BOIL WATER ADVISORY ISSUED FOR A 50-SQUARE-BLOCK AREA OF WEST BALTIMORE

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The Department of Public Works (DPW) for Baltimore, Maryland, has issued a “boil water advisory” for 54 square blocks of Harlem Park and the southern part of Sandtown-Winchester. This issue was released nearly 24 hours after Baltimore officials learned of E. coli contamination. Initially the Department of Public Works (DPW) said the contamination was confined to three city-owned facilities in West Baltimore. Officials said September 5th that the advisory affects approximately 1,500 residential and commercial buildings located within the impacted area of Riggs Avenue on the north and West Franklin Street on the south, and Pulaski Street on the west and North Carey Street on the east.

CHARRED CALIFORNIA TOWN NO STRANGER TO WILDFIRE

MyNorthWest.com

A California wildfire has displaced thousands of people in the small community of Weed about 50 miles south of the Oregon border. The Mill Fire started at Roseburg Forest Productsand spread into the Lincoln Heights neighborhood where a significant number of homes burned. 7,500 residents were told to evacuate as the fire took over 6.6 square miles. By Saturday night, the fire had been 25% contained and a total of 100 structures had been damaged or burned completely.

WOLVERINE WORLDWIDE AND 3M AGREE TO $54 MILLION SETTLEMENT OVER KENT COUNTY PFAS CONTAMINATION

www.Century21.com

Preliminary approval of a $54 million settlement has been given by a federal judge in order to help homeowners affected by PFAS contamination in northern Kent County, Michigan. A lawsuit was filed against Wolverine Worldwide and 3M. The $54 million will be divided among four groups of property owners: those who are eligible to be connected to municipal water, those who received filters for their well-water, properties where no filtration is in place, and properties where PFAS levels tested below state standards.

Prior to the settlement, Wolverine Worldwide agreed to pay more than $69 million for homes with contaminated wells in the area to be connected to municipal water systems, and 3M agreed to pay $55 million to Wolverine Worldwide to cover its obligations.

FLOODS RAVAGE PAKISTAN LEAVING 1,000 DEAD AND $10 BILLION IN DAMAGE

www.WSJ.com

The largest amount of rainfall in three decades has caused Pakistan to flood, killing at least 1,000 people and caused more than $10 billion in damage. This extreme weather event came after some of the highest recorded temperatures across South Asia. There was no immediate assessment of how badly the various sectors of the economy had been affected and the damage may exceed $10 billion.

'FOREVER CHEMICALS' POSE CONCERN IN NEW MEXICO

www.LubbockOnline.com

New Mexico's environmental regulators warned on August 25th to state lawmakers that taxpayers could be financially responsible for groundwater contamination since the U.S. Defense Department continues to challenge the state's authority to force cleanup of "forever chemicals" at Cannon Air Force Base. The plumes of PFAS compounds are projected to move further beyond the boundaries of Cannon Air Force Base. The state has already spent $6 million on the problem. Lawmakers suggested they might consider amending the state's hazardous waste law to remove any ambiguity regarding the Environment Department's authority for toxic chemicals.

A COMMUNITY SACRIFICED TO URANIUM MINING POLLUTION

Pulitzercenter.org

The northwestern New Mexico communities of Murray Acres and Broadview Acres have created a "Death Map" detailing residents in the area that have died from thyroid disease, cancer, and breast cancer. The residents believe that the cause of these illnesses is due to the 22.2 million tons of uranium waste left over from milling ore. A 1958 uranium mill owned by Homestake Mining Company of California processed and refined ore mined nearby. The waste left behind leaked uranium and selenium into groundwater and released the cancer-causing gas radon into the air.

In the 1980s, Homestake promised residents of Murray Acres and Broadview Acres that the groundwater would be cleaned within a decade. After missing that deadline, the company told regulators it would complete the job around 2006, then by 2013. In 2014, an EPA report confirmed the site posed a cancer risk and identified radon as the greatest threat to residents’ health. The cleanup target date shifted again to 2017, then 2022.

MANY STILL SEEKING FOOD, SHELTER A YEAR AFTER HAITI QUAKE

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More than 2,200 people were killed during the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that shook Southern Haiti on August 14, 2021. More than 130,000 houses were damaged or destroyed as well. There are several camps surrounding the southern coastal city of Les Cayes where residents are still waiting for government assistance. In an effort of the property owner trying to take back the land where the refugees settled, property owners have ripped apart the shacks, thrown rocks at families and tried to set the camp on fire twice in recent months.

