"Blasting Begins For Border Wall On Cherished New Mexico Mountain"
"A planned 1.3-mile wall across Mount Cristo Rey has drawn opposition from environmentalists and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces"
Source: Inside Climate News, 04/01/2026
EJToday: Top Headlines
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"Toxic Ocean Crisis in Papua New Guinea Sparks Mass Marine Die-Off"
"Thousands of dead fish are washing ashore and people are falling ill too, as officials investigate possible sources of contamination."
Source: Inside Climate News, 04/01/2026Ontario Court Opens Door To Punitive Damages In PFAS Class Action Suit
"The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has opened the door to punitive damages in a class-action lawsuit regarding contamination from “forever chemicals” called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on people’s private property."
Source: CBC News, 04/01/2026"The Fragile Hope for Salmon Recovery in Maine"
"A long-term project to remove or modify dams may clear the way for endangered wild Atlantic salmon to swim freely up to the Sandy River. But it faces opposition from business and lawmakers."
Source: NYTimes, 04/01/2026"Your ‘Widely Recyclable’ Starbucks Cup Is Still Trash"
"A new label promises single-use cups are recyclable. But that doesn't mean they actually get recycled."
Source: Grist, 04/01/2026"Court Allows Endangered Species ‘God Squad’ to Meet Tuesday"
"Interior Secretary Doug Burgum can convene the Endangered Species Committee, or “God Squad,” on March 31 to approve the Pentagon’s request to exempt all Gulf of Mexico oil and gas operations from the Endangered Species Act because of national security needs, a judge ruled Friday."
Source: Bloomberg Environment, 03/31/2026"Federal Court Reverses Trump Administration’s Past Cuts To ESA"
"A federal judge on Monday partially ruled that the first Trump administration erred when it weakened aspects of the Endangered Species Act.
The ruling (attached below) was heralded by environmental groups, saying it underscored that “federal agencies must use the best available science when assessing harm to species, they cannot ignore incremental harm to critical habitat, and the agencies must firmly commit to any measures relied upon to reduce harm to imperiled plants and animals.” (Emphasis added—ed.)
Source: National Parks Traveler, 03/31/2026EPA Rollbacks Would Raise Communities' Risk For Chemical Disasters: Workers
"Workers, lawmakers and environmental advocates gathered this week to speak out against a proposed federal rule that would roll back protections for people who live near hazardous facilities across the country."
Source: The New Lede, 03/31/2026"Trump’s First Surgeon General Tries To Stop Nominee From Being Confirmed"
"The president was non-committal when asked Sunday night about Casey Means’s nomination, which has stalled in the Senate."
Source: Washington Post, 03/31/2026Even When EPA Finds A Pesticide Cancer Risk, It Rarely Requires Warnings
"The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is failing to put warnings on pesticides linked to cancer — even when the agency itself determined a product’s ingredients are carcinogenic, according to two new analyses of federal data."
Source: The New Lede, 03/31/2026War Is Pushing Up Energy Prices Now. Trump's Policies Could Hurt For Years.
"If you've opened your natural gas or electric bill lately and bit back a scream, or watched the numbers tick up and up at the gas pump, you're not alone. For many Americans, energy prices feel uncomfortably high right now."
Source: NPR, 03/31/2026"Health Groups Sue EPA Over Power Plant Mercury Emissions Rule"
"A coalition of public health and environmental groups filed a petition for review Monday, arguing the EPA’s recent move to weaken power plant emission rules endangers people’s health and lives."
Source: Bloomberg Environment, 03/31/2026Iran War Could Leave Environmental Damage, Health Risks For Decades: Experts
"The Iran war has unleashed a toxic mix of chemicals, heavy metals and other pollutants that threaten everything from agriculture to drinking water to people’s health — and will leave behind environmental damage and health risks that could persist for decades, experts said."
Source: AP, 03/31/2026"Maine’s Support for Farms With ‘Forever Chemicals’ Seen as Model"
"It’s been a decade since farmers began to learn that contamination from PFAS unknowingly spread across their property could devastate their lives and livelihoods, but Maine is showing it’s possible to keep farms going despite the problems caused by the “forever chemicals.”
Source: Bloomberg Environment, 03/31/2026Border Wall Plan Unites GOPers and Dems in Texas: ‘This Is Insane’
"Plans for a wall in Big Bend National Park prompted public protests and behind-the-scenes lobbying to sway the Trump administration to stop."
Source: NYTimes, 03/31/2026
