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July 2, 2007

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—  Great Lakes

• Video of giant Asian carp
  (CNN, 6/29) "Waterways in the central U.S. are under attack by giant Asian carp. Experts say the species not only destroy eco-systems, but are a hazard to anyone on the water."

• Citizen Lawsuit targets foreign ships
  (GLRC, 6/25) "For decades foreign ships have brought tiny stowaways — called invasive species — into the United States. And once they get loose, they upend ecosystems and cause billions of dollars in damage."

• Feds failing to fight off invasion of Great Lakes
  (Toledo Blade, 6/24) OPINION: "Five years ago this October, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared invasive species — not pollution — as the No. 1 threat to the Great Lakes."
  
  
• Great Lakes' past may offer clues on climate
  (Chicago Tribune, 6/22) "From one view of history, the Great Lakes are near record lows, approaching the bottom-scraping frustration of the mid-1960s. From another, longer view, though, the lakes are nearly as high as they've ever been, just a few feet below the high-water mark reached at the end of the Little Ice Age in the 1850s."
  

—  Water Supply

• Kiplinger: Water scarcity will be U.S. norm
  (Kiplinger Business News, 6/28) "Get used to living with less water — at home and at work. And it's not just about being better stewards of the environment. It has more to do with limited supply of the vital resource from a combination of climate change, population growth and development."
  
  
• 7-year Aussie drought may be breaking
  (Melbourne Age, 6/28) "The drought that has plagued Australia for seven years appears to be slowly breaking, all major international models show."
  
  
• Desperate plea for drinking water in Texas town
  (Fort Worth Star Telegram, 6/28) "Residents of Marble Falls scurried for higher ground Wednesday as more than 19½ inches of rain fell on this Hill Country resort community in an eight-hour period."
  
  
• USGS develops 'budgets' for NV aquifer
  (USGS, 6/28) "The U.S. Geological Survey today released for public comment the draft summary report of the Basin and Range carbonate-rock aquifer system study."
  
  
• Water provided to 150,000 in northern China
  (Xinhua News, 6/27) "Northeast China's Jilin Province, which has been plagued by drought for nearly a month, has managed to provide drinking water to about 150,000 thirsty people in the rural areas, but more are crying for water."
  
  
• Plume of 'cloudy' water threatens Sydney supplies
  (Australian Associated Press, 6/27) "A large, cloudy plume of water in Sydney's Warragamba dam is being monitored by authorities to ensure it does not pose a threat to water supplies. Water Minister Phil Koperberg said the Warragamba Catchment Authority detected the large plume of murky water this morning."
  
  
• Senate bill would reduce CWSRF funding
  (AWWA, 6/25) "The Senate Appropriations Committee has marked up an FY2008 spending bill for USEPA that would provide $887 million for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), which is $193 million less than this year and $238 million less than in a companion measure in the House."
  
  
• NYC to launch 'drink our tap water' campaign
  (WCBS New York, 6/25) "If you are one of many who spend hundreds of dollars a year on bottled water, put away your wallet. New York City tap water is the newest thing on tap. It's cheap, healthy and about to get a sparkling reputation."
  
  
• The dehydrated states of America
  (Toronto Globe & Mail, 6/22) "It is not just the Southwest that could be drying out. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that 50 per cent of the United States is currently experiencing unusually dry or drought conditions."
  
  
• Climatologist presents water truth at symposium
  (Riverside Press-Enterprise, 6/22) "Global warming, along with growth that has paved over the natural landscape that once absorbed the day's heat, have increased temperatures by two to three degrees in the past 50 years. The higher temperatures, in turn, have a profound effect on water supply by causing less snow in the mountains and a more rapid snowmelt, which makes it harder to capture the life-sustaining resource."
  
  
• Colorado River: A plan for thirsty times
  (Salt Lake Tribune, 6/22) "Colorado River water has always been recognized as the lifeblood of the Southwest. Now, it has its own blood bank. After years of study and discussion, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation this week announced a proposal for managing the river and its two largest reservoirs — Lake Powell and Lake Mead — during droughts."
  

—  Water Quality

• Salt Lake well’s perchlorate mystifies officials
  (Salt Lake Tribune, 6/28) "A popular downtown artesian well is mildly contaminated with perchlorate, an additive to rocket and jet fuel whose health impacts are hotly debated."
  
