Rural Community Assistance Partnership

Practical solutions for improving rural communities
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March 2011

Helping an Arkansas town improve management of struggling water system

Posted Thu, 2011/03/31 - 3:59pm by Travis Mitchell

 Staff of Community Resource Group, the Southern RCAP, met with residents of Mt. Zion, Arkansas, to help address serious issues with the community’s water system, which faces massive debt, failure to meet health regulations and thousands of dollars in state penalties. 

Coming Together for Clean Water strategy released

Posted Tue, 2011/03/29 - 4:13pm by RCAP

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released Coming Together for Clean Water: EPA’s Strategy to Protect America’s Waters. This strategy charts a path for meeting the nation’s clean water strategic plan goals over the next several years. Protecting the nation’s water resources is not only important to the health of the nation’s citizens and the environment, but clean water is also a critical resource for the economy.

Interactive 2010 U.S. census map available

Posted Tue, 2011/03/29 - 10:11am by RCAP

The New York Times has made an interactive 2010 U.S. census map available. You can view population data for individual counties or view the data by state.

EPA updates web tool providing clean water violation trends and state enforcement response

Posted Tue, 2011/03/29 - 10:07am by RCAP

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released on March 24 updated data and a mapping tool designed to help the public compare water quality trends over the last two years. The web-based, interactive map includes “state dashboards” that provide detailed information for each state, including information on facilities that are violating the Clean Water Act and the actions states are taking to enforce the law and protect people’s health.

EPA's Watershed Academy webinar: Nitrate in Ground Water

Posted Wed, 2011/03/23 - 9:40am by RCAP

Join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a webcast titled "Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Series: Nitrate in Ground Water" on Tuesday March 29, 2011, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm (EDT). This webcast will highlight an emerging issue of increased nitrate loading to ground water, a growing national concern. According to EPA’s most recent data, public water systems using ground water as a drinking source serve over 300 million people nationwide.

A message from RCAP for World Water Day (March 22)

Posted Mon, 2011/03/21 - 3:24pm by RCAP

March 22 every year is World Water Day. It is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 U.N. Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. A website started in 2001 serves as a community space and repository where people can upload their WWD event activities and reports.

CNNMoney: Fracking blowback spooks energy industry

Posted Mon, 2011/03/21 - 11:03am by RCAP

Original posting of this article

HOUSTON (CNNMoney) -- The oil and gas industry is reeling from attacks on what it considers one of its most important technologies -- fracking.

Protests across New York State have temporarily banned the practice. Unfavorable coverage in the media and a scathing documentary film that was nominated this year for an Oscar also seem to have scared the industry.

Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium to spearhead earthquake drill in April

Posted Mon, 2011/03/14 - 10:25am by RCAP

Last week's enormous earthquake in Japan and the ripple effects it had - a tsunami, destruction at a nuclear power plant, deaths, injuries, and humanitarian needs - heighten our awareness of our vulnerability from earthquakes in the United States again. And areas along the Pacific Ocean are not the only ones at risk of a major catastrophe.

With more than 40 million people living and working in the central United States, a major earthquake could cause unprecedented disruption and devastation.

EPA encourages Americans to save water during Fix a Leak Week

Posted Mon, 2011/03/14 - 9:21am by RCAP

Across the country, household leaks waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water per year – enough to supply the water needs of Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles combined. Easily corrected household leaks can increase homeowners’ water bills by 12 percent. To help consumers find and repair easy-to-fix leaks, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is promoting the third annual Fix a Leak Week March 14 through 20.