Environmental Justice / Public News Service

From 2017 to 2019, Ohio ranked 46th among 50 states for pollution exposure, including exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution. (Halfpoint/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Researchers link air pollution with dementia risk

Recent data ranks Columbus as the most polluted major city in the U.S., highlighting concerns about common pollutants, like smog and vehicle …

According to the West Virginia Historical Society, the state had among the highest concentrations of chemical plants in the United States for nearly a century. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Monday, April 15, 2024

Experts: EPA chemical plant emissions rule a win for WV communities

Chemical plants in West Virginia and other states will be required to curb emissions of toxic, cancer causing pollutants - such as ethylene oxide…

A 412Justice report reveals many nearby communities experience higher rates of childhood asthma and more emergency room visits during bad air days, which are happening more frequently. Residents also have experienced higher risk of cancer. (Breathe Project)

Environmental groups rally at U.S. Steel for 'voice at the table'

People working for environmental justice are rallying today at the downtown Pittsburgh headquarters of U.S. Steel, voicing their concerns to company …

A Charlotte Earth Day event will provide children with an Earth Passport, which will help guide them through four

A focus on environmental protection, advocacy for NC Earth Day

April is Earth Month, and North Carolina's climate justice groups are addressing the crucial roles of air, land, water and health in protecting the …

In 2020, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Eichenger revoked the 1953 easement allowing Enbridge's Line 5 to operate. (Earthjustice)

Indigenous leaders come to NY to speak about pipeline impacts

Indigenous community leaders will be in New York addressing the United Nations. They'll be speaking at the UN's Permanent Forum on Indigenous …

Colorado is the fourth largest oil producing state in the country and eighth largest gas producing state. (Adobe Stock)

Study: Methane pollution from oil and gas production greatly underestimated

Data from new satellite-based technology show that the amount of methane pollution impacting communities living near oil and gas facilities is far gre…

Enbridge Energy's longstanding Line 5 oil pipeline has resulted in heavy opposition, including legal challenges, from environmental and tribal organizations in states such as Wisconsin and Michigan. (Photo courtesy Earthjustice)

Tribal interests remain at heart of opposition to Great Lakes oil pipeline

Later this month, Indigenous leaders will speak before a United Nations panel about their ongoing concerns with a controversial oil pipeline in the …

Environmental justice communities are linked to health issues that include asthma, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The4 effects of climate change often exacerbate these issues. (Adobe Stock)

VA groups angry over Youngkin’s Environmental Justice Council picks

Environmental organizations in Virginia have united in opposition to Gov. Glenn Youngkin's picks for the state Environmental Justice Council…

More than 90% of available land in the Greater Chaco region, former home of Ancestral Puebloan civilizations, is dotted with oil and gas wells, according to WildEarth Guardians. (WildEarthGuardians.org)

Orphaned wells: Environmental, visual pollution for SW Indian Country

Tribal communities, including those in New Mexico, can now apply for grant funding and direct assistance to clean up orphaned oil and gas wells …

A more diversified economy, including solar energy, is stopping the

putting people in West Virginia to work through paid on-the-job training. (Adobe Stock)">

Reimagining WV coal country by building on state’s legacy as an energy provider

By Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service reporting for the WorkingNation-Public New…

InsideClimatenews.org ranked U.S. Steel's Gary Works, in Gary, Indiana in 2022, as the largest greenhouse gas emitting iron and steel plant in the U.S. (Adobe Stock)

IN legislators pause on federal environmental plan

States are working to find solutions to make their air and water cleaner and safer for their communities but the path is not always clear-cut…

Decades of policies like redlining, that forced people of color into neighborhoods surrounded by industrial polluters, have led to a host of negative health outcomes, including cancers and premature death. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado lawmakers eye ways to reduce pollution in vulnerable communities

In 2021, Colorado lawmakers took a first step toward addressing decades of toxic pollution disproportionately impacting low-income neighborhoods and …

The 460 megawatt Merrimack Station's particulate matter emissions allegedly exceeded EPA limits by 70% in February 2023. A successful smoke stack retest has not been completed since, according to the New Hampshire Department of Environment Services. (Adobe Stock)<br />

NH groups celebrate planned closure of New England’s last coal plant

Environmental activists in New Hampshire are celebrating the planned closure of New England's last coal-fired power plant. Granite Shore Power said …

Washington state's program to combat climate change raised $2.2 billion in its first year. (jdoms/Adobe Stock)

WA carbon cap program faces initiative challenge on November ballot

By Kate Yoder for Grist.Broadcast version by Eric Tegethoff for Washington News Service reporting for the Grist-Public News Service Collaboration For…

The Fermi II nuclear plant suddenly shut down over the weekend as workers prepared for refueling. Advocates argue that EGLE hasn't adequately engaged with the public before issuing permits for the facility about its release of wastewater. (Adobe Stock)

MI groups demand more public input in EGLE decisions

Michigan U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib - D-Dearborn - is among the advocates urging Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to more …

At least two thirds of plastics plants examined in a new Environmental Integrity Project report (32 of 50) that have been built or expanded over the last decade have received tax breaks or subsidies from state and local governments worth a total of nearly $9 billion. (Adobe Stock)

