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Environment

The Tension Between Humans and Nature

411 stories published since 2009

As Colorado River Dries, the U.S. Teeters on the Brink of Larger Water Crisis

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Visualizing Toxic Air

by Lylla Younes and Al Shaw,

Joe Manchin’s Price for Supporting the Climate Change Bill: A Natural Gas Pipeline in His Home State

by Ken Ward Jr. and Alexa Beyer, Mountain State Spotlight,

How a Federal Agency Is Contributing to Salmon’s Decline in the Northwest

by Tony Schick, Oregon Public Broadcasting,

Barbados Resists Climate Colonialism in an Effort to Survive the Costs of Global Warming

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

The Supreme Court’s EPA Decision Could Hamper Regulators’ Ability to Protect the Public

by Lisa Song,

The Polluter Just Got a Million-Dollar Fine. That Won’t Cure This Woman’s Rare Cancer.

by Lisa Song,

Utah Officials Called It the “Year of Water.” Special Interests Still Resist Conservation.

by Mark Olalde,

Louisiana Sued Hurricane Katrina Survivors for Misusing Recovery Grants. Now It Has Halted Collection Efforts.

by Richard A. Webster, The Advocate | The Times-Picayune, and David Hammer, WWL-TV,

How Not to Count Salmon

by Irena Hwang,

The U.S. Has Spent More Than $2 Billion on a Plan to Save Salmon. The Fish Are Vanishing Anyway.

by Tony Schick, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and Irena Hwang, ProPublica, photography by Kristyna Wentz-Graff, Oregon Public Broadcasting,

Air Monitors Alone Won’t Save Communities From Toxic Industrial Air Pollution

by Lisa Song and Lylla Younes, photography by Kathleen Flynn for ProPublica,

Katrina Survivors Were Told They Could Use Grant Money to Rebuild. Now They’re Being Sued for It.

by Richard A. Webster, The Advocate | The Times-Picayune, and David Hammer, WWL-TV,

The Southwest’s Drought and Fires Are a Window to Our Climate Change Future

by Mark Olalde,

She’s Supposed to Protect Americans From Toxic Chemicals. First, She Just Has to Fix Trump’s Mess and Decades of Neglect.

by Lydia DePillis,

State Launches Cancer Study After ProPublica Identifies Toxic Air Pollution Hot Spot

by Lisa Song,

We’re Releasing the Data Behind Our Toxic Air Analysis

by Lylla Younes and Al Shaw,

Washington State Budgets $1.6 Million for Study and Removal of Toxic Lights

by Lulu Ramadan, The Seattle Times,

Representatives Introduce $500 Million Air Quality Bill, Citing ProPublica’s Investigations

by Maya Miller, Lisa Song and Ava Kofman,

Rechaza la EPA la norma de Texas que es más indulgente para un contaminante atmosférico muy tóxico

por Kiah Collier, ProPublica y The Texas Tribune, y Maya Miller, ProPublica,

Planta de esterilización de equipo médico contamina con sustancias cancerígenas a decenas de miles de alumnos

por Kiah Collier, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, y Maya Miller, ProPublica, fotografía por Kathleen Flynn, en reporte especial para ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, gráficos por Al Shaw y Lucas Waldron,

School District Where Toxic Chemicals Lingered for Years Offers $34 Million Settlement to Families

by Lulu Ramadan, The Seattle Times,

How the Sugar Industry Makes Political Friends and Influences Elections

by Hannah Morse, The Palm Beach Post,

What Germany’s Effort to Leave Coal Behind Can Teach the U.S.

by Alec MacGillis,

EPA Rejects Texas’ More Lenient Standard for Highly Toxic Air Pollutant

by Kiah Collier, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, and Maya Miller, ProPublica,

EPA Takes Action to Combat Industrial Air Pollution

by Ava Kofman and Lisa Song,

California’s Forever Fire

by Elizabeth Weil, ProPublica, photography by Meridith Kohut for The New York Times Magazine,

