"Career officials at the Environmental Protection Agency raised concerns about then-Administrator Scott Pruitt’s move to book an expensive plane ticket to Italy and the involvement of non-U.S. officials in planning his trip, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post."
"The House [Thursday] passed a minibus spending bill that contains funds for the Interior Department and EPA with no support from Democrats, who opposed the measure en masse over the inclusion of multiple policy riders."
"The Environmental Protection Agency must strengthen its oversight of state drinking water programs to avoid a repeat of what happened in Flint, Mich., an agency watchdog said in a report Thursday. Sluggish federal reaction meant residents were exposed to lead-tainted water for far too long."
"President Trump’s administration unveiled a proposal Thursday that would strip the Endangered Species Act of key provisions, a move that conservationists say would weaken a law enacted 45 years ago to keep plants and animals in decline from going extinct."
"Congress is celebrating the centennial of historic Route 66. But that’s about all Washington is doing immediately for the California’s repair-starved sections of the road."
"As outdoor workers labor in extreme temperatures, they are vulnerable to heat-related illnesses that can be fatal. Climate change raises the risks."
"Only 43 percent of school districts in the United States test for lead in drinking water used by students in 2016 or 2017, according to a federal government report released Tuesday."
"While at first glance this story would appear unrelated to environmental health, it actually covers a story of vital importance to the environment, health, and environmental health. Cybersecurity attacks could take down parts or all of the utility grid, or other important components of a country's infrastructure, including in the United States."
"Congress has still been unable to reach a deal on the federal flood insurance program just weeks before it expires, opening the possibility that millions of homes and businesses could lose coverage as hurricane season kicks into high gear."
"The days of plastic straws are drawing shorter. Marriott International on Wednesday became the latest big company to announce it will stop using plastic straws, saying it would remove them from its more than 6,500 properties by next July."
