Who Suffers from a Shutdown?

Hint: It's Not Politicians  

The longest government shutdown in American history is over—at least for the next three weeks. While this comes as a relief to some 800,000 furloughed federal workers headed back to work this week, the Congressional Budget Office says the shutdown cost the U.S. economy an unrecoverable $3 billion. For many, the ripple effects of this shutdown will continue to be felt.

Who suffers from a shutdown? Our businesses and economy certainly suffer, putting strain on the average American’s earnings. But a shutdown doesn’t just harm our pockets—it harms our health and communities.

One of the federal agencies impacted by this shutdown was the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As the New York Times reported at the beginning of the month, the EPA “furloughed most of its roughly 600 pollution inspectors and other workers who monitor compliance with environmental laws. Those scientists, engineers and analysts are responsible for detecting violations that endanger human health…” Indeed, the environmental laws we have in place are there for very good reason. Perhaps due to the success of the EPA people do not recall what life was like before the agency was formed to administer federal environmental regulations. Perhaps people do not remember when factories dumped waste directly into waterways, children endured smog that impacted their respiratory health and lifespan, neighborhoods were built on top of toxic waste dumps, and rivers literally burned. If that America is hard to imagine... (read more)

Wasted:

Cannabis Industry Effects on Wastewater

A year after the start of recreational sales of marijuana, California has seen a steady uptick in grow facilities. Unlike cannabis farms where the agricultural runoff impacts groundwater, Southern California growers rely heavily on indoor grow facilities that discharge into the sewer system. This poses new challenges for local wastewater treatment plants.

Babcock Labs invites you to get into the weeds of the cannabis industry’s impact on wastewater at its next TEAM Event on March 7th, 2019. This special TEAM Event will feature a panel of guests who will share their experiences and provide key insight into current and future effects on wastewater treatment.

We look forward to seeing you at this informative event! Register Now 

The Future Looks Bright:

SISTERS Visit Babcock Labs

The future looks bright! How do we know? This month Babcock Labs hosted local middle school students who toured our facilities and learned about environmental testing careers. These future scientists and engineers are part of the Success in Science & Technology: Engagement with Role-models (SISTERS) program.

The goal of SISTERS is to engage middle school girls in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and provide mentors who will help prepare them to pursue a career in one of the STEM fields. The program is a partnership between UCR College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (UCR CNAS), Riverside Unified School District (RUSD), and the City of Riverside Citizens Science Committee.

Approximately 30 middle schoolers funneled into the Babcock Labs conference room on January 16th, where they were welcomed by... (read more) 

In Case You Missed It:

Year in Review: Key Issues of 2018 (read more)

When the Smoke Clears: Aftereffects of Wildfires on Communities' Water Quality (read more)

It's Not the Lettuce, It's the Water: Romain Recall Sheds Light on Ag Water Quality (read more)

Babcock Labs is a 2018 Top Workplace! (read more)

PFOA & PFOS: Not Why, But How? (read more)

Cultivating Conservation: Winning Strategies for Water Agencies (read more)

Back to School: Few CA Schools Have Tested for Lead Despite Aid (read more)Babcock Labs Now Women-Owned ESOP! (read more)

EPA Awards Babcock Labs UCMR 4 Small Systems Contract (read more)

Reminder: Babcock Labs
will be closed on
Monday, February 18th
in observance of
Presidents' Day

Please note that Babcock Labs strictly adheres to sample acceptance criteria, pursuant to Standard Methods and regulatory requirements.
Learn more

Getting Into the Weeds: 
Babcock Labs will hold
its next TEAM Event,
"Wasted: Cannabis
Industry Effects on
Wastewater" on March 7th.  
Register Now

_____________________

Year TWO of UCMR 4
is almost here.
Are you ready?
We are! 
Learn more

Industry Events

View our events calendar 
  

February
2/8 Deadline for Comment Submission on ELAP Regulations
2/11-12 AGWA - AGWT Annual Groundwater Conference - Ontario, CA
2/11-13 CWEA - P3S - Monterey, CA
2/26 Riverside County Garden in Every School  - Chino, CA 

March
3/7 Babcock Labs' TEAM Event "Wasted: Cannabis Industry Effects on Wastewater" - Riverside, CA***
3/17-19 WateReuse CA Annual Conference - Garden Grove, CA
3/25-28 CA-NV AWWA Spring Conference - Monterey, CA
3/26-28 ACIL P2 Meeting  - Washington, DC* 
3/29 Santa Ana River Watershed Conference - Fullerton, CA**