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Citizen Petition under Toxic Substances Control Act Regarding the Chemical Substances and Mixtures Used in Oil and Gas Exploration or Production
The document is a citizen petition submitted to the EPA requesting the promulgation of rules under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to address the lack of public and regulatory information regarding chemicals used in oil and gas exploration and production (E&P Chemicals). The petitioners argue that current regulatory gaps—including the 'Halliburton Loophole' and inadequate Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)—allow the industry to conceal toxic fluids that pose unreasonable risks to human health and the environment. The petition cites evidence of groundwater contamination, air quality degradation, and animal fatalities across several U.S. states. It specifically requests that the EPA mandate toxicity testing under TSCA section 4, require detailed reporting of chemical identities and volumes under section 8(a), call in records of adverse reactions under section 8(c), and require the submission of all existing health and safety studies under section 8(d).
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Document type: Report
Factsheet The UNEP pollution research project in Ogoniland and its political importance
The document details a 2010 UNEP study aimed at mapping oil pollution in Ogoniland, Nigeria, to facilitate a clean-up plan. It highlights the historical conflict between the Ogoni people and Shell, the political tensions surrounding the study's publication, and the broader need for environmental remediation across the Niger Delta, calling for the home governments of international oil companies to provide expertise and pressure for regulation.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Improved phosphorus use efficiency in agriculture: a key requirement for its sustainable use
The document highlights the unsustainability of the current linear phosphorus flow from finite fossil reserves to agriculture, which leads to resource depletion and water pollution. It proposes reducing phosphorus application through optimized land use, improved fertilizer techniques, and modified livestock management, while advocating for policy-driven recycling of phosphorus from organic wastes.
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Document type: Research paper
Implementing the APRM Views from Civil Society
The report evaluates South Africa's progress on governance themes identified by the APRM, noting that while institutional frameworks exist, implementation is often lacking. Key areas of concern include corruption, party-state blurring through 'cadre deployment', and high levels of poverty and unemployment. While elections are rated highly, the report highlights significant challenges in the justice system, service delivery, and the protection of media freedom.
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Document type: Report
Pac Rim Cayman LLC v. Republic of El Salvador, ICSID Case No. ARB/09/12
The brief, submitted by member organizations of La Mesa Nacional Frente a la Minería Metálica de El Salvador, contends that Pac Rim's claims do not constitute a 'legal dispute' or a 'measure' under the ICSID Convention and CAFTA. It argues that the conflict is a political disagreement over metals mining policy driven by organic community opposition, rather than a legal dispute with the state. The brief further alleges that Pac Rim abused the legal process by strategically reincorporating in the United States to gain CAFTA benefits and seeks to use international arbitration to bypass domestic democratic processes and community resistance.
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Document type: Legal commentary
Refrain from Signing the Coal Ash Dear Colleague Letter from Senators Conrad and Enzi
A coalition of environmental and health organizations is urging U.S. Senators to reject a proposal by Senators Conrad and Enzi to weaken coal ash regulations. The coalition argues that coal ash contains toxic chemicals like arsenic and mercury, posing severe risks to public health and the environment, as evidenced by a 2008 spill in Tennessee. They advocate for the EPA to regulate coal ash as a "special waste" under subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to phase out wet disposal and establish enforceable national standards, rather than adopting voluntary guidelines under subtitle D.
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Document type: Statement
erratum to the annual report royal dutch shell plc annual report for the year ended december 31, 2010
The document presents a satirical or corrective 'erratum' to Shell's 2010 annual report, detailing systemic failures in environmental protection and human rights. It lists specific cases of pollution in Nigeria, Curaçao, and Canada, labour abuses in Brazil, and the risks of high-volume fracking. The report proposes a set of 'Key Performance Indicators' for 2011, including a 5% annual decrease in absolute CO2 emissions and a commitment to invest 50% of annual profits into wind and solar power.
