Heavy Metals
Heavy metals link to horse deaths: owner
The owner of 22 horses that died suddenly on a south-east Queensland property has questioned a finding that scrub ticks or botulism probably caused the deaths.
BHP's river clean-up too slow for some
Peter Hannam Miner BHP Billiton has been given until the end of 2016 to halt most of the pollution discharged from one of its coal mines into the Georges River south-west of Sydney, a verdict that has split...
Manmade lakes to hold water from coal seam gas wells
Ben Cubby Artificial lakes will hold millions of litres of contaminated water in the Pilliga district, in north-western NSW.
Feathers hold key to proof of bird health
Nicky Phillips Bird feathers appear to be simplistic structures, but a catalogue of chemicals and environmental contaminants resides deep inside them, scientists report.
Who will watch the streams now?
Natalie O'Brien and Ben Cubby The only independent watchdog monitoring water quality in Sydney's myriad waterways is to be axed by Sydney Water, the authority outed as one of the state's biggest polluters.
Ombudsman acts on Sydney Water and watchdog
Natalie O'Brien THE NSW Ombudsman has launched a wide-ranging investigation into the relationship between Sydney Water Corporation and the state government's environmental watchdog, the Office of Environment and...
Firefighters saturate power station to avoid new fire
Ben Cubby, Josephine Tovey The Eraring power station on the central coast was smouldering last night after an explosion ripped through one of its four transformers early yesterday.
Look who's polluting: Sydney Water's shame
Natalie O'Brien Untreated sewage and heavy metals from the nation's biggest water utility are contaminating some of Sydney's most picturesque waterways and posing potentially widespread health risks, but the extent...
Cotter crossing closure no vanity move
A road that crosses the Cotter River and is used by campers, dirt bike riders and four-wheel-drivers will be permanently closed to ''protect the ACT's drinking water supply''.
Chain reaction: toxic soil kills bees, threatens food production
Rosslyn Beeby Heavy metals and toxic soil contaminates that build up in plants may be killing bees and reducing their ability to pollinate crops and produce honey.
Mystery of dolphin and penguin deaths
Scientists searching for the cause of the mass deaths of dolphins and pelicans off the coast of Peru think they know what killed the pelicans.
Radioactive threat looms in Kakadu
Lindsay Murdoch in Jabiru The operator of the Ranger uranium mine expects to take drastic action to prevent radioactive water spilling into an Aboriginal community and Kakadu's World Heritage-listed wetlands.
Sea contamination likely to be local: scientists
Radioactive contamination of the sea from Fukushima is likely to be only a local problem, but could lead to an exclusion zone if there is a major release of long-term pollutants, scientists say.
Experts divided on radiation risk
Glenda Kwek An Australian scientist has dismissed fears of radiation risk from the spread of dangerous materials at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, saying the particles being released are...
Spill raises fears of more toxic time bombs
Ian Traynor From the Black Forest to the Black Sea, the Danube meanders for almost 2900 kilometres through 10 countries, its course punctuated by great beauty and industrial disasters waiting to happen.
Volunteers race to stop second wave of sludge
Matthew Day WARSAW: Hundreds of volunteers have rushed to build a dam around the site of the toxic spill in Hungary, as the country's environment minister warned that a second collapse at the reservoir was...
Toxic sludge reaches the Danube
BUDAPEST: Hungary's toxic sludge spill, which has killed four people, reached the Danube yesterday, threatening to contaminate the waterway's entire ecosystem, Hungarian officials said.
Flood of toxic sludge kills three in Hungary
DEVECSER, Hungary: A third person has died in flooding caused by the rupture of a red sludge reservoir at an alumina plant in western Hungary, rescue services said yesterday.
Decision opens door for legal action on river
Ben Cubby A LANDMARK court decision yesterday cleared the way for an environment group to pursue a power company for allegedly allowing toxic water to spill into the Sydney Water catchment near Lithgow.
Coalmine still polluting creek, says report
Ben Cubby Environment Reporter HEAVY metal pollution is still leaking from an old coalmine into a river in the Blue Mountains World Heritage area, a year after government tests showed that it was killing aquatic life.
