"The government has again delayed independent safety tests required for many toys, youth all-terrain vehicles and other children's products as part of a 2008 anti-lead law -- a move meant to help small businesses burdened by the law."

"The Environmental Protection Agency is setting the first federal drinking water standard for a toxic rocket fuel ingredient linked to thyroid problems in pregnant women and young children, the Obama administration announced on Wednesday."

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed tight restrictions on using people as test subjects — or, as critics have put it, guinea pigs — in pesticide research."

"Bipartisan legislation was introduced in Congress today to help communities determine whether there is a connection between clusters of cancer, birth defects and other diseases, and contaminants in the surrounding environment."

"Mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, including three in southwestern Pennsylvania that are among the top 10 emitters in the nation, pose a serious threat to public health and the environment, according to a new report by PennEnvironment."

"Environmental conservation groups sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday to force it to tighten regulation of pesticide use, arguing that the agency was not consulting wildlife officials."

"Struggling automatic dishwasher detergent manufacturers turn to chemical industry for help with phosphate-free formulas."

"Twenty-one reusable bags sold as alternatives to disposable plastic or paper bags had dangerous levels of lead, according to new test results provided to USA TODAY."

"Safety audits by state and local authorities, along with more citizen oversight, could have forced Bayer CropScience to fix longstanding problems that caused an August 2008 explosion that killed two Institute plant workers, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board said in a report issued Thursday."

"The first comprehensive genetic study of bedbugs, the irritating pests that have enjoyed a world-wide resurgence in recent years, indicates they are quickly evolving to withstand the pesticides used to combat them."