The EPA’s Data On Cancer Risk From Air Pollution Has Gone Dark [1]
"For decades, communities have relied on the agency's cancer risk estimates to hold polluters accountable. This year, it's missing."

"For decades, communities have relied on the agency's cancer risk estimates to hold polluters accountable. This year, it's missing."

If you’ve been pondering what recent Cyclospora, Legionella and Ebola outbreaks tell us about the state of preparedness for future pandemics, Backgrounder has some sobering insights. A reminder of the uneven response to COVID-19 and a look forward at how current Trump administration policy has weakened public health structures and likely left us unready for what’s ahead.
"Indigenous Xinca villagers burn plastic to dispose of it and stoke cooking fires, unwittingly exposing themselves, their children and environment to deadly pollutants. An ambitious project aims to change that."
"A massive new gas plant in Texas will be built with much less efficient technology than regular gas plants. It’s far from the only data center power project to rely on dirty turbines."
"Environmental and community groups sued the Trump administration on Friday over its approval of two chemicals for use in semiconductors despite posing health risks."
"State regulators face calls to better protect low-income, Spanish-speaking immigrants from pesticide exposure in agricultural communities."
"The Trump administration pushed out thousands of veteran U.S. Forest Service staff. An ‘extraordinary’ fire season is testing those who are left."
"When sailing alone, even sleep is dangerous. Matt Rutherford knows this all too well. As he travels the Arctic, far from his home port of Annapolis, Md., the moments Rutherford does get to rest are precious. "It just becomes extremely difficult to get any sleep because if you hit the ice, you essentially die," he said."
"A group of over 30 scientists, health professionals, and public health advocates is urging the Senate not to weaken the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), a move they say will put children in harm’s way from toxic chemicals and pollutants."
"Tropical Storm Lala formed Thursday in the Pacific Ocean and a hurricane watch has been issued for the Big Island of Hawaii, where it could bring heavy rain and flooding this weekend, forecasters said."
Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-s-data-cancer-risk-air-pollution-has-gone-dark
[2] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air
[3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics
[4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer
[5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health
[6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics
[7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media
[8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws
[9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population
[10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution
[11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science
[12] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81
[13] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national
[14] https://grist.org/regulation/the-epas-data-on-cancer-risk-from-air-pollution-has-gone-dark/
[15] https://www.sej.org/publications/backgrounders/are-we-ready-next-pandemic
[16] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/backgrounders
[17] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster
[18] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government
[19] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health
[20] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/policy
[21] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international
[22] https://www.sej.org/headlines/empowering-guatemalan-villagers-plagued-plastic
[23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy
[24] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice
[25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste
[26] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/central-america-caribbean
[27] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16082026/project-aims-to-help-guatemalans-plagued-by-plastic-pollution/
[28] https://www.sej.org/headlines/real-reason-data-center-gas-power-plants-are-so-dirty
[29] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change
[30] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business
[31] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure
[32] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/technology
[33] https://www.wired.com/story/real-reason-data-center-gas-power-plants-are-so-dirty/
[34] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-sued-approving-semiconductor-chemicals-may-pose-health-risks
[35] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/activism
[36] https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/6030328-epa-chemical-approval-lawsuit/
[37] https://www.sej.org/headlines/calif-pesticide-agency-hopelessly-captured-industry-critics-charge
[38] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture
[39] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/california
[40] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/14082026/california-regulators-face-calls-to-better-protect-immigrants-from-pesticides/
[41] https://www.sej.org/headlines/federal-job-cuts-are-making-wildfires-harder-fight
[42] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/forests
[43] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land
[44] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/14/climate/wildfires-forest-service-trump-cuts.html?unlocked_article_code=1.51A.jAr0.LlVSLo8FpQO_&smid=url-share
[45] https://www.sej.org/headlines/meet-man-circumnavigating-arctic-ocean-alone
[46] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/transportation
[47] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water
[48] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/antarctica-arctic
[49] https://www.npr.org/2026/08/08/nx-s1-5923345/circumnavigate-arctic-ocean-matt-rutherford-10000-mile-odyssey
[50] https://www.sej.org/headlines/scientists-warn-senate-tsca-overhaul-could-put-children-greater-risk
[51] https://www.thenewlede.org/2026/08/scientists-health-advocates-warn-senate-tsca-overhaul-could-put-children-at-greater-risk/
[52] https://www.sej.org/headlines/tropical-storm-lala-brings-hurricane-watch-big-island-hawaii
[53] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/alaska-and-hawaii
[54] https://apnews.com/article/tropical-storm-hernan-pacific-hawaii-potential-cyclone-0b0e5bdd17a068acd797e20c0e2c4f9d
[55] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population?page=22
[56] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population?page=19
[57] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population?page=20
[58] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population?page=21
[59] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population?page=24
[60] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population?page=25
[61] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population?page=26
[62] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population?page=27
[63] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population?page=398