Every U.S. state has at least one Superfund site, the worst kind of toxic waste dump. And millions live near them. The latest TipSheet has a look at the state of the decades-old Superfund cleanup program under the Trump administration, and how environmental journalists can turn that into local stories, with a dozen story ideas and reporting resources.
"In his first year back in office, Donald Trump has fundamentally reshaped the Environmental Protection Agency, initiating nearly 70 actions to undo rules protecting ecosystems and the climate."
"As freezing temperatures swept over West Texas last week, leaky pipeline systems in the Permian Basin of West Texas began to suck in air, spoiling their products, risking an explosion and leading operators to release or burn off vast volumes of gas."
"After a year of production, the village of Rothschild has a new water treatment facility that is now fully operational. This facility is actively working to decrease the levels of PFAS in the community's drinking water. Village Administrator Ryan VanDeWalle said that PFAS levels are now down to "non-detectable or non-traceable" levels."
"Europe’s supermarket shelves are packed with brands billing their plastic packaging as sustainable, but often only a fraction of the materials are truly recovered from waste, with the rest made from petroleum." "Manufacturers use method that labels plastic as ‘circular’ and climate-friendly, despite being mostly fossil-based".
"A federal appeals court has rejected the EPA’s motion to strike portions of the agency’s Biden-era regulations for PFAS in drinking water."
"On the eve of the opening of what would have been a bellwether US trial over allegations that a widely used weed killer causes Parkinson’s disease, paraquat-maker Syngenta reached a settlement with the retired landscaper who blamed the company for his diagnosis with the incurable brain disease."
"A leading European chemical safety institute has ousted the director of its cancer research center after the director led an extensive testing program into the safety of the pesticide glyphosate, sparking concerns about chemical industry influence into what has been an independent research institution."
"Police and prosecutors from Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname have arrested nearly 200 people in their first-ever joint cross-border operation targeting illegal gold mining in the Amazon region, authorities said Thursday."
"The deep rift between Democrats and Republicans over the future of the nation’s premier chemical safety law was on full display on Thursday in a hearing designed to kickstart legislation that would allow faster federal approvals for new chemicals. "
