NRDC testing shows chemical restrictions work to protect public health June 8, 2026Margie Kellymkelly@nrdc.orgSenior Strategic Communications Manager WASHINGTON, DC – State laws are working to get PFAS “forever chemicals” out of everything from yoga pants to tablecloths, new testing by NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) shows. NRDC tested more than 100 products and found a […]
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By Olivia Harden, Travel ReporterJune 8, 2026 What was once one of San Diego County’s affordable vacation towns has been forced to close its beach for more than 1,000 days. An acrid smell lingers in the air, and the sewage and chemical pollution surging from the Tijuana River are visible from space. It’s more than enough to ruin an afternoon […]
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Health 31 January 2026By Carly Cassella People who are exposed to certain forever chemicals may be at greater risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new research. No one knows why that is, but it could help explain why, over the past 30 years, the prevalence of MS has increased by an average of 26 percent globally. In some […]
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Apex predators and people may get the highest doses By Molly GlickDecember 23, 2025 After teeny ocean organisms pick up lingering forever chemicals swirling in water, these man-made substances travel up the food chain—from, say, krill, to anchovies, to the tuna that we place in our grocery carts. These chemicals, also known as per- and […]
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The city is hoping to take its suit alleging PFAS contamination of the city’s groundwater, by more than 40 companies, to trial.by Gregory Weaver December 9, 2025 What’s at stake? Fresno’s water has been clocked with some of the worst contamination of ‘forever chemicals,’ known as PFAS, across the U.S. Cleanup is expected to be prohibitably expensive. […]
Read MoreArtificial turf was once promoted as a water-saving, low-maintenance alternative to natural grass. In reality, this material has proven to be harmful to both the environment and the people who use it.By contrast, well-chosen natural grass suited to local soil conditions requires minimal maintenance and will greatly reduce injury risk. It’s no wonder professional baseball and […]
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Researchers found that chemicals, including PFAS, from pharmaceuticals are entering into wastewater — which can be used as drinking water during times of drought. The plants’ inability to remove compounds known as organofluorines from wastewater before it enters drinking water supplies becomes even more pronounced during droughts and could affect up to 23 million people, […]
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A coalition of environmental groups are calling on local officials and regulators to shutter two controversial dump sites that have long operated in the Napa Valley hills near Calistoga. MARISA ENDICOTT THE PRESS DEMOCRAT August 14, 2024 A plan to close Napa Valley’s controversial Clover Flat Landfill and move waste to the Potrero Hills Landfill in Suisun […]
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A plan to close the controversial Clover Flat Landfill in the Napa Valley, and to haul waste materials to the Potrero Hills Landfill in Suisun City, is moving forward. EDWARD BOOTH THE PRESS DEMOCRAT October 21, 2024 A plan to close Napa Valley’s controversial Clover Flat Landfill and move waste to the Potrero Hills Landfill in Suisun […]
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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.” –Margaret Mead In this issue, we interview two local activists, Anne Wheaton and Geoff Ellsworth. They have pleaded with public agencies for years to address Clover Flat Landfill’s dangerous conditions, which result from radioactive […]
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While we’re on the topic of federal investigations into wine-country wheelings and dealings. Over in the Napa Valley, as you probably know by now, the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI have been sniffing around for the better part of the last year, apparently looking into county government officials and their connections to wine-industry power players […]
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Much has been made — and rightly so — about the potential impact on human health and the Japanese fishing industry if Japan moves forward with its proposal to dump 1.2 million cubic meters — that’s 1.3 million tons —of radioactively contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean from the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant site.
Unfortunately, this looks likely to happen sometime this month or next despite the worldwide outcry. But when I say “happen”, that rather suggests a one-off dump. Instead, the discharge of these liquid nuclear wastes could […]
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Petaluma River Brims With ‘Fecal Bacteria’
The river winding through downtown Petaluma might be the city’s single most defining feature. The city’s annual rivertown revival festival features views of the river and, farther south, recreationists use the water for entertainment and exercise every day.
