environmental pollution News

Texas Agency, Lawmakers Aim to Tighten Pollution From Concrete Plants

ARLINGTON — Deirdre Diamond is frustrated and concerned that another concrete batch plant is coming to her town. Gunter, located about 50 miles north of Dallas, already has 11 permitted concrete batch plants, according to Texans for Responsible Aggregate Mining, …

3M Belgian Settlement Signals Increased Risk of ‘Toxic Torts’ in Europe

“Toxic torts,” which are lawsuits alleging damage to human health or the environment caused by specific substances, are increasingly common in the United States. They can cost defendants hundreds of millions, even billions of dollars. But such risks are no …

Cocktail of Chemicals Contributed to Massive Fish Die-off on Oder River: German Official

Several substances seem to have contributed to the massive fish die-off in the Oder River that forms much of Germany’s border with Poland, a German official said Monday. Numerous theories have been floated about the cause of the environmental disaster, …

U.S.-Based 3M Faces More Costs After $581M Chemical Cleanup Pact in Belgium

3M Co. still faces the prospect of additional costs to resolve contamination liabilities in Belgium after reaching an agreement to clean up and remediate PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals used in many consumer goods, a government official said. The St. …

Pollution Kills 9 Million People a Year, Mostly in Poorer Nations

Premature deaths from common pollution sources have risen by two-thirds globally since 2000, a dark consequence of the economic development that has lifted millions from extreme poverty this century. More than 90% of the deaths have occurred in rapidly developing …

Maine to Seek ‘Forever Chemical’ Contamination at Many Sites

Environmental regulators in Maine will soon undertake a statewide investigation to find concentrations of long-lasting environmental pollutants. The investigation stems from the state’s efforts to mitigate a class of chemicals known as PFAS, which are also called “forever chemicals.” The …

Polluters, Not Taxpayers, Should Pay to Clean Up Environmental Damage: EU Auditors

BRUSSELS – Taxpayers are too often being forced to pay to clean up environmental damage while the companies responsible dodge the costs, the European Court of Auditors said on Monday. The European Union’s executive Commission will propose rules this year …

Aging Oil Pipelines Operated by Canada’s Enbridge Raise Fears over Great Lakes Spills

Fears about oil spills into the Great Lakes from two aging U.S. pipelines have flared, raising doubts about their future and creating fresh headaches for operator Enbridge Inc and the Canadian energy sector. Canada has faced years of delay in …

Groundwater Near Most Coal Plants Polluted by Coal Ash: Environmental Groups

More than 90 percent of U.S. coal-fired power plants that are required to monitor groundwater near their coal ash dumps show unsafe levels of toxic metals, according to a study released on Monday by environmental groups, which cited the potential …

Source of Clean Energy? Wind Turbines Are Spilling Oil in Mexico

Wind turbines were planted along a strip of Mexico’s southern coast to make the country’s power industry cleaner. Now they’re spilling oil. In the town of Juchitan last month, a clean-up was under way around a generator owned by Electricite …