Pollution

"New research shows a recent three-year surge in methane levels in northeastern Pennsylvania, a hub of the state's natural gas production."

"In public comments following the pipeline company's $61 million fine and billion-dollar cleanup, few believe the money serves as a deterrent to the industry."

"A 2015 explosion at the company's refinery near Los Angeles came frighteningly close to releasing a lethal gas into a neighborhood; a ban may result".

"Construction crews have resumed work on the final segment of the Dakota Access pipeline, and the developer of the long-delayed project said Thursday that the full system could be operational within three months. Meanwhile, an American Indian tribe filed a legal challenge to block the work and protect its water supply."

"Qayyarah, Iraq - Six months after ISIL fighters torched oil wells in Qayyarah, Iraqi fire crews are still battling the flames. Like a scene from a Hollywood blockbuster, a vast and pervasive darkness hangs over Qayyarah, as toxic black smoke billows from the burning wells.

Oil has been a key source of income for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group, making Qayyarah an important strategic town. Its recapture last August by Iraqi forces was a significant gain in their advance towards Mosul.

The National Response Center, run by the Coast Guard, takes reports of toxic spills and is supposed to keep a database on spill incidents. But a new study shows that it does nothing of the sort -- putting the public at risk by keeping them in the dark.

"The Environmental Protection Agency has come under constant fire from the Trump administration, enduring both a temporary gag order — which was later partially lifted  — and news that President Trump was looking to cut the agency's budget and staff. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) introduced HR 861 Friday to get rid of the agency altogether."

"China's smog-hit capital Beijing plans to slash coal consumption by a further 30 percent in 2017 as part of its efforts to combat air pollution, the official Xinhua news agency said late on Sunday, citing the city's mayor."

"With environmental regulations expected to come under heavy fire from the Trump administration, new research offers powerful evidence of a link between air pollution and dementia risk."

"U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, both New York Democrats, Friday called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to 'prioritize and accelerate' the risk evaluation for 1,4-dioxane, a potential carcinogen found in 71 percent of Long Island water supply systems."