Sacrifice Zones
Mapping Cancer-Causing Industrial Air Pollution
Polluters are turning neighborhoods into “sacrifice zones” where residents breathe in carcinogens. The EPA allows it. We mapped the hot spots.
Poison in the Air
The EPA allows polluters to turn neighborhoods into “sacrifice zones” where residents breathe carcinogens. ProPublica reveals where these places are in a first-of-its-kind map and data analysis.
The Most Detailed Map of Cancer-Causing Industrial Air Pollution in the U.S.
Using the EPA’s data, we mapped the spread of cancer-causing industrial air emissions down to the neighborhood level. Look up your home to see if you and your loved ones are living in a hot spot.
EPA Finalizes New Standards for Cancer-Causing Chemicals
The regulation specifically targets ethylene oxide, which a ProPublica analysis found was the single biggest contributor to excess industrial cancer risk from air pollutants nationwide.
New EPA Rule to Slash Cancer-Causing Emissions From Sterilization Facilities
The new rule comes after a 2021 investigation by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune revealed the EPA’s yearslong failure to inform communities of the risks they faced from cancer-causing ethylene oxide emissions.
City Receives Half a Million Dollars for Air Monitoring After Report Reveals Elevated Cancer Risk
After years of resident complaints of toxic fumes and health issues, the EPA has funded Mississippi to conduct air monitoring in Pascagoula. This comes a year after a first-of-its-kind analysis by ProPublica into “sacrifice zones” across the country.
Missouri Town to Get Air Pollution Monitors Following ProPublica Report
The EPA will start monitoring the air in Verona, Missouri, where a manufacturing plant named BCP Ingredients emits ethylene oxide, a potent carcinogen.
State Launches Cancer Study After ProPublica Identifies Toxic Air Pollution Hot Spot
After learning from a ProPublica analysis that his Missouri city had a high estimated cancer risk from toxic air, Verona Mayor Joseph Heck demanded that the state investigate. Health officials confirmed his worst fears and want to learn more.
Representatives Introduce $500 Million Air Quality Bill, Citing ProPublica’s Investigations
Lawmakers introduced a House bill to fund air monitoring after ProPublica highlighted pollution in its “Black Snow” and “Sacrifice Zones” investigations. The bill is nearly identical to one introduced in the Senate last summer.
Rechaza la EPA la norma de Texas que es más indulgente para un contaminante atmosférico muy tóxico
A raíz de una investigación realizada por ProPublica y The Texas Tribune sobre el óxido de etileno, la EPA ha emprendido medidas para rechazar una norma menos protectora creada por los reguladores de Texas y respaldada por la industria química.
EPA Rejects Texas’ More Lenient Standard for Highly Toxic Air Pollutant
In the wake of an investigation by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, the EPA has moved to reject a less protective standard for ethylene oxide crafted by Texas regulators and backed by the chemical industry.
EPA Takes Action to Combat Industrial Air Pollution
The EPA announced a raft of targeted actions and specific reforms in the wake of ProPublica’s investigation into toxic hot spots.
What’s Polluting the Air? Not Even the EPA Can Say.
Despite the high stakes for public health, the EPA relies on emissions data it knows to be inaccurate. To expose toxic hot spots, we first had to get the facts straight.
EPA Leader Visited Toxic Hot Spots We Featured and Promised Reforms
ProPublica found more than 1,000 hot spots of toxic air pollution across the country, and determined Black residents were disproportionately at risk. Environmental experts called the EPA’s response to our investigation historic and a “radical change in tone.”
