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‘Poisoned for Gold’ Project Pricks Nation’s Conscience [1]

Two Ghanian video journalists traveled their country to document how contamination from illegal gold mining was harming the health of workers and nearby communities. Their resulting reporting not only won acclaim from their peers but also ignited a debate that resulted in the closing of polluting mining operations. Read more about their award-winning project and its impact in Inside Story Q&A.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Inside Story [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Chemicals [3]
Disasters [4]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [7]
Health [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [10]
People & Population [11]
Pollution [12]
Waste [13]
Water & Oceans [14]
Region: 
International [15]
Africa [16]
Visibility: 
Public [17]
  • Read more about ‘Poisoned for Gold’ Project Pricks Nation’s Conscience [1]

Dams Full Of Toxic Mining Waste, Dotted Around The World, Often Burst [18]

"As soon as the barrier broke, a flood of poison brought death to the river. Gushing through the fragile wall built to hold back mining waste in Zambia’s copper belt in February 2025, more than 50m cubic litres of acid and heavy metals poured into the Chambishi stream – a tributary of the Kafue River, the country’s longest waterway."

Biodiversity [19]
Chemicals [3]
Disasters [4]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [7]
Infrastructure [20]
Laws & Regulations [21]
Natural Resources [10]
Pollution [12]
Waste [13]
Water & Oceans [14]
Public [17]
International [15]
Source: Guardian [22], 03/16/2026
  • Read more about Dams Full Of Toxic Mining Waste, Dotted Around The World, Often Burst [18]

First US Critical Minerals Mine Nears Approval in AZ Biodiversity Hotspot [23]

"The U.S. Forest Service said it plans to approve South32’s Hermosa project in Patagonia, Arizona, despite the water problems the mine is already causing."

Environmental Politics [24]
Environmental Studies [25]
Laws & Regulations [21]
Natural Resources [10]
Pollution [12]
Waste [13]
Water & Oceans [14]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [26]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [27]
Source: Inside Climate News [28], 03/16/2026
  • Read more about First US Critical Minerals Mine Nears Approval in AZ Biodiversity Hotspot [23]

Ruptured Pipe That Leaked Raw Waste Into The Potomac Is Back In Operation [29]

"The massive sewage pipe that ruptured and leaked millions of gallons of raw waste into the Potomac River returned to operation Saturday after the completion of emergency repairs."

Consumer [30]
Environmental Health [6]
Infrastructure [20]
Waste [13]
Water & Oceans [14]
Public [17]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [31]
Source: AP [32], 03/16/2026
  • Read more about Ruptured Pipe That Leaked Raw Waste Into The Potomac Is Back In Operation [29]

North Carolina Complaint System For Factory Farms Doesn't Work Very Well [33]

"Complaints become part of the record only if a violation is found, but the state has only 14 inspectors for thousands of hog, poultry and cattle farms known as concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs."

Agriculture [34]
Consumer [30]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [7]
Environmental Politics [24]
Laws & Regulations [21]
Pollution [12]
Waste [13]
Water & Oceans [14]
Public [17]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [35]
Source: Inside Climate News [36], 03/11/2026
  • Read more about North Carolina Complaint System For Factory Farms Doesn't Work Very Well [33]

"USA Has A Looming Sewage Nightmare, Potomac Wastewater Spill Shows" [37]

"While the average lifespan of a wastewater system is 40 to 50 years, many of the plants and pipes across the nation could be twice that old or more."

Environmental Health [6]
Infrastructure [20]
Laws & Regulations [21]
Pollution [12]
Technology [38]
Waste [13]
Water & Oceans [14]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [26]
Source: USA TODAY [39], 02/24/2026
  • Read more about "USA Has A Looming Sewage Nightmare, Potomac Wastewater Spill Shows" [37]

USDA Has Ability To Respond To PFAS Crisis On Farmland: NAS Report [40]

"Federal regulators have a range of solutions available to tackle the widespread contamination of farmland with toxic chemicals, according to a new report by US academics."

