SCIENCE IN THE NEWS WEEKLY
Environment: When Is a Fish Organic?
Last week a U.S. federal advisory board approved criteria for labeling farmed fish "organic," but not everyone is pleased with the standards, according to the Washington Post.
But there's good news for scallop fishermen on the East Coast. A recent survey of sea scallops from Massachusetts to North Carolina suggests a big harvest can be expected in a couple of years.
In other environment news, Scientific American looked at the chemicals involved in hydraulic fracturing, a technique used to drill for natural gas, and what they may mean for water quality.
Scientific advisers for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have warned that the EPA should delay final action on its decision not to set a federal drinking-water standard for perchlorate, a chemical in rocket fuel. They say the computer model underlying the decision may have flaws.
And, according to other reports, the EPA is finalizing new air-quality rules that would make it easier to build polluting industries near national parks and wilderness areas, against the advice of half of the agency's regional administrators.