Pollution

"The Antarctic ozone hole last week peaked at a moderately large size for the third straight year — bigger than the size of North America — but experts say it’s still generally shrinking despite recent blips because of high altitude cold weather."

"Lost nets, lines and hooks trap wildlife for years as they float in the ocean, sink to the bottom or are washed ashore".

"Toxic PFAS have likely contaminated roughly 57,412 locations across the U.S., according to a new study."

"Chemical companies are dodging a federal law designed to track how many PFAS “forever chemicals” their plants are discharging into the environment by exploiting a loophole created in the Trump administration’s final months, a new analysis of federal records has found."

"Less than six months after rejecting a proposal for a major desalination plant in Huntington Beach, the California Coastal Commission on Thursday approved plans for a different, smaller project in Orange County that could serve as a model for future projects."

"The state Departments of Environmental Quality and Health may be violating federal civil rights laws and regulations by allowing Black people to suffer disproportionate impacts from air pollution in Louisiana's industrial corridor, including an increased risk of cancer, the federal Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday."

"The Chemical Safety Board says refineries need to strengthen safeguards surrounding the use of hydroflouric acid, and the EPA should take steps to improve oversight. The recommendations are part of a final report on the investigation into the June 2019 explosion and fire at Philadelphia Energy Solutions in southwest Philadelphia."

"With its 2025 deadline a little more than three years away, environmental leaders are publicly acknowledging what’s been increasingly obvious for years — that the Chesapeake Bay region will for the third time miss a self-imposed cleanup deadline."

"After almost a decade of talks, the nations of the world committed Friday to drastically lower emissions of planet-warming gases from the world’s airplanes by 2050, a milestone in efforts to ease the climate effects of a fast-growing sector."

"Mold in homes is a costly crisis that often accompanies hurricanes and flooding, and climate change is amplifying the rain that feeds outbreaks."