Chemicals

"Japan and the U.S. Agree to Team Up on Seabed Mining"

"The United States has spent nearly a year pursuing deep sea mining without cooperation from the rest of the world. Now, Japan has said it will help out." "The arrangement could signal a fracture in the decades-long effort among nations to reach consensus on how to mine the ocean floor while protecting ecosystems."

Source: NYTimes, 03/30/2026

"Scientists Urge Action On Glyphosate, Citing Strong Links To Cancer

"US and European regulators should take urgent action to more tightly regulate glyphosate, the world’s most widely used weed killer, in light of strong scientific evidence that the pesticide can cause cancer and other health problems, a group of international scientists said on Friday."

Source: The New Lede, 03/30/2026

Iowa Cancer Crisis Linked to Pesticides, PFAS, Fertilizer and Radon: Report

"Iowa is among a few states where cancer diagnoses are on the rise. A new analysis from the Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement and the Iowa Environmental Council says that environmental exposures are partially to blame."

Source: Inside Climate News, 03/26/2026

Replacing Toxic Lead Pipes Could Drive Job Creation in Illinois: Report

"Illinois has nearly 1.5 million lead service lines. A new report estimates replacing the unsafe plumbing has the potential to create 90,000 jobs."

Source: Grist/WBEZ, 03/24/2026

Shell's Cracker Has Polluted More Than Permitted With No New Fines For 3 Years

"State regulators have allowed the Beaver County ethylene plant to keep exceeding limits on damaging nitrogen oxides while the official permitting process has taken seven times its original timeline."

Source: Public Source, 03/24/2026

Insect Decline Poses Foundational Ecological Hazards

Bugs may get a bad rap, but a serious possible global decline in their populations is making clearer what may be lost for ecosystems and human societies. Issue Backgrounder peers beneath the detritus to find what insects do, how we try to kill them and how they survive, and why it’s so hard to pin down the data around their shifting numbers.

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Sewage Sludge Battle Heats Up As Greens Appeal Move To Dismiss EPA Lawsuit

"A federal court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit alleging US regulators failed to prevent widespread contamination of farmland with toxic PFAS chemicals was based on a “flawed interpretation” of the Clean Water Act, creating “dangerous real-world consequences for public health,” a watchdog group argued in a new court filing."

Source: The New Lede, 03/20/2026

Iran War Has US Farmers Worried About Cost And Availability Of Fertilizer

"Tennessee farmer Todd Littleton expects to pay $100,000 more for fertilizer this season, a 40% spike from his bill last year thanks to the war in Iran — and he is scrambling to cover that extra cost."

Source: AP, 03/19/2026

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