Powered by RebelMouse
WATCH: Deer Park, Texas, petrochemical fire caused by years of federal and state neglectplay icon

WATCH: Deer Park, Texas, petrochemical fire caused by years of federal and state neglect

Investigative reporting finds locals were put at risk by lax a safety response in the 2019 blaze.

In 2019, the sudden outbreak of a chemical fire wreaked havoc on the community of Deer Park, Texas.

A closer look revealed years of neglect leading up to the fire and lax safety measures in its wake.

This video draws from from the following investigative reporting by Public Health Watch and the Texas Tribune:

For years, the EPA and Texas ignored warning signs at a chemical storage site. Then an inferno erupted

Toxic benzene lingered for weeks after shelter-in-place warnings ended following 2019 Houston-area chemical fire

At a heated public hearing, residents urge state agency to reject permit for chemical facility that burned in 2019

Deer Park chemical fire in 2019 could have been prevented, federal investigation finds

www.ehn.org
A view of small motorboats at a dock at sunset
Credit: dmvphotos/Big Stock Photo

Tangier Island: rising waters, eroding shores, dwindling time

Residents say saving the island means preserving a unique aspect of Virginia history and culture while also protecting critical wildlife habitats that surround it.
Read the Full Article on virginiamercury.com
A row of wind turbines stretching into the distance
Credit: Thomas Franke/Unsplash+

Oklahoma's wind is ready. Its power grid is not

Wind turbines are spinning and generating power, but deliberately dialed back because the grid has no room to carry what they produce.
Read the Full Article on oklahomavoice.com
A view of the coastline of Cinque Terre with colorful buildings lining a hillside above the water
Credit: Getty Images/Unsplash+

Italy’s Cinque Terre coastline could be hit by 13-metre waves by 2150 as sea levels rise

Beaches, ports and, during extreme events, even the railway line that runs through the Cinque Terre National Park are at risk.
Read the Full Article on www.euronews.com
An ocean research ship on the sea
Credit: DedMityay/Big Stock Photo

Lawmakers push to stop Trump dismantling of ocean observatory project

Lawmakers are demanding the National Science Foundation stop dismantling the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a $386 million ocean monitoring network being wound down under the Trump administration.

Read the Full Article on apnews.com
A coal terminal with cranes and piles of coal next to a body of water
Credit: tupikov/Big Stock Photo

Even $75M from Trump may not save Oakland’s embattled coal terminal

The federal funding is the latest twist in a decade-long saga to build a terminal in Oakland, California, that can export U.S. coal overseas.
Read the Full Article on grist.org
A flooded street with building and a van submerged
Credit: Ron Odell/Big Stock Photo

What's driving up your expenses? Many Americans say climate change

Most Democrats and moderate Republicans agree that global warming is increasing the cost of living, a new survey shows.
Read the Full Article on grist.org
Rendered image representative of the internal electronics of a commercial data center
Credit: Erik Mclean/Unsplash

Sucked in. The gaping maw that feeds AI mania

Data centres gobble vast capital, land, water and energy while forcing locals to endure ‘heat islands.’ Who voted for this?
Read the Full Article on thetyee.ca
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.

www.ehn.org
Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

www.ehn.org
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.”

www.ehn.org
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

www.ehn.org
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.”

www.ehn.org
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.

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