Environmental Justice

DOJ Ends Monitoring Of Illegal Dumping In Houston Minority Neighborhoods

"The U.S. Justice Department has withdrawn from an agreement with the city of Houston to curb illegal dumping in Black and Latino neighborhoods, part of the Trump administration’s broad dismantling of environmental justice initiatives."

Source: AP, 12/10/2025

"Democratic Senators Demand U.S. Park Police Suspend Hiring Spree"

"Democratic senators are demanding the U.S. Park Police suspend their D.C. recruitment blitz and accuse the Trump administration of “hijacking this federal police force for its own authoritarian purposes,” according to a letter sent to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Monday morning."

Source: Washington Post, 12/10/2025

NPS Fee-Free Calendar Drops MLK Day, Juneteenth And Adds Trump's Birthday

"The Trump administration has removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from next year's calendar of entrance fee-free days for national parks and added President Trump's birthday to the list, according to the National Park Service, as the administration continues to push back against a reckoning of the country's racist history on federal lands."

Source: NPR, 12/09/2025

"Trump Admin Orders Parks To Purge Shops Of DEI, Trans References"

"The National Park Service has ordered park rangers to remove books and retail items at park gifts shops that run afoul of President Donald Trump’s edicts targeting diversity and equity across the federal government, according to a recent memo viewed by POLITICO’s E&E News."

Source: E&E News, 12/09/2025

PEER Warns that OIRA Chief Jeffrey Clark’s “Acting” Role Is Illegal

"In a new letter to U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) is warning that  Jeffrey Clark’s role as “Acting Administrator” of the Office of information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) is in violation of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act (FVRA) and actions he has taken could be in legal jeopardy."

Source: PEER, 12/09/2025

Pesticide Drift Catches Schools Off Guard. Lawmakers Want Spraying Notice

"More than 700 Illinois schools are within a quarter-mile of crop fields, yet state law doesn’t require pesticide applicators to notify them before spraying. Advocates say a new notification proposal would give educators and park staff time to move children indoors and reduce exposure."

Source: Investgate Midwest, 12/08/2025

"Maha v Maga: Feud Grows As Trump EPA Rolls Back Rules On Toxic Chemicals"

"“Make America healthy again” (Maha) movement leaders have put out a petition calling for Donald Trump to fire Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lee Zeldin, who, since being appointed in late January, has quickly moved to undo toxic chemical regulations and fast-track pesticide approvals."

Source: Guardian, 12/08/2025

Top Environment and Energy Topics To Watch in 2026

Explore our 10th annual Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy, as we scour the beat to identify 15 top stories to put on your radar for 2026. Our updated format for the special report provides a quick read and a broad scope — with insights on climate change and environmental justice, bird and insect declines, data centers and deep sea mining, deregulation and PFAS and much more. Get started here.

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From Words to Frames — Writer Learns To Wield Power of Visual Storytelling

When writer Gulnaz Khan saw how global warming drove both natural loss and spiritual breaks for surrounding human communities, it started her on a PBS documentary series exploring sacred sites around the world threatened by climate change. But she also undertook another odyssey, one from writer to visual storyteller. What she learned on her journey from text to screen, in the new EJ InSight column.

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"New Analysis Provides More Evidence That Heat Standards Save Lives"

"As the Trump administration is expected to finalize a standard to prevent heat-related injury and illness for workers by early next year, a new study shows that clear, comprehensive rules save lives."

Source: Inside Climate News, 12/03/2025

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