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Home > Pollution

EPA’s Brownfields Data, Covered With Crud? [1]

Hundreds of thousands of polluted, abandoned industrial sites — called brownfields — dot the United States. For reporters seeking local environmental stories, this profusion of problem spots cries out for coverage. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox points you to a series of government databases that track them and let you map them, but warns that the going won’t be easy. Find out why.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Journalism & Media [3]
Pollution [4]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [5]
Visibility: 
Public [6]
  • Read more about EPA’s Brownfields Data, Covered With Crud? [1]

"The War Over a Weedkiller Might Be Headed to the Supreme Court" [7]

"The Supreme Court is poised to decide whether to take up a case involving weedkillers and cancer that could effectively curtail one of the largest waves of tort litigation in American history."

Agriculture [8]
Chemicals [9]
Environmental Health [10]
Laws & Regulations [11]
Pollution [4]
Public [6]
National (U.S.) [5]
Source: NYTimes [12], 01/12/2026
  • Read more about "The War Over a Weedkiller Might Be Headed to the Supreme Court" [7]

"How Community Solar Turned A Superfund Site Into Savings In Illinois" [13]

"A new 9.1-MW solar array will help residents of Waukegan, Illinois, reduce energy bills. State incentives for low-income solar made the project possible."

Energy & Fuel [14]
Environmental Health [10]
Environmental Justice [15]
Environmental Politics [16]
Infrastructure [17]
Pollution [4]
Waste [18]
Public [6]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [19]
Source: Canary Media [20], 01/12/2026
  • Read more about "How Community Solar Turned A Superfund Site Into Savings In Illinois" [13]

Texas Enables Petrochemical Expansion as Experts Warn of Health Risks [21]

"Texas is responsible for more greenhouse-gas emissions than Saudi Arabia or the global maritime industry. Its oil, gas and petrochemical operations discharge tens of millions of pounds of toxic pollutants into the air each year, comprising almost one-fifth of such releases in the United States. It is the nation’s top emitter of the carcinogens benzene, ethylene oxide and 1,3-butadiene."

Energy & Fuel [14]
Environmental Justice [15]
Laws & Regulations [11]
Pollution [4]
Public [6]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [22]
Source: Public Health Watch [23], 01/12/2026
  • Read more about Texas Enables Petrochemical Expansion as Experts Warn of Health Risks [21]

"EPA Plans To Give 11 Coal Plants A Free Pass On Toxic Ash Disposal" [24]

"The Environmental Protection Agency plans to let 11 coal plants dump toxic coal ash into unlined pits until 2031 — a full decade later than allowed under current federal rules."

Chemicals [9]
Energy & Fuel [14]
Environmental Health [10]
Environmental Politics [16]
Laws & Regulations [11]
Pollution [4]
Waste [18]
Water & Oceans [25]
Public [6]
National (U.S.) [5]
Source: Canary Media [26], 01/12/2026
  • Read more about "EPA Plans To Give 11 Coal Plants A Free Pass On Toxic Ash Disposal" [24]

Poor Areas Threatened By Aging Sewers See Crucial Aid Slashed Under Trump [27]

"Yvette Lyles thought of the modest brick ranch home as a Christmas present for her family. It was close to a state park where she and her kids could picnic, fish and enjoy the outdoors. A place to make memories. But she soon learned her southern Illinois community had a big problem: Recurring floods from heavy rains sent untreated sewage into streets, yards and homes where they buckled floors, cracked walls and destroyed belongings."

Consumer [28]
Disasters [29]
Environmental Health [10]
Environmental Justice [15]
Environmental Politics [16]
Laws & Regulations [11]
Pollution [4]
Water & Oceans [25]
Public [6]
National (U.S.) [5]
Source: AP [30], 01/12/2026
  • Read more about Poor Areas Threatened By Aging Sewers See Crucial Aid Slashed Under Trump [27]

"White House Finalizes Overhaul of Environmental Permitting Rules" [31]

"A White House environmental office will officially strike down its federal permitting rules Thursday, wiping out a set of standards that had been in place nearly 50 years."

Environmental Politics [16]
Government [32]
Laws & Regulations [11]
Pollution [4]
Public [6]
National (U.S.) [5]
Source: Bloomberg Environment [33], 01/09/2026
  • Read more about "White House Finalizes Overhaul of Environmental Permitting Rules" [31]

"Here’s Why New EPA Rules On ‘Everywhere Chemicals’ Could Fall Short" [34]

"The Environmental Protection Agency has announced plans to regulate five types of phthalates, chemicals that are widely used in plastics and other common products."

