Echoes of Past in Pennsylvania Coal Towns’ Fight Against Data Centers
"As the data center buildout escalates, rural Pennsylvanians urge lawmakers not to repeat past mistakes."
Source: Inside Climate News, 07/06/2026
EJToday: Top Headlines
EJToday is a daily weekday digest of top environment/energy news and information of interest to environmental journalists, independently curated by Editor Joseph A. Davis. Sign up below to receive in your inbox. For queries, email EJToday@SEJ.org. For more info, read an EJToday FAQ. Plus, follow EJToday on social media at @EJTodayNews, and flag stories of note by including the @EJTodayNews handle on your posts. And tell us how to make EJToday even better by taking this brief survey.
Want to join the EJToday team? Volunteer time commitments can vary from just an hour a month up to a daily contribution, and would involve helping to curate content of interest. To learn more, reach out to the director of publications, Adam Glenn, at sejournaleditor@sej.org.
Note: Members have additional options to choose from (you'll need your log-in info).
Key Arctic Science Outpost Finds Itself Tangled In A Geopolitical Web
"The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard has become a key outpost for Arctic science. But geopolitical tensions are complicating research efforts"
Source: Science, 07/06/2026"World Cup's Knockout Rounds Collide With A Massive Heat Wave"
"A massive heat wave is sending temperatures into the triple digits in much of the eastern United States, just as the World Cup enters the crucial knockout rounds."
Source: NPR, 07/06/2026Eastern Power Prices Skyrocket As Heat Burdens US Grids
"Power prices from New York to Virginia are surging as sweltering heat threatens to overwhelm US grids and upend travel for the Independence Day holiday.
Temperatures are expected to breach 100F (38C) across an expansive portion of the East Coast beginning Thursday and extending into the weekend, with the most intense heat settling across Mid-Atlantic states. The heat wave will strain power systems and add to demand pressure that’s been driven in part by the data center boom.
Source: Bloomberg News, 07/02/2026Ocean Surface Temperatures Hit A Record High For June
"Temperatures on the ocean surface have hit a record high, raising fears of another burst of extreme heat this summer." "European scientists warn of consequences for weather patterns, the global climate and marine life"
Source: Guardian, 07/02/2026New Orleans Residents Resist Warning To Abandon Sinking City
"After a recent study found New Orleans is at a ‘point of no return’ amid the climate crisis, some locals say they will ‘only leave if forced to’. But what would it take to stay?"
Source: Guardian, 07/02/2026U.S. to Overhaul Radiation Safety Rules to Spur Nuclear Expansion
"The Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans to end longstanding guidance that radiation exposure be “as low as reasonably achievable.”"
Source: New York Times, 07/02/2026House Committee Sets Vote On Data Center, Grid Bills
"The House Energy and Commerce Committee will vote on bipartisan legislation this week to shield utility customers from the costs associated with data centers, while also advancing legislation aimed at bolstering the nation’s transmission system to meet surging demand."
Source: E&E News, 07/02/2026EPA Plans Roundtable On “Safety Challenges” Of Paraquat Weed Killer
"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Tuesday that it will host a roundtable to hear from scientists, farmworkers, community advocates, and others to discuss the “documented safety challenges associated with the chemical,” and explore “potential solutions and alternatives.”"
Source: The New Lede, 07/02/2026Chemical Accidents Rise as Trump Admin Proposes Weakening Safety Rules
"Hazardous chemical releases from industrial accidents that injured or killed people increased by nearly 50 percent in recent years."
Source: Inside Climate News, 07/02/2026Trump Unit Seeks To Stomp Out All Fires Quickly, Reviving Old Policy
"The deaths of three U.S. government firefighters in a Colorado wildfire are casting a spotlight on the Trump administration’s creation of a new federal fire service and its revival of a previously discredited policy to stomp out all wildfires quickly."
Source: AP, 07/02/2026EPA Approves Three New Fluorocarbon Pesticides
"The Trump administration has approved three new pesticides that may be considered “forever chemicals” under an international definition, though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is disputing the characterization."
Source: The Hill, 07/02/2026Trump’s Record-Setting July 4 Fireworks Could Shower DC With Pollution
"The National Park Service will launch a dazzling 850,000 fireworks in the nation’s capital this year. Scientists are watching for the environmental and public health impacts."
Source: E&E News, 07/02/2026Court Hands Trump New Power Over Independent Agencies Overseeing Energy
"A nearly century-old precedent that has been in conservatives’ cross-hairs for years met its demise Monday, when the Supreme Court ruled to limit the independence of agencies like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission."
Source: E&E News, 07/01/2026After Bold Pledge, EPA Shelves Microplastics Testing In Drinking Water
"For the next five years, the Environmental Protection Agency has indicated it will not require public water utilities to test for microplastics or pharmaceuticals in drinking water, according to a proposed rule published in the Federal Register."
Source: Los Angeles Times, 07/01/2026
