Issue Areas

Environmental Issues: Environmental Justice

Harboring Pollution: The Dirty Truth about U.S. Ports
Report: Marine ports in the United States are major hubs of economic activity and major sources of pollution. This March 2004 report by NRDC and the Coalition for Clean Air assesses efforts at the 10 largest U.S. ports to control pollution, and provides an overview of policy and practical pollution mitigation recommendations.
Harboring Pollution: Strategies to Clean Up U.S. Ports
Report: U.S. seaports are the largest and most poorly regulated sources of urban pollution in the country. This August 2004 report by NRDC and the Coalition for Clean Air provides practical strategies and policies for port operators, regulatory agencies, and community-based organizations to reduce health-endangering air and water pollution, noise and light pollution that disrupts communities near ports, and harm to marine habitats.

Whale Songs in the City Whales have been recorded singing near New York harbor, but noise pollution and shipping traffic put them at risk News: Whales have been recorded singing near New York harbor, but noise pollution puts them at risk.
Sounding the Depths II The Rising Toll of Sonar, Shipping and Industrial Ocean Noise on Marine Life Report: Ocean noise produced by military sonar, oil and gas exploration, and shipping traffic can have impacts on marine life ranging from long-term behavioral change to hearing loss to death. This November 2005 NRDC report reviews the science, surveys the leading contributors to the problem, and suggest what might be done to reduce the impacts of noise on the sea -- before the proliferation of noise sources makes the problem unmanageable.

For additional policy documents, see the NRDC Document Bank.

We have the right to know what is in the air we breathe - A guest blog from Dominic Pierceall: posted by Diane Bailey, 6/17/13
The "New Bioeconomy": Synthetic Biology's Implications for the Environment, Health and Justice: posted by Jennifer Sass, 6/5/13
Let's End a Stinking Era: posted by Giulia C.S. Good Stefani, 5/23/13

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