Chemicals [9]
Consumer [28]
Environmental Health [10]
Environmental Politics [16]
Laws & Regulations [11]
Pollution [4]
Public [6]
National (U.S.) [5]
Source: Washington Post [35], 01/09/2026
  • Read more about "Here’s Why New EPA Rules On ‘Everywhere Chemicals’ Could Fall Short" [34]

"EPA Delays Enforcement Of Regional Haze Guidelines" [36]

"The Environmental Protection Agency is once again delaying the enforcement of regional haze guidelines. The agency has given states a three-year extension to submit plans to clean up harmful air pollution at national parks and improve public health, according to Sierra Club."

Air [37]
Environmental Politics [16]
Laws & Regulations [11]
Pollution [4]
Public [6]
National (U.S.) [5]
Source: National Parks Traveler [38], 01/09/2026
  • Read more about "EPA Delays Enforcement Of Regional Haze Guidelines" [36]

After White Town Rejected a Data Center, Developers Targeted a Black Area [39]

"Four million Americans live within 1 mile of a data center. The communities closest to them are 'overwhelmingly' non-white."

Energy & Fuel [14]
Environmental Health [10]
Environmental Justice [15]
Environmental Politics [16]
Infrastructure [17]
Laws & Regulations [11]
People & Population [40]
Pollution [4]
Public [6]
National (U.S.) [5]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [41]
Source: Capital B [42], 01/09/2026
  • Read more about After White Town Rejected a Data Center, Developers Targeted a Black Area [39]

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Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/reporters-toolbox/epa-s-brownfields-data-covered-crud [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/reporter%E2%80%99s-toolbox [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [5] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [6] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [7] https://www.sej.org/headlines/war-over-weedkiller-might-be-headed-supreme-court [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [12] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/climate/supreme-court-weedkiller-roundup.html?unlocked_article_code=1.DlA.nL-m.iwd8akvG951A&smid=url-share [13] https://www.sej.org/headlines/how-community-solar-turned-superfund-site-savings-illinois [14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [15] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice [16] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [17] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure [18] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste [19] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes [20] https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/illinois-waukegan-community-superfund-landfill [21] https://www.sej.org/headlines/texas-enables-petrochemical-expansion-experts-warn-health-risks [22] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest [23] https://publichealthwatch.org/2025/12/30/texas-petrochemical-expansion/ [24] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-plans-give-11-coal-plants-free-pass-toxic-ash-disposal [25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [26] https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/fossil-fuels/epa-free-pass-toxic-ash-disposal [27] https://www.sej.org/headlines/poor-areas-threatened-aging-sewers-see-crucial-aid-slashed-under-trump [28] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer [29] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [30] https://apnews.com/article/trump-epa-wastewater-systems-minority-dei-8f67357e87f9fe67e8c7351b6d5244de [31] https://www.sej.org/headlines/white-house-finalizes-overhaul-environmental-permitting-rules [32] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [33] https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/white-house-finalizes-overhaul-of-environmental-permitting-rules [34] https://www.sej.org/headlines/here-s-why-new-epa-rules-everywhere-chemicals-could-fall-short [35] https://wapo.st/4puTMa7 [36] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-delays-enforcement-regional-haze-guidelines [37] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air [38] https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2026/01/epa-delays-enforcement-regional-haze-guidelines [39] https://www.sej.org/headlines/after-white-town-rejected-data-center-developers-targeted-black-area [40] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [41] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [42] https://capitalbnews.org/data-center-south-carolina-black-community/ [43] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/120/all/target%3D%27_blank%27 [44] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/120/all/target%3D%27_blank%27?page=5 [45] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/120/all/target%3D%27_blank%27?page=2 [46] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/120/all/target%3D%27_blank%27?page=3 [47] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/120/all/target%3D%27_blank%27?page=4 [48] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/120/all/target%3D%27_blank%27?page=7 [49] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/120/all/target%3D%27_blank%27?page=8 [50] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/120/all/target%3D%27_blank%27?page=9 [51] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/120/all/target%3D%27_blank%27?page=10 [52] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/120/all/target%3D%27_blank%27?page=779