"Missouri environmental advocates who have fought for stricter oversight of coal ash waste are eagerly awaiting the mid-December release of new federal rules that will require, for the first time, detailed data."

"A growing body of evidence found an array of flame-retardant chemicals – many which are carcinogenic – in test participants, a potential health concern for firefighters and others exposed to the chemicals."

"The scientific case has been building for how a smoggy summer afternoon in North Texas might harm a child playing outdoors, a person with asthma or, on the worst days, perhaps even a healthy adult."

"The proportion of American adults who smoke cigarettes has hit a new low, new federal data show. And among those who do smoke, fewer are lighting up every day, and even they are smoking fewer cigarettes."

"President Obama could leave office with the most aggressive, far-reaching environmental legacy of any occupant of the White House. Yet it is very possible that not a single major environmental law will have passed during his two terms in Washington."

"Wineries and vineyards dot the landscape of Livermore with brand new homes and schools popping up right next to them. ... The beauty, however, soon became overshadowed by her family’s illnesses, and nobody knew why it was happening."

"One of the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States may have an extra benefit: protecting people from air pollution."

"No one talks much about toxic Superfund sites anymore. But 49 million Americans live close to one."

"Challenging elitism, racism, and obesity with a grocery store may sound crazy. Here’s what happened when Whole Foods tried to do it in Detroit."