Walmart recalls apple juice sold in 25 states due to elevated arsenic levels
Walmart has recalled nearly 10,000 cases of apple juice sold in stores across the U.S. The product was found to contain potentially harmful levels of inorganic arsenic.
Biden promised to clean up heavily polluted communities. Here is how advocates say he did
Just a week after taking office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order prioritizing environmental justice.
EPA watchdog investigating delays in how the agency used sensor plane after fiery Ohio derailment
The EPA's internal watchdog will investigate why the agency didn’t get its specialized plane loaded with advanced sensors into the air over East Palestine until four days after the disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment last year.
Marathon Oil reaches $241 million settlement with EPA for environmental violations in North Dakota
The federal government announced a $241.5 million settlement with Marathon Oil on Thursday for alleged air quality violations at the company’s oil and gas operations on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota.
GM will pay $146 million in penalties because 5.9 million older vehicles emit excess carbon dioxide
General Motors will pay nearly $146 million in penalties to the federal government because 5.9 million of its older vehicles don’t comply with emissions and fuel economy standards.
Chevron takeaways: Supreme Court ruling removes frequently used tool from federal regulators
Federal rules that impact virtually every aspect of everyday life, from the food we eat and the cars we drive to the air we breathe and homes we live in, could be at risk after a wide-ranging Supreme Court ruling.
What it means for the Supreme Court to block enforcement of the EPA's 'good neighbor' pollution rule
The Environmental Protection Agency won't be able to enforce a key rule limiting air pollution in nearly a dozen states while separate legal challenges proceed around the country.
Supreme Court halts enforcement of the EPA's plan to limit downwind pollution from power plants
The Supreme Court is putting the Environmental Protection Agency’s air pollution-fighting “good neighbor” plan on hold while legal challenges continue.
Researchers find higher levels of dangerous chemical than expected in southeast Louisiana
Scientists using new methods of measuring the carcinogen ethylene oxide have found much higher than expected levels of the chemical in the air along a corridor in southeastern Louisiana.
Water is bursting from another abandoned West Texas oil well, continuing a troubling trend
Pecos County rancher Schuyler Wight says the Railroad Commission continues to plug wells. But each time they do, another one starts flowing.
'War on coal' rhetoric heats up as Biden seeks to curb pollution with election looming
The rhetorical “war on coal” is back as Republicans try to capitalize on moves by President Joe Biden's administration to rein in pollution and climate change.
Louisiana chemical plant threatens to shut down if EPA emissions deadline isn't relaxed
Denka Performance Elastomer in Louisiana threatened to shut down if the Biden administration doesn't give it more time to reduce its emissions.
As the election nears, Biden pushes a slew of rules on the environment and other priorities
President Joe Biden has unleashed a flurry of election year rules on the environment as he tries to secure his legacy.
Judge signs off on $600 million Ohio train derailment settlement but residents still have questions
A federal judge has signed off on the $600 million class action settlement over last year's disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment in eastern Ohio, but many people who live near East Palestine are still wondering how much they will end up with out of the deal.
US says cyberattacks against water supplies are rising, and utilities need to do more to stop them
The Environmental Protection Agency warns that cyberattacks against water utilities around the U.S. are becoming more frequent and more severe.
US's largest public utility ignores warnings in moving forward with new natural gas plant
The nation’s largest public utility is moving ahead with a plan for a new natural gas plant in Tennessee despite warnings that its environmental review of the project doesn’t comply with federal law.
EPA bans consumer use of a toxic chemical widely used as a paint stripper but known to cause cancer
The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a ban on consumer uses of methylene chloride, a chemical widely used as a paint stripper but known to cause liver cancer and other health problems.
Coal power plants must reduce pollution under new federal rules
The rules will require coal-fueled plants, including Texas plants that produced about 12% of power on the state’s grid this year, to reduce carbon emissions and mercury pollution and handle disposed coal ash more safely.
Strict new EPA rules would force coal-fired power plants to capture emissions or shut down
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan says new rules that would force power plants fueled by coal or natural gas to capture smokestack emissions or shut down are targeting pollution that's “pushing our planet to the brink.”.
EPA designates 2 forever chemicals as hazardous substances, eligible for Superfund cleanup
The Environmental Protection Agency has designated two forever chemicals used in cookware, carpets and firefighting foams as hazardous substances.
Dozens of Texas water systems exceed new federal limits on “forever chemicals”
The EPA set its first-ever drinking water limits for five types of PFAS chemicals, and nearly 50 Texas public water systems have reported exceeding the new limits for at least one.
New EPA rule says 218 US chemical plants must reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancer
More than 200 chemical plants nationwide must reduce toxic emissions likely to cause cancer under a new Environmental Protection Agency rule.