Agriculture [34]
Chemicals [3]
Consumer [30]
Food [41]
Science [42]
Technology [38]
Waste [13]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [26]
Source: The New Lede [43], 02/24/2026
  • Read more about USDA Has Ability To Respond To PFAS Crisis On Farmland: NAS Report [40]

EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0 [44]

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 [45]
Topics on the Beat: 
Air [46]
Chemicals [3]
Climate Change [47]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [24]
Environmental Studies [25]
Government [48]
Health [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [21]
Policy [49]
Pollution [12]
Waste [13]
Water & Oceans [14]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [26]
Visibility: 
Public [17]
  • Read more about EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0 [44]

Trump Approves Federal Emergency Declaration For Potomac River Sewage Spill [50]

"Donald Trump approved a federal emergency declaration Saturday related to a sewer main break north of Washington DC that threatens to put a stink on the US’s 250th anniversary celebrations in the US capital this summer."

Disasters [4]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [24]
Infrastructure [20]
Laws & Regulations [21]
Pollution [12]
Waste [13]
Water & Oceans [14]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [26]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [31]
Source: Guardian [51], 02/23/2026
  • Read more about Trump Approves Federal Emergency Declaration For Potomac River Sewage Spill [50]

Tijuana River Sewage Crisis is a Long-Lasting Public Health Calamity [52]

"Political gridlock has allowed the situation to worsen for decades"

Forests [53]
Infrastructure [20]
Laws & Regulations [21]
People & Population [11]
Pollution [12]
Waste [13]
Water & Oceans [14]
Public [17]
National (U.S.) [26]
Mexico [54]
Source: Sierra [55], 02/23/2026
  • Read more about Tijuana River Sewage Crisis is a Long-Lasting Public Health Calamity [52]

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Source URL:https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=4

Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/inside-story/poisoned-gold-project-pricks-nation-s-conscience [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/inside-story [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [13] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste [14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [15] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international [16] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/africa [17] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [18] https://www.sej.org/headlines/dams-full-toxic-mining-waste-dotted-around-world-often-burst [19] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/biodiversity-1 [20] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure [21] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [22] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/13/minings-toxic-timebomb-dams-full-of-poisonous-waste-are-dotted-around-the-world-what-happens-when-they-burst-aoe [23] https://www.sej.org/headlines/first-us-critical-minerals-mine-nears-approval-az-biodiversity-hotspot [24] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists [26] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [27] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest [28] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15032026/arizona-south32-hermosa-critical-minerals-mine/ [29] https://www.sej.org/headlines/ruptured-pipe-leaked-raw-waste-potomac-back-operation [30] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer [31] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic [32] https://apnews.com/article/washington-sewage-leak-raw-waste-potomac-river-3d1207916d3e9bccce90e8e31e917272 [33] https://www.sej.org/headlines/north-carolina-complaint-system-factory-farms-doesnt-work-very-well [34] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture [35] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [36] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/09032026/north-carolina-cafo-complaint-systems/ [37] https://www.sej.org/headlines/usa-has-looming-sewage-nightmare-potomac-wastewater-spill-shows [38] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/technology [39] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/02/22/potomac-sewage-spill-wastewater-problems/88780985007/ [40] https://www.sej.org/headlines/usda-has-ability-respond-pfas-crisis-farmland-nas-report [41] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/food [42] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science [43] https://www.thenewlede.org/2026/02/usda-has-sufficient-opportunities-to-respond-to-pfas-crisis-on-farmland-report-finds/ [44] https://www.sej.org/publications/backgrounders/epa-enforcement-falls-record-low-under-trump-20 [45] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/backgrounders [46] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air [47] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [48] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [49] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/policy [50] https://www.sej.org/headlines/trump-approves-federal-emergency-declaration-potomac-river-sewage-spill [51] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/21/trump-emergency-potomac-sewage-spill [52] https://www.sej.org/headlines/tijuana-river-sewage-crisis-long-lasting-public-health-calamity [53] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/forests [54] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/mexico [55] https://www.sierraclub.org/Sierra/tijuana-river-sewage-between-us [56] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=3 [57] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=1 [58] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=2 [59] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=5 [60] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=6 [61] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=7 [62] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=8 [63] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste?page=106