The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "water quality" ...
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A Matter of Risk: Radiation, Drinking Water and Deception
You probably use it every day. And you probably think it's relatively safe. But imagine if your home's tap water was actually: making the plumbing so radioactive it could set off a Geiger counter, releasing a dangerous gas whenever you took a shower or ran a dishwasher, exposing you to a 1 in 400 chance of cancer just by regularly drinking it. And imagine if the people who were supposed to protect you from this situation not only knew about it and failed to do much of anything, but instead spent decades covering it up. That's exactly what the KHOU I-team discovered to be the case for half a million and more Texas consumers during its 12-month investigation into the quality of the state's drinking water.
Tags: tap water; radioactive; cancer; drinking water
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Washed Away
This investigation revealed the "huge environmental risk to North Carolina's lakes and rivers when you combine a poorly run state restoration program with state and federal rules that do not stress water quality improvements." It was found, among other things, that the state spent $140 million on faulty water projects.
Tags: water pollution; water restoration; development; waste
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School Poison: Lead in Drinking Water
WBNS-TV exposed the unhealthy levels of lead in the drinking water at several public schools and revealed the breakdowns in the state government system that is supposed to monitor the water's quality.
Tags: Natural Resources; water main; East Clinton High School; East Clinton Middle School; EPA; Environment;
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Red River Dumping
Millions of gallons of toxic waster were secretly being dumped into a northern Louisiana waterway. The September story started with an anonymous tip and led to the discovery of thousands of pages of online documents revealing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality concerns about the presence of dangerous toxins in waste water stored by CCS Midstream Services, LLC, hidden caches of toxic waste, falsified records and a hidden pipe leading into Red River.
Tags: toxins; public health; environmental violations; protected waters; toxic waste; pollution; dumping chemicals;
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Chronic Polluters, Tainted Water
"Nearly half of the Connecticut companies that discharge chemical-laden wastewater directly into rivers are doing so with expired permits.In some cases, they lapsed 10 years ago.The companies can legally continue to dump while applying for new permits, but the backlog means they're discharging under old toxin limits with no adjustment for diminishing water quality."
Tags: toxic; water; pollution; rivers; wastewater; permits; renewal; EPA; Clean Water Act; chemical waste; Toxic Release Inventory
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Hidden Hazards: A Legacy of Neglect
Robert McCabe unmasked a failed environmental protection system on the local, state and federal level in Chesapeake, Virginia, that permitted developers to build housing on lands with serious pollution problems. In his first report, McCabe explained how in one subdivision, the lead contamination is so high that home buyers in part of the neighborhood will be forbidden to grow vegetables or to water their lawns with groundwater. Furthermore, their homes sit over an old dump site with high levels of underground combustible gas.
Tags: pollution; Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ); River's Edge at Quailshire; environmental hazards; lead contamination
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Mebane Water Inequality
The investigation found that poor communities on the outskirts of Mebane, NC had really poor-quality surface water. Furthermore, the city denied any obligation to help residents of these neighborhoods.
Tags: water; public health; contamination; drinking water; sewers; city government; sewage
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Trouble on the Farm
This series about the University of Nevada-Reno's unethical treatment of their research animals came after five months of extensive investigation by the Reno Gazette-Journal. One university professor is under fire for filing complaints with the USDA about the neglect of animals used to help find new treatments for various diseases. One of the allegations looks at how the university has been disposing of animal carcasses (or parts) in their farm property just a few hundred yards from a Hidden Valley, a residental subdivision. Animal carcasses are left in the open air for coyotes, increasing coyote problems in the area. Other allegations include the unnecessary deaths of 38 pregnant ewes because they were not given food or water, research pigs housed with minimal water or space, and lack of regulations and quality controls for the university.
Tags: research animals; University of Nevada-Reno; Hidden Valley; United States Department of Agriculture
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Coronet Investigation
This investigation focused on a possible home development in Plant Springs, FL. WFLA-TV and the Tampa Tribune found out about a development that was to be built on property that had once been a city and county landfill. The area was also near a phosphate plant which had many environmental violations. The investigation prompted a health study of the area, and officials found contamination in many of the water wells. The investigation also prompted officials to test the air quality of the area and to investigate people's physical complaints to see if they were consistent with exposure to contamination.
Tags: FOIA; Coronet Industries; Department of Environmental Protection
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Florida's Water Crisis
The Orlando Sentinel published a 12-chapter series "of special reports focusing attention on what many experts see as the state's long-term water crisis." The most critical issues faced by Floridians include decreasing water supplies, more factors leading to lower water quality and scientific and political barriers to long-term solutions.
Tags: water; Florida; groundwater; drought; aquifers; rainfall; St. Johns River; wetlands; springs; wildlife; environment; lakes; septic-tank contamination; pollution; gas tanks; desalination plant