Yet, since 1975, the state has designated the water a contaminated water body due to excessive levels of bacteria tied to fecal […]
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Summary The panel vacated the district court’s summary judgment in favor of the City of Vacaville and remanded for further proceedings in a citizen suit brought by California River Watch under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. River Watch claimed that the City’s water wells were contaminated by a carcinogen called hexavalent chromium, which in […]
Read MoreReaders: This is a situation where there is an attempt to continue polluting groundwater and therefore the beaches and ocean where fresh water ends up. You can help by boycotting traveling there and opting to go somewhere else where environmental laws are respected and followed. Or you can send a letter out of outrage using […]
Read MoreVERY IMPORTANT MEETING TO ADOPT PATHOGEN TMDL. PLEASE TRY TO ATTEND EVEN IF YOU DON’T PLAN TO SPEAK. AUGUST 14, 2019 BEGINNING SOON AFTER 8:30 AM. 5550 Skylane Blvd., Santa Rosa, near the Sonoma County Airport. This action will provide the basis for new septic management requirements. For instance: Septic inspections by a qualified expert […]
Read MoreNovember 6, 2018, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Sixty-nine pharmaceutical compounds have been detected in stream insects, some at concentrations that may threaten animals that feed on them, such as trout and platypus. When these insects emerge as flying adults, they can pass drugs to spiders, birds, bats, and other streamside foragers. These findings by an […]
Read MoreTo All, TEDX’s one-page fact sheet, Understanding Endocrine Disruption, is a brief non-technical overview of endocrine disrupting chemicals, how we are exposed to them, and how they affect our health. It also includes tips and links to help you reduce exposure to endocrine disruptors. Who needs a fact sheet? Everyone from your congressional representative to your […]
Read MoreElizabeth “Betsy” Lake HIGHLIGHTS: The California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) has published its final draft proposed rule for a “State Wetland Definition and Procedures for Discharges of Dredged or Fill Material to Waters of the State” (Proposed Rule). The Proposed Rule includes a definition of wetlands applicable to State Water Board […]
Read MoreResearchers found a wide array of contaminants in Puget Sound fish By Pippa Wysong March 30, 2016 The fish in Washington State’s Puget Sound are on drugs. In juvenile chinook salmon and staghorn sculpin, researchers recently found traces of more than 40 different contaminants, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and industrial chemicals. The presence of […]
Read MoreNicholas J. Niemuth, Rebecca D. Klaper Highlights Fish were exposed to metformin at concentrations relevant to wastewater effluent. Exposure from early life stages to adulthood caused intersex in male fish. Exposure caused a reduction in fecundity and in overall size of male fish. Results suggest that metformin is a potential endocrine disruptor in the environment. […]
Read MoreTo River Watch readers: Our website has had several articles in the past on the impacts of endocrine disruptors in streams and other waters of the USA. Most of these chemicals come from pharmaceutical sources released through normal waste discharge without being filtered or treated. What has been revealed is that, unlike many other potentially […]
Read MoreTo All, This is a message from Karen of Clean Water Network that should be of interest to River Watch members and supporters. Larry Exposed Soil = Pollution The Key to Halting Damage to 36,000 Miles Of U.S. Waterways Annually Hello CWN members, I’m Richard Klein. I’ve been helping folks throughout the U.S. win sediment […]
Read MoreFebruary 24, 2016 by Richard Harth Every hour, a multitude of chemicals complete their use life in homes, agricultural fields and industries and flood into the environment. The ultimate fate of these compounds is often poorly understood, as are the risks they may pose to humans and the ecosystems that are essential for our survival […]
Read MoreJanuary 16, 2014 by Richard Harth Thousands of chemicals serving a variety of human needs flood into sewage treatment plants once their use life has ended. Many belong to a class of chemicals known as CECs (for chemicals of emerging concern), which may pose risks to both human and environmental health. Arjun Venkatesan, a recent […]
Read MoreExtensive results challenge a core assumption in toxicology by Pete Myers, Ph.D. and Wendy Hessler The “dose makes the poison” is a common adage in toxicology. It implies that larger doses have greater effects than smaller doses. That makes common sense and it is the core assumption underpinning all regulatory testing. When “the dose makes […]
Read MoreSpeaker: Beverley Andersen-Abbs State Water Resources Control Board January 28th 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. CalEPA HQ Building, Training Room 2 East and West https://stateofcaswrcbweb.centurylinkccc.com/CenturylinkWeb/JarmaBennett If you have more question, please contact: · Dawit Tadesse at dawit.tadesse@waterboards.ca.gov or (916) 341-5486 · Michelle Tang at Michelle.Tang@waterboards.ca.gov or (916) 341-5504 Best, Greg
Read MoreMay 30, 2012 at 5:54 pm Yes, if the first comprehensive review of the issue in a decade is correct in concluding that low doses of chemicals can harm health. Although the hypothesis that chemicals can have health effects at doses much lower than those routinely tested in the toxicological evaluation of chemicals is much-discussed, […]
Read MoreTo All, This is from the North Coast Regional Water Board. The public hearing scheduled for November 19, 2015, to consider adoption of the proposed Russian River Watershed Pathogen Indicator Bacteria Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) has been postponed. Instead, at the public meeting to be held on November 19, 2015 at 5550 Skylane Blvd., […]
Read MoreBy Darryl Fears, May 27 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army finalized the Clean Water Rule to protect from pollution and degradation of the nation’s water resources in streams and wetlands. EPA strengthens federal protections for small streams The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army finalized the Clean Water Rule […]
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