AP Exclusive: EPA didn't declare a public health emergency after fiery Ohio derailment
Officials say the aftermath of last year’s fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio doesn’t qualify as a public health emergency because widespread health problems and ongoing chemical exposures haven’t been documented.
EPA sets strict emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks and buses in bid to fight climate change
The Environmental Protection Agency has set strict emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks, buses and other large vehicles.
EPA issues new auto rules aimed at cutting carbon emissions, boosting electric vehicles and hybrids
The Biden administration has announced new automobile emissions standards that officials call the most ambitious plan ever to cut planet-warming emissions from passenger vehicles.
As electric vehicle sales slow, US relaxes plans for stricter auto emissions standards for a while
The Biden administration this week is expected to announce new automobile emissions standards that relax proposed tailpipe limits for three years but eventually reach the same strict standards set out by the Environmental Protection Agency.
New EPA rule to slash cancer-causing emissions from sterilization facilities
Laredo residents who live near a sterilization plant say the new federal limits on the pollutant will improve air quality and reduce their city’s high cancer risk.
EPA tightens limits on a chemical used to sterilize medical equipment, citing cancer risk
The Environmental Protection Agency is imposing stricter limits on a chemical used to sterilize medical equipment after finding a higher-than-expected cancer risk at facilities that use ethylene oxide to clean billions of devices including catheters and syringes.
Neglected and exposed: Toxic air lingers in a Texas Latino community, revealing failures in state’s air monitoring system
Public data from a network of state air monitors around the Houston Ship Channel is hard to interpret and is often inadequate, leaving Latino-majority neighborhoods like Cloverleaf unaware of whether the air they breathe is safe.
Expuestos y en el olvido: El aire tóxico en una comunidad latina de Texas revela los fallos del sistema estatal de control de calidad del aire
Los datos públicos de una red de monitores de la calidad del aire alrededor del Canal de Navegación de Houston son difíciles de interpretar y a menudo son insuficientes, dejando a vecindarios de mayoría latina, como Cloverleaf, sin saber si el aire que respiran es seguro.
Half of US states join GOP lawsuits challenging new EPA rule on deadly soot pollution
Twenty-five Republican-led states have joined lawsuits challenging a new Biden administration rule that sets tougher standards for deadly soot pollution.
EPA delays rules for existing natural gas power plants until after the November election
The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it is delaying planned rules for existing natural gas plants that emit harmful air pollutants and contribute to global warming.
EPA awards $1 billion to clean up toxic waste in third cash infusion for Superfund program
The Environmental Protection Agency says 25 toxic waste sites in 15 states will be cleaned up as part of a $1 billion infusion to the federal Superfund program.
EPA approves year-round sales of higher ethanol blend in 8 Midwest states
Drivers in eight Midwestern states will be able to fuel up with a higher blend of ethanol throughout the year under a ruled finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Supreme Court seems skeptical of EPA's 'good neighbor' rule on power plant pollution
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority appears skeptical of the federal government’s argument that the Environmental Protection Agency should be allowed to continue enforcing its anti-air-pollution rule in 11 states.
The EPA sets tougher national soot standards. These 10 Texas counties already exceed them.
Some environmental experts are skeptical that Texas can meet the new rules on particulate matter, which can cause serious respiratory problems.
In Dallas, EPA casts a net for answers on how pollution from concrete batch plants affects people’s health
EPA scientists went fishing to begin a study of how pollution from a group of concrete batch plants impacts human health.
Senate approves Biden pick to lead EPA air office as final rules near on power plants, vehicles
The Senate has approved President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency’s air pollution office just as the agency is set to finalize rules over climate-changing emissions from power plants and cars and trucks.
Auto dealers up campaign urging Biden administration to halt EPA tailpipe emission limits regulation
A group of more than 4,700 auto dealers in the United States have sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging the president to halt regulators' efforts to require cars to emit less pollution.
Latest EPA assessment shows almost no improvement in river and stream nitrogen pollution
The EPA’s newest assessment of water quality and nutrient pollution in U.S. rivers and streams shows almost no progress on cutting the nitrogen pollution that comes primarily from farm chemical runoff.
EPA sets out rules for proposed 'methane fee' for waste generated by oil and natural gas companies
Oil and natural gas companies would have to pay a fee for methane emissions that exceed certain levels under a new rule proposed by the Biden administration.
Months after lead issue uncovered with SAISD, an environmental action group says problem is much worse
Months after a lead issue was uncovered with SAISD, an environmental action group says the problem is much worse.
