Latest news with #environmentalPollution
Zawya
26-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Libya says oil leak occurs in pipeline south of Zawiya city
An oil leak forced the shutdown of a pipeline south of Libya's city of Zawiya, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Saturday. Zawiya, 40 km (25 miles) west of the capital Tripoli, is home to Libya's biggest functioning refinery, with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day. The refinery is connected to the country's 300,000-barrels-per-day Sharara oilfield. The NOC posted a picture showing a stream of leaked oil in the desert. Flow from the Hamada oilfields through the affected pipeline was immediately halted, the company said in a statement. "In parallel with the maintenance work, a team of specialists is conducting an investigation to determine the causes of the leak. Arrangements and coordination are also underway to recover the leaked oil and address any resulting environmental pollution," the company added. (Reporting by Ayman Al-Warfali and Ahmed Elumami; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and David Gregorio)
Arab News
24-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Libya says oil leak occurs in pipeline south of Zawiya city
An oil leak forced the shutdown of a pipeline south of Libya's city of Zawiya, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Saturday. Zawiya, 40 km (25 miles) west of the capital Tripoli, is home to Libya's biggest functioning refinery, with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day. The refinery is connected to the country's 300,000-barrels-per-day Sharara oilfield. The NOC posted a picture showing a stream of leaked oil in the desert. Flow from the Hamada oilfields through the affected pipeline was immediately halted, the company said in a statement. "In parallel with the maintenance work, a team of specialists is conducting an investigation to determine the causes of the leak. Arrangements and coordination are also underway to recover the leaked oil and address any resulting environmental pollution," the company added.
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
How does Ann Arbor clean PFAS from its drinking water? City officials explain.
PFAS, or "forever chemicals," were first detected in Ann Arbor's drinking water in 2014. Two years later, the city performed a follow-up investigation and detected PFAS in the Huron River. The river supplies the city with 85% of its drinking water. "We traced it up to upstream manufacturing facilities and wastewater treatment plant discharges," said Ann Arbor Water Treatment Services manager Molly Maciejewski. "So, it was really industrial discharges that caused it, but we also know that there could be other sources of PFAS in the Huron River." PFAS are highly stable, man-made chemicals used in many items. They're typically used to repel water, oil and grease from surfaces. PFAS spread easily and do not biodegrade naturally, making cleanup a challenge. "Michigan was one of the first in the country to actually sample all of the drinking water supplies," said Abigail Hendershott, the executive director of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team. Hendershott said PFAS are all around us. They're found in clothing, furniture, cleaning products, outdoor gear, cosmetics and more. "Most everybody in the country is going to have some concentrations of PFAS already in our blood because of the widespread use of PFAS in our everyday society," she said. After extensive testing, officials at the Ann Arbor Water Treatment found an effective solution. "We use granular-activated carbon filtration," said drinking water quality manager Becky Lahr. "So, you can see here the media inside the filter. The water travels from the top down through the filter, and the PFAS gets stuck within the media." Lahr told CBS News Detroit the method filters out PFAS to below detectable levels in the drinking water. "We are constantly monitoring the water quality before and after this process to make sure it's working right," Lahr said. "Ann Arbor has been very aggressive in their actions, and we, of course, applaud them for that because they're being very proactive in protecting their residents," said Hendershott. "We want to make sure that the residents who are drinking this water are protected long term, that we're not just protecting for one or two chemicals, but we're protecting for the whole suite of PFAS chemicals."