After Years of Complaints, Florida Improves Pollution Monitoring Near Burning Sugar Cane Fields

by Bianca Fortis,

Burning Sugar Cane Pollutes Communities of Color in Florida. Brazil Shows There’s Another Way.

by Nadia Sussman,

A Plant That Sterilizes Medical Equipment Spews Cancer-Causing Pollution on Tens of Thousands of Schoolchildren

by Kiah Collier, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, and Maya Miller, ProPublica, photography by Kathleen Flynn, special to ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, graphics by Al Shaw and Lucas Waldron,

How Black Communities Become “Sacrifice Zones” for Industrial Air Pollution

by Ken Ward Jr., Mountain State Spotlight,

The Dirty Secret of America’s Clean Dishes

by Max Blau and Lylla Younes, photography by Kathleen Flynn, special to ProPublica,

What’s Polluting the Air? Not Even the EPA Can Say.

by Ava Kofman,

When Home Is a Toxic Hot Spot

by Maya Miller, Alyssa Johnson, Lisa Song and Max Blau, photography by Kathleen Flynn, special to ProPublica,

Veneno en el aire

por Lylla Younes, Ava Kofman, Al Shaw y Lisa Song, con reporteo adicional por Maya Miller, fotografía por Kathleen Flynn para ProPublica,

They Knew Industrial Pollution Was Ruining the Neighborhood’s Air. If Only Regulators Had Listened.

by Lisa Song, with additional reporting by Ava Kofman, photography by Kathleen Flynn, special to ProPublica,

The EPA Administrator Visited Cancer-Causing Air Pollution Hot Spots Highlighted by ProPublica and Promised Reforms

by Ava Kofman,

The Celebrity-Backed Green “Fintech” Company That Isn’t as Green as It Seems

by Carson Kessler,

El mapa más detallado de contaminación atmosférica industrial que causa cáncer en los EE. UU.

por Al Shaw y Lylla Younes,

¿Puede la contaminación del aire causar cáncer? Lo que usted tiene que saber sobre los riesgos.

por Maya Miller, ilustraciones por Laila Milevski, con reporteo adicional por Lisa Song, Lylla Younes, Ava Kofman y Al Shaw,

¿Vive usted cerca de una instalación industrial? Ayúdenos a investigar la contaminación.

por Maya Miller y Alyssa Johnson, Ilustraciones por Laila Milevski,

Poison in the Air

by Lylla Younes, Ava Kofman, Al Shaw and Lisa Song, with additional reporting by Maya Miller, photography by Kathleen Flynn for ProPublica,

The Most Detailed Map of Cancer-Causing Industrial Air Pollution in the U.S.

by Al Shaw and Lylla Younes,

How We Created the Most Detailed Map Ever of Cancer-Causing Industrial Air Pollution

by Lylla Younes, Al Shaw and Ava Kofman,

Can Air Pollution Cause Cancer? What You Need to Know About the Risks.

by Maya Miller, illustrations by Laila Milevski, with additional reporting by Lisa Song, Lylla Younes, Ava Kofman and Al Shaw,

Do You Live Near an Industrial Facility? Help Us Investigate.

by Maya Miller and Alyssa Johnson, Illustrations by Laila Milevski,

“They Deserve to Be Safe”: Candidates Call on Florida to Investigate the Health Effects of Sugar Cane Burning

by Hannah Morse, The Palm Beach Post,

There’s No Cheap Way to Deal With the Climate Crisis

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Rich Homeowners Have Endangered Hawaii’s Beaches With Sand Burritos. The State Is Cracking Down.

by Sophie Cocke, Honolulu Star-Advertiser,

Conservationists See Rare Nature Sanctuaries. Black Farmers See a Legacy Bought Out From Under Them.

by Tony Briscoe, photography by Rashod Taylor, special to ProPublica,

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

Photo of Sharon Lerner
Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

Photo of Andy Kroll
Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

Photo of Melissa Sanchez
Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

Photo of Jesse Coburn
Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

If you don’t have a specific tip or story in mind, we could still use your help. Sign up to be a member of our federal worker source network to stay in touch.

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