Environmental Monitoring

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In the West, water has never been just about infrastructure—it’s about priorities, tradeoffs, and how a region plans for an increasingly uncertain future.

Efforts like the San Fernando Valley cleanup are about more than addressing legacy contamination—they’re about maintaining access to safe, reliable drinking water for millions of people.

The situation is far from over, but the shift in oversight signals a more centralized—and potentially more coordinated—approach to managing the fallout.

Researchers note that many of the policy changes are recent and their long-term environmental effects remain uncertain.

The EPA’s proposal opens a 30-day public comment period after publication in the Federal Register.

The new approach aims to return to what the EPA calls a “back-to-basics” model centered on compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act.

Geothermal electricity has traditionally been limited to areas with natural geothermal activity such as volcanic regions or hot springs. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved a permit allowing carbon dioxide to be injected and stored underground at the Cardinal Ethanol facility in Randolph County, Indiana.

As Ohio continues to attract large-scale data center investment, regulators, communities, and industry leaders will need to determine how to manage both economic development and the state’s waterways.

The agency expects the response and recovery activities described in the order to be completed by March 13, 2026.