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Postcard from California: Two refineries to close but fenceline communities still besieged by pollution
By Bill Walker
Next year, people in Wilmington and Carson, Calif., neighboring communities in south Los Angeles County, will breathe a bit easier thanks to a decision by Phillips 66 to shut down its gasoline refineries in those communities by the end of 2025.
Outcry over Texas plastics plant points to broader industry issues
By Shannon Kelleher
As world leaders work on a global treaty to address mounting harms from plastics pollution, a Texas plastics plant seen as a “serial” corporate polluter is in the crosshairs of environmentalists who say the operation provides a prime example of the need for a halt to petrochemical development.
Citing “catastrophic climate effects,” Maine joins in litigation against oil companies
By Dana Drugmand
Maine on Tuesday became the latest government entity to bring legal claims against several major oil and gas companies, alleging the companies and their chief trade association, the American Petroleum Institute, have deliberately misled the public about the climate consequences of burning fossil fuels.
Can the world agree to a sensible treaty to end plastic pollution?
By Douglas Main
As the US faces the upcoming inauguration of a president known for opposing opposition regulations, delegates from the US and more than 170 countries are meeting this week try to finalize a global treaty to address plastic pollution, in a process organized by the United Nations Environment Program that launched back in spring of 2022.
Friend or foe? Environmental advocates eye Kennedy nomination warily
By Shannon Kelleher
In the wake of last week’s announcement that President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), some leading environmental and public health advocates say they’ve found themselves in a “difficult” position.
Court deals setback to efforts to regulate pesticide-coated seeds
By Carey Gillam
A federal court this week dealt a blow to calls for new regulations on pesticide-coated seeds used in farming, ruling that US regulators were not acting improperly in exempting the seeds from registration review.
A call for EPA action on climate risks to hazardous waste facilities
By Dana Drugmand
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should be doing more to help address potential climate change-related risks to hundreds of hazardous waste facilities across the country, according to a recent government watchdog report.
Bioplastics may be toxic to soil organisms, study calls for more testing
By Douglas Main
Bioplastics, often considered a safer alternative to synthetic plastics, may in some cases be toxic to soil organisms, a worrisome finding that indicates a need for more thorough testing, according to a new study.
Despite critics, organic farming thrives in heart of US corn country
By Keith Schneider
WEST BEND, Iowa – People searching for ways to limit the toll industrialized American agriculture takes on communities, land, and water may want to make a visit to Clear Creek Acres in northern Iowa.
Can anything be done to Trump-proof the environment?
By Douglas Main
As advocacy groups brace for a new administration under President-elect Donald Trump —fearing a slew of deregulation and policy changes that would undermine a range of environmental health measures —some are pondering ways to try to “Trump-proof” the planet.