Supreme Court denies Alaska's bid to revive the copper and gold Pebble Mine proposal blocked by EPA
The Supreme Court has rejected Alaska’s bid to revive a proposed copper and gold mine that was blocked by the Environmental Protection Agency.
How Texas polluters classify big facilities as smaller ones to avoid stricter environmental rules and public input
Industrial developers describe large facilities as “minor” polluters to avoid federal permitting requirements, and environmental lawyers say the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality lets it happen.
Supreme Court will hear challenge to EPA rule limiting downwind power plant pollution in 10 states
The Supreme Court will hear arguments in February on whether the Environmental Protection Agency can continue enforcing its anti-air-pollution “good neighbor” rule in 10 states.
After years of decline, the Biden administration says environmental enforcement is on the upswing
The Environmental Protection Agency says it is conducting more on-site inspections of polluting industrial sites than at any time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
EPA begins formal review of vinyl chloride, toxic chemical that burned in Ohio train derailment
The Biden administration is initiating a formal evaluation of risks posed by vinyl chloride, the cancer-causing chemical that burned in a towering plume of toxic black smoke following a fiery train derailment earlier this year in eastern Ohio.
Texas will have to cut methane emissions from oil fields under new federal climate rule
The Biden Administration announced a crackdown on methane emissions, a major driver of climate change. Major oil and gas companies also signed on to a voluntary net-zero commitment.
Breaches by Iran-affiliated hackers spanned multiple U.S. states, federal agencies say
U.S. and Israeli authorities say a small western Pennsylvania water authority was just one of multiple organizations breached by Iran-affiliated hackers who targeted a specific industrial control device because it is Israeli-made.
Cities must replace harmful lead pipes within 10 years under new Biden administration plan
The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed the strongest overhaul of lead in drinking water rules in more than three decades.
Biden declares emergency over lead in water in US Virgin Islands
President Joe Biden declared an emergency over lead-in-water contamination in the U.S. Virgin Islands earlier this week after tests on St. Croix revealed levels more than 100 times the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency – among the worst results a U.S. community has seen in decades.
EPA offers $2B to clean up pollution, develop clean energy in poor and minority communities
The Biden administration is making $2 billion available to community groups, states and tribes to clean up pollution and develop clean energy in disadvantaged communities in what officials called the largest-ever investment in environmental justice.
U.S. regulators will review car-tire chemical that kills salmon, upon request from West Coast tribes
Federal regulators will review the use of a chemical found in tires after a petition from Native American tribes in California and Washington state.
Louisiana was open to Cancer Alley concessions. Then EPA dropped its investigation
The Environmental Protection Agency spent more than a year investigating whether Louisiana's oversight of industrial air emissions discriminated against Black residents.
Americans are still putting way too much food into landfills. Local officials seek EPA's help
A pair of recent reports from the Environmental Protection Agency put striking numbers on America's problem with food waste.
EPA to strengthen lead protections in drinking water after multiple crises, including Flint
The Environmental Protection Agency will soon strengthen lead in drinking water regulations, after decades when they essentially remained the same.
Refrigeration chemicals are a nightmare for the climate. Experts say alternatives must spread fast
Refrigerants are chemical fluids that have made air conditioning and refrigeration possible, but they are hundreds or even thousands of times more powerful at warming the planet than carbon dioxide, the most notorious greenhouse gas.
Cleanup from Maui fires complicated by island's logistical challenges, cultural significance
Federal authorities have started removing hazardous materials from the Maui wildfires and laying the groundwork to dispose of burnt cars, buildings and other debris.
Biden administration restores the power of states and tribes to review projects to protect waterways
States and Native American tribes will have greater authority to block energy projects such as natural gas pipelines that could pollute rivers and streams under a final rule issued Thursday by the Biden administration.
Biden's clean-car rules face a crucial test as appeals court hears Republican-led challenges
Efforts by the Biden administration to limit tailpipe pollution from automobiles face a crucial test as legal challenges brought by Republican-led states head to a federal appeals court.
Environmental Protection Agency delays new ozone pollution standards until after the 2024 election
The Environmental Protection Agency is delaying plans to tighten air quality standards for smog despite a recommendation by a scientific advisory panel to lower air pollution limits to protect public health.
States at the forefront of fights over wetlands protections after justices slash federal rules
The Supreme Court in May sharply curtailed the Clean Water Act's power to protect millions of acres of wetlands.
EPA head says he's 'proud' of decision to block Alaska mine and protect salmon-rich Bristol Bay
The nation’s top environmental official said he fully supports his agency’s decision to block a proposed gold and copper mine in Alaska’s salmon-rich Bristol Bay, even as the state of Alaska has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn that action.