The government says it has planted 400 tons of beans, cleaned 10,000 meters of canals, distributed 22,000 bags of fertilizer and donated more than 300,000 baskets filled with basic goods. It has provided $100 each to vulnerable people in tens of thousands of homes across the south. However, more than 250,000 children still have no access to adequate schools and that the majority of 1,250 schools destroyed or damaged have not been rebuilt.

SBA OFFERS DISASTER ASSISTANCE TO OAK FIRE SURVIVORS

www.kqed.org

California Business and residents affected by the Oak Fire that began on July 22, 2022, will be offered a low-interest federal disaster loan. The Small Business Administration (SBA) declared a disaster under its own authority in response to a request from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s authorized representative, Mark Ghilarducci, on Aug. 6, 2022. The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available in Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne counties. Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

MODERN BUILDING CODES COULD HELP REDUCE NATURAL DISASTER DAMAGES

www.ValuePenguin.com

The most recent ValuePenguin study indicated that property owners could be financially protected against losses from certain whether events by adopting building codes established in 2015 or later. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has indicated that properties across the U.S could save $ 1.6 billion in damages annually. Hurricane-resistant building codes appear to be a leading deterrent.

HAWAII HOME, SITE OF GRISLY MURDER INVESTIGATION, IS NOW IN ESCROW

www.HawaiiNewsNow.com

The East Oahu home of Gary Ruby, the man who was murdered and encased in cement in his bathtub, is now in escrow. The listing agent, Heidi Bertucci of Corcoran Pacific Properties, confirmed she had multiple offers for the listing. The expected closing date for the selected offer will be between September 7th-20th. The property was listed just under $2.5 million and in the 13 days that the property was posted on Zillow, it received 10,000 views and 500 saves. Gary Ruby purchased the 2,327 sq. ft. home for about $2.2 million in 2020. This property was the site of a murder investigation in early March 2022, after Honolulu police discovered Ruby's body in a bathtub inside the home.

4-MILE CONTAMINATION PLUME CONTINUES TO MOVE TOWARD ANN ARBOR'S PRIMARY WATER SOURCE

www.Freep.com

A large plume of contamination in Ann Arbor, Michigan's, water supply is continuing to spread. The groundwater contains dixoane which was released in the 1980s by Gelman Sciences on Wagner Road in Scio Township. Gelman Sciences, a former manufacturer of medical filters, still exists on the same site with an unmarked building. The building's only purpose is for the company to treat contaminated water, per a court order. The toxic chemicals were found in surface waters and groundwater and, residential wells.

The "Gelman plume" is estimated to be about four miles long and about a mile wide. The plume is moving at a rate of about a foot a day, according to Dan Hamel of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). It's now in areas of Scio Township and the west side of Ann Arbor. The plume appears to be heading north to Barton Pond and east to the Huron River, Ann Arbor's largest sources of drinking water.

HOUSE EXPLODES IN EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, LEAVING 3 DEAD AND NEARBY HOMES 'UNINHABITABLE'

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At least three people died after a house exploded on August 10th in Evansville, Indiana. Evansville Fire Department Chief Mike Connelly said the explosion had a 100-foot blast radius and damaged about 40 homes, at least 11 of which were deemed "uninhabitable." Police shut down nearby streets due to the amount of debris. Firefighters were not able to determine if all houses had been empty during the time of the explosion because some structures were too unstable to enter.

LAS VEGAS APARTMENT IN EAST VALLEY DEALING WITH WATER DAMAGE FROM LATE-JULY STORM

www.Fox5Vegas.com

The impact of a storm from July 29th is still being felt by tenants of an apartment complex on McLeod and Karen in Las Vegas, Nevada. Water leaked in through the ceiling causing the roofs to collapse and cave in. At least ten units received some sort of water damage from the July storm. Impacted tenants were given hotel rooms to stay in but some stayed in their apartments in fear more water would come and ruin their belongings. The property management company said August rent is covered for the impacted tenants.

