Polluting smoke billows from smokestacks of a power plant.
Credit: Photo by Hanlin Sun on Unsplash

Local communities push back against hidden pollution from fossil fuel and AI sectors

As the Trump administration slashes environmental oversight, local groups are battling state laws and tech industry deals that hide pollution data and energy demands.

Sharon Kelly reports for DeSmog.


In short:

  • In Colorado, Chevron’s oil well blowout near an elementary school exposed gaps in fracking chemical disclosures, with over 30 million pounds of “trade secret” chemicals injected statewide despite a 2022 transparency law.
  • In Louisiana, a new law threatens massive fines for community groups that publicly share air pollution data unless they use costly, state-approved equipment, prompting a federal lawsuit.
  • In Virginia’s booming data center corridor, tech companies use non-disclosure agreements with local officials to keep energy use and environmental impacts hidden, complicating public accountability and regulation.

Key quote:

“How many data centers currently exist in Virginia? How many proposals are in the works? These are good questions. It’s also extremely difficult to provide an answer, given there is no publicly available dataset or state-level tracking of these facilities.”

— The Piedmont Environmental Council, which attempts to track known data center projects in the state

Why this matters:

This is what environmental deregulation looks like in practice: a patchwork of laws that silence watchdogs and hide harm. While the federal government shrinks from its role, the fight for clean air and public data has become hyperlocal — and deeply unequal. Pollution data secrecy leaves families, first responders, and communities exposed to hidden environmental health risks, especially in frontline areas like Cancer Alley.

Read more:


Two pump jacks pictured at dusk.

EU’s $750 billion pledge for U.S. energy imports faces steep hurdles

The European Union agreed to buy $750 billion in U.S. oil and gas to avoid a trade clash with President Donald Trump, but analysts say supply limits and logistical barriers make the goal unattainable.

Victor Jack reports for POLITICO.

Keep reading...Show less
Stack of three wooden blocks with the letters TAX on them with a person holding a magnifying glass on it

Alberta taxpayers cover millions in unpaid land rents from oil and gas firms

The Alberta government paid more than $30 million in 2024 to landowners after oil and gas companies failed to cover required rents for drilling and infrastructure sites, with little chance of recovering the funds.

Sharon J. Riley reports for The Narwhal.

Keep reading...Show less
A barren desert environment with long rows of solar panels and golden sand dunes in distance.

Australia expands renewable energy push with major increase to capacity investment scheme

Australia will boost its main renewable energy program by 25%, aiming to underwrite 40 gigawatts of large-scale solar, wind, and storage by 2030 amid warnings it may miss its climate targets.

Adam Morton reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
man in black and white checkered dress shirt using computer in a command center.
Credit: CDC/Unsplash

Trump’s FEMA cuts leave local emergency managers underfunded and overworked

State and local emergency officials say they are stretched thin as federal disaster funding shrinks, raising concerns about readiness for worsening floods, fires and storms.

Kiley Bense reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
Illustration of green barrels with yellow radioactive notices on them.

Wyoming weighs nuclear waste storage rule change amid public pushback over microreactor plant

Lawmakers in Wyoming are debating a bill that would allow storage of radioactive waste from a proposed microreactor manufacturing facility, a move that has drawn sharp resistance from local residents.

Dustin Bleizeffer reports for WyoFile.

Keep reading...Show less
Flags of various nations fly on building.

China and Europe vow joint climate action as US exits Paris accord

China and the European Union pledged to deepen cooperation on climate change Thursday, promising new emission-reduction targets while the United States moves to abandon the Paris Agreement and roll back renewable energy programs.

Somini Sengupta reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
A Brazilian flag flying over a green hill.

Brazil’s Amazon city prepares for climate summit as world leaders face realities of deforestation and poverty

When negotiators meet in Belem for November’s United Nations climate summit, they will confront the Amazon’s deforestation and poverty rather than the luxury settings of past talks.

Seth Borenstein reports for The Associated Press.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.