  
• NSF Standard 60 certification for Panton McLeod Americas
  (Water World, 6/28) "Drinking water treatment experts Panton McLeod Americas is celebrating after being awarded the coveted NSF Standard 60 certification."
  
  
• U.S. mayors call for a study on bottled water
  (Water Tech Online, 6/28) "The US Conference of Mayors at a June 25 meeting passed a resolution that emphasizes municipal water quality protection and calls for a study of the impact of bottled water on city waste."
  
  
• San Francisco bans bottled water for city staff
  (Reuters, 6/26) "Thirsty San Francisco city workers will no longer have bottled water to drink under an order by Mayor Gavin Newsom, who says it costs too much, worsens pollution and is no better than tap water."
  
  
• Jakarta drinking water still poisonous
  (Jakarta Post, 6/25) "A man injured by an explosion at one of the city's main power relay stations in Setiabudi, South Jakarta died Monday, but the station is expected to resume operations by Wednesday."
  

—  Water Resources

• Project aims to convert farmland into wetlands
  (Washington Post, 6/25) "An untested theory holds that restoring wetlands in the Midwest would be a cost-effective way to filter harmful nitrogen and phosphorous that damage ecosystems all the way down the Miss. River into the Gulf of Mexico."
  
  
• Australia: Stormwater runoff to create new wetlands
  (ABC Australia, 6/25) "The ACT Government is considering a $4 million plan to build wetlands near Flemington Road to provide irrigation water for nearby facilities."
  
  
• New Orleans still at risk of serious flooding
  (Terra Daily, 6/22) "New Orleans is still at risk of serious flooding two years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city, a government report has found. While the levees and floodwalls that collapsed under Katrina's storm surge have been repaired, authorities have not yet raised the height of levees that were overtopped by the floodwaters."
  
  
• Our waifish wetlands
  (Scienceline, 6/22) "Hundreds of millions of people worldwide live in delta regions which are deteriorating under human pressure. Now they are among the first to face rising sea levels and other climate change issues, according to a new United Nations report."
  
  
• Rewarding fertilizer pollution with crop subsidies
  (ES&T, 6/22) "U.S. taxpayers are, in effect, subsidizing the Gulf of Mexico’s dead zone, an area of coastal waters where dissolved-oxygen concentrations fall to less than 2 parts per million every summer, according to a paper published today on ES&T’s website."
  
  
• Polluted Chinese river hospitalizes 61
  (Terra Daily, 6/22) "More than 60 people had to be treated in hospital for a severe skin reaction after coming into contact with a polluted Chinese river, state media reported Wednesday."
  

—  Wastewater

• Thailand's energy and money from wastewater
  (Malaysian National News, 6/27) "As demand for renewable energy continues to rise, a palm oil company in the southern Thai province of Krabi has been turning pollution into profit."
  

—  Toxic Waste/Pollution

• Giant microwave turns plastic back to oil
  (Scienceline, 6/27) "A US company is taking plastics recycling to another level — turning them back into the oil they were made from, and gas. All that is needed, claims Global Resource Corp., is a finely tuned microwave and — hey presto! — a mix of materials that were made from oil can be reduced back to oil and combustible gas (and a few leftovers)."
  
  
• U.S. Army suspends cross-country shipments of VX wastewater
  (ENS, 6/26) "The U.S. Army has agreed to temporarily suspend shipments of VX chemical weapons disposal by-products from Indiana to Texas while a federal court in Terre Haute hears evidence in a lawsuit seeking a halt to the shipments."
  
  
• E-waste polluting overseas
  (GLRC, 6/25) "At your home, chances are your TV, computer and other electronic gear were made overseas. That's because it's cheaper to make them there. And it's cheaper to get rid of old electronics overseas. Someday, your old cell phone or CD player might end up right back where it started: in China."
  

—  Global Warming

• Researchers say Antarctic ice sheet stable
  (Associated Press, 6/27) "An ice sheet in Antarctica that is the world's largest — with enough water to raise global sea levels by 200 feet — is relatively stable and poses no immediate threat, according to new research."
  
  
• Major sea level threat from Greenland sooner?
  (MSNBC, 6/25) "New research shows that man-made climate change could cause the Greenland ice sheet to break up in hundreds, rather than thousands, of years, the chair of a United Nations panel of scientists said on Monday."
  

