EPA Issues New Information on Old and New Fluorescent Light Bulbs

January 19, 2011–Some light bulbs require special handling to reduce toxic exposures. EPA's latest guidance for old fluorescent bulbs that contain PCBs and current generation CFLs that contain mercury both provide important fodder for consumer-awareness stories.

Cell-Phone Industry Seeks To Silence Right-to-Know Demands

October 6, 2010–The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association has filed suit against San Francisco in response to a right-to-know ordinance it passed guaranteeing consumers information about how much electromagnetic radiation their cell phones were exposing them to.

Manufacturing Plants Are Source of Drugs in Waterways

June 9, 2010–Wastewater treatment plants can't mitigate the problem, which is compounded by other sources of water contamination, such as drugs that end up in landfills or flushed down toilets, and metabolites or unutilized drugs that pass through people who take the drugs.

Greenwashers, Beware: FTC Updating Its "Green Guides"

May 12, 2010–The 2010 update to the Federal Trade Commission's Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims is expected to feature new guidance for marketing carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates, green packaging, textiles, building products, and building.

Will Appliance Rebates Match Cash for Clunkers?

February 3, 2010–States and territories are each designing and running their own unique rebate program, with funding from the US DOE for development and implementation.

Radon Action Month a Chance To Save Lives

January 20, 2010–Every year, an estimated 20,000 Americans die of lung cancer caused by exposure to radon — a naturally occurring radioactive gas that often finds its way into indoor air. So now's a good time to look at the ways radon impacts your audience and how people can protect themselves.

Watchdog Groups Call for Improvements in Contractor Misconduct Database

November 18, 2009–The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) and OMB Watch want the federal government to tighten the accountability of federal contractors by fixing problems with the database — a potentially valuable tool for environmental reporters.

Data Deficit Hampers Consumer Product Safety Commission

August 26, 2009–A new GAO report says Customs has refused to give the CPSC shipping-manifest information it has been requesting for years. The manifests are a way to track products imported into the U.S. which may have been recalled due to toxicity and/or safety issues.

Cash for Clunkers Legislation Rolls Closer

April 29, 2009–Two competing bills before Congress would pay people to scrap old, inefficient vehicles. But some say the proposed legislation is not as green as it looks and other factors need to be taken into consideration.

Report: Hints of Substantial Urban Residential Infill

March 18, 2009–Researchers with EPA's Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation has found that residential development in some metro areas has moved from suburbs and exurbs to infill development within urban areas.