Even well-meaning officials often provide inadequate or misleading information, putting communities at higher risk.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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The good, the bad and the ugly of the state legislative season
While Congress does nothing, Western state lawmakers pass a flurry of consequential and/or crazy — bills.
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Will the Supreme Court allow agencies to continue interpreting ambiguity in laws?
If the ‘Chevron deference’ is overturned, federal enforcement of key environmental and health care regulations will be sharply curbed.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2024: January 2024
Defending the Tijuana Estuary
Stewardship saved a Southern California estuary from development. Climate change is the next challenge.
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Is Biden waging a war on energy? Or on the climate?
A year-end review of the administration’s policy on fossil fuels and public lands.
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Remove dams to fight the climate crisis
Ten reasons bringing down these barriers are key for mitigation and adaptation.
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Washington lags behind in water-pollution oversight
State officials have been missing Clean Water Act deadlines for a decade.
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Forest Service proposes storing CO2 under public land
‘It’s the opposite of a virtuous cycle.’
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Another gunky, toxic season for Utah waters
Harmful algae blooms, fueled by warming temperatures and nutrient runoff, plague the state.
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Washington to adopt rules protecting farmworkers from wildfire smoke
Some labor advocates say they don’t go far enough.
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EPA to investigate claims of civil rights violations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Tribes and environmental justice groups say management of the Delta harms traditional food systems and causes pollution.
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A quarter of rural water systems likely contain ‘forever chemicals’
USGS research confirms widespread PFAS contamination in drinking water — including in rural communities and private wells that are almost never tested.
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The Supreme Court just made it easier to destroy wetlands and streams
The decision strips federal protections from the ephemeral streams that are crucial for life in the arid West.
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Supreme Court shrinks definition of the Clean Water Act
In a ruling siding with an Idaho couple, justices removed protections from waters they said were non-navigable, like wetlands.
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Most drinking water in the U.S. is contaminated by PFAS; here’s what you can do about it
The EPA just proposed new rules on toxic ‘forever chemicals.’
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As extreme weather outpaces response, could crowdsourced data help?
Tijuana’s Citizens’ Flood Monitor offers a model for data collection in the flood-affected West.
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Cómo usar datos de colaboración colectiva para repensar los desastres naturales
El Monitor Ciudadano de Inundaciones de Tijuana puede servir como modelo para la colección de datos en el oeste estadounidense impactado por las inundaciones.
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EPA and Montana mining company promise action after revelations of cozy relationship
Previous reporting showed how regulators and the mine teamed up to rebut independent researchers.
Posted inMarch 1, 2023: Moving Parts
The 90-foot sentinel of Butte, Montana
What does a statue dedicated to mothers reveal about women’s rights?
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Inside the EPA’s close relationship with a Montana mining company
When faced with new research on health risks in Butte, the agency turned to industry for guidance.