Communities contend with ongoing air quality issues tied to gas and oil wells.
Pollution
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Federal court derails proposed Utah oil railroad
Failures to assess risks to Colorado River and ‘numerous NEPA violations’ in project’s impact analysis highlighted.
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Washington to adopt rules protecting farmworkers from wildfire smoke
Some labor advocates say they don’t go far enough.
Posted inAugust 1, 2023: In the Line of Fire
Finding a fix for ‘forever chemicals’
Tests found PFAS in nearly all the public drinking water in Vancouver, Washington. The city is testing a solution that could take years — and more than $170 million — to build.
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Water quality research helps bring healing and sovereignty to the Apsáalooke
‘I know it is my responsibility to care for this land that has always taken care of me.’
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A quarter of rural water systems likely contain ‘forever chemicals’
USGS research confirms widespread PFAS contamination in drinking water — including in rural communities and private wells that are almost never tested.
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Hey New York, we’ve survived decades of smoke. Here’s how
Tips on staying healthy, keeping sane and getting through being socked in by smoke.
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The Supreme Court just made it easier to destroy wetlands and streams
The decision strips federal protections from the ephemeral streams that are crucial for life in the arid West.
Posted inJune 1, 2023: Seen and Unseen
In search of answers at the Salton Sea
To protect air and water quality, shoreline residents become community scientists.
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Can retiring farmland make California’s Central Valley more equitable?
Planning for the future of groundwater also offers an opportunity to plan for climate justice.
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Fire retardant kills fish. Is it worth the risk?
A lawsuit could change how the Forest Service fights fires.
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What hazardous cargo moves on Colorado railroads? It’s a ‘black box’, even to state regulators
In many Western states, 19th-century laws and deregulation allow chemical- laden trains to roll in obscurity — leaving hazmat teams guessing.
Posted inApril 1, 2023: The Path Forward
How do you keep migrating birds off a giant toxic lake?
Engineers struggled to keep snow geese away from Montana’s deadly Superfund site, but ecologists have a new plan.
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The terrible toll of the cruise ship industry
Noise pollution, mounds of trash and an inordinate influx of humanity damage ecosystems from Washington to Alaska.
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Most drinking water in the U.S. is contaminated by PFAS; here’s what you can do about it
The EPA just proposed new rules on toxic ‘forever chemicals.’
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Utah’s proposed crude oil railway could see an accident every year
Coloradans fight the oil train project, fearing a repeat of East Palestine’s toxic derailment — but in the Colorado River.
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EPA and Montana mining company promise action after revelations of cozy relationship
Previous reporting showed how regulators and the mine teamed up to rebut independent researchers.
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The EV mining rush could come to Montana’s mountains
A company announced it found the country’s highest-grade rare earth deposit in Montana.
Posted inMarch 1, 2023: Moving Parts
‘Gold in the hills, but not for us’
Scenes from California’s backyard petroculture.
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Inside the EPA’s close relationship with a Montana mining company
When faced with new research on health risks in Butte, the agency turned to industry for guidance.