By Carey Gillam When a team of scientists embarked two years ago on a $1 million landmark study of Iowa’s persistent water quality problems, they knew that the findings would be important to share. But now, after the completed study pointed to agricultural pollution as a significant source of the key US farm state’s water quality problems, public officials have quietly stripped funding away from plans to promote the study findings. The post As Iowans wrestle with polluted waters, politics...| The New Lede
By Shannon Kelleher Congress is proposing to reverse measures that protect military service members, firefighters and others from harmful PFAS chemicals. The post Congress proposes scrapping PFAS measures that protect public servants and others appeared first on The New Lede.| The New Lede
By Bill Walker For decades, California has been on the cutting edge of US environmental policy. The state has enacted landmark measures to regulate air and water pollution, protect residents from exposure to toxic chemicals, and combat the climate crisis. Many of its groundbreaking policies have spread to other states. The post Postcard from California: State’s status as clean energy pacesetter threatened by Trump’s attacks appeared first on The New Lede.| The New Lede
By Shannon Kelleher Air pollution from oil and gas activities is responsible for an estimated 91,000 deaths and over 10,000 premature births in the US each year, according to a new study that examined the impacts of the industry through its lifecycle from extraction to refining to burning fuel in power plants. The post Oil and gas industry linked to thousands of yearly US deaths and preterm births, study finds appeared first on The New Lede.| The New Lede
KENNETT, MO. — Nestled in Missouri’s Bootheel is the small town of Kennett, the Dunklin County seat. With just over 10,000 residents, it’s a close-knit community where good-natured teasing is a common show of affection. Once a sprawling swampland, it has since been transformed into an expanse of flat, fertile fields where agriculture stands as the backbone of the region’s economy. The post The unseen harvest: Pesticides, cancer and rural Missouri’s health crisis appeared first on Th...| The New Lede
By Brian Bienkowski Steel and coke plants in the US are regularly releasing illegal amounts of air pollutants and the Trump administration’s delay on stricter rules at these plants leaves fenceline communities struggling for long-sought federal help, according to a new report. The post EPA delay threatens fenceline communities near steel and coke plants, report warns appeared first on The New Lede.| The New Lede
By Keith Schneider President Donald Trump’s campaign to carve up federal environmental agencies and paralyze statutes that cleared the air, cleaned US waters, and protected wildlands marks the opening of MAPA, the new era to Make America Polluted Again.| The New Lede
By Marin Scotten Ryan Dunham heard his eleven-year-old daughter’s scream from his living room. He bolted up the stairs to the bathroom where she was taking a shower and couldn’t believe his eyes. The water flowing from the faucet was brown, and it smelled like “decay, rot and death.” The post “How can this happen?” Fight over sewage sludge on farms intensifies appeared first on The New Lede.| The New Lede
By Brian Bienkowski Children highly exposed to an insecticide prior to birth showed signs of impaired brain development and motor function, according to a new study of chlorpyrifos — a pesticide still used on US crops despite decades of warnings about its impact on children’s health.| The New Lede
By Shannon Kelleher A federal judge this week ruled that the Trump administration’s move to terminate several grants to support farmers and underserved communities was likely “arbitrary and capricious,” and ordered the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to restore five grants it canceled and cease the cancellation of a sixth grant.| The New Lede