Published on SEJ (https://www.sej.org)

Home > Pollution

Raising Questions about Unequal Justice in Contamination Case [1]

After an EPA Superfund settlement was rebuffed by a small town, a local environmental advocate goes to jail while executives behind a chemical plant contamination remain free. In the latest Q&A for our Inside Story column, we hear from investigative reporter Sharon Lerner of The Intercept about the complex challenges of telling this award-winning tale.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Inside Story [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Activism [3]
Chemicals [4]
Government [5]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [8]
Pollution [9]
Region: 
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [10]
Visibility: 
Public [11]

10 U.S. States Object to EPA Reducing Harley-Davidson Emissions Penalty [12]

"Ten U.S. states and the District of Columbia said Thursday they are challenging a decision by the Trump administration to drop a requirement that Harley-Davidson Inc (HOG.N) spend $3 million to reduce air pollution under settlement the Obama administration announced."

Air [13]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Pollution [9]
Public [11]
National (U.S.) [15]
Source: Reuters [16], 02/02/2018

Gov. Rejects Shutdown of Great Lakes Oil Pipeline That's Losing Coating [17]

"Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has rejected the recommendation of an independent pipeline safety advisory board to shut down an aging crude oil pipeline that has been losing sections of its protective coating where it crosses beneath the Great Lakes."

Disasters [18]
Energy & Fuel [19]
Environmental Politics [20]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Pollution [9]
Water & Oceans [21]
Public [11]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [22]
Source: InsideClimate News [23], 02/02/2018

"EPA Orders Cleanup At St. Louis Nuclear Waste Site" [24]

"The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday ordered a long-awaited cleanup of a Superfund site northwest of St. Louis, saying residents living near the landfill contaminated with World War II-era nuclear waste deserve action after waiting 27 years for federal regulators to issue a decision."

Laws & Regulations [14]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [25]
Pollution [9]
Waste [26]
Public [11]
National (U.S.) [15]
Source: Washington Post [27], 02/02/2018

Toxic Coal Ash Pits Leaching Into Illinois' Only National Scenic River [28]

"Seven years after Dynegy Inc. scrapped one of the last coal plants in downstate Illinois, environmental groups are accusing the company of failing to prevent toxic waste stored nearby from seeping into the state’s only National Scenic River."

Energy & Fuel [19]
Environmental Health [29]
Fish & Fisheries [30]
Pollution [9]
Waste [26]
Water & Oceans [21]
Public [11]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [22]
Source: Chicago Tribune [31], 02/01/2018

"In Push To Cut Permits, U.S. Must Still Protect Water Quality: CEO" [32]

"The CEO of America’s largest water utility warned that a federal push to streamline permits for infrastructure projects could stymie stronger water quality standards."

Environmental Health [29]
Environmental Politics [20]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Pollution [9]
Water & Oceans [21]
Public [11]
National (U.S.) [15]
Source: Reuters [33], 02/01/2018

"E.P.A. Blocks Obama-Era Clean Water Rule" [34]

"The Trump administration has formally suspended a major Obama-era clean water regulation ahead of plans to issue its own version of the rule later this year."

Environmental Politics [20]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Pollution [9]
Public [11]
National (U.S.) [15]
Source: NY Times [35], 02/01/2018

"Pruitt: National Fuel Standard Should Be 'Unified'" [36]

"Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt says he supports a unified national vehicle fuel standard, stoking state fears that the agency may do away with waivers allowing states to implement stronger standards."

Air [13]
Climate Change [37]
Energy & Fuel [19]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Pollution [9]
Public [11]
National (U.S.) [15]
Source: The Hill [38], 01/31/2018

Most EPA Pollution Estimates Are Unreliable. Why Use Them? [39]

"Emission factors used to paint a broad picture of air quality often underestimate pollution, evidence shows".

Environmental Studies [40]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Pollution [9]
Public [11]
National (U.S.) [15]
Source: Center for Public Integrity [41], 01/29/2018

"Controversial Insecticides Pervasive In Great Lakes Tributaries" [42]

"U.S. scientists found neonicotinoid insecticides in about three-quarters of samples from 10 major Great Lakes tributaries."

Agriculture [43]
Chemicals [4]
Environmental Health [29]
Pollution [9]
Water & Oceans [21]
Wildlife [44]
Public [11]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [22]
Source: EHN [45], 01/26/2018

Pages

The Society of Environmental Journalists
1629 K Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006
Telephone: (202) 558-2055
Email: sej@sej.org
© 2026 The Society of Environmental Journalists. All Rights Reserved.
All graphics © SEJ, unless otherwise stated.
Source URL:https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution?page=495

Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/inside-story/raising-questions-about-unequal-justice-contamination-case [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/inside-story [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/activism [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [10] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [11] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [12] https://www.sej.org/headlines/10-us-states-object-epa-reducing-harley-davidson-emissions-penalty [13] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air [14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [15] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [16] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-harley-davidson-emissions/10-u-s-states-object-to-epa-reducing-harley-davidson-emissions-penalty-idUSKBN1FL67P [17] https://www.sej.org/headlines/gov-rejects-shutdown-great-lakes-oil-pipeline-thats-losing-coating [18] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [19] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [20] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [21] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [22] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes [23] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/31012018/great-lakes-oil-pipeline-enbridge-line-5-michigan-straits-of-mackinac [24] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-orders-cleanup-st-louis-nuclear-waste-site [25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/nuclear-power/radiation [26] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste [27] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/02/01/epa-orders-cleanup-at-st-louis-nuclear-waste-site-what-does-it-mean-for-the-nations-other-toxic-messes/?utm_term=.92feddc22303 [28] https://www.sej.org/headlines/toxic-coal-ash-pits-leaching-illinois-only-national-scenic-river [29] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [30] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/fisheries [31] http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-illinois-scenic-river-coal-pollution-20180130-story.html [32] https://www.sej.org/headlines/push-cut-permits-us-must-still-protect-water-quality-ceo [33] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-municipals-water/in-push-to-cut-permits-u-s-must-still-protect-water-quality-ceo-idUSKBN1FK325 [34] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-blocks-obama-era-clean-water-rule [35] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/31/climate/trump-water-wotus.html [36] https://www.sej.org/headlines/pruitt-national-fuel-standard-should-be-unified [37] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [38] http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/371404-pruitt-national-fuel-standard-should-be-unified [39] https://www.sej.org/headlines/most-epa-pollution-estimates-are-unreliable-why-use-them [40] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists [41] https://www.publicintegrity.org/2018/01/29/21492/most-epas-pollution-estimates-are-unreliable-so-why-everyone-still-using-them [42] https://www.sej.org/headlines/controversial-insecticides-pervasive-great-lakes-tributaries [43] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture [44] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/wildlife [45] http://www.ehn.org/pesticides-in-great-lakes-rivers-2528692370.html [46] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution?page=494 [47] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution?page=491 [48] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution?page=492 [49] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution?page=493 [50] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution?page=496 [51] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution?page=497 [52] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution?page=498 [53] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution?page=499 [54] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution?page=843