Environment of the United States

The Shell Norco oil refinery along the Mississippi River in Norco, LA.

Hurricane Ida adds misery to ‘Cancer Alley’: Part II

Environment

“The chemical plants are really having a ball with this hurricane,” says Sharon Lavigne, a local activist who has been fighting to stop pollution in a highly toxic area of southern Louisiana.

Brown arches naturally formed from stone in Arches National Park

Under Biden, US Interior Department will undergo a major directional shift

Biden administration
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge caribou aerial

Trump administration tries to sell off Arctic wildlife refuge in its final days

Environment
Dakota Access pipeline protest

How Trump is weakening the National Environmental Policy Act

Environment
Kavanaugh 2006

What would a Justice Kavanaugh mean for the environment?

Politics
Polluting plant

Groups sue EPA over regulatory rollback, saying clean air is ‘at risk’

Environment

Once a major polluter becomes subject to the most-stringent regulations, it is always subject to the most stringent regulations, in perpetuity. Now, however, the EPA is rolling back the “once in always in” policy, and environmental activists are alarmed.

Cars move in the rain along a highway

Why California gets to write its own auto emissions standards: 5 questions answered

Environment

When the Clean Air Act was passed, California was already developing innovative laws and standards to address its unique air pollution problems. So Congress carved out an exemption.

Looming budget cuts imperil National Park system

Global Politics

With the sequestration budget cuts coming quickly, there are countless examples of how the budget cuts will have real world consequences. The National Park Service, advocates say, will be forced to greatly reduce operations to cope with mandated cuts.

Burning water, contamination and natural gas “fracking”

Environment

Does natural gas “fracking” contaminate water supplies? A new report strongly suggests it does.

California’s plan for reducing carbon emissions

Environment

California’s pattern of sprawl could hamper its plan to become the first state in the nation to effectively reduce climate change gases.