KY plastics plant ranks in nation's top ten emitters of chlorine

A western Kentucky plastics plant is among the top 10 emitters of chlorine air pollution, according to a new report by the Environmental Integrity …

Lewiston is at the Washington border where the Snake River enters Idaho. (Nadia/Adobe Stock)

Snake River dams' clean energy claims questioned

A new report found four dams in the Columbia River Basin are big emitters of methane. Research from the organization Tell The Dam Truth showed the …

Around 85% of textiles thrown away in the United States end up in landfills or are burned, including unsold clothes. (Adobe Stock)

NY bill holds fashion industry accountable for climate change effects

A New York bill aims to regulate the fashion industry's effects on climate change. The Fashion Act would hold clothing and footwear companies …

Small seasonal streams lost Clean Water Act protections last year when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the Biden administration in 'Sackett v. EPA.' (Derrick/Adobe Stock)

On World Water Day, advocates call on Congress to reinstate protections

Today is World Water Day, established 21 years ago by the United Nations to promote clean, fresh water. This year, advocates in the U.S. are …

Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline transports 22 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids across 645 miles of countryside every day, from Superior, Wis., through Michigan's Upper Peninsula, under the Straits of Mackinac to refineries in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. (Adobe Stock)

Michiganders in Cincinnati in pursuit of Line 5 shutdown

Dana Nessel, Michigan's Attorney General, joined Indigenous and conservation groups at a demonstration Thursday in Cincinnati, highlighting what they …

New EPA rules on vehicle emissions aim to save drivers money through reduced fuel and maintenance costs of electric and hybrid vehicles. (Tongpatong/Adobestock)

Environmental advocates cheer new EPA clean-car rules

Clean-air groups are calling the Biden administration's new rules on vehicle pollution the single biggest action the Environmental Protection Agency h…

According to the American Lung Association, children face special risks from air pollution because their airways are small and still developing, and because they breathe more rapidly and inhale more air relative to their size than do adults. (Adobe Stock)

Experts: New EPA air pollution standards a win for public health

The Environmental Protection Agency has set new air pollution standards under the federal Clean Air Act for cars and light/medium vehicle models from …

Although U.S. government subsidies have helped keep the biomass industry afloat, the programs have a lengthy track record of being unsuccessful. (Adobe Stock)

Biomass company bankruptcy filing shows industry’s instability

Biomass producer Enviva's recent bankruptcy filing is being considered a sign of the industry's volatility. Recent financial challenges have …

Nurses voice support for new EPA light/medium vehicle air pollution rules

The Environmental Protection Agency has set new air pollution standards under the federal Clean Air Act for cars and light/medium vehicle models from …

An estimated 3 million Californians live within 3,200 feet of an oil or gas well. (MSPhotographic/Adobestock)

CA referendum would lift ban on new oil wells near homes

A referendum on the ballot this fall gives California voters the chance to either uphold or reject a law which would require oil and gas wells to be s…

Arizona is now among the top 10 states with the most electric vehicle registrations. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed EPA rule aims to increase EV sales

In Arizona, four in every 1,000 people have electric cars and a federal rule soon to be finalized could increase those numbers. It is gaining support …

Tourism and outdoor recreational are top drivers of New Mexico's economy. (Pew Charitable Trusts)

NM ambassadors travel east to advocate for West's Gila River

New Mexico has one of the nation's last "wild" rivers, free of human-made structures and community representatives will be back in the nation's …

In November 2023, the Financial Times reported that Trump was

Report: Second Trump term would add 4 billion tons of climate pollution

As Coloradans begin to weigh their options in this year's presidential election, a new Carbon Brief analysis projects that a second Biden term would …

According to the American Lung Association, more than 63 million Americans live in areas with unhealthy spikes of soot pollution. (BCH Photo/Adobe Stock)<br />

TN groups monitoring soot pollution pleased by new EPA standards

The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized stronger air quality standards for soot pollution and one regional organization said it is a step in…

The group Appalachian Voices has partnered with 16 community groups and two universities to deploy around 80 monitoring devices to track air quality in communities throughout Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. (Adobe Stock)

New EPA clean air rules to help strengthen air monitoring in KY

Groups working to improve air quality in Appalachia are applauding the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to strengthen ambient air quality st…

Ellicott City flooding in 2016 and 2018 were both described as one-in-1,000-year flood events. (Cheryl Crumm/Adobe Stock)

Bill would require fossil fuel companies to help pay for climate impacts

Advocates are asking Maryland lawmakers to establish a superfund to help hold fossil fuel companies accountable for the costs of climate change…

A proposal before the California Air Resources Board would allow fossil fuel producers in California to buy credits from factory farms that use anaerobic digesters like these to extract methane from animal waste. (Rob Thomas/Adobe Stock)

Midwest community activists slam proposed CA emissions incentives

Community groups in the Midwest are worried a change in California carbon emissions policy could hurt quality of life in the nation's heartland…

The U.S. military opens the Trinity bomb site, 210 miles south of Los Alamos, New Mexico, to the public twice a year. (Nina/Adobe Stock)

