- Traci Enjoying a Day on the River
One of PRN’s water resources scientist, Traci Barkley, was working to protect clean water at a recent water discharge permit public hearing held by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency at the SIC Foundation Center in Harrisburg.
She voiced concerns that increased mine activity would disturb the land and vegetative covers and affect water quality. Read more about the large turnout posted on TheSouthern.com.
If you haven’t yet read the New York Times article entitled “Toxic Waters: Clean Water Laws Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering“ that appeared Sunday, September 13, I encourage you to do so now.
The article paints a stark picture of health threats posed by pollution in our nation’s waters. Pollution found in our drinking water is making people sick and has been linked to cancer and damage to the kidneys and nervous system. The Environmental Protection Agency and state regulatory agencies are charged with carrying out the Clean Water Act and the Safe Water Drinking Act in order to ensure clean, safe drinking water. However, between a “culture of transgression and apathy” and a doubling in the number of regulated facilities in the last ten years, the agencies responsible for making sure the laws are enforced are not getting the job done. {Continue Reading »}
- Chicago ranks 14th of the top 30 cities that are at high heat risk
The National Wildlife Federation, NWF, recently posted a report titled “Global Warming Bringing More Extreme Heat Waves.” The report details how:
Global warming will bring more extreme heat waves
Urban air pollution could be exacerbated by more extreme heat
Heat waves disproportionately impact people who are poor, elderly, children, or have asthma or heart disease, or live in big cities
Natural habitats and agriculture are also vulnerable to heat waves
We can reduce the severity of heat waves and their impacts on vulnerable people
Listen here to Eric Freyfogle, PRN board member and supporter for over ten years, discuss who owns our water resources here in Illinois on WILL Focus 580, Illinois Public Media.
On August 23, 2009, Governor Quinn signed a bill protecting Illinois’ drinking water supplies from pollution. To find out more, read the press release from the Illinois Government News Network.
A recent article appearing in Illinois Issues, entitled “