—  Everything Else

• AWWA, India counterpart sign cooperation deal
  (AWWA, 6/25) "The American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the India Water Works Association (IWWA) today launched a new era of cooperation by signing a Memo of Understanding (MOU) to share expertise and resources that extend their common goal of providing safe and reliable water."
  
  
• Web site for the water and wastewater industries
  (U.S. Water News, 6/22) "Much of the world's water systems are inadequate or crumbling from age. Around the world, billions are spent each year to build or repair water and wastewater systems. Yet, there has been no place where utilities could announce their contract opportunities and be assured that interested vendors could find them. Until now."

Illinois

—  Water Supply

• Soft water for East Dundee
  (Chicago Daily Herald, 6/27) "East Dundee says a new well is on the way — and this one will supply soft water. The news comes less than a year after some officials said the village’s water supply was in a precarious state."

• Chicago: Possible water contamination in southwest suburbs
  (WBBM Chicago, 6/26) "The Illinois Department of Public Health is advising residents who obtain drinking water from private wells in the southwest suburban Lemont area to test their water for possible groundwater contamination."
  
  
• Union to restrict water use
  (Northwest Herald, 6/23) "Running through sprinklers, floating in pools and washing cars. Union residents can engage in summer’s water-based activities with abandon for a little while longer. But starting July 1, a watering ban will take effect in the village."
  
  
• Stinky water plagues Forest City
  (Peoria Journal Star, 6/21) "Instead of typical summer aromas of cut grass and barbecue, some residents here are getting a whiff of something else. 'If you like the smell of rotten eggs, this is the place to be,' one said Wednesday about her rusty water that stinks like sulfur."
  

—  Water Resources

• Governments team up to protect Kishwaukee River
  (Chicago Suburban News, 6/26) "The Kishwaukee River watershed is one of the cleanest river systems in Illinois, and in the face of rapid population growth and development, seven governmental bodies in the Marengo-Union area have teamed up to try to keep it that way."
  

—  Wastewater

• Iuka sewer project
  (WJBD Salem, 6/21) "A representative from Hennigan and Associates spoke to the village of Iuka's board of alderman at Monday's meeting to speak about the planning progress for their sewer project."
  
  
• Glenbard Water Agency considers investing in new equipment
  (Chicago Suburban News, 6/25) "Since 1998 the Glenbard Wastewater Authority, which services Lombard, Glen Ellyn and portions of surrounding unincorporated areas, has known it needed an additional, larger digester, a piece of equipment that handles biosolids, at its Bemis Road treatment facility."
  
  
• American Bottoms files $300,000 in liens
  (MSN News, 6/25) "An Illinois wastewater treatment plant filed four foreclosure lawsuits June 22 with the St. Clair County courts, according to a release Monday."
  

—  Everything Else

• Canton officials to enter talks on water rates with CIE
  (Canton Daily Ledger, 6/21) "Although no water bills have been issued yet to the ethanol plant near Canton, which is expected to begin operations this fall, its water contract with the city may be renegotiated."
  
  
• Suit: Chicago Water Reclamation District liable for deaths
  (CBS Chicago, 6/24) "The wife of a man killed Wednesday while working at a water treatment plant filed a wrongful death lawsuit Friday against the plant owner and sought a court order to preserve the accident site as evidence."

Indiana

—  Water Supply

• Harbour Water lifts ban
  (Indianapolis Star, 6/26) "Harbour Water lifted all restrictions on outdoor watering this afternoon, citing recent rainfall and a significant decrease in demand."
  
  
• Noblesville lifts water ban
  (Indianapolis Star, 6/22) "Noblesville has lifted its water emergency for Indiana American Water customers, citing rainfall last night and a forecast for more rain Sunday."
  
  
• Dry conditions threaten county water systems
  (Martinsville Reporter-Times, 6/21) "Rain finally came Tuesday, but did little to help severely dry conditions in Morgan County, which is in a state of moderate drought, the National Drought Mitigation Center said. The drought has Randy Gramentz worried. He is the manager of Mapleturn Utilities in Martinsville that distributes water from wells on privately-owned Morgan County land."
  