NM activist seeking atomic bomb reparations invited to State of the Union

A New Mexico resident will attend President Joe Biden's State of the Union address tonight as legislation is pending to expand the Radiation Exposure …

The Empowering Rural America program represents the largest investment in rural electrification since implementation of the 1936 Rural Electrification Act. (Courtesy Rural Power Coalition)

'Power to People' film highlights 'New ERA' for rural electric co-ops

A film debuts in Texas today to help member-owned utility customers learn more about opportunities coming their way from the 2022 Inflation Reduction …

Massachusetts has been losing roughly 5,000 acres of forest each year to housing and industrial development as well as large-scale solar power installations, according to Mass Audubon. (Adobe Stock)

MA reforestation plan aims to counter urban heat islands

A proposed urban reforestation program in Massachusetts aims to help cities mitigate the effects of climate change. Legislation would create a state …

Last year, the Biden-Harris administration announced $196 million in grants for 37 pipeline modernization projects in 19 states, including Pennsylvania. (MaxSafaniuk/Adobe Stock)<br />

Advocates push for swift update of gas pipeline safety rules

Pennsylvania environmental groups want to see a new rule implemented to improve the detection and repair of leaks from gas pipelines. The Keystone …

Construction on a six-home development in Fairmount Heights began Oct. 13. (Adobe Stock/AI)

Affordable housing meets cutting-edge energy tech in MD's Fairmount Heights

By Kayla Benjamin for The Washington Informer.Broadcast version by Brett Peveto for Maryland News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Ne…

The National Weather Service said November 2023 tied for the Indianapolis area's 34th warmest November since weather records began in 1871, placing it in the 78th percentile. (Adobe Stock)

University conference fosters conversation on climate change solutions

Indiana climate leaders gathered this month to share knowledge and create strategies to address the effects of climate change. Together, they are …

The population of New Mexico's red-headed woodpecker has declined more than 70% in the past 50 years.(RGLPhotography/AdobeStock)

NM wildlife advocates work to accelerate human, wildlife coexistence

Wildlife advocates say there's been a shift in public opinion about the value of wildlife over the past few decades, with people supporting …

Studies show a correlation between ample tree canopy in urban areas and reduced heat-related ambulance calls during extreme heat events. (Adobe Stock)

New online tool helps Boston grow tree equity

A new online tool is helping community groups in Boston ensure all neighborhoods reap the benefits from urban tree canopies. The Tree Equity Score …

Nine in 10 voters across eight Mountain West states including Colorado want oil and gas companies, not federal and state governments, to pay for cleanup and restoration costs. (Adobe Stock)

West's Latino voters want conservation over development on public lands

Voters, including 74% of Republicans, 87% of Independents and 96% of Democrats, would support candidates in elections who prioritize conservation on …

Data from 2021 estimated only 3.5% of organic waste generated in Baltimore was diverted for composting. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates see composting as alternative to incineration of Baltimore’s food waste

The founder of the Baltimore Compost Collective wants Baltimore to ditch trash incineration, fight climate change and grow healthier food. Marvin …

According to CleanAIRE NC, frontline communities are constantly dealing with a range of environmental risks, including power plants, sewage plants, roads and highways, landfills and others. (Adobe Stock)

NC to tackle pollution disparities with Environmental Justice Council

North Carolina is taking action to address environmental injustice, specifically targeting areas disproportionately affected by pollution and climate …

As part of the Greening Research in Tacoma initiative, air temperature monitors were set up in a city neighborhood. (Hannah Letinich/The Nature Conservancy)

Tree coverage in cities crucial as planet warms, WA research shows

Trees in urban areas provide benefits for people, including decreased temperatures and improved air quality, according to new research from …

There are nearly 1 million acres of modern coal mines in 12 states that have not yet been reclaimed, according to analyses by Appalachian Voices and the Western Organization of Resource Councils. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Advocates propose solutions to stop zombie mines in Ohio, other states

Advocates from coal-mining communities are proposing a roadmap to help address and prevent so-called "zombie mines," - abandoned mine lands on hold in…

If a Republican wins the White House in the future, the Heritage Foundation has a plan to overhaul such federal agencies as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to operate under conservative regulation. (Tada Images/Adobe Stock)

Conservative groups write 'game plan' for U.S. government takeover

By Carrie Baker for Ms. Magazine.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson reporting for the Ms. Magazine-Public News Service Collaboration Wealthy right-…

In New Mexico, three-quarters of new survey respondents said they do not want protections rolled back on national monuments. (National Park Service)

Poll: Voters in NM, other Western states consistently support conservation

A new poll showed New Mexico voters expressed a deep affection for lands, water and wildlife and want policies offering greater protections. The 14…

In 2023, the USDA Forest Service and AmeriCorps signed a five-year agreement to establish the Forest Corps, which aims to create job opportunities to reduce wildfire risk, support reforestation and make national forests and grasslands healthier and more resilient. (Adobe Stock)

Climate Corps initiative could speed up reforestation of abandoned mine lands

A Biden administration program called the American Climate Corps aims to hire and train 20,000 people in conservation, climate and clean energy jobs…

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