epa

Last year, a dozen oil refineries in the U.S. exceeded the federal maximum level for average emissions of the highly toxic carcinogen benzene, according to a new report by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP). Five of the refineries were in Texas, four in Louisiana, one in Indiana, one in Pennsylvania and one in the U.S. […]

People of color and low-income communities in the U.S. are at greater risk for exposure to pesticides, a new study has found.  While this is the case for many environmental pollutants, the study published in BMC Public Health Tuesday was the first to take an in-depth look at the differences in pesticide protections and regulations […]

President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would lift a summer-time ban on the sale of E15 gasoline in response to the hike in gas prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. E15 is a gasoline mix that uses 15 percent ethanol, according to a White House fact sheet. However, it is currently barred from use in the summer because it contributes to smog during warmer weather, The New York Times pointed out. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investigating whether the Louisiana state departments of Environmental Quality and Health illegally discriminated against black residents in permitting decisions regarding two chemical plants and a grain export terminal. Petitions to the EPA seeking an investigation allege the state departments failed to provide proper notice and comment opportunities to […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created a new “working definition” of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. The updated definition is narrower, leaving out many chemicals in pharmaceuticals, pesticides and even some refrigerants.  Scientists are concerned that the agency’s redefining of PFAS makes these chemicals seem less toxic, and critics have […]

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2018, paper and cardboard were the largest components of municipal solid waste in the United States with citizens throwing away a total of 67.4 million tons a year.  Around 68 percent of that was recycled, while the other 32 percent was either incinerated or left in […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to approve a proposal to extend the use of four neonicotinoids for the next 15 years. These pesticides are known to be especially dangerous for essential pollinators, like bees and butterflies, and have been linked to the widespread decline of insect populations. Despite citing the pesticides imidacloprid, […]

If you get your drinking water from an underground well, it may be contaminated with toxic forever chemicals.  A new study from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) found at least one perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) in 20 percent of private wells and 60 percent of public wells in 16 states in the Eastern U.S. […]