  
• Brownsburg may add teeth to watering ban
  (Indianapolis Star, 6/21) "Town Manager Jim Waggoner fears the day a resident turns on his kitchen sink and nothing comes out. Warm temperatures, dry weather and careless lawn watering have caused water levels in Brownsburg and a few other Central Indiana communities to reach a danger zone."

—  Water Resources

• Scientists have formula for Grand Calumet River cleanup
  (Munster Times, 6/26) "Environmental scientists are finalizing plans for the first cleanup of the Grand Calumet River in the heart of the city. The project aims to remove more than 130,000 cubic yards of sediment — considered among the most polluted in the Great Lakes — and return the waterway between Columbia and Hohman avenues to a more natural ecosystem."
  
  
• State braces for new fish disease
  (Indianapolis Star, 6/24) "Ask most Indiana residents to name the largest lake in the state and their reply, usually, is Monroe, Patoka, Mississinewa, Salamonie or Brookville. Sometimes it's easy to overlook that lake up north that's 118 miles wide, 307 miles long and has 1,600 miles of shoreline. You know, Lake Michigan."
  
  
• State makes progress in fighting hydrilla
  (Associated Press, 6/24) "Environmental officials believe progress is being made against an invasive weed found in a northern Indiana, though more chemicals will likely need to be applied."
  

—  Wastewater

• Porter to seek grant or loan to upgrade town sewer system
  (Chesterton Tribune, 6/27) "By consensus Tuesday the Porter Town Council approved making application for a state revolving fund (SRF) grant or low-interest loan to secure money needed to upgrade its sanitary sewer collection system, which is the subject of a pending Indiana Department of Environmental Management enforcement action."
  
  
• Public to get peek at Patoka sewer proposal
  (Princeton Daily Clarion, 6/27) "The public will get the chance to obtain more information today on a proposed project to construct a sanitary sewer system to serve the town."
  
  
• Evansville to sue over combined sewer overflows
  (Evansville Courier-Press, 6/26) "The city of Evansville announced today that they would sue insurance companies to provide coverage that the city has incurred for decades from the overflows of combined sewer, when storm runoff mixes with sewage during heavy rains."
  
  
• IDEM plans action against dairy CAFO
  (Muncie Star Press, 6/26) "The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has issued a notice of violation and a proposed agreed order to Union-Go Dairy stemming from a manure release into Sparrow Creek on April 3."
  

—  Hazardous Waste

• U.S. Army suspends cross-country shipments of VX wastewater
  (ENS, 6/26) "The U.S. Army has agreed to temporarily suspend shipments of VX chemical weapons disposal by-products from Indiana to Texas while a federal court in Terre Haute hears evidence in a lawsuit seeking a halt to the shipments."
  

—  Everything Else

• West Lafayette first Indiana city to receive EPA award
  (Inside Indiana Business, 6/27) "West Lafayette has become the first Indiana city to receive the Pisces Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The award recognizes the city for its environmental stewardship in plans for the treatment of fats, oils and grease at a treatment plant and cogeneration facility."

Michigan

—  Water Supply

• Changes to state's water rules will better protect public health
  (Media Newswire, 6/27) "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 seeks comments on its tentative decision to approve four changes to Michigan's drinking water regulations that will enhance protection of public health and increase information provided to the public about their drinking water."
  
  
• Nestle does not oppose water regulations
  (Detroit Free Press, 6/27) OPINION: "A June 21 viewpoint by Joan Wolfe of Frankfort (a former member of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission and founder of the West Michigan Environmental Action Council) regarding Nestle Waters and a lawsuit pending before the Michigan Supreme Court contained misinformation that must be corrected ('Public's right to protect environment at risk')."
  
  
• Gaylord: $1.3 million for water-sewer line connections
  (Gaylord Times Herald, 6/27) "City Council approved on Monday a development agreement between the city of Gaylord and Meijer, Inc., setting into motion the process of bringing the 156,000-square-foot Meijer store to the Gaylord area."
  
  
• No water contamination violations found through 2006
  (Spinal Column Weekly, 6/26) "Drinking water quality throughout the lakes area was safe in 2006, according to the annual consumer confidence reports distributed to public water system customers in area communities."
  

