Publication Items

Oversight on EPA FOIA Screening, Covering Pipeline Protests, Feedlot Air Emissions, Data on Illegal Fishing [1]

The new year will likely mean subpoenas on EPA’s FOIA response policies, as a Democrat takes the chair in the House Oversight Committee amid charges the agency is choking off politically sensitive record requests. And are new laws in a dozen states making coverage of pipeline protests a felony? That, plus air emission exemptions for animal feedlot operators and data on illegal fishing. All in the latest issue of the WatchDog.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [4]
Air [5]
Climate Change [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Fish & Fisheries [9]
Government [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
People & Population [13]
Pollution [14]
Water & Oceans [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [18]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [19]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [20]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [21]
Northwest (OR WA) [22]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [23]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [24]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Oversight on EPA FOIA Screening, Covering Pipeline Protests, Feedlot Air Emissions, Data on Illegal Fishing [1]
In 2019, Watch for Aggressive Energy-Enviro Oversight By Democratic House [26]

As Democrats take charge of the House of Representatives next month, they’ll be wielding powerful congressional oversight powers over environment and energy matters. Watch for oversight drama in 2019 as committees take a closer look at natural resource policy at the Interior Department, the rollback of climate policy, attacks on climate science and more. All in our latest Issue Backgrounder.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [6]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [10]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [28]
Policy [29]
Pollution [14]
Science [30]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [20]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [21]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about In 2019, Watch for Aggressive Energy-Enviro Oversight By Democratic House [26]
Environmental (In)Justice Coverage Grows, As More Media Take Note [31]

Environmental justice-related stories are expected to get more attention in the news media in 2019. But that’s not because the challenge of protecting marginalized communities from lopsided environmental impacts is being met. This week’s TipSheet explains, in a look-ahead to environmental justice stories making the news, the many forms the problem takes, the many communities affected and the emerging notion of “climate justice.”

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Air [5]
Chemicals [33]
Climate Change [6]
Disasters [34]
Environmental Health [35]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [10]
Health [36]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
People & Population [13]
Pollution [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
Alaska and Hawaii [37]
California [38]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [18]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [19]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [20]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [21]
Northwest (OR WA) [22]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [23]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [24]
International [39]
Mexico [40]
Central America & the Caribbean [41]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Environmental (In)Justice Coverage Grows, As More Media Take Note [31]
In 2019, PFAS Chemicals Will Show Up in Drinking Water … and Headlines [42]

The vast and widely used PFAS family of chemicals is causing serious worries across the country, as it turns up in more and more drinking water systems. Pressure to regulate it is also growing, but with mixed results. This week’s TipSheet offers a detailed look-ahead on this big, developing story, with a walk-through of the context, what the EPA is (and isn’t) doing, and why states are stepping up.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Air [5]
Chemicals [33]
Economy & Business [43]
Environmental Health [35]
Environmental Studies [44]
Government [10]
Health [36]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Policy [29]
Pollution [14]
Science [30]
Water & Oceans [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [19]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [21]
Northwest (OR WA) [22]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about In 2019, PFAS Chemicals Will Show Up in Drinking Water … and Headlines [42]
Incoming House Democrat Committee Chairs Promise News [45]

What will a divided Congress mean for environment and energy issues? This week’s TipSheet explores the question by looking at the Democrats who will now lead key House committees once the new Congress is seated next year. Take a lightning tour of a half-dozen top panels, their anticipated leadership and the issues they tackle, including drinking water safety, environmental justice and climate change, infrastructure, science policy, natural resources and more.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Air [5]
Climate Change [6]
Economy & Business [43]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Fish & Fisheries [9]
Forests [46]
Government [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [28]
Policy [29]
Pollution [14]
Science [30]
Technology [47]
Transportation [48]
Water & Oceans [15]
Wildlife [49]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Incoming House Democrat Committee Chairs Promise News [45]
Environment Issues Figure in Many 2018 Mid-Term Races, Ballots [50]

Climate, environment and energy issues figure prominently in the upcoming Nov. 6 elections, whether in individual races, ballot measures or significant power shifts. This week’s TipSheet provides starting points to track relevant races, and runs down 11 big environmental ballots, ranging from measures like a carbon tax in Washington state and drilling ban in Florida, to tight congressional races in California, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Climate Change [6]
Disasters [34]
Economy & Business [43]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [28]
Policy [29]
Pollution [14]
Water & Oceans [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
California [38]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [18]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [19]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [20]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [21]
Northwest (OR WA) [22]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [23]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Environment Issues Figure in Many 2018 Mid-Term Races, Ballots [50]
Incinerators Offer Local Journalists Some Burning Issues [51]

Incinerators — there may be fewer of them these days, but it’s likely there’s still one near you and it’s probably polluting the air. How a cheap method to make garbage go away now has become a problem of its own, one that often sparks debates over environmental justice. This week’s Tipsheet has a quick rundown on incinerator regulation, outlines key problem areas and offers resources for reporting your own local incinerator story.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Air [5]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Health [36]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
People & Population [13]
Pollution [14]
Waste [52]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [18]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [19]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Incinerators Offer Local Journalists Some Burning Issues [51]
Florence Hints at More Flood-induced Animal Waste Spills Across U.S. [53]

Hog waste washing into the environment in the wake of flooding is not just a worry in the Carolinas after Hurricane Florence. Potential pollution from animal feed operations is a widespread risk around the United States — and climate change-induced extreme weather means that risk is rising. The latest TipSheet has resources and ideas for covering the story in your area.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [4]
Air [5]
Climate Change [6]
Disasters [34]
Economy & Business [43]
Health [36]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
People & Population [13]
Pollution [14]
Waste [52]
Water & Oceans [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [23]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Florence Hints at More Flood-induced Animal Waste Spills Across U.S. [53]
Coal Ash Ruling Will Generate Piles of State-level News [54]

Now that a top court has tossed out parts of coal ash disposal rules, also in question is a planned loosening under the Trump EPA. That means potential state-level stories on how this coal combustion byproduct may threaten environmental health and water supplies. This week’s TipSheet runs down the issue and suggests resources and questions to ask.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [55]
Disasters [34]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [35]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Pollution [14]
Water & Oceans [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [19]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [20]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [23]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [24]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Coal Ash Ruling Will Generate Piles of State-level News [54]
Ditching Plastic Straws — A Strawman for the Real Problem of Marine Litter? [56]

Plastic straws might have quickly become this summer’s bogeyman, with bans by Starbucks, hotel chains, resorts and some big cities. But as this week’s TipSheet points out, straws are only a part of the massive marine litter problem facing the world’s oceans. Here’s how to put recent straw bans into broader perspective.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Consumer [55]
Environmental Health [35]
Fish & Fisheries [9]
Food [57]
Journalism & Media [11]
Pollution [14]
Water & Oceans [15]
Wildlife [49]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
Alaska and Hawaii [37]
California [38]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [19]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [21]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [23]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [24]
International [39]
Canada [58]
Mexico [40]
Asia [59]
Australia & Oceania [60]
Central America & the Caribbean [41]
South America [61]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Ditching Plastic Straws — A Strawman for the Real Problem of Marine Litter? [56]

Pages