Pollution

Watching the Watchers: How Journalistic Teamwork Uncovered Years of Regulatory Failure in Texas

After a massive fire at a Texas petrochemical storage facility, reporters from Public Health Watch and The Texas Tribune worked together to shed light on who was responsible for this disaster and what health threats had been hidden from the public. This behind-the-scenes report from Public Health Watch’s David Leffler and Savanna Strott looks at the challenges the team faced and how they overcame them.

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Pesticide Data Can Ground Food and Farm Stories

A billion pounds of chemicals are used on U.S. crops each year. Designed to protect them, they can also leave residue on foods we eat and enter the waterways we drink from. Reporter’s Toolbox has some key data sources for journalists, whether they’re looking at the big picture or are drilling down locally around issues of pesticide use and human or ecological health.

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Shell Chemical Plant Had Many Violations Before Recent Fire, Paid Few Fines

"Residents, lawyers, and environmental groups point to aging facilities and reluctant state regulators as reasons for the continued string of industrial fires."

Source: Houston Public Media, 06/16/2023

Bayer OKs $6.9 Million Settlement With New York Over Roundup Safety Claims

"Bayer AG agreed on Thursday to pay $6.9 million to settle claims by New York Attorney General Letitia James that it misled consumers by advertising Roundup weedkiller, which has been linked to cancer, as environmentally safe."

Source: Reuters, 06/16/2023

Kerry Skeptical of Oil Firms' Claims That Tech Will Handle Greenhouse Gases

"U.S. climate envoy John Kerry on Tuesday urged the world to be “very skeptical” about claims from oil and gas producers that emerging technology soon will allow people to adequately capture the climate-wrecking fumes emitted by their cars, planes and businesses."

Source: AP, 06/14/2023

"Beyond the Yuck Factor: Cities Turn to ‘Extreme’ Water Recycling"

"San Francisco is at the forefront of a movement to recycle wastewater from commercial buildings, homes, and neighborhoods and use it for toilets and landscaping. This decentralized approach, proponents say, will drive down demand in an era of increasing water scarcity."

Source: YaleE360, 06/14/2023

"House Votes To Restrict Feds From Banning Or Regulating Gas Stoves"

"The House on Tuesday voted in favor of preventing the Consumer Product Safety Commission from banning gas stoves and also limiting the safety agency’s ability to regulate the products."

Source: The Hill, 06/14/2023

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