Environmental Justice / Public News Service

The Lower Umatilla Groundwater Management Area was designated in 1990, after nitrate contamination was identified in northern Umatilla and Morrow counties. (Miljan �ivković/Adobe Stock)

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Report: Nitrate levels continue to rise in eastern OR groundwater

A new study by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality found nitrate levels have continued to rise across the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater …

In 2023, the Biden-Harris administration invested $5.3 million in environmental justice related projects benefiting communities throughout Pennsylvania. (kardaska/Adobe Stock)

PA pollution, flooding concerns rise as Trump ends 'Justice40' initiative

Black communities affected by industrial pollution in South Philadelphia are among those watching a Trump administration rollback of health protection…

Panelists at the 9th annual NC BREATHE Conference explored issues like hazardous environmental toxins and the climate crisis. (CleanAIRE NC)

Report explores environmental health issues, solutions in NC

A new report highlights steps North Carolina can take as it faces pressing environmental health issues. The report lays out conclusions from the 9th …

A Dow Chemical plant, one of 200 such facilities, sits on the banks of the Mississippi River in what is called

LA community group wins suit against parish for open meeting violations

A judge has ruled that elected officials in St. James Parish broke Louisiana's open meetings law by conferring secretly with a Chinese company …

The hottest year on record was 2024, as average global temperatures continue to rise due to the use of fossil fuels. (Adobe Stock)

Worker's coalition aims to address climate emergency, economic inequality

As President Donald Trump abandons a promise the U.S. made in Paris nearly a decade ago, organized workers across Colorado are joining forces to …

Enbridge's Line 5 can transport 540,000 barrels per day of petroleum liquids. (Dean Pennala/Adobe Stock)

New report: Enbridge’s Line 5 plan costly, flawed

ADDITION: Comments by Enbridge, received after deadline, have been added. (10:10 a.m. MST, Jan. 22, 2025) A new report says Enbridge's plan to build …

The state's Climate and Equitable Jobs Act aims to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030, and 100% transition from fossil fuels by 2050. (Adobe Stock)

How IL's grid plans will focus on underserved communities

Illinois plans to spend $1.5 billion through 2027 in significant grid investments to help meet the state's ambitious clean-energy goals, with nearly …

State lawmakers passed North Carolina's Carbon Plan to reduce emissions in 2021. (Mathew/Adobe Stock)

In face of federal rollbacks, NC environmental efforts continue

President-elect Donald Trump retakes office in less than a week and promises to roll back efforts to combat climate change. But state-level efforts …

More than 420,000 Marylanders are members of the state's retirement and pension system. (Adobe Stock)

How to approach MD climate risks when saving for retirement

For workers or pension systems trying to keep support for the fossil-fuel industry to a minimum, one expert has some suggestions. Just last month…

President Joe Biden's budget would reduce the deficit by $3 trillion over the next decade, stabilizing debt relative to the economy. Deficit reduction grows over time, and is expected to exceed $500 billion in 2034. (Tangtong/Adobe Stock)

Another Trump nominee under the microscope in PA

An environmental group is voicing concerns about the current nominee to lead the federal Office of Management and Budget. President-elect Donald …

A strong majority of Arizonans believe groundwater is essential for communities, farming, industry and way of life and support more protections to secure long-term water supplies in the state, according to the Center for the Future of Arizona. (Adobe Stock)

AZ environmental advocates say water regulation is their top priority in 2025

Arizona environmental advocates and organizers have laid out their 2025 priorities for Gov. Katie Hobbs and the state legislature, which is set to …

Despite the New York Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act's minimum benefits for disadvantaged communities, there is insufficient integration of this and other justice mandates of the law into energy transmission plans. (Adobe Stock)

Report: NYS grid transmission process must be more equitable

A new report found New York State needs a more equitable grid transmission process. The Energy Justice Law and Poverty Center report noted …

U.S. Steel has had a presence in the Mon Valley since 1901 and currently employs about 4,000 workers.<br />(Jeffrey Bowser/Adobe)

Blocked sale of U.S. Steel does not allay fears of effects on workers, health, community

A Pennsylvania environmental justice group is voicing concerns about the blocked sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel, citing its effect on the …

New York's Climate Change Superfund Act could collect as much as $75 billion over 25 years for climate change impacts from those who are most responsible for it: big oil and gas companies. (Adobe Stock)

NY's Climate Change Superfund Act takes effect

A law signed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul takes effect this week to penalize polluters for emissions. The Climate Change Superfund Act puts a fine …

Conservation advocates picked up a dozen seats in the Montana Legislature in the November election, according to Montana Conservation Voters. They remain concerned, however, over losing support at the federal level. (Adobe Stock)

Taking stock of Montana's outlook on conservation progress

With the Montana Legislature scheduled to gavel in next week, conservation leaders are looking ahead at ways to protect the state's public lands…