—  Water Resources

• Kolke Creek plaintiffs ask for more than $250,000
  (Traverse City Record Eagle, 6/27) "Plaintiffs in the Kolke Creek lawsuit seek more than $250,000 from the state and an energy company after successfully arguing that a proposed pollution cleanup plan in Otsego County would harm the environment."
  
  
• Boaters urged to help protect Michigan's lakes
  (DEQ, 6/27) NEWS RELEASE: "The Department of Environmental Quality's Office of the Great Lakes is reminding boaters that they play an important role in protecting Michigan's waters from invasive species this summer."
  
  
• Don't give large farms the leeway to pollute
  (Detroit Free Press, 6/26) COMMENTARY: "Those of us fortunate enough to live in Michigan too often take for granted our vast and transcendent water resources: 36,000 miles of rivers and streams, 11,000 inland lakes, and 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline."
  
  
• Saginaw Bay slowly trying to get off EPA's 'worst of worst' list
  (Bay City Times, 6/22) "For 20 years, the Saginaw River and Bay has been marked as the most polluted spot in the Great Lakes. Local officials, however, say the quality of the water bodies has improved since the river and bay were designated as a federal Area of Concern in 1987."
  
  
• E. coli closes Pere Marquette beach for a day
  (MUskegon Chronicle, 6/21) "First it was algae, then it was E. coli. Considered by some to be Michigan's cleanest beach, Pere Marquette Park has had a rough start to the summer season. Health officials on Tuesday issued a warning that E. coli levels in the water at the beach exceeded safe standards."
  
  
• Michigan surface water information management system
  (DEQ, 6/21) NEWS RELEASE: "The Department of Environmental Quality, in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Information Technology, announced today the availability of the Michigan Surface Water Information Management (MiSWIM) system."

—  Wastewater

• Proposed septic regulations causing uproar
  (WLNS Lansing, 6/25) "A proposed regulation on septic systems is causing an uproar in Eaton County. The Barry Eaton Health Department says those regulations are needed to keep the public safe, but not everyone agrees. About 15,000 homes in Eaton County have septic systems and water wells, but new data shows 10% of these systems are failed."
  
  
• Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative presentation
  (DEQ, 6/22) NEWS RELEASE: "The Department of Environmental Quality and the Partnership for the Saginaw Bay Watershed will be hosting a presentation on successful projects to address Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) to the Saginaw River on July 11, at 7 p.m. at the Bay City Recreation Area Visitors Center, 3585 State Park Drive, Bay City."
  

—  Landfill

• New legal team hired by 54 parties for landfill lawsuit
  (Cadillac News, 6/27) "A new legal team with some impressive environmental chops is taking over a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the Wexford County Landfill."
  

—  Everything Else

• Revolving fund loans provide communities with infrastructure help
  (DEQ, 6/27) NEWS RELEASE: "Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester has announced 17 new loan commitments totaling $43,625,000 from the revolving fund programs to assist local communities in making needed infrastructure improvements."
  
  
• Keeping Ferndale green
  (Detroit Free Press, 6/22) "Ferndale could qualify as a green city based on its tree-lined streets and lush parks. But what makes this suburban community of about 20,000 residents green is its commitment to environmentally friendly living."

Minnesota

—  Water Supply

• Lewis & Clark water money advances
  (KXMC Minot, 6/27) "A U-S Senate subcommittee had advanced legislation that would provide 28 (m) million dollars for the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System in southeastern South Dakota, northwestern Iowa and southwestern Minnesota."
  
  
• 3M chemical prompts state to offer bottled water to 6 homes
  (St. Paul Pioneer Press, 6/27) "A chemical manufactured by the 3M Corp. has been found in a new area of Cottage Grove - at high enough levels so the state is providing bottled water to six homes."
  
  
• Wells in 2 towns exceed standards for alpha emitters, radium
  (Rochester Post & Bulletin, 6/26) "Water from city wells in Goodview and La Crescent exceeded Minnesota Department of Health standards for gross alpha emitters and radium, the Minnesota Department of Health said."
  
  
• Arsenic in Dilworth water exceeds standard
  (Fargo In Forum, 6/22) "Arsenic levels in the Dilworth water system exceeded new Environmental Protection Agency standards in 2006, a Minnesota Department of Health study shows."
  

