News & Public Affairs

Is coal ash adequately regulated at the state or federal levels? listen

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Tags: coal ash, EarthJustice, coal, EPA, Bill Nelson

One byproduct of burning coal for electricity is coal ash. Last week we aired an interview with Lisa Evans, senior legislative counsel at EarthJustice about the potential dangers of coal ash storage in Florida. In this second half, she talks about how coal ash is -- or isn't -- regulated on the federal an...

EarthJustice warns of potential dangers at coal ash disposal sites in Florida listen

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Tags: coal ash, EarthJustice, coal

Most electricity produced in Florida comes from burning coal. In addition to the carbon dioxide and particulate air pollution one byproduct is what’s called coal ash. Often it’s stored in landfills or disposal ponds. But the environmental and legal organization EarthJustice has documented seven cases of coal ash contamination of water in Florida. Lisa Evans is senior legislative counsel at EarthJustice and spoke abo...

Controversial strawberry pesticide methyl iodide pulled from US market listen

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Tags: methyl iodide, farm workers, Arysta Lifescience, EarthJustice, strawberries

Last year WMNF reporter Kelly Benjamin produced a report about the toxic fumigant methyl iodide being used in Florida on strawberry and tomato fields and how Florida's Department of Agriculture does not keep track of where the pesticide has been used. Now, after months of harsh criticism and a lawsuit on behalf of health, farmworker and environmental activist groups, the makers of methyl iodide are suspending all US sales.

On Tuesday, Arysta Lifesci...

EPA won't set estuary pollution standards until 2011 listen

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Tags: fertilizer, EPA, FDEP, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, EPA water standards, EarthJustice, Sierra Club, phosphorous, nitrogen fertilizer, nitrogen pollution

On Wednesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it’s not going to enforce key pollution restrictions in the state’s estuaries. That is, not until next year.

In 2008, several environmental groups sued the EPA, claiming it wasn’t enforcing the Clean Water Act in the Sunshine State. As a result, it developed standards for the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous that can flow into Florida’s lakes, rivers and estuaries...

Environmental groups want more protections from pesticides listen

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Tags: Linda Saul-Sena, Tampa City Council, pesticides, EarthJustice, EPA

According to the Tampa Tribune, Tampa City Council member Linda Saul-Sena wants the city to ban a type of pesticide. Saul-Sena wants Tampa to forbid the use of Curfew, made by Dow AgroScience, which is used to kill tiny worms on the lawns of city parks and golf courses. The pesticide, which contains the chemical 1,3-dichloropropene, has been banned in some northern states and in Miami-Dade County because it might contaminate drinking water.

In other pesticide news, a coalition of nonprof...