"Federal Chemical Safety Board Sends Warning on Trump Disaster Policy"
"The board said the administration is taking “a significant step backwards” on preventing chemical disasters."
Source: New York Times, 05/19/2026
EJToday: Top Headlines
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"E.P.A. to End Some Limits on ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water"
"The Trump administration announced Monday that it will drop some limits on “forever chemicals” in drinking water that officials had determined can cause cancer and other serious health problems — angering some key activists who had supported President Trump’s campaign."
Source: New York Times, 05/19/2026Oily Sludge Is Flooding Their Dream Home. Okla. Regulators Don't Help.
"The Merediths were forced to abandon their house after it filled with black goo, reaching gas concentrations at explosive levels. Despite evidence of oil and gas pollution, the state “wanted to act like it would go away,” the family says."
Source: Frontier/ProPublica, 05/19/2026"Tick Bites Surge, Sending Many To ER. Maps Show Where."
"Emergency department visits for tick bites have surged to the highest level for this time of year since 2017, driven by warmer temperatures that are boosting tick activity especially in the Northeast and Midwest."
Source: USA TODAY, 05/19/2026"Data Centers Drive 76% Surge In PJM Power Prices"
"The findings highlight inflationary pressures on electricity costs in mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states. “The price impacts on customers have been very large and are not reversible,” the grid market monitor said."
Source: E&E News, 05/19/2026Calif. Hazardous Waste Rules Slammed as Years Late and ‘Polluter-Friendly’
"Wherever they turn, residents in and around Santa Fe Springs, California, contend with toxic hazards." "Proposed hazardous waste oversight changes are years behind schedule and fail to account for a community’s health risks from pollution, environmental groups warn."
Source: Capital & Main, 05/19/2026TVA Put Out Booklet Downplaying Coal Ash Risks. Experts Call it ‘Dishonest.’
"A 35-page booklet distributed in a public meeting by the Tennessee Valley Authority about coal ash is filled with “lies” and misleading information, according to coal ash researchers."
Source: Inside Climate News, 05/19/2026Minnesota Sues 3M, Says PFAS From Cottage Grove Continue To Pollute Water
"The state of Minnesota has filed a new lawsuit against Maplewood-based 3M, alleging that PFAS from the company’s manufacturing plant in Cottage Grove continue to contaminate groundwater and the Mississippi River."
Source: MPR News, 05/19/2026Steve Pearce's Confirmation Tested Senate Public Lands Caucus. It Failed
"The Senate on Monday narrowly confirmed Steve Pearce, a former New Mexico congressman with a long history of pushing for federal public land sell-offs, to serve as director of the Bureau of Land Management."
Source: Public Domain, 05/19/2026"Trump Picks A Potomac River Site For ‘Heroes’ Statue Garden"
"President Donald Trump said Friday that he plans to build a statue garden of “American heroes” at a park location along the Potomac River near the Tidal Basin in Washington."
Source: E&E News, 05/19/2026WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak In Congo A Global Health Emergency
"The World Health Organization declared a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda to be a "public health emergency of international concern" on Sunday."
Source: NPR, 05/18/2026DHS Waives 29 Environmental Laws for Border Barriers Along Big Bend
"Today, under authority of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act and the Real ID Act, the new Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin waived 29 environmental and conservation laws in the Big Bend Sector."
Source: Our Public Lands & Waters, 05/18/2026"Can The US Harness Old Oil And Gas Wells To Produce Geothermal Energy?"
"As states seek out much-needed supplies of clean, reliable energy, some are looking to an unconventional source: abandoned oil and gas wells harnessed for geothermal heat."
Source: Canary Media, 05/18/2026"The Surprising Climate Fix That Democrats And Republicans Both Love"
"Politicians across the spectrum want more housing. Apartments are a great answer, because they also slash carbon emissions in a big way."
Source: Grist, 05/18/2026"Tree Lines Are Migrating. Some Up, Some Down."
"Between 2000 and 2020, 42% of tree lines around the world crept upward, largely because of climate change. But 25% moved downhill, seemingly because of factors such as land use changes and wildfires."
Source: Eos, 05/18/2026
