Formal Repeal of Roadless Rule Directly Threatens Midwest Wilderness [9]
"Federal agencies say opening these lands will reduce wildfire risks and make timber more accessible. Experts, however, say the government is contradicting itself."


EJToday is a daily weekday digest of top environment/energy news and information of interest to environmental journalists, independently curated by Editor Joseph A. Davis [1]. Sign up below to receive in your inbox. For queries, email EJToday@SEJ.org [2]. For more info, read an EJToday FAQ [3]. Plus, follow EJToday on social media at @EJTodayNews [4], and flag stories of note by including the @EJTodayNews handle on your posts. And tell us how to make EJToday even better by taking this brief survey [5].
NEW: Weekly Regional Headlines Spotlight: EJToday has broadened its scope to bring readers more regional stories for their environment news diet, especially from under-the-radar nonprofit newsrooms. In fall 2026, we assembled a team of volunteers across the United States to help curate a new Friday “EJToday Regional Spotlight” headlines feature. Watch for it weekly.
EJToday Masthead Editor: Joseph A. Davis. Regional Spotlight Editors: Keerti Gopal (Midwest); Lisa Sorg (South); Wyatt Myskow, Jake Bolster and Steven Rodas (West); Lauren Dalban (Northeast).
Want to join the EJToday team? Volunteer time commitments can vary from just an hour a month up to a daily contribution, and would involve helping to curate content of interest. To learn more, reach out to the director of publications, Adam Glenn, at sejournaleditor@sej.org [6].
Note: Members have additional options to choose from (you'll need your log-in info).
"Federal agencies say opening these lands will reduce wildfire risks and make timber more accessible. Experts, however, say the government is contradicting itself."
"The number of cancer deaths estimated to be attributable to alcohol in the United States doubled from 1990 to 2023, particularly among men and people aged 55 years and older, according to a University of Miami study published this month, adding to the body of recent research underscoring the health risks of alcohol consumption."
"An official in Pennsylvania has confirmed the measles-related death of a 40-year-old woman. Jefferson County Coroner Greg Furlong told NPR that the woman, who died on Saturday, was unvaccinated."
"Nearly half a billion birds may soar across the United States in the next two weeks during their annual fall migration, prompting requests for residents to turn off or dim lights to help ensure their safe flight."
"Last month tied July 2023 as the planet’s hottest month on record, European scientists said on Thursday, as human-caused warming pushes the Northern Hemisphere’s muggiest, most uncomfortable time of year into new realms of stickiness and discomfort."
"A group representing more than 800 former employees of the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday sounded the alarm over the health consequences of data centers. It warned that Trump administration policies to weaken pollution safeguards and speed up approvals of the facilities threatened to exacerbate those health harms."
"The world is set to burn record amounts of coal this year, in large part because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday."
"Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s push for minerals and militarization raises fears about the violence more mining could inflict on local communities and critical ecosystems."
"The company will pay the sum over the next 15 years for contamination caused by its plant on the border of Cumberland and Bladen counties."
"Florida’s wildlife agency has proposed new rules to strengthen protections for sloths imported into the state, four months after an Inside Climate News investigation revealed dozens of wild sloths from South America died at a planned Orlando tourism attraction."
"Rabies cases in the United States from July to August increased 17 percent compared to the same period last year, following several “high-profile rabies outbreaks” and exposure events, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday."
"An ambitious bill to keep toxic “forever chemicals” off California produce lost its teeth after the chemical and agricultural industry spent hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying against it."
"The towering maple trees and native hazelnut bushes on Salvatierra Farms break up the surrounding corn and soybean fields that sprawl across southern Minnesota."
"Indonesian authorities are working to repatriate five baby orang utans found motherless in India, suspected to be trafficked from Sumatra. The infants are critically endangered, healthy, and under care at a zoo while DNA tests confirm their origin."
"On Friday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit against the city of Jackson, Mississippi, which alleged the city knowingly let residents drink lead-contaminated water." "A Trump-appointed judge also said Americans have no “constitutional right to truthful information” during a public health crisis."
Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/about-sej/board-and-staff#DavisJ
[2] mailto:EJToday@sej.org
[3] https://www.sej.org/headlines/ejtoday-faq
[4] https://twitter.com/EJTodayNews
[5] https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe27LGTwnAAO66id2Lhjt8GEr5rNSZ_-qb44KkED2MyXDcsBg/viewform
[6] mailto:sejournaleditor@sej.org
[7] https://sej.memberclicks.net/sej-member-info-mailing-lists
[8] https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?llr=uc9jvlfab&p=oi&m=uc9jvlfab&sit=irmegj5fb&f=e2ebdab4-c0ba-4a9c-970a-3b779b1cae21
[9] https://www.sej.org/headlines/formal-repeal-roadless-rule-directly-threatens-midwest-wilderness
[10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/biodiversity-1
[11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change
[12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/forests
[13] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws
[14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land
[15] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water
[16] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/wildlife
[17] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81
[18] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national
[19] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/12092026/roadless-rule-repeal-threatens-midwest-wilderness/
[20] https://www.sej.org/headlines/alcohol-linked-cancer-deaths-have-doubled-recent-decades-what-know
[21] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics
[22] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer
[23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health
[24] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health
[25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science
[26] https://wapo.st/4rcE2LB
[27] https://www.sej.org/headlines/pennsylvania-says-unvaccinated-woman-has-died-measles-complications
[28] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics
[29] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government
[30] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population
[31] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/technology
[32] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic
[33] https://www.npr.org/2026/09/13/nx-s1-5968093/pennsylvania-says-an-unvaccinated-woman-has-died-from-measles-related-complications
[34] https://www.sej.org/headlines/millions-birds-migrate-residents-are-asked-turn-lights
[35] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/us/bird-seasonal-migration-lights.html?unlocked_article_code=1.BFE.b-CC.BQS55wNliTiH&smid=url-share
[36] https://www.sej.org/headlines/august-ties-record-earth-s-hottest-month-books
[37] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international
[38] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/09/climate/august-hottest-month-global-warming.html?unlocked_article_code=1.AFE.LVwQ.qMHCzeR5qVCp&smid=url-share
[39] https://www.sej.org/headlines/ai-boom-poses-growing-public-health-threat-former-epa-officials-warn
[40] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air
[41] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy
[42] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice
[43] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media
[44] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/military
[45] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/10/climate/ai-data-centers-air-pollution-health.html?unlocked_article_code=1.AFE.wYXS.u-iSYDP_GkcX&smid=url-share
[46] https://www.sej.org/headlines/iran-war-pushing-global-coal-use-record-highs
[47] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution
[48] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/10/climate/global-coal-demand-iran-war.html?unlocked_article_code=1.AFE.Qu_8.I0lHoHTwgbFf&smid=url-share
[49] https://www.sej.org/headlines/us-wants-minerals-south-america-defenders-fear-what-comes-next
[50] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/mexico
[51] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/central-america-caribbean
[52] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/south-america
[53] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/09092026/the-united-states-wants-south-america-minerals/
[54] https://www.sej.org/headlines/chemours-pay-455-million-fayetteville-works-contamination
[55] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast
[56] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/10092026/chemours-fayetteville-pfas-contamination-settlement/
[57] https://www.sej.org/headlines/florida-proposes-stronger-protections-sloths-after-dozens-died
[58] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/10092026/florida-proposes-stronger-sloth-protections/
[59] https://www.sej.org/headlines/rabies-cases-increased-17-percent-july-and-august-cdc-says
[60] https://wapo.st/46djAk1
[61] https://www.sej.org/headlines/ag-industry-spent-big-stop-california-banning-pfas-pesticides
[62] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture
[63] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/california
[64] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/09092026/industry-interests-spent-big-money-to-stop-california-from-banning-pfas-pesticides/
[65] https://www.sej.org/headlines/midwest-farmers-see-regenerative-ag-more-soil-health-it-s-spiritual
[66] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/religion-faith-and-spirituality
[67] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes
[68] https://apnews.com/article/regenerative-farming-agriculture-indigenous-minnesota-guatemala-b011617808411935f0df6f3abcd2207a
[69] https://www.sej.org/headlines/indonesia-seeks-bring-back-baby-orangutans-said-trafficked-india
[70] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/activism
[71] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/asia
[72] https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesia-seeks-to-bring-back-baby-orang-utans-allegedly-trafficked-to-india
[73] https://www.sej.org/headlines/you-don-t-have-right-safe-drinking-water-us-court-rules
[74] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster
[75] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure
[76] https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/09/drinking-water-mississippi-lawsuit/
[77] https://www.sej.org/headlines/list/%2A/209
[78] https://www.sej.org/headlines/list/%2A/209?page=17
[79] https://www.sej.org/headlines/list/%2A/209?page=14
[80] https://www.sej.org/headlines/list/%2A/209?page=15
[81] https://www.sej.org/headlines/list/%2A/209?page=16
[82] https://www.sej.org/headlines/list/%2A/209?page=19
[83] https://www.sej.org/headlines/list/%2A/209?page=20
[84] https://www.sej.org/headlines/list/%2A/209?page=21
[85] https://www.sej.org/headlines/list/%2A/209?page=22
[86] https://www.sej.org/headlines/list/%2A/209?page=622