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

Home > National (U.S.)

Border Wall a Way into Environmental Stories [1]

The fierce contest over the Trump border wall has critical environmental implications, both local and regional, per the latest TipSheet. A key suit against the Trump emergency declaration was filed by environmental groups and plans for a border barrier may harm significant wildlife habitat, as well as numerous migrating species, including some that are endangered. Get the back story and why it matters, along with story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types: 
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Activism [3]
Biodiversity [4]
Environmental Politics [5]
Government [6]
Wildlife [7]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [8]
California [9]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [10]
International [11]
Mexico [12]
Visibility: 
Public [13]

Climate Scientist Canned, SCOTUS To Rule on Chemical ‘Secrets’ and Army Corps Sued Over Permit Info [14]

A scientist contracted to report on climate impacts for the National Park Service was caught up in a fracas over attempted censorship of her findings. Now she’s been fired. That, plus a FOIA case before the Supreme Court and an enviro group sues the Army Corps of Engineers over info on a permit for a new plastics plant in Louisiana. Read the latest on freedom-of-information issues in this month’s WatchDog TipSheet.

SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [15]
Topics on the Beat: 
Activism [3]
Chemicals [16]
Climate Change [17]
Environmental Health [18]
Environmental Politics [5]
Environmental Studies [19]
Government [6]
Health [20]
Journalism & Media [21]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Pollution [23]
Science [24]
Water & Oceans [25]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [8]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [26]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [27]
Visibility: 
Public [13]

Interior To Rely On Staff With Less Training For Park Law Enforcement [28]

"The Interior Department is looking to increase its reliance on seasonal National Park Service (NPS) staffers who have received less training than their full-time counterparts in order to cut costs, according to a new report."

Environmental Politics [5]
Government [6]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Natural Resources [29]
Public [13]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: The Hill [30], 02/25/2019

"Crisis on the Colorado" [31]

"As the Southwest faces rapid growth and unrelenting drought, the Colorado River is in crisis, with too many demands on its diminishing flow. Now those who depend on the river must confront the hard reality that their supply of Colorado water may be cut off."

Jim Robbins reports, with photography by Ted Wood, in a 5-part series for Yale Environment 360 January 14, 2019. [32]

SEE ALSO:

Agriculture [33]
Climate Change [17]
Consumer [34]
Economy & Business [35]
Environmental Politics [5]
Fish & Fisheries [36]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Natural Resources [29]
Pollution [23]
Water & Oceans [25]
Public [13]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: , 02/25/2019

Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water Sicken Military Families [37]

"

When Army Staff Sgt. Samuel Fortune returned from Iraq, his body battered by war, he assumed he’d be safe. Then the people around him began to get sick. His neighbors, all living near five military bases, complained of tumors, thyroid problems and debilitating fatigue. Soon, the Colorado health department announced an unusually high number of kidney cancers in the region. Then Mr. Fortune’s wife fell ill."

Chemicals [16]
Environmental Health [18]
Environmental Politics [5]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Military [38]
People & Population [39]
Pollution [23]
Water & Oceans [25]
Public [13]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: NY Times [40], 02/25/2019

"Interior: Did Bernhardt Once Try To Blow Up Endangered Species Act?" [41]

"On Aug. 7, 2012, David Bernhardt went to bat for the American eel. Theirs seemed an odd alliance — slippery, even, to some."

Environmental Politics [5]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Wildlife [7]
Public [13]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: Greenwire [42], 02/25/2019

Public Health: EPA Stalls Review Of 'Erin Brockovich' Chemical: Emails [43]

"Last July, career EPA officials were set to unveil their plan to complete a long-awaited health review of the toxic metal hexavalent chromium, but more than half a year later, the plan is still under wraps — the latest delay for the human health assessment of the anti-corrosion chemical made infamous by the 2000 film 'Erin Brockovich.'"

Chemicals [16]
Environmental Health [18]
Environmental Politics [5]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Public [13]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: Greenwire [44], 02/25/2019

"Bayer Faces Second Trial Over Alleged Roundup Cancer Risk" [45]

"Bayer AG is set to face a second U.S. jury over allegations that its popular glyphosate-based weed killer Roundup causes cancer, six months after the company’s share price was rocked by a $289 million verdict in California state court."

Agriculture [33]
Chemicals [16]
Environmental Health [18]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Public [13]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: Reuters [46], 02/25/2019

Grand Jury Probing Whether Zinke Lied To Federal Investigators [47]

"Prosecutors have begun presenting evidence to a grand jury in Washington in their probe of whether former interior Secretary Ryan Zinke lied to federal investigators, according to two individuals briefed on the matter."

Environmental Politics [5]
Government [6]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Public [13]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: Washington Post [48], 02/25/2019

White House To Set Up Panel To Counter Climate Change Consensus: Sources [49]

"The White House plans to create an ad hoc group of select federal scientists to reassess the government’s analysis of climate science and counter conclusions that the continued burning of fossil fuels is harming the planet, according to three senior administration officials."

Climate Change [17]
Environmental Politics [5]
Science [24]
Public [13]
National (U.S.) [8]
Source: Washington Post [50], 02/25/2019

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/region/national?page=1259

Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/border-wall-way-environmental-stories [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/tipsheet [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/activism [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/biodiversity-1 [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/wildlife [8] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [9] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/california [10] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest [11] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international [12] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/mexico [13] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [14] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/climate-scientist-canned-scotus-rule-chemical-secrets-and-army [15] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/watchdog-tipsheet [16] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [17] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [18] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [19] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists [20] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [21] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [22] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [24] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science [25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [26] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mountain-west [27] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [28] https://www.sej.org/headlines/interior-rely-staff-less-training-park-law-enforcement [29] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [30] https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/431214-interior-looking-to-rely-on-staffers-with-less-training-for-park [31] https://www.sej.org/headlines/crisis-colorado [32] https://e360.yale.edu/series/crisis-on-the-colorado [33] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture [34] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer [35] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business [36] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/fisheries [37] https://www.sej.org/headlines/toxic-%E2%80%98forever-chemicals%E2%80%99-drinking-water-sicken-military-families [38] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/military [39] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [40] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/22/us/military-water-toxic-chemicals.html [41] https://www.sej.org/headlines/interior-did-bernhardt-once-try-blow-endangered-species-act [42] https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060122205 [43] https://www.sej.org/headlines/public-health-epa-stalls-review-erin-brockovich-chemical-emails [44] https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060122219 [45] https://www.sej.org/headlines/bayer-faces-second-trial-over-alleged-roundup-cancer-risk [46] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bayer-glyphosate-lawsuit/bayer-faces-second-trial-over-alleged-roundup-cancer-risk-idUSKCN1QD0I8 [47] https://www.sej.org/headlines/grand-jury-probing-whether-zinke-lied-federal-investigators [48] https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/grand-jury-is-examining-whether-former-interior-secretary-ryan-zinke-lied-to-federal-investigators/2019/02/22/0fb2427a-36c4-11e9-854a-7a14d7fec96a_story.html [49] https://www.sej.org/headlines/white-house-set-panel-counter-climate-change-consensus-sources [50] https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/white-house-to-select-federal-scientists-to-reassess-government-climate-findings-sources-say/2019/02/24/49cd0a84-37dd-11e9-af5b-b51b7ff322e9_story.html [51] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=1258 [52] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=1255 [53] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=1256 [54] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=1257 [55] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=1260 [56] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=1261 [57] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=1262 [58] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=1263 [59] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national?page=2678