Pollution

"Phthalates, chemicals found in plastics, are linked to an array of problems, especially in pregnancy" 

"In the rush to put out wildfires, hundreds of millions of litres of fire retardant are dropped on forests across North America. New research shows the effects they can have on water and ecosystems — especially when accidents happen"

"Williams Cos. went online to seek local backing for its Transco expansion project, but the effort may have backfired." 

"As oily rain fell on Roseland, where 90% of kids live in poverty, the Trump administration is considering gutting chemical-disaster safeguards."

"Hakim Dermish moved to the small South Texas town of Catarina in 2002 in search of a rural lifestyle on a budget. The property where he lived with his wife didn’t have electricity or sewer lines at first, but that didn’t bother him."

"The EPA on Friday terminated at least five of the roughly 140 employees who signed a public letter in June critical of the agency’s political leadership, according to the staffers’ union. At least 10 other tenured employees have gotten a notice of proposed removal, said Nicole Cantello, an EPA lawyer and president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 704."

"A Chinese-owned mining company has been accused of covering up the extent of a disastrous toxic spill in Zambia that polluted a major river that millions rely on with cyanide and arsenic."

"The Trump administration will soon propose a new Clean Water Act rule that could eliminate federal protections for many wetlands across the U.S., according to an internal EPA presentation obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News."

"New EPA data shows PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in 200 more drinking water systems nationwide, including Durham and Fayetteville, as NC utilities work to remove them."

"Beaches from Crystal River, Florida, to Ogunquit, Maine, have been under advisories warning about water quality this week because of elevated levels of bacteria associated with fecal waste. The advisories typically discourage beachgoers from going in the water because the bacteria can cause gastrointestinal illness, rashes and nausea."