Pollution

Indiana environmentalist Jeff Stant has been pushing to have EPA declare coal ash a hazardous waste. EPA has resisted for some 30 years.

"The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed the nation's first federal rules for the disposal of contaminant-laden ash from coal-fired power plants, but delayed a decision for at least three months on whether coal ash should be regulated as a hazardous substance."

Nitro, West Virginia, is still struggling with the toxic legacy of a long-shuttered Monsanto weedkiller plant that has polluted soil and water with dioxin.

"Four environmental groups have just filed a major new water pollution lawsuit against Massey Energy."

"Metro communities from White Bear Lake and Maplewood to South St. Paul are discovering that their storm-water ponds are chemical soups of pesticides, fertilizers, pet wastes, oil, grease and other contaminants."

"The discovery of methane gas and benzene has transformed a 50-acre neighborhood into an environmental case study — a reminder of Southern California’s history as a center of the oil industry."

"Worried whale researchers in Washington state are wondering where a grey whale had been feeding before it died in West Seattle last week. The 11-metre whale, which came ashore alive, swallowed an unusual amount of garbage, including sweatpants, a towel, a golf ball, rubber gloves, drink containers and numerous plastic bags."