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK RANGER TALKS ABOUT WIDESPREAD DAMAGE FROM FLASH FLOODING

www.LATimes.com

On August 4th, Death Valley National Park and the surrounding areas received a historical flash flooding. The park roads remain closed as the National Park services provide updates. The National Park Ranger and Incident Information Officer, Jennette Jurado, witnessed water surrounding and flooding their dive way as the park received a year's worth of rainfall in roughly three hours. The flood happened early in the morning before most people were awake and commuting. No injuries have been claimed from the flooding, but 500 visitors and 500 park residents were left stranded during the flooding. Roadways within the park had minor to sever damage. More than 600 feet of the main water line were destroyed during the flooding. Ariel searches were conducted on August 5th and 6th for any other residents that may have been stranded.

ALEX JONES ORDERED TO PAY EXTRA $45 MILLION IN PUNITIVE DAMAGES TO PARENTS OF SANDY HOOK VICTIM

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A Texas jury ordered Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the parents of a Sandy Hook victim on Friday, August 5th, a day after he was ordered to pay $4.1 million in actual damages for claiming that the school shooting was a hoax. Friday's damages are punishment for Jones’ statements, while Thursday’s damages were meant to compensate the parents for economic and noneconomic damages like emotional distress. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of the 459th District Court in Travis County may reduce the punitive damages given due to limits on punitive damages, with a per-defendant cap of two times the amount of economic damages, plus the amount of noneconomic damages found by the jury if the latter part not to exceed $750,00

STRUCTURE FIRE CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO UNFINISHED POUDRE TRAIL APARTMENTS IN GREENLY, COLORADO

www.GreeleyTribune.com

At 7:20 p.m. on August 3rd, firefighters responded to the scene of a large fire at the construction site for the Poudre Trail Apartments in the 100 block of north 30th Avenue, Greenly, Colorado. The Greeley Fire Department is investigating the cause of a fire. Fire crews found a burning two-story apartment building with 10 living units under construction. Due to heavy fire activity and the volume of smoke, responding units issued a second alarm for additional assistance. In total, six engines, two ladder trucks, one brush truck, two battalion chiefs, one fire investigator, and one staff chief responded to the scene. No injuries were reported and no one was displaced due to the fire, but Greeley fire expects damage to exceed $1 million.

DEVELOPER OF MAJOR PENNSYLVANIA PIPELINE PLEADS NO CONTEST TO CHARGES

www.ReadingEagle.com

Dallas-based Energy Transfer Operating, The developer of a major pipeline system that connects the Marcellus Shale gas field in western Pennsylvania to an export terminal near Philadelphia, pleaded no contest Friday, August 5th, to criminal charges that it systematically polluted waterways and residential water wells across hundreds of miles. The developer agreed to independent testing of homeowners’ water and promised to remediate contamination in a settlement of two separate criminal cases brought by the Pennsylvania attorney general. The company will also pay $10 million to restore watersheds and streams along the route of its Mariner East pipeline network.

FIRE VICTIMS SEEK OVER $85 MILLION FOR TAMARACK FIRE DAMAGES

ThisIsReno.com

People who lost their homes and property in last summer’s Tamarack Fire in northern Nevada and California have filed a claim against the U.S. Forest Service seeking more than $85 million. Twelve of the claimants are from Douglas County, Nevada, while the rest were Alpine County, California, residents. The Tamarack Fire started on July 4, 2021, when lightning hit a tree in the Mokelumne Wilderness in Alpine County, California. The fire spread, eventually scorching nearly 109 square miles along the Nevada-California border. Authorities from both counties evacuated nearly 2,000 people in 15 communities.

SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO RANCHERS LOOKING FOR HELP WITH GILA REHAB AND PROPERTY DAMAGE

Sourcenm.com

Gila, New Mexico suffered fire damage on July 28th. The second-largest blaze recorded in the state’s history consumed much of the Gila National Forest, charring federal land, as well as the acres where ranchers live and work. Locals and recreationalists, like tourists and hunters, will be feeling the effects of the fire for years to come.

EPA TO CLEAN UP SOUTH JERSEY SUPERFUND SITE

Cen.acs.org

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to clean up a polluted 400-acre South Jersey superfund site that emits “harmful vapors.” The Cinnaminson Groundwater Contamination site, polluted by two former landfills, spread over four areas of the site. The remediation plan calls for digging up soil and treating groundwater due to concerns the groundwater may be reaching the Delaware River. The EPA first discovered contaminated groundwater in the 1980s while plans were underway to close the landfills bordered by Union Landing Road, U.S. Route 130, River Road, and Taylors Lane. The EPA plans to inject chemicals into the contaminated groundwater and monitor for vapors using a system similar to those used to detect radon in homes.