"When the results of tests for lead in the water at more than 1,500 New York City school buildings were announced in July, officials said that fewer than 1 percent of all the samples taken showed lead concentrations that exceeded Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Given other safety measures in place, officials assured parents, the water was safe to drink. But a review of how the testing was conducted suggests that the amount of lead in the water that students consume could be greater than the results indicate."

"New England is running out of mussels. The Gulf of Maine's once strong population of wild blue mussels is disappearing, scientists say."

"A drop in the food supply this summer, possibly tied to warmer Gulf of Maine waters, leads to the worst survival rate ever tracked on Machias Seal Island."

"Neighborhoods on the [Buffalo's] East and Lower West Sides are 'ground zero' for the worst lead poisoning problems in all of Upstate New York. Lead paint is considered the culprit, but the crisis in Flint, Michigan, has raised questions about the safety of the drinking water in cities like Buffalo."

"The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court struck down a controversial 'pipeline tax' that would have allowed electric utilities in the state to raise rates to pay for natural gas pipeline projects."

"These Catholic social justice advocates are exemplars of the force behind We Are Seneca Lake, one of the nation’s longest-running campaigns of civil disobedience."

"Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a new energy law on Monday that could give a huge boost to the country’s offshore wind industry. The legislation, which was overwhelmingly passed last week by the state legislature, includes the nation’s biggest commitment to offshore wind energy, requiring utilities to procure a combined 1,600 megawatts of electricity from offshore wind farms in a little over 10 years."

"When you live on what’s essentially a sandbar, pollution, septic systems, and political roadblocks add up to one tough challenge."

"New York officials approved a clean energy standard on Monday that requires half of the state’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030."

"The drought that has taken hold in the Northeast is especially felt at John Lavoie's farm in Hollis, presenting him with some tough choices. Irrigation ponds are drying up, forcing him to choose between tomatoes and berries or apple and peach trees."