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Document type: Report
Towards global phosphorus security: a systems framework for phosphorus recovery and reuse options
The document argues that global phosphorus security requires a shift from viewing phosphorus recovery solely as a pollution control measure to a necessity for food security. It advocates for a systems-based approach to recover phosphorus from all waste streams—including human and animal excreta and food and crop wastes—to replace depleting phosphate rock reserves.
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Document type: Research paper
APPLICATION FOR PERMISSION TO PROCEED AS AMICI CURIAE
The Center for International Environmental Law, on behalf of La Mesa, requests amicus curiae status in the Pac Rim v. El Salvador case. They argue that the dispute is a political disagreement over sustainable development and public policy rather than a legal dispute over a specific government measure. The document highlights severe environmental risks associated with the proposed El Dorado mine, including threats to the Rio Lempa basin and local aquifers, and alleges that Pac Rim's activities have contributed to community violence and the murder of environmental defenders. Legally, the amici contend that Pac Rim's last-minute corporate reorganization to gain CAFTA benefits is an abuse of process and that the tribunal lacks jurisdiction under the ICSID Convention and CAFTA.
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Document type: Legal commentary
SOLICITUD DE PERMISO PARA PROCEDER COMO AMICI CURIAE
The document is a request and supporting brief from a coalition of Salvadoran civil society organizations (La Mesa) seeking to intervene in the Pac Rim Cayman LLC v. Republic of El Salvador arbitration. The authors argue that the claim is an abuse of process and that the tribunal lacks jurisdiction because the conflict is fundamentally a political debate about metal mining and sustainable development, not a legal dispute over a specific government measure. They highlight severe environmental risks associated with the El Dorado mine, including threats to the Lempa River basin and local aquifers, and document a pattern of violence and intimidation against anti-mining activists in El Salvador.
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Document type: Legal commentary
THE INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON ACID MINE DRAINAGE: RELEASE OF HEAVILY POLLUTED, TOXIC ACID MINE DRAINAGE INTO OUR STREAMS AND RIVERS
The Centre for Environmental Rights is urging the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Acid Mine Drainage to respond to concerns raised by a coalition of 34 civil society organisations and to publish a report from a team of experts. The letter warns that legal action may be pursued if a satisfactory response is not provided to prevent the release of toxic acid mine drainage into watercourses.
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Document type: Statement
holcim en américa latina: estudios de caso
The report documents the negative impacts of Holcim's cement and mining activities in Latin America, focusing on the destruction of aquifers and landscapes, air pollution, and health crises. It highlights the use of 'co-processing' to incinerate hazardous waste and criticizes the role of Free Trade Agreements and international arbitration (CIADI) in protecting corporate interests over community rights. Specific cases include the criminalization of Maya Kaqchikel communities in Guatemala, the degradation of the Tunjuelo River in Bogotá, and neurotoxic acrylates emissions in Mexico. The document concludes by detailing a 2010 complaint filed against Holcim at the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal in Madrid.
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Document type: Report
THE INTER MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON ACID MINE DRAINAGE: RELEASE OF HEAVILY POLLUTED, TOXIC ACID MINE DRAINAGE INTO OUR STREAMS AND RIVERS
The document is a formal letter from a coalition of civil society organisations to the co-chairs of the Inter Ministerial Committee on Acid Mine Drainage (IMC), expressing alarm over the uncontrolled decant of untreated acid mine drainage (AMD) in the Witwatersrand Basin. The authors argue that the State has failed its constitutional obligations to protect the environment and public health, citing a lack of transparency, the exclusion of civil society, and unreasonable delays in implementing treatment solutions. They specifically criticize the preference for 'neutralisation' as an inadequate short-term fix and highlight ecological crises such as fish kills in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site and pollution at the Grootvlei mine. The letter demands the public release of expert reports and a decision on treatment proposals by 2 February 2011, threatening legal action if these demands are not met.
