by Abrahm Lustgarten ProPublica, Dec. 11, 2012

Federal officials have given energy and mining companies permission to pollute aquifers in more than 1,500 places across the country, releasing toxic material into underground reservoirs that help supply more than half of the nation's drinking water.

In many cases, the Environmental Protection Agency has granted these so-called aquifer exemptions in Western states now stricken by drought and increasingly desperate for water.

On December 13, 2012, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm EST, EPA will host a webinar on how water and wastewater utilities can build sustainability considerations into alternatives analysis as they evaluate and select investments in infrastructure. The webinar is the third in a series of EPA webcasts built around the core elements of its 2012 handbook, "Planning for Sustainability: A Handbook for Water and Wastewater Utilities." The webinar will feature presentations on how utilities in Beaverton, Orej., and Carrboro, N.C., have addressed sustainability in their analysis of alternatives.