The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching a civil rights investigation into whether or not the state of Mississippi discriminated against its capital city of Jackson by failing to fix its outdated water infrastructure. The city of Jackson, which is more than 80 percent Black, suffered a water crisis this August after flooding led […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a new office focused on solving environmental problems in marginalized communities. The agency announced the formation of the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights on Saturday, a move it said was in keeping with President Joe Biden’s environmental priorities. “From day one, President Biden and […]
Five years of research, more than 40 studies, and over 30,000 samples reveal per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also called “forever chemicals,” are present in umbilical cord blood. Further, many of the studies linked PFAS in umbilical cord blood with health issues of the fetus during the parent’s pregnancy, in childhood, and as adults. “Even before […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took a major step on Friday towards regulating the toxic substances known as “forever chemicals” for their tendency to persist in the environment and the human body. The agency announced a proposal to list two of the most common per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous substances under the […]
The Supreme Court has restricted the ability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fight the climate crisis. In a 6 to 3 ruling on Thursday, the nation’s highest court ruled that the Clean Air Agency does not empower the EPA to limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants without prior Congressional approval. Yet […]
A federal court ruled Friday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must reconsider whether glyphosate — the active ingredient in Bayer’s Roundup weedkiller — poses a health risk to humans and endangered species. Environmental groups had challenged the Trump administration’s 2020 interim registration for the chemical, which concluded that it did not cause cancer […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued new nonbinding health advisories for two nonstick and stain-resistant chemical compounds — known as PFOS and PFOA — that are found in drinking water. These chemical compounds, which are part of the larger group of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS — short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances […]
A legal settlement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the town containing the census tract with the worst air pollution in the country could significantly reduce harmful emissions in the area known as “Cancer Alley.” The proposed agreement was posted on the Federal Register Tuesday and would settle two lawsuits brought by members […]
In a move that will reverse a rule from the former Trump administration, the Biden administration is prepared to again allow states and Tribes to block energy projects, like pipelines and coal terminals, that could pollute local waterways. Since 1972, the Clean Water Act has allowed states and Tribes to review federal project permits and […]