Malay Mail
22-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Vietnam jails 23 over illegal rare earths mining, US$30m worth sold to China
HANOI, May 21 — A Vietnamese court today jailed 23 officials and business people over the illegal exploitation and export of rare earths. The trial comes after the US Geological Survey (USGS) this year significantly revised down its estimate of rare earth deposits in Vietnam, which it once considered the world's second largest. The nine-day trial in Hanoi saw verdicts handed down to 27 defendants, including former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Linh Ngoc, who was given three years in jail for 'violating state regulations causing wastefulness'. Others were given a range of prison sentences — with 16 years being the highest — for a number of offences, including violation of regulations on natural resources exploitation and causing environmental pollution. Four people were given suspended sentences. According to the court, the case concerning the exploitation, trade and export of mineral resources was 'especially serious'. The court said that a firm called Thai Duong Company was unlawfully granted a mining licence for rare earth exploitation in Yen Phu mine in northern mountainous Yen Bai province between 2019 and 2023. This photo taken on May 12, 2025 shows Vietnam's former deputy minister of natural resources and environment Nguyen Linh Ngoc (L) standing during his trial for illegal exploitation and exports of rare earths at the People's Court in Hanoi. A Vietnamese court on May 21 gave jail terms to 23 officials and business people over the illegal exploitation and export of rare earths. — AFP pic Defendants involved—including environment officials as well as chief accountants and executives at various companies—sold the rare earths and iron ore from the mine for close to US$30 million (RM120 million), much of it to China. USGS slashed this year its estimate of Vietnam's rare earth reserves from an estimated 22 million tons to 3.5 million, threatening its ambitions to compete with Beijing in a sector crucial to high-tech devices. The revision meant the country dropped from the world's second largest reserve holder to the sixth, behind China, Brazil, India, Australia and Russia. USGS describes mineral reserves data as 'dynamic'. Reserves may be reduced as ore is mined or the feasibility of extraction diminishes, or they may continue to increase as additional deposits are developed, USGS says. Rare earths are a group of 17 heavy metals that are abundant in the Earth's crust across the globe. But mining the metals requires heavy chemical use that results in huge amounts of toxic waste and has caused several environmental disasters, making many countries wary of shouldering the heavy financial costs for production. Each of the rare earths is used in industry and found in a variety of everyday and high-tech devices, from light bulbs to guided missiles. — AFP
Malay Mail
21-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Vietnam jails 23 over illegal rare earths mining, $30m worth sold to China
HANOI, May 21 — A Vietnamese court today jailed 23 officials and business people over the illegal exploitation and export of rare earths. The trial comes after the US Geological Survey (USGS) this year significantly revised down its estimate of rare earth deposits in Vietnam, which it once considered the world's second largest. The nine-day trial in Hanoi saw verdicts handed down to 27 defendants, including former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Linh Ngoc, who was given three years in jail for 'violating state regulations causing wastefulness'. Others were given a range of prison sentences — with 16 years being the highest — for a number of offences, including violation of regulations on natural resources exploitation and causing environmental pollution. Four people were given suspended sentences. According to the court, the case concerning the exploitation, trade and export of mineral resources was 'especially serious'. The court said that a firm called Thai Duong Company was unlawfully granted a mining licence for rare earth exploitation in Yen Phu mine in northern mountainous Yen Bai province between 2019 and 2023. This photo taken on May 12, 2025 shows Vietnam's former deputy minister of natural resources and environment Nguyen Linh Ngoc (L) standing during his trial for illegal exploitation and exports of rare earths at the People's Court in Hanoi. A Vietnamese court on May 21 gave jail terms to 23 officials and business people over the illegal exploitation and export of rare earths. — AFP pic Defendants involved—including environment officials as well as chief accountants and executives at various companies—sold the rare earths and iron ore from the mine for close to $30 million, much of it to China. USGS slashed this year its estimate of Vietnam's rare earth reserves from an estimated 22 million tons to 3.5 million, threatening its ambitions to compete with Beijing in a sector crucial to high-tech devices. The revision meant the country dropped from the world's second largest reserve holder to the sixth, behind China, Brazil, India, Australia and Russia. USGS describes mineral reserves data as 'dynamic'. Reserves may be reduced as ore is mined or the feasibility of extraction diminishes, or they may continue to increase as additional deposits are developed, USGS says. Rare earths are a group of 17 heavy metals that are abundant in the Earth's crust across the globe. But mining the metals requires heavy chemical use that results in huge amounts of toxic waste and has caused several environmental disasters, making many countries wary of shouldering the heavy financial costs for production. Each of the rare earths is used in industry and found in a variety of everyday and high-tech devices, from light bulbs to guided missiles. — AFP
