Pollution

Commentary: The Great Salt Lake — Utah’s Silent Health Emergency

"In recent years, public discourse on air quality in Utah has rightly focused on the dangers of wildfire smoke. Wildfire events across the Western United States have degraded air quality for days and weeks at a time. Yet, while headlines chase each new plume of smoke, a slower and arguably more dangerous crisis has been allowed to develop with remarkably little urgency: the drying of the Great Salt Lake and the toxic dust it is now releasing into the air that Utahns breathe every single day."

Source: Utah News Dispatch, 09/09/2026

After 9/11, Documents Suggest, New Yorkers Were Misled About Air Quality

"In the harrowing months th�at followed the attacks on the World Trade Center, New Yorkers were repeatedly assured that the air around the fallen towers was safe to breathe. But 10 months later, health officials were still finding evidence of asbestos as much as half a mile away, according to a sample of air quality records being released on Tuesday."

Source: New York Times, 09/09/2026

Trump Administration Moves to Drop Protections for More Wetlands

"The Trump administration on Friday took another step toward stripping federal protections from millions of acres of wetlands, which help filter drinking water for many communities and provide critical habitat for birds, fish and other wildlife."

Source: New York Times, 09/08/2026

Pentagon Delays PFAS Cleanup at Over 200 Military Sites for Third Time

"The Pentagon is again delaying its timelines to clean up “forever chemicals” at hundreds of contaminated military sites across �the United States, the third time in a year the department has extended estimates for completing a key phase of the cleanups."

Source: NOTUS, 09/08/2026

New Mexico Bans Uranium Leasing on State Lands

"Officials in New Mexico, the nation’s largest historic producer of uranium ore, banned new leasing of state lands for uranium mining on Friday." "The move to block new mining projects comes as the Trump administration seeks to revive American uranium production."

Source: Inside Climate News, 09/08/2026

Pipeline Firm That Spilled Fuel in Pa. Is Trying to Weaken Clean Water Law

"Energy Transfer, the Dallas-based pipeline giant facing a state-level criminal probe related to a jet fuel spill that polluted drinking water in a suburban Philadelphia neighborhood, is seeking to have part of Pennsylvania’s 89-year-old Clean Streams Law declared unconstitutional."

Source: Inside Climate News, 09/08/2026
November 30, 2026

DEADLINE: Vital Impacts Environmental Photography Fellowships and Mentorships

Environmental Photography Fellowships & Mentorships 2027 – one $20K and six $5K fellowships plus 10 mentorships for photographers documenting environmental and conservation stories. No prior publication required. Deadline Nov. 30.

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Decarbonizing Energy Systems With Clean Firm Power

Solar and wind power are critical for combating climate change, but some energy experts warn they won’t be enough. Their vision for an emissions-free grid depends on technologies ranging from long-duration batteries to nuclear reactors. Journalist Nicolás Rivero on clean firm power’s potential, the challenges ahead and how Big Tech is driving the pursuit of always-on zero-carbon electricity.

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