skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Alaska covers fewer kids with public insurance vs. 2019; Judge Cannon indefinitely postpones Trump's classified docs trial; Federal initiative empowers communities with career creation; Ohio teacher salaries haven't kept pace with inflation.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Former Speaker Paul Ryan weighs in on the 2024 Presidential election. President Biden condemns anti-semitism. And the House calls more college and university presidents to testify on handling pro-Palestine protests.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Some small towns in North Dakota worry they'll go to pot if marijuana is legalized, school vouchers are becoming a litmus test for Republicans, and Bennington, Vermont implements an innovative substance abuse recovery program.

Oil Spills Aren’t Confined to the Gulf

play audio
Play

Tuesday, July 6, 2010   

PORTLAND, Ore. - The giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is getting all the attention, but the National Academy of Sciences says little oil spills also can add up to big problems for the environment. The academy estimates that every decade, more than 300 million gallons of oil leak from vehicles or are dumped illegally.

For years, Oregon has had a public awareness campaign and collection system to recycle used oil. Ben Benninghoff, municipal storm-water program coordinator with the Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ), says it's all too easy to pour oil onto the ground or into a storm drain without considering the consequences.

"As these sorts of pollutants wash off the roadways or are directly discharged into storm-sewer systems, they do reach the waterway and affect the wildlife and the fish - everything from the food cycle and the food web to reproduction."

Many Oregon communities accept oil as part of their curbside recycling programs, Benninghoff notes, and in other towns, it can be taken to transfer stations. He warns there are hefty penalties for disposing of it in other ways. Starting this month, Oregon has added paint to the list of recyclable products.

Becky Wehrman, an environmental compliance consultant, says waste oil can be burned as a heat source or recycled into a number of other products, but it does no one any good if it ends up on the ground or in the sewer system.

"Oil doesn't break down. So any time oil is spilled in the environment, there is the potential that all of it could leach into the groundwater. Oil can permeate through the soil and get down to the ground water fairly easily."

Wehrman says in rural areas, some people still use their old oil for weed control, which can contaminate well water - a complicated and expensive problem to fix.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Healthcare organizations in Nebraska and elsewhere are struggling to fill nursing positions, which can have significant consequences for patient care. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

It's National Nurses Week, and educators and healthcare officials say there just aren't enough of them to go around. A combination of retiring baby …


Environment

play sound

There are nearly 150,000 miles of rivers and streams in South Dakota, but new data show many of those don't meet state standards for safe water …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Birth doulas assist new moms with the stress, uncertainty and anxiety of childbirth, while another type of doula offers similar support to those who …


A report from the nonprofit Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project showed student demonstrations make up around one-third of all U.S. protests related to the Israel-Hamas War since it began. (Kalaya'an Mendoza)

Social Issues

play sound

New York groups are providing student protesters with resources to help sustain demonstrations safely and peacefully, as the war between Israel and …

Social Issues

play sound

The first week of May is designated as Teacher Appreciation Week in the United States. The push to honor teachers started in 1953 when First Lady …

Researchers with the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions say safe storage of firearms is a good way to prevent suicides, especially when adolescents are in the home. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The end date for Minnesota's legislative session is less than two weeks away. One of the remaining debates is gun safety and supporters of a safe …

Social Issues

play sound

The shortage of educators and school staffers has reached a crisis level in some Pennsylvania public schools, prompting a new "Educators Rising" …

Social Issues

play sound

A collaboration between the federal government and local communities works to create new career opportunities. The Flint Environmental Career Worker …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021