoNews ; November 13, 2013)  http://ecowatch.com/2013/11/14/water-contamination-coal-slurry-spill/ Articles: Survey of Potential Environmental and Health Impacts in the Immediate Aftermath of the Coal Ash Spill in Kingston, Tennessee (RUHL et al, 2...

Alpha Natural Resources to pay record $227.5M in water pollution settlement (Timothy PUKO, TribLIVE.com ; March 6, 2014) Also, an interesting case of "NIMBY"  (Acronym for "Not In My Back Yard") ExxonMobil CEO Opposes Fracking Operation near His Denton County Estate  ( WFAA ; February 22, 2014) http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Exxon-Mobil-CEO-opposes-fracking-operation-near-his-denton-county-estate-246709221.html#

Pipeline Leak Spills Thousands of Gallons of Oil into Colerain Township Nature Preserve  (Tara WEINGARTNER, WVXU Cincinnati; March 18, 2014) http://wvxu.org/post/pipeline-leak-spills-thousands-gallons-oil-colerain-township-nature-preserve Sunoco Oil Pipeline Leaks into Ohio Nature Preserve  (Edward MCALLISTER, Reuters; March 18, 2014) http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/18/pipeline-operations-sunoco-ohio-idUSL2N0MF0I520140318 Ohio Oil Spill in 1988 : Ashland Oil Spill : The Ohio River Oil Spill: A Case Study   (CLARK et al., 1990)   http://nepis.epa.gov/Adobe/PDF/300023G5.PDF

Court Upholds EPA Rule on Cross-State Pollution   (Mark SHERMAN, Dina CAPPIELLO, and Sam HANANEL, Associated Press/ABC News ; April 29, 2014) http:// abcnews.go.com /Politics/ wireStory /court-revives-epa-rule-cross-state-pollution-23513478? singlePage =true U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Websites: Cross State-Air Pollution Rule ( CSAPR )   https://www.epa.gov/csapr Interstate Air Pollution Transport https://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/interstate-air-pollution-transport

To answer possible questions as to the "Why" behind the LA Court decision to uphold the 2006 Kern County Ban on Sewage Sludge Application* , please find selected research articles on the subject below: Soil Toxicity in Cropland Due to Trace Elements Found in Sewage Sludge (YADAV and MISHRA, 2014) http://www.ripublication.com/ijaer_spl/ijaerv9n2spl_08.pdf Heavy Metal Mobility in Soils under the Application of Sewage Sludge (ATANASSOVA et al., 2012) http://www.agrojournal.org/18/03-12-12.pdf Soil and Groundwater Contamination as a Result of Sewage Sludge Application   (A. LUCZKIEWICZ, 2006) http://www.pjoes.com/pdf/15.6/869-876.pdf Mobility and Solubility of Toxic Metals and Nutrients in Soil Fifteen Years after Sludge Application (MCBRIDE et al., 1997) http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/publications/McBrideSS97.pdf (*) = Kern County's Ban on Sewage Sludge Land Application ( Sourcewatch.org)   http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php...

Groups Sue to Stop Daily 100-Car Train Deliveries of Toxic Crude Oil to Bakersfield Terminal | Earthjustice (Elizabeth FORSYTH, Earthjustice.org; January 29, 2015)

The Pipeline Fight Pitting Native Americans Against Big Oil  (Justin GLAWE, The Daily Beast; February 3, 2015) http:// www.thedailybeast.com /articles/2015/02/02/the-pipeline-fight-pitting-native-americans-against-big- oil.html Maps - Sandpiper Pipeline  (Enbridge.com) http:// www.enbridge.com / SandpiperProject / Maps.aspx Constitution, Keystone XL, and Sandpiper Oil Pipelines are not alone...  Information on 81 documented U. S. Crude Oil Pipeline Projects in the United States may be reviewed in the following Reuters article link below: U. S. Crude Oil Pipeline Projects:  Kinder Morgan Acquiring Hiland Crude ( Reuters ; January 21, 2015) http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0KU2SX20150121? irpc =932

In light of a recent article posted on RT.com concerning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision to allow increased levels of Glyphosphate , an herbicide, to be used in crops in the United States (as seen below), I was compelled to post the following research information for your perusal: News Article Another Win for Monsanto:   US Raises Allowable Levels of Company’s Pesticides in Crops ( RT.com , July 24, 2013) http://rt.com/usa/monsanto-glyphosate-roundup-epa-483/ Selected Research Toxic Effects of Glyphosate on the Nervous System:  A Systematic Review (COSTAS-FERREIRA et al., 2022) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9101768/ Fate and Transport of Glyphosphate and Aminomethylphosphonic Acid in Surface Waters of Agricultural Basins (COUPE et al., 2012) http://www.reduas.fcm.unc.edu.ar/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/07/glifo-en-agua-USA-enero-2012.pdf The Geochemistry of Pesticides (BARBASH, 2005)     ...

