Publication Items

Risk Data Is There Despite Efforts To Hide It [1]

Hazmat risk data has long been subject to blackout efforts by industry. And now, Trump administration allies may change the rules to make existing information even harder to get. But Reporter’s Toolbox knows where journalists can still find the goods to support their reporting. Read on to learn about risks to the program in question — and Toolbox workarounds.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [3]
Chemicals [4]
Disasters [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Policy [10]
Pollution [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Risk Data Is There Despite Efforts To Hide It [1]
Why Environmental Journalists Should Care About the Presidential Records Act [14]

It may not seem at first glance like an environmental matter, but the Trump Justice Department’s declaration that the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional potentially undermines the preservation of key administration records, warns WatchDog Opinion. That includes all kinds of environmental policy decision-making by the president, White House and other executive branch staff. Here’s why we need the act.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [15]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Policy [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Why Environmental Journalists Should Care About the Presidential Records Act [14]
National Seashores Are a Secret Summer Treasure [16]

While less heralded than its national park system, the United States abounds in waterfront treasures that are part of the national seashore and lakeshore program. The latest TipSheet takes you on a guided tour of more than a dozen, from barrier islands and dunes to tidepools and turtles. Plus, a half-dozen reporting ideas for your own region.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Natural Resources [18]
Water & Oceans [19]
Region:
California [20]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [21]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [22]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [23]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [24]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [25]
International [26]
Canada [27]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about National Seashores Are a Secret Summer Treasure [16]
What Is the Half-Life of a Nuclear Revival? Part 2 [28]

Is the United States in the midst of a “nuclear renaissance”? This two-part Backgrounder explores the question, with a look at next-gen reactor design, the (lack of) independence of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and what to do with nuclear waste. Plus, see Part 1 [29] on the government role in developing nuclear power and an earlier effort at industry rebirth.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [30]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [5]
Energy & Fuel [31]
Environmental Politics [6]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [32]
Policy [10]
Technology [33]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [26]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about What Is the Half-Life of a Nuclear Revival? Part 2 [28]
What Is the Half-Life of a Nuclear Revival? Part 1 [29]

Is the United States in the midst of a “nuclear renaissance”? This two-part Issue Backgrounder explores that question, beginning in Part 1 with a look at the government’s part in developing nuclear power, including through subsidies, as well as why the new reactors built earlier in the 2000s didn’t really make the case for the industry’s rebirth.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [30]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [5]
Energy & Fuel [31]
Environmental Politics [6]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [32]
Policy [10]
Technology [33]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [26]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about What Is the Half-Life of a Nuclear Revival? Part 1 [29]
#SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [34]

SEJournal is providing full coverage of all eight of the day-long tours from the annual Society of Environmental Journalists’ conference, April 15-18, in Chicago. In Part 2, contributors Meg Duff [35], Nathaniel Eisen [36], Nhung Nguyen [37] and Marlowe Starling [38] provide detailed reports from tours focused on the transitioning steel industry, microgrids, climate-friendly crop practices and evolving Midwestern agricultural systems.

Also check out the first round of tour coverage and read all the great work [34] from our team of early-career freelance journalists, part of SEJournal’s live #SEJ2026 Live conference reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [39]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [40]
Agriculture [41]
Air [3]
Biodiversity [42]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [43]
Consumer [44]
Economy & Business [45]
Energy & Fuel [31]
Environmental Health [46]
Environmental Justice [47]
Environmental Politics [6]
Environmental Studies [48]
Food [49]
Forests [50]
Government [7]
Health [51]
Infrastructure [52]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Natural Resources [18]
People & Population [53]
Planning & Growth [54]
Policy [10]
Pollution [11]
Science [55]
Technology [33]
Transportation [56]
Waste [57]
Water & Oceans [19]
Wildlife [58]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [21]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about #SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [34]
Wild and Scenic Rivers Carry a Raft of Great Stories [59]

Thousands of miles of rivers across the United States are part of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and any one of them can help tell some splashy tales of the power of conservation and the wonders of nature. TipSheet dips a toe into the backstory, then offers story ideas and resources to help report on local wild rivers near you.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [6]
Fish & Fisheries [60]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Natural Resources [18]
Water & Oceans [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Wild and Scenic Rivers Carry a Raft of Great Stories [59]
Press Freedom Erosion Continues Apace Under Trump 2.0 [61]

President Donald Trump’s numerous libel suits against news media may be more of a nuisance than a real weapon — albeit one that comes with significant legal bills and other, less tangible costs. But the new WatchDog Opinion column raises a rising press freedom vulnerability that Trump seems happy to exploit: leveraging the increasing media ownership by billionaires and large corporations.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [15]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Press Freedom Erosion Continues Apace Under Trump 2.0 [61]
EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0 [62]

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 [30]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [3]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [43]
Economy & Business [45]
Environmental Health [46]
Environmental Politics [6]
Environmental Studies [48]
Government [7]
Health [51]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Policy [10]
Pollution [11]
Waste [57]
Water & Oceans [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0 [62]
Superfund Under Trump 2.0 — Quick … and Dirty? [63]

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 [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [4]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Pollution [11]
Waste [57]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [23]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Superfund Under Trump 2.0 — Quick … and Dirty? [63]

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