More cities are looking into establishing a renter's right to cooling equipment, as climate change drives record-breaking temperatures across the world. (Krakenimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Following the TX model: Cities craft plans to protect tenants from extreme heat

By Ysabelle Kempe for Smart Cities Dive.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Texas News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public N…

The work of GreenLatinos Texas, centers around empowering frontline environmental justice and conservation advocates. Members are actively engaging with local communities to understand their campaign goals and identify areas where support is needed. (Photo courtesy of Green Latinos)

TX group works to give Latinos seat at table in fight against methane

Members of the environmental nonprofit GreenLatinos are involved in a push to get more Latinos across Texas involved in the fight against methane gas…

Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline is currently routed as close as 11 feet to a riverbank caused by flooding and erosion. (Bad River: A Story of Defiance)

Documentary brings WI tribe's pipeline resistance to national stage

By Amy Felegy for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Judith Ruiz-Branch for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Servic…

More than 54% of new clean-energy jobs and 60% of projects in Georgia are located in low-income<br />communities. (Adobe Stock)

Georgia’s clean energy boom sparks workforce growth, housing challenges

By Sarah Melotte and Elizabeth Miller for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for Georgia News Connection for the Public News Servic…

The Environmental Protection Agency has set and implemented emissions standards to control pollution from everything from cars, heavy-duty trucks and buses, and construction and farm equipment, since 1970. (Adobe Stock/AI generated Image)

Poll: Most voters want a robust EPA, more pollution controls

Nationwide, 76% of Trump voters and 86% of all voters oppose attempts to weaken the Environmental Protection Agency, according to a new poll …

California state energy goals include reaching 100% clean energy by 2045. (Anchalee/Adobe Stock)

Environmental groups call for LA County power plant closure

Environmental groups are calling for the immediate closure of Los Angeles County's Walnut Creek Energy Park, because of potentially dangerous levels …

The EPA's Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program focuses on environmental justice issues in disadvantaged communities. The money has been hailed by advocates as one of the most important federal investments ever made in closing the nation's long-standing socioeconomic and racial gaps. But changes in leadership in the White House threaten these funds. (Freepik)

Concerns mount about future of federal environmental justice grants

By Kristoffer Tigue, Dennis Pillion, Dylan Baddour and Marianne Lavelle for Inside Climate News.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News …

In a report on the lobbying transparency laws of each state, Colorado was the only state to receive an 'A' grade. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Maryland fossil fuel lobbyists fail to disclose activities

A new report says fossil-fuel lobbyists in two states with strong transparency and disclosure laws are not making full disclosures - including in Mary…

The Massachusetts climate law creates a new Office of Environmental Justice and Equity to help communities play an active role in the accelerated siting and permitting process for clean energy projects, and provides funds to help those communities with legal representation. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Unions: Green jobs are good paying jobs under new MA climate law

Labor unions in Massachusetts say the state's new climate law will create good jobs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The law streamlines the …

Snow-dependent Summit County, which boasts four world-class ski resorts, is working to remain economically viable in a warming climate. (Adobe Stock)

Summit County aims to remain economically viable in warming climate

A county high in the Colorado Rockies is working to include its underserved residents in plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the primary driver …

The Kalamazoo oil spill occurred on July 25, 2010, when Enbridge's Line 6B ruptured near Marshall, Michigan, spilling more than 1 million gallons of tar-sands oil into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River. (Brandon Schultz/Adobe Stock)

MI students unite to shut down controversial oil pipeline

Oil and Water Don't Mix, a nonprofit group opposing Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline, is leading student efforts across the Upper Great Lakes to advocate …

From 2008 to 2022, Connecticut received $337 million from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. (Adobe Stock)

Report: CT spends RGGI funds on renewable energy

A new report showed how states such as Connecticut are allocating Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative funds. The report from the nonprofit Acadia …

The Rio Grande and its tributaries provide drinking water for about 13 million people in the United States and Mexico. (SeanPavonePhoto/Adobe Stock)

Lawsuit limbo over disputed NM, TX water rights

A delegation of New Mexico lawmakers is asking the federal government to quickly resolve long-standing litigation affecting water users in the Rio Gra…

Around 131 million people in the U.S. live in communities regularly exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution, according to the American Lung Association. (Adobe Stock)<br />

New KY air monitoring project to address health effects of air pollution

A new air monitoring project aims to study the health effects of air pollution in west Louisville's Rubbertown neighborhood. More than two decades …

AZ grandmother, a climate activist for decades, isn't slowing down

By Jessica Kutz for The 19th. Broadcast version by Alex Gonzalez for Arizona News Connection, reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public …

The NAACP, Human Rights Watch, the ACLU and other groups are voicing opposition to the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act. (Adobe Stock)

PA environmental, free speech advocates worry over 'anti-terror' law

A bill introduced in Congress is facing backlash from nonprofit organizations, warning it could stifle free speech. The Stop Terror-Financing and …