—  Water Resources

• Agencies wrestle with phosphorus control
  (MEP, 6/27) "It's summer, so the algae is starting to bloom. Algae can turn a pristine lake into a gummy mess. It feeds on phosphorus, commonly found in fertilizer. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency wants to restrict how much phosphorus gets into watersheds."
  
  
• Conservation drainage field day held near Wilmont
  (Murray county News, 6/27) "Drainage has long been a concern to Minnesota farmers. With the help of a grant, a five state study is underway to determine if conservation drainage would be better — for the farmers and for the environment."
  
  
• French visitors come to learn more about drainage
  (Minnesota Agri News, 6/26) "On June 13, two visitors from southwest France, Eric Fraysse and Eirios Hugo, came to Minnesota to learn local techniques for water conservation and quality."
  
  
• Algae blooms can harm people, animals
  (Willmar West Central Tribune, 6/25) "When in doubt, stay out. That’s the word from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on algae accumulations on the state’s lakes."
  
  
• Why is natural aquatic habitat important?
  (MEP, 6/26) "Financial advisors will tell you that a diverse stock portfolio is your best bet to protect your investments under a wide range of market conditions. That same advice is equally true when it comes to aquatic habitats. Diverse aquatic habitats are our best bet for sustaining healthy lakes and the fish and wildlife that are dependent upon them."
  
  
• Eden Prairie: To drain or not to drain
  (Minneapolis Star Press, 6/21) "Eden Prairie wants to drain two of the three Anderson Lakes along Hwy. 169 this fall, hoping that Mother Nature will control a weed that is slowly turning the water to pea soup."
  

—  Solid/Toxic Waste

• Researcher silenced, lawmaker looks into claim
  (Associated Press, 6/21) "A state lawmaker wants the Legislature to investigate the claims of a former state worker who contends in a whistleblower lawsuit that he was fired because he planned to testify about his research into the dangers of the farm chemical atrazine."
  

—  Everything Else

• Natural resources are finally noticed
  (MEP, 6/25) "Minnesota's natural resources — its waters, lands, wildlife and the recreation they provide — long have been considered the state's jewels. But often they were taken for granted."

Ohio

—  Water Supply

• Cheap home water-testing kit
  (WCPO Ohio, 6/26) "A lot of homeowners are concerned about their drinking water these days. You can pay a company to test your water to find out what kind of contaminants you have … but that can cost a hundred dollars or more. So what about a cheaper option?"
  

—  Water Resources

• City replaces asbestos-containing supply pipes
  (Marietta Times, 6/28) "Some Marietta water lines are made from a substance that contains asbestos, but state environmental officials, who are watching the situation, say it’s not a major problem."

• Hocking River levels lowest in memory, reflect developing drought
  (Athens News, 6/25) "If the Athens area doesn't get some substantial rains soon, the Hocking River may begin looking more like a creek. Already, one can walk across the river at several spots in Athens County, and local officials are taking note of how low the river is."
  
  
• Operation TLC seeks volunteers for river cleanup
  (Ironton Tribune, 6/27) "Litter along the river is a problem for many areas on the Ohio. Each year, crews of volunteers walk along the banks cleaning up the debris. Two women, Billie Smith and Taunya Wilson, started an organization to actually work on cleanup and beautification of the area."
  
  
• Little Miami's water tested near factory
  (Cincinnati Enquirer, 6/22) "Environmental scientists floated down the Little Miami River Thursday to shock and capture fish swimming near the towering smokestack of a World War I munitions factory."
  
  
• Lake Erie: How's the water?
  (ODNR, 6/21) NEWS RELEASE: "The Ohio Lake Erie Commission has awarded a total of $49,980 to five research projects that will benefit Lake Erie and its environmental and economic resources."
  

—  Wastewater

• Ohio EPA proposes amended sewage sludge rules
  (Ohio EPA, 6/27) NEWS RELEASE: "Ohio EPA Proposes Amended Sewage Sludge Rules After initial public comment, Ohio EPA has simplified and proposed some draft rules that govern the use, storage, treatment and disposal of sewage sludge."
  
  
• Belpre sewers to change
  (Marietta Times, 6/26) "Of the 21 miles of storm sewer lines in the city, about half of the pipes are smaller than what an engineering report says is needed to move storm water through the system."
  

