Robert Fred Smith, in 2006, while working for the Britannia Shipping International, a ship brokering business based in Malta, was doing renovation work on a fishing vessel, dumped concrete waste, scrap metal, and grinding waste over board at night, into San Diego harbor,(pictured), until the U.S. Coast Guard started to notice.

With an indictment brought in 2007, Interpol issued a "Wanted Persons Diffusion and Red Notice."

Smith is just now being returned from Malta, where he was found, to face the charges against him.

"We want to thank the Government of Malta for its invaluable assistance in returning Mr. Smith to the United States so he can face the American system of justice and ultimately be judged innocent or guilty in a court of law," said Fred Burnside, Director of EPA's Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics and Training.

The Environmental Protection Agency keeps a website that lists the top 20 fugitives accused of violating environmental laws and evading arrest, as reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This past Saturday morning, there was a meeting in Lake Cowichan where the impact of the tourist on the waterways was discussed.

"There's no respect out there," said riverfront property owner Lois Atchison, who noted how much garbage is in the river and how she can no longer see the fish fingerlings any more.

"If you go into the river without shoes, you're bound to get cut by the broken glass."

Fellow riverfront property owner Don Palmer said, "People swear at you if you say anything to them," noting that many tubers throw rocks or cans at the ducks. "I've lived on the river for 70 years and it's a bloody disgrace."

Diana Gunderson of Meades Creek said it's a problem that has escalated across Canada.

"Noise is clearly increasing and they have no respect for anyone else," she said, noting that on July 4th there was an unmuffled boat making lots of noise in the morning.

"I want to emphasize it's the minority that causes the problem," she said.

Don Beldessi of Youbou said, "Use of the river by tubers, it's becoming very disgusting."

"With regard to water quality: How are you going to get it with the Miami Vice boaters racing around the lake?" asked Peter Moran from Youbou. "There's a lot of drugs and alcohol. When we moved here I couldn't believe how clean the water was," as reported by the Lake Cowichan Gazette.

"There's a bona fide dispute," water-district lawyer Stan Niego said in describing details of the lawsuit to district board members this month. "We're not going to agree, and we need the court to make a decision."

The reservoir is located in the remote corners of Orange and Osceola counties so that any water from there would have to be piped a long distance to serve the cities that need it, as reported by The Orlando Sentinel, and published by the Water Environment Federation.

The new plant will produce 44 million gallons of potable water daily for the 4.5 million residents of Barcelona.

Two additional desalination plants are being constructed in the Catalonia region.

The head of the Catalan regional government, Jose Montilla, said the plant would lift the threat of emergency restrictions on water consumption in Barcelona, as reported by the BBC.

The compost facility which is operated by Murphy Products is located on property owned by the National Stock Yards, and was found to be composting animal manure from the stock yards, and discharging waste directly into the Oklahoma River.

"EPA will continue to vigorously enforce our nation's environmental laws through effective compliance assistance and a strong enforcement program," said EPA Region 6 Compliance Assurance and Enforcement Division Director John Blevins. "EPA will continue to vigorously enforce our nation’s environmental laws through effective compliance assistance and a strong enforcement program," said EPA Region 6 Compliance Assurance and Enforcement Division Director John Blevins. "Environmental responsibility is everyone’s responsibility."”

"On July 1, 2009, ODAFF (Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry) issued an Emergency Cease and Desist Order to Murphy Products to stop all conditions which may lead to a discharge of pollutants to the waters of the State, including the Oklahoma River. ODAFF is pleased to work with EPA in joint enforcement actions such as this to stop potential pollution from agricultural sources in Oklahoma," said Terry Peach, Oklahoma’s Secretary and Commissioner of Agriculture. "Environmental responsibility is everyone's responsibility."

"On July 1, 2009, ODAFF issued an Emergency Cease and Desist Order to Murphy Products to stop all conditions which may lead to a discharge of pollutants to the waters of the State, including the Oklahoma River. ODAFF is pleased to work with EPA in joint enforcement actions such as this to stop potential pollution from agricultural sources in Oklahoma," said Terry Peach, Oklahoma's Secretary and Commissioner of Agriculture.

The companies have 30 days to make certain that the discharges will stop, as reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Walker violated the federal Clean Water Act by failing to obtain required permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the construction of access roads and foundation pads between 2003 and 2005.

"Construction activities near Alaska's wetlands can have serious consequences for Alaska's water quality and critical habitats," said Marcia Combes, Director of EPA's Alaska Operations Office. "Construction activities near Alaska's wetlands can have serious consequences for Alaska's water quality and critical habitats," said Marcia Combes, Director of EPA's Alaska Operations Office. "Landowners planning to conduct work in wetlands must obtain the right permits and follow the requirements to avoid unnecessary impacts and protect these valuable resources. Landowners planning to conduct work in wetlands must obtain the right permits and follow the requirements to avoid unnecessary impacts and protect these valuable resources," as reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The grant is to be shared with the 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, Clean Wisconsin, the Midwest Environmental Advocates, the Milwaukee RiverKeeper, the River Alliance of Wisconsin, the River Revitalization Foundation, and the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center.

"This investment provides enormous momentum toward making measurable
improvements in our water quality," stated Pat Marchese, Chairman of the Sweet Water Trust Executive Steering Council. "The grant will enable the Trust and its environmental partners to work collaboratively to build community support for implementing cost effective water quality improvement projects in the
Greater Milwaukee Watersheds."

The Joyce Foundation, based in Chicago, supports efforts to protect the Great Lakes, to reduce poverty and violence in the region, and to ensure its residents have good schools, decent jobs, a strong democracy, and a diverse and thriving culture, as reported by the Sweet Water Trust and published by Reuters.

