Chemicals

"A new cocktail of enzymes that speeds up the degradation of plastic offers a step forward in finding a new form of recycling that is faster, is more affordable and works on a larger scale than current methods, British and American researchers said this week."

"The EPA is touting the number of contaminated Superfund sites removed from its priority list—even as newly proposed sites and sites awaiting funding continue to pile up."

"Lockheed Martin Corp. facility in Orlando is accused of mishandling hazardous toxins, releasing contaminates into soil and groundwater, according to a personal and class-action lawsuit filed by the personal injury law firm Morgan and Morgan."

"The Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to overhaul the way communities test their water for lead, a policy change that will be pitched ahead of Election Day as a major environmental achievement for a president not noted for his conservation record."

"The Obama administration directed the EPA to focus on climate-related threats. Now, the Trump administration refuses to even use the word."

"The U.S. insisted that new international guidelines on combating drug resistance omit any mention of fungicides — a demand that the industry made but that ran counter to science."

"PFAS, industrial chemicals used to waterproof jackets and grease-proof fast-food containers, may disrupt pregnancy with lasting effects."

"The Trump administration has rejected scientific evidence linking the pesticide chlorpyrifos to serious health problems, directly contradicting federal scientists’ conclusions five years ago that it can stunt brain development in children."

"Twice in the past two months, vandals have struck Terry Fuller's farm, destroying tractor engines and burning stacks of hay. Each attack came immediately after Fuller appeared before Arkansas's state legislature on behalf of a state agency that's investigating farmers suspected of illegally using a herbicide called dicamba. Fuller doesn't think it's a coincidence."

"Power plants, refineries, and other industrial sources may now be able to avoid stringent pollution controls if the toxic air particles they emit fall below a mandated legal threshold."