—  Solid Waste/Pollution

• Fischer approves Brownfield loan for Erie County Project
  (ODOD, 6/26) NEWS RELEASE: "Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher, Director of the Ohio Department of Development, today announced the approval of a $618,000 loan from the Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund for the remediation and redevelopment of the former Bechtel-McLaughlin site in Erie County's Perkins Township."
  
  
• Deadlines loom to reduce mercury emissions
  (Cincinnati Post, 6/25) "Schools are purging old thermometer supplies. The future of light-up shoes is on the rocks. And states are questioning America's need for blinking jewelry, flashing greeting cards and twinkling Christmas lights, all containing toxic mercury."

—  Everything Else

• AEP to repay Columbus Grove for overcharges
  (Akron Beacon Journal, 6/26) "American Electric Power plans to repay this village more than $25,000 it was overcharged for electricity at its water plant since 1999, officials said."
  
  
• C-TEC goes green for expansion
  (Newark Advocate, 6/25) "From its white reflective roof down to drainage tiles made from recycled milk cartons, C-TEC is on the cutting edge and the first of its kind in Ohio."

Wisconsin

—  Water Supply

• Coliform bacteria found in wells in Door County
  (Fond du Lac Reporter, 6/27) "About 28 percent of 81 wells tested over the weekend in the area surrounding the Log Den restaurant have come back positive for coliform bacteria, according to the Door County Public Health Department."
  
  
• Fond du Lac couple's water treatment device marketed globally
  (Oshkosh Northwestern, 6/26) "Retirement isn't an option for one local couple. Robert and Sally Arthur, owners of Respirometry Plus, said they may have slowed down since they started the business more than 40 years ago, but they don't intend to quit working any time soon."
  

—  Water Resources

• Lakes shrinking in Waushara County
  (WBAY Green Bay, 6/28) "In Waushara County, you only need to look at the water to see how dry it is. 'It's way down. The water used to be way up there,' Ted Johnson of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources points. Johnson says the growing shorelines and the shrinking water level on Lake Huron are a common sight all over Waushara County."
  
  
• DNR: Polluted runoff from fire flowed to contaminated wetland
  (Janesville Gazette Extra, 6/27) "Polluted water from a fire that gutted an industrial chemical recycling plant flooded a wetland area already contaminated by chemicals from the plant years ago, a spokesman for state regulators said Monday."
  
  
• Beaver Creek planning wetland train excursion
  (Chippewa Herald, 6/27) "Beaver Creek Reserve, 4½ miles north of Fall Creek on Highway K, is a place that connects people with nature. It is hosting programs throughout the next several months."
  
  
• DNR may continue mercury tests near Badger plant
  (Baraboo News Republic, 6/26) "Recent testing by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources found the levels of mercury in a Lake Wisconsin bay near the Badger Army Ammunition Plant to be significantly higher than levels reported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last year."
  
  
• Studies find changing levels of mercury in fish, PCBs in people
  (WDNR, 6/25) NEWS RELEASE: "Wisconsin’s updated fish consumption advisory booklet, 'Choose Wisely, A Health Guide for Eating Fish in Wisconsin,' arrives as studies show mixed trends in contaminant levels in sport-caught fish and the people who eat them."

• Wisconsin AG's opinion on water policy still out of public view
  (Political Environment, 6/18) BLOG: "Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources is still reviewing a revised application from the City of New Berlin for permission to divert water from Lake Michigan to a part of the city that is outside of the Great Lakes basin boundary."
  

—  Wastewater

• Will sewer service suck some into the City of Beloit?
  (Janesville Gazette, 6/27) "You don't get much choice when you live within a 'Section 208' sewer service district. When your septic system fails, you must hook up to municipal sewer."
  
  
• Vernon County moratorium big hog farms is needed
  (Vernon County Broadcaster, 6/21) "Does it make sense for Vernon County to have large-scale hog farms dotting the landscape? In most ways, no. But, likely we're getting at least one. The question now is what can be done to ensure environmental safety before we get another, and another, and so forth?"
  

—  Everything Else

• Darlington: Water testing, Clean Sweep prep at fair
  (Monroe Times Plus, 6/27) "Do you have questions about what to dispose of at the Clean Sweep in September? Did you know you can bring computer equipment as well as chemicals? Do you wonder if the water you drink is safe?"