"The Trump administration closed the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island on Monday in response to the coronavirus outbreak. It joined at least 10 other sites that were shuttered within the National Mall and the Golden Gate Recreation Area over the weekend."
"Denka Performance Elastomer, the owner of a LaPlace plant that is the only one in America to produce the presumed carcinogen chloroprene, is asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to increase the level of that compound deemed safe for public health."
"The military now has at least 651 sites that have been contaminated with cancer-linked “forever chemicals,” a more than 50 percent jump from its last tally."
SEJournal welcomes back from hiatus our WatchDog feature, now recast as an opinion column from Joseph A. Davis, Society of Environmental Journalists’ veteran freedom of information advocate and longtime SEJournal contributor. In part one of a two-parter, find out why we’re relaunching the new column, plus get Davis’ take on government openness (or lack thereof) around coronavirus, as well as more on SEJ’s deep commitment to open information and a rundown of its recent FOI activities. And watch for part two next week.
The latest entry in our ongoing “Covering Your Climate: The Emerald Corridor” special report looks at what the Pacific Northwest is doing to mitigate climate change, including reducing carbon emissions, limiting sprawl and congestion, pushing energy efficiency and pursuing carbon sequestration. Read the new tipsheet, plus check out our earlier report on climate impacts and our opening backgrounder.
"The Justice Department has ended a nearly 30-year practice of letting companies make amends for pollution-related violations by performing environmentally beneficial projects, according to a memo posted Friday on the agency’s website."
"Interior Secretary David Bernhardt Friday tweeted a video of President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency and lauded his boss for taking “decisive — even unprecedented — actions to protect the American people” from the coronavirus. But just two days earlier, Bernhardt’s office had sent talking points to Interior officials that downplayed the virus threat."
"A new bill from Senate Democrats would roll out $20 billion in funding to remove cancer-linked “forever chemicals” from water as it contaminates supplies across the country."
"Monsanto secretly funded academic studies indicating “very severe impacts” on farming and the environment if its controversial glyphosate weedkiller were banned, an investigation has found."
"The Trump administration’s decision to forgo a World Health Organization test and create its own had fateful consequences, experts say."
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