"The White House has told allies in Congress that climate change programs in Democrats' spending bill will range between $500 billion and $555 billion, according to four sources familiar with the negotiations."
"Hot off the heels of releasing its PFAS road map last week, EPA has found that a deeply controversial “forever chemical” that has contaminated drinking water in North Carolina is, indeed, toxic to humans and will be subject to a drinking water advisory."
Beat reporters Hal Bernton and Mark Kaufman both found the dramatic changes wrought by climate change to be at the center of their coverage — as their work was elevated to prize-winning heights. Bernton, covering climate impacts in northwestern Alaska at a large newspaper, and Kaufman, covering CO2 globally for a digital platform, talk about the lessons of their recent beat coverage with SEJournal’s Inside Story.
Plastic waste, already the subject of preliminary international talks, could be increasingly targeted after UN meetings in early 2022. Meanwhile, this ubiquitous product is polluting land, ocean and air in its various forms, as well as through little-understood microplastic particles. The latest TipSheet has the backstory on efforts to forge an international plastics treaty, as well as ideas for how to cover plastic pollution locally.
"Navajo Nation continues to hold strong on its stance against radioactive waste being dumped near its lands, while also pushing for the waste to be removed completely."
"A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill Tuesday to improve pay and benefits for federal firefighters, who often struggle to eke out a living while doing grueling, life-threatening work."
"California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled a plan to ban new permitting of oil wells within 3,200 feet (975 meters) of communities, calling it a move that will both protect public health and further the state’s goals to combat climate change."
"While global attention is currently focused on COVID-19 and other zoonotic diseases that jump from animals to humans, diseases that breach the species barrier also pass from people and domestic animals to wild species."
"About 75 percent of asthma cases and deaths from smoke pollutants occurred east of the Rocky Mountains in recent years".
"Community advocates and environmental groups pointed out that the EPA has promised action on toxic PFAS pollution for many years."
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