Environmental Health

Secretive Deal for a $10 Billion Data Center in Rural North Carolina

"Residents say they were left out of the decision-making process for a project that includes hundreds of polluting diesel generators."

Source: Inside Climate News, 08/05/2026

Appeals Court Says Trump EPA Was Wrong To Kill $20 Billion Climate Fund

"A divided federal appeals court on Tuesday said the Trump administration improperly terminated billions of dollars in funds to boost clean energy projects, handing a win to a coalition of nonprofits picked to run the Biden-era effort."

Source: AP, 08/05/2026

New U.S. Rules On Risky Pathogen Research Draw Mixed Reviews

"A new U.S. policy that aims to reduce the risks arising from federally funded research with dangerous pathogens is drawing mixed reviews from scientists, with even some who support tighter regulation fearing its vague wording could complicate, not clarify, the rules on what kinds of studies the government will support."

Source: Science, 08/04/2026

EPA Says It Wants “PFAS Out,” But Its Actions Allow More Of Them In

"Less than three months ago, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official Jess Kramer outlined a series of promises dubbed “PFAS OUT,” aimed at eliminating a family of toxic compounds from drinking water, and touted the Trump administration’s wider commitments to protecting Americans from contamination by the chemicals."

Source: The New Lede, 08/04/2026

Anger Over Data Centers Is Fueling a New Political Movement

"Justin Pearson, a Tennessee lawmaker, has become one of the loudest voices amid a growing national backlash against the pollution and politics of America's AI buildout."

Source: Politico, 08/04/2026

Trump DOJ Bids To Block Public From Suing To Enforce Environmental Laws

"Reducing rampant pollution across the United States was so important that when Congress passed many environmental protection laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, it didn’t want to leave enforcement only to the executive branch. Congress specifically wrote into those laws ways for citizens to enforce them through the courts when the government does not act to address the problem."

Source: The Conversation, 08/04/2026

Extremely Hot Weather Cooks Up Unusually Awful Air Pollution

Summertime and the livin' is smoggy. American air may be clearer now than when the Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, but pollutants still abound. Heat and sunlight stoke chemical reactions that exacerbate health hazards. And worsening wildfires mix in harmful smoke. The latest TipSheet has more than a dozen story ideas and reporting resources.

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