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Tips on spotting climate change misinformation and bias

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for Kentucky News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Col…

Food systems are responsible for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, with meat production, particularly beef, being a significant driver. (CanYalicn/Adobe Stock)

From Ohio to Azerbaijan: How COP29 could shape local farming

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi for Ohio News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration …

The nonprofit FracTracker Alliance has created an online map that shows the proximity of CO2 pipelines in Great Plains states to ecologically vulnerable areas and Indigenous lands. (Adobe Stock)

'FracTracker' maps pipeline effects on Indigenous land

A nonprofit group that tracks oil and gas development has created an interactive map to show how close CO2 pipelines in Great Plains states come to en…

The Hoosier Environmental Council reports Indiana has more unlined coal ash pits that contaminate our groundwater than any other state in the nation. (Adobe stock)

Hoosier green goals at crossroads amid federal shifts

Indiana environmental advocates are facing uncertainties following the election. Changes in federal leadership could shift key environmental …

The City of Seattle aims to cut all climate pollution by 2030. (CLShebley/Adobe Stock)

Green New Deal community assemblies in Seattle pioneer citizen involvement

Community members in Seattle had a unique opportunity to weigh in on the policies guiding the city's climate goals. In 2019, the City of Seattle …

Built in 1953 and outlasting its original lifespan, Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline transports 22 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids daily across 645 miles of terrain through Michigan and Wisconsin. (Adobe Stock)

Controversial Line 5 project faces more legal action in WI

A legal challenge is expected since the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has granted key permit approvals to a Canadian energy company to rer…

According to a United Nations 2015 report, food system emissions were responsible for 18 billion tons of carbon dioxide, making up 34% of global emissions. (Prostock-studio/Adobe Stock)

Investors, activists both work to shape companies' climate goals

The food we consume is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, with beef production -- key to the fast food industry -- among …

The City of Dearborn has partnered with others in Wayne County to apply for and implement several federal programs funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. (Branden/Adobe Stock)

MI mayor prioritizes health, climate with 'health-in-all-policies' plan

The mayor of Dearborn has adopted a "health-in-all-policies" approach, a pledge to prioritize health, environmental justice and climate action in …

In 2023, more than 82,000 Georgia families saved a combined $148 million through clean energy and energy efficiency upgrades. (Adobe Stock)

Groups work to help GA's faith communities access energy savings

As people head to the polls tomorrow, groups are working to ensure Georgia's Black and brown communities understand the energy saving benefits of the …

Latino anglers bait their hooks in Imperial Beach, Calif. (Hispanic Access Foundation)

Report: CA Latinos fishing for subsistence eat twice the legal limit of mercury

Hispanic families who fish to put food on the table are disproportionately affected by mercury, which accumulates in seafood in Southern California…

According to Hispanic Access, an urban canopy provides enormous benefits, from reducing the urban heat island effect and lowering energy bills to absorbing carbon dioxide and pollutants. (Hispanic Access Foundation)

'Nuestros Bosques' to boost urban green spaces in disadvantaged communities

A national nonprofit dedicated to empowering Latino communities and improving access to public resources has launched a $10 million initiative to incr…

The North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management suggested the overall financial impact of damage from Hurricane Helene is likely to exceed $53 billion. (Adobe Stock)

Helene's lingering impact: Voting challenges for Black communities

By Angela Dennis and Adam Mahoney for Capital B News.Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Rural News…

How greener schoolyards benefit Colorado kids, communities

By Claire Elise Thompson for Grist.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publi…

Because of their remote nature and limited capacity to access financial help, many of New Mexico's colonias rely on water wells not built to code. (GAO)

NM's colonias need oversight to improve water, wastewater systems

Federal funding for infrastructure improvements in colonias, predominately rural, Hispanic communities near the U.S.-Mexico border, including 150 in …

Around 9% of children in Syracuse have high lead levels in their blood. Even low-level lead exposure can harm a child's ability to learn and is linked to attention deficit disorder. (Adobe Stock)

Experts: Syracuse water contains dangerously high lead levels

New data show lead levels in Syracuse's drinking water are higher than those in Flint, Michigan, and Newark, New Jersey. The city's tests show lead …

Metropolitan Congregations United aims to engage the entire state of Missouri on air quality issues and unite scientists and church leaders for change. (Carlos Santa Maria/Adobe Stock)

Researchers turn to MO churches to study air quality

By Rebecca Randall for Sojourners.Broadcast version by Chrystal Blair for Missouri News Service for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Servi…

The Salton Sea, south of the Palm Springs area, is a heavily polluted lake with large geothermal and lithium resources beneath it. (Dr. Manuel Pastor)<br />

Rural community seeks to benefit from lithium boom

Local groups in the Imperial Valley are working to make sure the coming boom in lithium extraction will benefit the community, as well as the …

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