Selected Research Articles: Contaminant Effects on California Bay-Delta Species and Human Health (FONG et al. , 2016) https://cloudfront.escholarship.org/dist/prd/content/qt52m780xj/qt52m780xj.pdf?t=oj8bqw Pyrethroid Insecticides and Sediment Toxicity in Urban Creeks from California and Tennessee (AMWEG et al. , 2006) https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/tmdl/records/region_2/2008/ref2462.pdf Environmental Modeling and Exposure Assessment of Sediment-Associated Pyrethroids in an Agricultural Watershed (LUO and ZHANG, 2011) http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015794&type=printable Urban and Agricultural Sources of Pyrethroid Insecticides to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California (WESTON and LYDY, 2010) https://sustainability.water.ca.gov/documents/18/3334111/Insecticides+in+the+Sacramento-San+Joaquin+Delta.pdf Pyrethroid Insecticides:  An Analysis of Use Patterns, Distributions, Potential Toxicity and ...

Assignment and Application of the "Unique Identifier" Under TSCA Section 14: Notice of Additional Information and Opportunity to Comment [Federal Register; U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ; February 8, 2018) https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/02/08/2018-02548/assignment-and-application-of-the-unique-identifier-under-tsca-section-14-notice-of-additional N. B.:  " EPA will accept written comments and materials submitted to the docket on or before  March 12, 2018 . "                                (Retrieved from Federal Register Notice under "Dates") Documentation: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0144; FRL-9972-94 ( Federal Register Notice ; February 8, 2018) https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-08/pdf/2018-02548.pdf Also... Modification of Significant New Use of a Certain Chemical Substance (Federal Register; U. S. EPA ; February 8, 2018) ...

Perturbateurs endocriniens: un plan d'actions musclé réclamé au Gouvernement : Les inspections générales de trois ministères plaident pour un plan d'actions renforcé pour prendre à bras le corps cet enjeu prioritaire de santé que sont les perturbateurs endocriniens. Elles soulignent les insuffisances de la stratégie actuelle. (Laurent RADISSON, Actu-Environnement ; 5 f é vrier 2018) Featured Report: La strat égie nationale sure les perturbateurs endocriniens (SNPE) (LAVARDE et al. , 2017) https://www.actu-environnement.com/media/pdf/news-30592-rapport-evaluation-SNPE-CGEDD-IGAS-CGAAER.pdf Selected Publications: Tracking major endocrine disruptors in coastal waters using and integrative approach coupling field based study and hydrodynamic modeling (XU et al. , 2018) https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Elvis_Genbo_Xu/publication/320617187_Tracking_major_endocrine_disruptors_in_coastal_waters_using_an_integrative_approach_coupling_field-based_study_and_hy...

44% of California is now experiencing moderate drought conditions ( Associated Press/Los Angeles Times ; February 1, 2018) http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-drought-report-20180201-story.html Southern California's brief escape of drought ends (Ellen KNICKERMEYER and Rick PEDRONCELLI, Associated Press/SF Chronicle ;  January 31, 2018) https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/science/article/California-gauges-snowpack-amid-dry-winter-12542171.php Selected Research Publications: Snowpack Below Average Despite Gains [News Release, California Department of Water Resources (DWR ); February 1, 2018] http://www.water.ca.gov/news/newsreleases/2018/020118snowsurvey.pdf Future loss of Arctic sea-ice cover could drive a substantial decrease in California's rainfall  (CVIJANOVIC et al., 2017) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-01907-4.pdf Sustained water loss in California's mountain ranges during severe drought from 2012 through 2015 inferred from GPS (ARG...

Cleanup underway after Sanchi Collision (ZHAO Lei and ZHENG Jinran, ChinaDaily.com.cn ; February 1, 2018) http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201802/01/WS5a72dd86a3106e7dcc13a405.html Unique oil spill in East China Sea frustrates scientists (Cally CARSWELL, Nature ; 24 January 2018) https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-00976-9 China probes Sanchi oil tanker collision and may try to salvage sunken ship (Daniel REN,  South China Morning Post ; 19 January, 2018) https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2129758/china-probes-sanchi-oil-tanker-collision-and-may-try-salvage  U. S. oil industry's billion-dollar question  What is condensate? (Catherine NGAI, Reuters ; October 7, 2014) https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-condensate/u-s-oil-industrys-billion-dollar-question-what-is-condensate-idUSKCN0HX0BU20141008 Selected Publications: Report on the Investigation of the Collision between M. T. SANCHI and M.V. CF CRYSTAL in the East China Sea on 6 ...