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Document type: Statement
Massive tar sands oil pipeline no longer sure bet for Big Oil; pivotal Obama administration decision nears
The Keystone XL pipeline, proposed by TransCanada to transport tar sands oil from Canada to Houston, faces significant opposition from U.S. lawmakers, grassroots organizers, and federal agencies. The EPA gave the State Department's draft Environmental Impact Statement a failing grade for omitting global warming impacts. Concerns include the potential contamination of the Ogallala Aquifer in Nebraska and the higher carbon emissions associated with tar sands oil compared to conventional oil. The document highlights controversies surrounding Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's perceived bias and her ties to TransCanada's lead lobbyist, Paul Elliott.
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Document type: Briefing
Standards for Responsible Shrimp Aquaculture
The Shrimp Aquaculture Dialogue (ShAD) has developed a comprehensive set of standards for responsible shrimp farming, organized into seven principles covering legal compliance, biodiversity conservation, community relations, labor practices, shrimp health, broodstock management, and resource efficiency. The standards emphasize performance-based benchmarks over prescriptive methods, requiring tools like Biodiversity-inclusive Environmental Impact Assessments (BEIA) and participatory Social Impact Assessments (p-SIA). Key environmental targets include the prohibition of farms in protected areas, a requirement to reforest 50% of affected mangrove areas for farms sited before May 1999, and strict limits on nitrogen and phosphorus effluent. Social standards align with ILO core principles, mandating a minimum employee age of 15 and fair wages based on national minimums or 50% of median country income. The document also outlines a transition toward 100% certified sustainable feed ingredients and the prohibition of transgenic shrimp.
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Document type: Report
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDERS IN DANGER: THE SITUATION IN MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA IN THE CONTEXT OF INDUSTRIAL MINING
The report documents a regional trend of violence against environmental defenders in Mexico and Central America linked to industrial mining. It argues that this violence stems from state failure to manage environmental impacts and a lack of protection for defenders, often exacerbated by the influence of foreign mining companies from Canada and the United States. Through case studies in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Panama, the document details threats, kidnappings, and assassinations, while recommending stronger institutional protections, the implementation of free, prior, and informed consent, and greater accountability for home states of foreign corporations.
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Document type: Report
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDERS IN DANGER: THE SITUATION IN MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICAN IN THE CONTEXT OF INDUSTRIAL MINING
The report documents a growing trend of repression and violence against environmental defenders in Mexico and Central America, linked to the expansion of industrial mining. It argues that this violence stems from state failure to manage environmental impacts and a lack of protection for human rights defenders, often characterized by high levels of impunity in both host and home countries of mining companies.
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Document type: Executive summary
Defensoras y Defensores Ambientales en Peligro La Situación en México y Centro América En el Ámbito de la Industria Minera
The report documents a regional trend of violence against environmental defenders in Mexico and Central America, linking these abuses to the social and environmental impacts of industrial mining and the failure of states to protect human rights. It provides case studies from five countries and recommends strengthening institutional protection, environmental regulations, and the right to free, prior, and informed consent.
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Document type: Report
Groundwater Events Sorted by Date
This report lists specific instances of radioactively contaminated water leaks, spills, and overflows at numerous US nuclear facilities. The events range from small spills of a few gallons to large-scale leaks of hundreds of thousands of gallons, often involving tritium. Common causes include equipment failure, operator error, and pipe degradation, with contamination affecting soil, storm drains, and nearby water bodies such as the Mississippi River, Lake Michigan, and the Connecticut River.
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Document type: Report
Protecting The Public's Right To Know About Oil Dispersants
Following the 2010 Macondo well blowout, Earthjustice filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to reveal the secret ingredients of oil dispersants, challenging the use of 'confidential business information' to hide safety data. A subsequent report identified that among 57 ingredients in eligible dispersants, five are linked to cancer, 33 to skin irritation, 33 to eye irritation, 11 to respiratory toxins, and 10 to kidney toxins, while others pose risks to aquatic organisms and fish. Earthjustice is further petitioning the EPA for comprehensive toxicity testing, disclosure standards, and deliberative limits on dispersant use.
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Document type: Case study