Pollution

Nevada’s First Wastewater-To-Drinking-Water Plant Breaks Ground In Reno

"The City of Reno and Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) broke ground last week on an Advanced Purified Water Facility, a plant that will treat roughly 2 million gallons of wastewater a day to make it compliant with drinking-water standards and send it into a groundwater aquifer near Stead Airport, a first for Nevada."

Source: Nevada Independent, 09/16/2026

US Datacenters Face Further Backlash Over Wastewater Pollution

"When officials in Wyoming conducted a routine test on the water that was being discharged from a massive under-construction Meta datacenter, it was a shock to find it contained a rare and potentially hazardous bacterium."

Source: Guardian, 09/15/2026

EPA to Loosen Methane Rules, Boosting Pollution From Oil and Gas Wells

"The Environmental Protection Agency is finalizing a rule that’ll drastically weaken restrictions on “stripper wells,” which tend to be old, poorly maintained and prone to leaking methane, the highly potent greenhouse gas."

Source: ProPublica, 09/15/2026

Virginia Tells Richmond Airport To Reduce Its Use Of ‘Forever Chemicals’

"The Richmond airport is renewing its stormwater discharge permit, and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) added general requirements for the airport to monitor and lower its discharge of PFAS. Some stakeholders say that’s not enough and are asking for specific reduction targets."

Source: Bay Journal, 09/15/2026

Suit Charges Cameron Parish LNG Terminals Are Hurting Seafood Industry

"A group of commercial fishers, fishing guides and seafood processors in southwest Louisiana is suing liquefied natural gas company Venture Global, claiming that dredging operations in preparation for the construction of a new terminal resulted in a sediment spill that killed millions of oysters and diminished catches of finfish, crabs and shrimp."

Source: Verite News, 09/15/2026

Judge Weighs “Fairness” Of $7.25B Roundup Settlement For Cancer Victims

"Opposing teams of attorneys spent hours on Monday battling over a proposed $7.25 billion settlement of the US Roundup cancer litigation that, if approved, would allow Bayer to keep selling its controversial glyphosate weed killers while providing roughly $10,000 to $165,000 for individuals suffering from cancer they blame on Roundup use."

Source: The New Lede, 09/15/2026

EPA Kills Rule That Limits Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Power Plants

"The Environmental Protection Agency said Monday it is repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas and announced it is taking a separate but related step to prevent future administrations from regulating climate pollution from power plants."

Source: AP, 09/15/2026

Farm Bill Stuck in the Mud?

The Farm Bill — omnibus legislation that affects the food supply of millions of Americans, as well as their air, water and soil — is bogged down in hyperpartisan division. But as Backgrounder outlines, environmental journalists would be wise to track how Congress ultimately uses it to address matters like land and water conservation, rural water supply and pollution, pesticides and more.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Visibility: 

America’s Air Monitors Are Disappearing — With Power To Expose Polluters

"Laws in Louisiana and other states now curb the use of community-collected data. In Louisiana, public air monitors are often located miles from major industrial polluters and fail to test for some of the most dangerous chemicals."

Source: Floodlight, 09/14/2026

Court Strikes Down Trump Order to Keep Aging Coal-Burning Plant Running

"A federal appeals court on Friday struck down an order from the Trump administration that forced a coal plant in Michigan to stay open past its scheduled retirement date — dealing a blow to President Trump’s efforts to promote the coal industry."

Source: New York Times, 09/14/2026

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Pollution