The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "sewage treatment" ...
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Low Rates Cost E.M. $2 million
"East Moline, Ill. lost out on more than $2 million over eight years by not charging other municipalities the water and sewer rates approved by aldermen. The city undercharged the municipalities it serves for sewage treatment, and overcharged them for water usage."
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Toxic Offender: Disastrous Sewage Plant Threatens Health
This series documents Twarowski's investigation into complaints of dangerous and unhealthy conditions inside the Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant in Wantaugh, NY. Employees clandestinely videotaped horrendous conditions inside the plant and Twarowski later verified their findings in person. Each visit to the vast plant turned up more safety hazards.
Tags: Environment; pollution; waste treatment; sewage; hepatitis; viruses; public health; OSHA; Public Employee Safety and Health; Department of Environmental Conservation
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Biosludge
This story explores whether any health risks exist from the spreading of biosludge on farmland. People in the Green Bay, Ala., area complained that the biosludge, the solid byproduct from sewage treatment plants, was making them sick. Scientists say the practice, while legal, merits further study. Calling the situation a developing public health problem, a former microbiologist with the EPA says biosludge needs to be treated to remove all of the pathogens and not just some of the pathogens as present practices allow.
Tags: biosludge; byproduct; solid waste; sewage; sewage treatment
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Don't drink the water
An investigation of the Pompano Beach city water department turned up several problems at a new $25 million water treatment plant, the coverup of a chlorine outage factoring in prominently. The reporter also showed that officials held a sham grand opening of the plant - tricking the public into thinking the plant was up and running months before it was actually ready.
Tags: sewage; treatment; water treatment; cleanliness; sanitation
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Dirty Work
Three women stepped forward to expose a hostile and dangerous work environment at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago. The stories of on-the-job harassment ranged from supervisors demanding sexual favors for possible promotions to being physically attacked on the job for refusing sexual advances. Hidden cameras also found pornographic magazines and graffiti in the break rooms at two sewage treatment plants. One of the whistleblowers received a bomb threat days before the report was aired.
Tags: Sexual Harassment; Tape; Transcript
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Dishonorable Discharge
Pitch Weekly investigates Turkey Creek, a waterway that runs in both Wyandotte and Johnson counties. Right at the border of these two counties sits the Nelson Complex- "a sewage-treatment facility that serves some 130,000 residents" and dumps its waste into Turkey Creek. "The Nelson Complex has been operating under a permit that expired ten years ago . . . State and federal water-quality standards have been amended several times in an ongoing effort to protect the environment. But until its permit is renewed, the Nelson Complex remains beholden only to the older, weaker laws." While Johnson County's chief wastewater engineer says the water pumped out is clean, others disagree. The article details several studies and tests done on Turkey Creek which revealed unsafe amounts of waste.
Tags: pollution; sewage plants; Kansas Department of Health and Environment; Environmental Protection Agency; Clean Water Act; environmentalists; contaminants
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Silicon Hell: High Tech's Toxic Toll
San Francisco Bay Guardian looks at the the health problems of workers in the computer industry. Reveals large computer companies are contaminating soil, air and water with hazardous chemicals.
Tags: computers; pollution; chemicals; factory workers; semi-conductors; OSHA; EPA Toxic Release Inventory Data; Hazardous Substance Database abstracts; San Jose sewage treatment plant records; brain cancer; California Health Department
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Waterworld Under Fire
The story revealed that workers at the city of Detroit's sewage treatment plant were being exposed to incinerated sewage sludge ash that contained a variety of heavy metals and other hazardous material. These materials included dangerous levels of silica, a human carcinogen that also causes the debilitating lung disease silicosis. Workers alleged that because of malfunctioning equipment they had been breathing the contaminated ash for more than a year. (November 20, 1996)
Tags: Guyette CAR Waterworld under fire Contest entry MIOSHA data 7 pgs.
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No title (id: 10518)
Hartford (Conn.) Courant uses computer-assisted techniques to reveal the extent to which manufacturers and sewage treatment plants have damaged the state's harbors and waterways; reveals which corporations and plants are the worst polluters and which chemicals are most commonly dumped, Nov. 13, 1990.
Tags: CN Jones Houston CAJ Uniroyal Amerbelle Cuno Toluene Acetone 5 pages
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No title (id: 6552)
Washington Times attributes cost overruns at a sewage treatment plant to questionable management and contracting practices, Sept. 25 - 29, 1989.