"As he paddled Virginia’s Shenandoah River on a hot day last July, Mark Frondorf came upon a father and two children. “They were just tubing down the river, just two little munchkins, happy as can be,” he said. It was a idyllic sight — except for the herd of cows Frondorf noticed wading on the water’s edge nearby."
"Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that he wants a long-term fix for miners’ healthcare benefits in the next government funding bill, moving Congress closer to a deal on the issue."
"Contamination from former or current military installations has ignited a nationwide review of water on or around bases that used a firefighting foam containing toxic chemicals."
"In 1945, the American Chemical Paint Company introduced its product Weedone, the first herbicide ever to hit the market that killed broad-leaved plants but not grasses. On farms, the weedkiller reduced the need for pulling weeds in grain fields, a godsend during the post-war labor shortage."
"California generates an average of 1.7 million tons of hazardous waste each year. That ranges from industrial pollution to discarded household products. It includes liquids, solid, or gases that science has determined pose a threat to human or other life."
Make sure data-driven reporting fulfills its potential with your environmental coverage. This extensive ToolBox looks at the broader trends in the burgeoning field, then zeros in on best uses for data journalism, spotlights great examples, and shares the resources, reading and helpful sites to get you on your way.
"Stephanie Avila was shocked when a doctor told her earlier this year that her adventurous 18-month-old son Alexander was poisoned by lead — with an exposure rate 10 times the safe limit. But she was even more shocked when she learned the culprit: the lead paint in the home where generations of her family had lived for years. Now, the Trump administration is proposing to cut more than $16 million from Environmental Protection Agency efforts to protect kids like Alex from lead paint."
"The U.S. Air Force says it won't provide safe drinking water to Oscoda residents affected by chemical pollution from the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base because a Michigan law seeking that is discriminatory."
"U.S. President Donald Trump this week will sign new executive orders before he completes his first 100 days in office, including two on energy and the environment, which would make it easier for the United States to develop energy on and offshore, a White House official said on Sunday."
UPDATE (10:50 EDT, 4/24/17): In a reversal, the EPA website now says its Open Data Service will continue. "Donald Trump is to completely shut down one of the government's most important data services." "The Environmental Protection Agency's Open Data Web service – which stores information on climate change, life cycle assessment, health impact analysis and environmental justice – is to have its funding removed and will no longer be in operation, according to people working on the plan."
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