Environmental Justice

Photo Essay: Soaring W.Va. Utility Costs Are Surpassing Rents And Mortgages

"WEST COLUMBIA, W.Va. — Eric Pinson is obsessed with stacks of electric bills laid out in neat piles on his desk. He runs a camping trailer park in West Virginia not far from a planned data center — all in the shadow of an enormous coal-powered plant that recently received millions in funding from the Trump administration for upgrades.

Source: AP, 04/10/2026

Trump EPA Wants To Gut Rules On Coal Plant Ash That Threatens Groundwater

"The Trump administration on Thursday proposed weakening rules for the disposal of ash produced by burning coal that can contain hazardous heavy metals and contaminate groundwater. Those regulations were strengthened under the Biden administration as part of a wider crackdown on pollution from coal-fired power plants."

Source: AP, 04/10/2026

Endangered Salmon Returned To Calif. Far North — Then The Money Dried Up

"Newsom promised to help a Native tribe restore sacred salmon to their ancestral river. Now California is ending the funding. The fish made it back to their ancestral waters for the first time in 80 years — so why is California walking away now?"

Source: CalMatters, 04/09/2026

Alabama Enacts Utility Regulation Bill Many Say Is a Win For Alabama Power

"The legislation was weakened so significantly its original sponsor ultimately voted against it. Alabamians say they’ll continue to push for real reform."

Source: Inside Climate News, 04/09/2026

"What Does $164M Buy Big Oil? Inupiat Land And A Broken Promise."

"A federal auction undid a hard-won agreement to protect Alaska's North Slope. The Iñupiat community that fought for it is still waiting to be heard."

Source: Grist, 04/08/2026

Solar Was Poised To Help Puerto Ricans Survive Blackouts — But Trump Axed It

"María Pérez lost power for about three months after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in September 2017. Her home in Salinas, on the island’s southern coast, sits near a river. As the hurricane knocked out the island’s grid and sent rainwaters surging down from the mountains, Perez’s house flooded with a swirling mix of muddy water and animal feces, rising 3 feet high and warping the hallways. For the next three months, she went without power as she cleaned out the home and began the long process of rebuilding."

Source: Grist, 04/08/2026

Florida Power & Light Profit Margins Top Other Utilities’ Nationwide: Report

"Florida Power & Light’s profit margins consistently ranked among the highest in the nation over the past five years and topped other utilities’ in 2024 and 2025, with 27 cents of every dollar in revenue last year retained as profit, according to a new report." "Utility profit margins are one reason why electricity bills are rising, the report says. Advocates say low-income communities are hardest-hit by the costs."

Source: Inside Climate News, 04/06/2026

"Green Steel Is The Way Forward For Indiana, Former Steelworkers Say"

"Advocates warn that what’s left of the industry could be lost if companies choose to invest in dirty blast furnaces instead of modernizing with cleaner steelmaking."

Source: Canary Media, 04/06/2026

"Debate Swirls Over Agency Oversight of Workplace Chemical Safety"

"A debate over which federal office should be the primary regulator of hazardous chemical safety in the workplace is playing out in courts and Congress."

Source: Bloomberg Environment, 04/06/2026

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