Water & Oceans

"As Texas Flooded, Key Staff Say FEMA’s Leader Could Not Be Reached"

"The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s acting administrator, David Richardson, is often inaccessible, several current and former officials say, raising concerns within the agency."

Source: Washington Post, 09/25/2025

Chicago Has Thousands of Lead Pipes — and Millions of Unspent Dollars

"No U.S. city has more toxic lead pipes pumping water into people’s homes. And millions of federal and city dollars earmarked to replace them remain unused, a city official said Monday, at the same time that the city is struggling to keep up with deadlines to warn people of the risks."

Source: Inside Climate News, 09/24/2025
October 15, 2025

DEADLINE: IJNR Great Lakes Federal Funding Hybrid Virtual/In-Person Workshop

The Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources will bring journalists to Western Lake Erie, Nov 18-21, 2025, to explore the impacts Trump administration changes are having on local communities and what they mean for interests across the Basin, from agriculture, to energy, to fisheries and more. Deadline: Oct 15.

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"The People Behind America’s Disaster Recovery"

"When a disaster strikes, be it a hurricane, flood, wildfire, or other type of extreme weather, an army of workers assemble. They arrive in waves to ravaged areas ready to respond." "From cleanup crews to powerline techs, these are the workers called in after catastrophe."

Source: Grist, 09/23/2025

"Defense Department Delays Cleanup of ‘Forever Chemicals’ Nationwide"

"The Department of Defense has quietly delayed its cleanup of harmful “forever chemicals” at nearly 140 military installations across the country, according to a list of sites analyzed by The New York Times." "The new timeline could slow cleanup in some communities by nearly a decade. The chemicals, widely used in the military, are linked to cancers and other health risks."

Source: NYTimes, 09/23/2025

"Judge Says Work on Wind Farm Off Rhode Island Can Proceed, for Now"

"A federal judge ruled on Monday that the Danish energy company Orsted could restart work on Revolution Wind, a large wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island that is nearly complete but had been abruptly halted last month by the Trump administration."

Source: NYTimes, 09/23/2025

Trump Administration Icing Out NSIDC Data

An important federal database that tracks Arctic ice and snowmelt — which help address concerns like sea level rise and fresh water resources — is facing funding cuts and reductions in services. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox looks at the kind of high-quality information the National Snow and Ice Data Center can provide environmental reporters, including for local stories. That is, while it lasts.

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