Publication Items

EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0 [1]

The enforcement of environmental laws suffered a dramatic collapse during the Trump administration’s first year, several studies have found. Even the most serious violations, typically referred to the Department of Justice, are left unpursued because of DOJ staffing declines. The latest Backgrounder has the details, a look at the administration’s rationale for the decline and the implications for the environment and public health.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [3]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [5]
Economy & Business [6]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Environmental Studies [9]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Journalism & Media [12]
Laws & Regulations [13]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Waste [16]
Water & Oceans [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0 [1]
Beyond the Fires and Floods — Comprehensively Covering Disasters [20]

Reporting on extreme-weather disasters is complicated, challenging work. Besides covering immediate impacts, there’s the broader context to consider, from climate change to social and political dynamics — all while looking out for your personal safety and well-being. Environmental journalist Colleen Hagerty draws on her own and others’ front-line experiences as she shares insights and advice for telling these high-stakes stories.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [21]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [22]
Diversity [23]
Environmental Justice [24]
Government [10]
Journalism & Media [12]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
California [25]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Beyond the Fires and Floods — Comprehensively Covering Disasters [20]
Is Disaster Aid Backlog Becoming a (Blue State) Disaster? [27]

A critical logjam is emerging for post-disaster aid to U.S. states, $11 billion or more, according to some calculations. At the same time, FEMA, which dispenses much of it, is in the Trump administration’s crosshairs. TipSheet explores how this looks on the ground and how politics play into the backlog, plus offers 10 story ideas and resources for local reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [28]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [22]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [10]
Journalism & Media [12]
Policy [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Is Disaster Aid Backlog Becoming a (Blue State) Disaster? [27]
Superfund Under Trump 2.0 — Quick … and Dirty? [29]

Every U.S. state has at least one Superfund site, the worst kind of toxic waste dump. And millions live near them. The latest TipSheet has a look at the state of the decades-old Superfund cleanup program under the Trump administration, and how environmental journalists can turn that into local stories, with a dozen story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [28]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [4]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [10]
Journalism & Media [12]
Laws & Regulations [13]
Pollution [15]
Waste [16]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [30]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Superfund Under Trump 2.0 — Quick … and Dirty? [29]
ANWR Well Is Deep and Dark — But Is It Dry? [31]

Journalists love a secret. And WatchDog Opinion delves into a whopper on the environment beat — the hidden data surrounding a singular test well drilled in one of the most contested ecosystems in the United States. Now that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been reopened for oil leasing by the Trump administration, do the findings even matter? More on the saga.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [33]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [10]
Laws & Regulations [13]
Natural Resources [34]
Policy [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Alaska and Hawaii [35]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about ANWR Well Is Deep and Dark — But Is It Dry? [31]
Helping Students Learn the Hard Work of Journalism [36]

Two flourishing nonprofit programs teach young writers the basics of journalism and environmental reporting — mentoring and paying students, who publish enterprise and public records stories, personal essays and narrative features. Read more about Florida Student News Watch with CD Davidson-Hiers [36] and Indiana’s climate solutions-focused Youth Environmental Press Team with Jim Poyser [37], in the new EJ Academy.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ Academy [38]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [39]
Climate Change [5]
Government [10]
Water & Oceans [17]
Wildlife [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [41]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [42]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [43]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [44]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Helping Students Learn the Hard Work of Journalism [36]
Trump Tries (and Fails) To Disappear Climate Disaster Data [45]

Even though the United States suffers multiple billion-dollar climate change-related catastrophes, the federal government has ceased sharing the data publicly. And it’s far from the only example of environmental data being blacked out, notes the latest Reporter’s Toolbox. But at least in some cases, civil society organizations have rescued the information and put it back online. See what’s still available.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [46]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [22]
Environmental Politics [8]
Environmental Studies [9]
Government [10]
Science [47]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Trump Tries (and Fails) To Disappear Climate Disaster Data [45]
Top Environment and Energy Topics To Watch in 2026 [48]

Explore our 10th annual Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy, as we scour the beat to identify 15 top stories to put on your radar for 2026. Our updated format for the special report provides a quick read and a broad scope — with insights on climate change and environmental justice, bird and insect declines, data centers and deep sea mining, deregulation and PFAS and much more. Get started here [48].

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [49]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [50]
Agriculture [39]
Air [3]
Biodiversity [51]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [22]
Economy & Business [6]
Energy & Fuel [33]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Justice [24]
Environmental Politics [8]
Environmental Studies [9]
Fish & Fisheries [52]
Forests [53]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Infrastructure [54]
Journalism & Media [12]
Laws & Regulations [13]
Military [55]
Natural Resources [34]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Science [47]
Technology [56]
Waste [16]
Water & Oceans [17]
Wildlife [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Alaska and Hawaii [35]
California [25]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [41]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [42]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [57]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [43]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [30]
Northwest (OR WA) [58]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [44]
International [59]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Top Environment and Energy Topics To Watch in 2026 [48]
From Words to Frames — Writer Learns To Wield Power of Visual Storytelling [60]

When writer Gulnaz Khan saw how global warming drove both natural loss and spiritual breaks for surrounding human communities, it started her on a PBS documentary series exploring sacred sites around the world threatened by climate change. But she also undertook another odyssey, one from writer to visual storyteller. What she learned on her journey from text to screen, in the new EJ InSight column.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ InSight [61]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [39]
Biodiversity [51]
Climate Change [5]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Justice [24]
Food [62]
Forests [53]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Journalism & Media [12]
Natural Resources [34]
People & Population [63]
Pollution [15]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [64]
Science [47]
Waste [16]
Water & Oceans [17]
Wildlife [40]
Region:
International [59]
Africa [65]
Asia [66]
South America [67]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about From Words to Frames — Writer Learns To Wield Power of Visual Storytelling [60]
Citizen Pollution Monitors Face Industry Pushback, Legal Threats [68]

A steep decline in the enforcement of environmental laws means the monitoring of pollution by citizens is more important than ever. But as the latest TipSheet notes, some states have passed laws that severely constrain the use of citizen monitoring or the sharing of findings. Get the backstory, along with top reporting angles and resources for finding monitoring in your area.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [28]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [50]
Air [3]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Justice [24]
Environmental Politics [8]
Environmental Studies [9]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Journalism & Media [12]
Laws & Regulations [13]
Pollution [15]
Science [47]
Water & Oceans [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Visibility:
Public [19]
- Read more about Citizen Pollution Monitors Face Industry Pushback, Legal Threats [68]

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