In The News / Sep 4

• The Barnett Shale search for facts on fracking.

  Tarrant County Commissioner J.D. Johnson recalls precisely when the 260-foot-deep water well at his rural home became polluted in August 2005. "It occurred when they fractured the wells," he said, referring to two Barnett Shale natural gas wells drilled on his 15 acres in northwest Tarrant County. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas

• Lawyers, landowners in fracking mineral rights 'force majeure' battle.

  When Charles and Helen Lampman signed away the mineral rights to their 60.9 acres of land in 1999, they had no idea it would end in a court battle. Gannett News Service

• Accumulating contaminants kick off concerns.

  Levels of certain quaternary ammonium compounds in marine sediments around New York City have grown dramatically in the past decade. Chemical & Engineering News

• Nine years later: Health effects in World Trade Center.

  As many as 70,000 volunteers and rescue workers responded to the 9/11 attacks, many toiling for months to clear mountains of debris containing a range of toxic compounds. Health effects have persisted for years. Environmental Health Perspectives

• All consuming.

  With population and per-capita consumption both on the rise, it's hard to believe humanity's impact on the Earth is sustainable. But what would happen if we ate less meat? Or gave women better education and more power? Seed Magazine

• Bid to suspend California global-warming law gets $1 million from billionaire brothers' firm.

  The fight over a November ballot initiative to suspend California's global warming law has escalated sharply with the Koch brothers, oil billionaires and "tea party" backers, making a million-dollar entry into the fray. Los Angeles Times, California

• Chalmette update.

  Oil spills are nothing new for the working class town of Chalmette, Louisiana. Hurricane Katrina let loose a million gallons of oil in a residential neighborhood there - and the people are still recovering. Living On Earth

• Mariner energy accident puts spotlight on shallow wells.

  For decades, thousands of oil and gas platforms have operated quietly in the shallower waters of the Gulf of Mexico, largely forgotten by the public and government regulators. New York Times

• Santa Susana nuclear cleanup settlement.

  In a major victory for community activists worried about health risks linked to a contaminated former nuclear research facility overlooking the west San Fernando Valley, state and federal authorities on Friday proposed a settlement agreement to clean up the site by 2017. Los Angeles Times, California

• Industry fears toxic label for coal ash waste.

  Navajos and other Four Corners residents gave the Environmental Protection Agency an earful this week about ash waste from coal power plants. Coal ash includes many substances known to be harmful. It often is reburied in old mines or stored on the surface at power plants. Durango Herald, Colorado

• Modified salmon is safe to eat, F.D.A. says.

  A salmon genetically engineered to grow quickly is safe to eat and poses little risk to the environment, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday. New York Times

• Egg industry alarmed at cage limits.

  The 550 million eggs recalled in connection with the salmonella contamination came from hens housed in industrial-style "battery cages." But major egg producers say switching to cage-free methods will do little to improve safety and will add to the cost of a dozen eggs. Washington Post