"The US Environmental Protection Agency has in effect ignored a 2020 federal court order prohibiting the use of Monsanto and other producers’ toxic dicamba-based herbicides that are destroying millions of acres of cropland, harming endangered species and increasing cancer risks for farmers, new fillings in the lawsuit charge."
"The agency says it will move forward on air emissions regulations for livestock operations this year."
"The Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to step up enforcement in Pennsylvania to ensure that it meets targets for reducing pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, state and environmental officials announced Thursday."
"Federal water managers have more room to breathe this spring as two Southwestern rivers that provide New Mexico and Texas with drinking water and irrigation supplies are seeing the benefits of record snowpack and spring runoff."
"Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, determined to untangle housing, mines, and other development from time-consuming environmental reviews, asked the Trump administration in its closing months to let the state take over permits for building on federal wetlands from the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers."
"A federal court injunction this week against the Biden administration’s new waters protection rule in 24 states sparked questions over the clarity and path forward for the rule, even if the action doesn’t dramatically change which waters are protected."
"Flash droughts, the kind that arrive quickly and can lay waste to crops in a matter of weeks, are becoming more common and faster to develop around the world, and human-caused climate change is a major reason, a new scientific study has found."
"The Iowa House passed legislation Tuesday restricting drone surveillance of livestock facilities without the permission of the property owner."
"The Interior Department on Tuesday shared its proposal for expected cuts to Colorado River water allocations but acknowledged that the most extreme options — including a plan that would slash water deliveries to Arizona and Nevada — are unlikely to be included in a final decision this summer."
The push to replace gas-guzzling vehicles with electric-powered alternatives is hitting significant speed bumps. The existing supply of lithium for batteries can’t keep up with demand, and new mining proposals often face opposition from area residents worried about local impacts. Radio reporter David Boraks has been covering one such conflict in North Carolina. He shares his insights and reporting tips.
