chemicals

Meet the 4 Horsemen of the EPA-pocalypse

Meet the 4 Horsemen of the EPA-pocalypse

By Mary Anne Hitt Every week, another decision that endangers our families seems to come out of Scott Pruitt’s and Donald Trump’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The latest facepalm/outrage comes in the form of confirmation hearings that start this week for four completely unacceptable nominees to critical leadership positions at EPA. This Wednesday, Sep. […]

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    13 Toxic Waste Sites Damaged by Harvey, Houston Awash in Chemicals

    13 Toxic Waste Sites Damaged by Harvey, Houston Awash in Chemicals

    Toxic waste and pollution are emerging as a top concern as cleanup continued in Houston over the long weekend. Owners of the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, which suffered multiple explosions and fires last week, announced Sunday it would conduct controlled burns of the rest of the chemicals stored at the damaged facility as a […]

    Arkema Plant Explosion Sparks Criticism of Trump EPA Relaxing Chemical Safety Rules

    Arkema Plant Explosion Sparks Criticism of Trump EPA Relaxing Chemical Safety Rules

    Thursday’s explosions at the Harvey-damaged Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, Texas have prompted criticism of the Trump administration’s delay of an Obama-era chemical safety regulation that was designed to “improve chemical process safety, assist local emergency authorities in planning for and responding to accidents, and improve public awareness of chemical hazards at regulated source.” The […]

    2 Explosions Reported at Houston-Area Chemical Plant Damaged by Harvey Floods

    2 Explosions Reported at Houston-Area Chemical Plant Damaged by Harvey Floods

    Two explosions and black smoke were reported from an Arkema Inc. plant in Crosby, Texas—about 25 miles outside of Houston—on Thursday morning. The facility, which was swamped by six feet of water from Hurricane Harvey‘s unprecedented flooding, manufacturers organic peroxides for the production of plastic resins, polystyrene, paints and other products. As the New York […]

    Fracking Debate Ramps Up Again in Illinois With First Permit Application Under New Rules

    Fracking Debate Ramps Up Again in Illinois With First Permit Application Under New Rules

    By Kari Lydersen Four years ago, the Illinois legislature passed a law to regulate high volume hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, after months of contentious negotiations between oil industry interests, environmental watchdogs and community groups. Leading up to the law’s passage, companies had secured hundreds of leases to potentially frack in Southern Illinois. But then oil […]

    Groups Sue EPA for Weakening Toxic Chemical Rules

    Groups Sue EPA for Weakening Toxic Chemical Rules

    By Gail Koffman “The fox guarding the hen house” aptly describes the inner workings of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Trump administration. A major case in point: The EPA official tasked to head up the Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention office, Nancy Beck, came to the job after working as a former […]

    ‘Industry Friendly’ EPA Completes Review of 600 New Chemicals

    ‘Industry Friendly’ EPA Completes Review of 600 New Chemicals

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it has eliminated a backlog of more than 600 new chemicals it is reviewing under the agency’s new chemical safety program. “I am happy to report that the backlog of new chemical reviews is eliminated,” EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said. The goal of the agency “is to ensure […]

    ‘Secret Docs’ Show Monsanto’s Attempt to Influence Writers, Bribe Scientists

    ‘Secret Docs’ Show Monsanto’s Attempt to Influence Writers, Bribe Scientists

    By Jessica Corbett A trove of Monsanto’s internal records released on Tuesday raises serious concerns about company efforts to influence media reports and scientific research related to risks posed by is popular weedkiller, Roundup. As the New York Times reported: Documents show that Henry I. Miller, an academic and a vocal proponent of genetically modified […]

    Did You Know … Most Imported Cosmetics Are Never Tested by the FDA

    Did You Know … Most Imported Cosmetics Are Never Tested by the FDA

    By Melanie Benesh According to a New York Times story published Wednesday, contaminants such as mercury, lead and bacteria, and other banned ingredients, are showing up in an alarming number of imported personal care products. This follows recent news that asbestos was found in tests of imported makeup marketed to tweens. The Times story is […]