Chesapeake Bay dead zone: The EPA estimated the Chesapeake Bay dead zone will be just 4 percent larger than usual this summer, a sign of progress in controlling nutrient runoff in the bay’s watershed considering heavier-than-average spring rainfall. (Maryland Matters)
Left at the roadside: An Italian farmer was under investigation for manslaughter for allegedly leaving an immigrant farm laborer on the side of the road after the man lost an arm in an accident involving heavy machinery in a vegetable field near Rome. (BBC)
Solar farms and hail: Many solar farms use so-called trackers to turn the panels during the day to follow the sun, and developers say weather reports could be incorporated into the technology to minimize hail damage by changing the angle of the panels to the sky. (Inside Climate News)
Rural areas not covered: Some of America’s most heat-vulnerable populations are in rural areas, where common urban mitigation tactics, such as cooling centers and longer hours at public swimming pools, are ineffective because people live farther apart and may have to travel miles for help. (New York Times)
Forest conservation survey: The USDA will mail surveys to 43,000 landowners and land managers this summer to gather information on why they implement particular grazing and conservation practices and whether they change them over times. (National Agricultural Statistics Service)