NATIONAL GRID TO PAY $5.38M FOR DAMAGES CAUSED BY GLOUCESTER GAS LIGHT COMPANY

WesternDredging.org

National Grid has agreed to pay $5.38 million to state and federal agencies due to claims over environmental damage caused by the Gloucester Gas Light Company. From 1854 to 1952 hazardous chemicals were released by the plant contaminating soil, groundwater, and sediment in Gloucester Harbor. The plant was in the business of transforming coal and oil into gas leaving tar, sludge, and oil as byproducts. Of the settlement $5.3 million will be used of restoration projects implemented by the U.S. Department of the Interior through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, officials said.

MAN ACCUSED OF CAUSING $14M IN DAMAGES BY FLOODING S.F. HIGH-RISE WANTS CHARGES CUT

www.SFChronicle.com

Michael Nien lived on the 15th floor of a 28-story residential tower at 100 Van Ness. According to police reports, in October 2022 he allegedly ran down the hallways of the building banging on doors. He then stopped on the 11th floor and twisted open a high-pressure fire hose valve causing water to flood through hallways and seep into hundreds of apartments below resulting in $14 million worth of damages.

Nien was charged with felony vandalism and resisting arrest. His attorney has filed a motion to reduce charges from a felony to misdemeanor. Developer Oz Erickson and Emerald Fund associate Brynn McKiernan argued that the felony charges should stick due to the damages and the 260 residents who had to relocate for three months while the building was repaired.

6 MILES OF CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER CLOSED AHEAD OF HOLIDAY WEEKEND DUE TO E. COLI CONTAMINATION

www.WSBTV.com

A sewage discharge has caused the closure of a six-mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River in Roswell, Georgie due to E. coli contamination. E. coli is the common name for various strains of bacteria.

Jason Ulseth, a member of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper says that contamination was found on June 29th at the bottom of the riverbed. Additionally, portions of disintegrated toilet paper were seen floating in the area according to Ulseth. Crews have been tracking and sampling the contamination for over a week. Ulseth says it is difficult to know when the closure will be lifted.

‘FOREVER CHEMICALS’ ARE IN FORT WORTH’S DRINKING WATER

www.DallasNews.com

In March 2023 the Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first-ever national drinking water standard for six perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS. Under these rules public water utilities such as Fort Worth’s water department will be required to monitor for the 6 chemicals in the PFAS family.

Fort Worth plans to initiate monthly testing starting July 2023 in addition to federally mandated testing that started January 2023. City staff plans to pursue any grant money and low-interest loans available to fund “treatability studies.” These studies would explore a possible engineering processes to treat PFAS such as carbon absorption, reverse osmosis, and ion exchange.

ATTORNEY GENERAL BROWN SUES 3M, DUPONT, AND OTHER CHEMICAL MANUFACTURERS FOR PFAS CONTAMINATION OF MARYLAND’S WATERS AND OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES

www.MilitaryPoisons.org

3M, Dupont, and other chemical manufacturers of toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are being sued by Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown. The two lawsuits filed allege that these corporations have caused PFAS contamination of the State’s environment and put the health of Maryland’s residents at risk.

PFAS exposure has been linked to diseases such as kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, high cholesterol, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and low birth weight, and may also impair the immune system, including the immune response to vaccines.

The two lawsuits seek to recover damages as well as the costs associated with the investigation, cleanup, and restoration of natural resources from PFAS contamination.

ROLLING HILLS CALIFORNIA LANDSLIDE WIPED OUT $1 MILLION+ HOMES

www.WFLX.com

Multiple homes in Rolling Hills Estates were damaged in the aftermath of a massive landslide. Evacuation orders for 16 residents were issued by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, leaving residents with 20 minutes to collect their belongings and evacuate. No injuries were reported but a dozen homes were totaled.

Officials are waiting on geologists to determine what caused the landslide. The Rolling Hills Estates City Council is expected to declare a local state emergency and the Los Angeles County assessor pledged support to impacted residents through reassessing property values and lowering or eliminating their property tax.

SEVERE STORM RIPS ROOF OFF NORTH HUDSON APARTMENT BUILDING

www.Fox9.com

Approximately 14,000 families lost power, as a result of a severe storm across Minnesota and western Wisconsin. About 5,000 families were out of power after the storm subsided. The storm uprooted trees, snapped them in half, warped trampolines, and left piles of hail.

Ed Ratledge was asleep on the couch in his apartment when, “Both bedrooms, ceiling came down, completely straight down”…“If I would've been sleeping in the bedroom, the whole thing would've came down on me”.

Suzanne, another resident impacted by the storm said that it, “Seemed to come out of nowhere. Suddenly there's wind and hail. I thought our windows were gonna blow in,”…”Things just flying everywhere, so scariest storm I've been in a very long time”.

BEACH CLOSURES IN NEW ENGLAND BECAUSE OF CONTAMINATION

www.Boston.com

Beaches across New England are being closed or placed under an advisory because of high levels of contamination. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported that 78 public beaches were closed. In New Hampshire, nearly a dozen beaches and bodies of water were placed under some sort of advisory. In Maine, 8 beaches closed due to contamination. In Vermont, 10 State Parks did not allow swimming.

Heavy rainfall was linked to flooding, contamination, and agricultural runoff into lakes, ponds, and coastal waters. The contamination in most of the closures is from high levels of E. coli associated with waste; however, other closures were for algae blooms, which can be toxic. Exposure from swimming in contaminated waters can cause skin rashes, gastrointestinal and respiratory issues.

Massachusetts officials are being called on by environmental groups to take control of sewage overflows and pollution runoff. According to the Environmental Massachusetts Research & Policy Center, last year 274 Massachusetts beaches were potentially unsafe for swimming on at least one testing day.