Hunter Energy, at its oil field production facility in Palo Pinto County, Texas was found, during an inspection on June 15th, to be polluting a tributary of Lake Creek.

Johnson & Ernst, at its oil field production facility in Wilbarger County, Texas, was found, during an inspection on June 9th, to be polluting Camp Creek.

Both firms have 30 days to clean up the waterways of the brine and salt as well as the areas around the entry points leading to the waterways, and restore those areas, as reported by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency.

Herb Niederberger, division chief of the Sacramento County Department of Water Resources, said that for the past nine years the county was in settlement agreements with the companies, but nothing had be done to replace the water supply or "make us whole."

"After nine years of discussion, Aerojet and Boeing have yet to take responsibility," Niederberger said. "We needed to do something."

With the lawsuit, the county is looking to cover all costs and alleges that "the contamination resulting from defendants' disposal and release of hazardous substances continues to expand, presents an imminent and substantial endangerment to health or the environment, and threatens to contaminate additional county water supply wells."

Aerojet spokeswoman Linda Cutler said, "in 2003 we reached a landmark water agreement with them that they unilaterally terminated in 2008. "Despite this unilateral action, Aerojet and Boeing have continued to negotiate in good faith to resolve the county's demands."

Blythe Jameson, a Boeing spokeswoman, said the complaint was under review and declined to comment specifically about the lawsuit, but did say the company has been cleaning up the site, as reported by the Sacramento Bee.

"This is some really exciting stuff," Cathy Schaeffer, Walla Walla County watershed planning director, told a group yesterday, gathered at the William A. Grant Water and Environmental Center.

"The three main areas that are top priorities now are creation of the governing board, development of the water bank and work on the "flow from flexibility" framework," Schaeffer said.

"This has changed state law in a significant way to allow local people to manage water," said Karen Terwilleger, staff member of the state House Agriculture Natural Resources Committee.

"The first choice is, are we going to collaborate or litigate? They are watching us to see how this works," she said, referring to the Indian tribes who are to be affected by the new program.

Note: The picture shown is part of the Bennington dam, part of the Walla Walla watershed, as reported by the Union-Bulletin.

"So we're going to go out here to a couple of complaints in the Carmel Valley area and check on it and see what's going on. Hopefully educate the public about the water restrictions," Seneca Page said.

"Sometimes you do kind of feel like you're banging your head against the wall, chasing your tail, you know, you’re kind of in the dark. So sometimes it does," he says. "But you know, you kind of shake it off. Because for every one where you don't see anything, there are six that you do, he said."

Page explained that his job is to educate people about what they can and can't do when it comes to watering, and that alone will keep him busy for the rest of the summer, as reported by KPBS.

Pottawatomie County putting $1.3 million into improvements at a treatment plant to remove iron from drinking water.

Holton,KS is using $164,000 for native plants and a rain garden to control erosion in a storm water drainage area.

Topeka (pictured)is starting a $55,000 study to determine if a wastewater treatment facility can use "green" technology to conserve energy.

The Center for Child Development at Kansas State University is getting $454,000 for installation of a porous pavement to harvest rainfall.

El Dorado,KS is using $200,000 to the install a hydroelectric generator on a city water pipe to generate about 100 kilowatts of energy for use at a water treatment plant.

"This funding will not only help create much-needed jobs but will have a major impact on communities in need of these important infrastructure projects," said Rod Bremby, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Kerry Wedel, chief of the state water bureau's watershed management section, said 20 percent of the federal financing was earmarked for green infrastructure, water and energy-efficiency improvements.

"It's basically practices that maintain or restore natural hydrology," Wedel said.

Ron Geisler, Kansas Department of Health and Environment water bureau's chief of municipal programs, said the largest project made possible by economic stimulus legislation was a $15.6 million endeavor in Johnson County, for construction of an improved facility to treat sludge at the current wastewater treatment plant, as reported by The Topeka Capital-Journal.

"Pollution in the Mekong River has pushed the local population of Irrawaddy dolphins to the brink of extinction," the conservation group said.

The WWF researchers also cautioned that pollutants found in the Mekong water could affect the health of millions of humans who rely river for potable water, as reported by the Reuters News Service, and published by ABC News.

The contractor discharged sediment from the construction site into a tributary of Schweitzer Creek and failed to obtain the proper permit as required under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

"While many builders and developers are doing the right thing by preventing runoff from their sites, there are some who are ignoring these important storm water requirements," said Jim Werntz, EPA's director of Idaho operations. "We take protecting Idaho waters very seriously. Builders and developers need to get the right permits and implement runoff controls before they start work or, like Barnes Construction, they will face fines," as reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Any fire in this region, fueled by these dead trees, could potentially damage reservoirs, pipes and other infrastructure that supply water.

Wildfires can "literally bake the soil," leaving behind a water-repellent surface that sheds rain and leads to severe erosion and debris, Cables said. The loss of so many trees also will reduce shade in the region, which in turn could reduce water supplies in the hot, dry summer months and accelerate snow melt in the spring, he said.

A Forest Service analysis shows that people in San Diego, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Tucson, AZ who receive their tap water from the Colorado River get one quart of every gallon from national forests in the Rocky Mountain region.

"The arid West absolutely depends on national forests as the source for their water," Cables said. "The reach of this watershed is unparalleled in the West."

Barbara Bentz, a research entomologist with the Forest Service, said that the the current outbreak of bark beetles, which has destroyed nearly 8 million acres of trees, is the largest in history, as reported by the Associated Press, and published by the Mercury News.