EPA weighs formal review of vinyl chloride, the toxic chemical that burned in Ohio train derailment
The Biden administration says it could soon launch a formal evaluation of risks posed by vinyl chloride, the cancer-causing chemical that burned in a towering plume of toxic smoke following the fiery train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
The EPA's ambitious plan to cut auto emissions to slow climate change runs into skepticism
The U.S. government’s most ambitious plan ever to slash planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles faces skepticism about how realistic it is and whether it goes far enough.
The “1-mile rule”: Texas’ unwritten, arbitrary policy protects big polluters from citizen complaints
It’s not found anywhere in state law or the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s rules, but for years the agency has denied citizens the ability to challenge air pollution permits because they live more than a mile away.
US proposes 18% fuel economy increase for new vehicle fleet from 2027 through 2032
The U.S. government wants to raise the fuel economy of new vehicles 18% by the 2032 model year so the fleet would average about 43.5 miles per gallon in real-world driving.
Black and Hispanic Lubbock residents want federal intervention in zoning, environmental policies
A new federal complaint comes as the city updates its zoning laws for the first time since the 1970s.
EPA will decide if the state is doing enough to reduce pollution in two East Texas counties
The federal agency has settled a lawsuit the Sierra Club brought over pollution from a coal-burning power plant. The agreement requires the EPA to weigh in on the state’s plan to improve air quality in Rusk and Panola counties.
A Texas energy company will pay $1.3 million over pollution in the Permian Basin, EPA says
The EPA last year announced aerial surveillance of “super-emitters.” At least one other company in New Mexico faced a similar fine.
Biden making $20 billion available from 'green bank' for clean energy projects
The Biden administration is making available $20 billion from a federal “green bank” for clean energy projects such as residential heat pumps, electric vehicle charging stations and community cooling centers.
EPA sets stricter limits on hydrofluorocarbons used in refrigerators, air conditioners
The Environmental Protection Agency is enforcing stricter limits on hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners that contribute to global warming.
EPA retreats on Louisiana investigations that alleged Black people lived amid higher cancer risk
The Biden administration has dropped investigations into whether Louisiana officials put Black residents living in an industrial stretch of the state at increased cancer risk.
3M reaches $10.3 billion settlement over contamination of water systems with 'forever chemicals'
Chemical manufacturer 3M has agreed to pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over contamination of many U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds known as PFAS.
EPA boosts use of biofuels but holds steady for corn-based ethanol production
The Biden administration on Wednesday increased the amount of biofuels that must be blended into the nation’s fuel supplies over the next three years, but held production totals steady for corn-based ethanol, disappointing the biofuel industry and farm advocates.
EPA rule would force clean-up of toxic coal ash dumped in landfills, ponds near power plants
The Environmental Protection Agency is strengthening a rule aimed at controlling and cleaning up toxic waste from coal-fired power plants.
Texas House moves to crack down on polluters with stricter penalties and heavier oversight
The bill would require the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to focus enforcement and increase penalties on repeat violators and increase public outreach. Still, environmental advocates say the effort was too “modest” in its reach.
Houston-area chemical fire highlights gaps in Texas environmental enforcement
A fire broke out at a Deer Park Shell plant the day after a public hearing on renewing the permit for ITC, a nearby facility that caught fire in 2019, sparking a Texas Tribune/Public Health Watch investigation that documented failures in state and federal oversight.
EPA: New pollution limits proposed for US coal, gas power plants reflect 'urgency' of climate crisis
The Biden administration is proposing new limits on greenhouse gas emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants.
Court: EPA must regulate perchlorate, contaminant in water
A federal appeals court has ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency must regulate perchlorate, reversing a rollback the agency first made under then-President Donald Trump.
Senators back solar tariffs, oppose prairie bird safeguards
The Senate has approved a measure that would reinstate tariffs on solar panel imports from several Southeast Asian countries after President Joe Biden paused them in a bid to boost solar installations in the U.S. Lawmakers also approved a separate plan late Wednesday to undo federal protections for the lesser prairie chicken, a rare grouse that’s found in parts of the Midwest and Southwest, including one of the country’s most prolific oil and gas fields.
EPA allows gasoline with higher ethanol blend during summer
Fuel stations throughout the country will be able to sell gasoline blended with 15% ethanol during the summer under an emergency waiver issued by the Environmental Protection Agency.
For years, the EPA and Texas ignored warning signs at a chemical storage site. Then an inferno erupted.
Regulators repeatedly documented — but did little to address — problems at a Houston-area tank farm. Then on March 17, 2019, a fire blew through a corner of the facility, releasing toxic chemicals into nearby communities for weeks.