Environmental Protection Agency

A new EPA rule will make it more difficult for the regulators to use some scientific studies about the connection between pollution and health.

Science

Trump EPA Erects New Barriers To Crucial Science

5:21pm January 05, 2021

by Rebecca Hersher

Studies based on private health data are crucial to understanding dangers posed by pollution. A new rule makes it harder for the EPA to consider many studies when setting safeguards.

A Southwest Airlines flight takes off as United Airlines planes sit parked on a runway at Denver International Airport in April.

Environment

U.S. Implementing 1st-Ever Airplane Emission Rules; Critics Say They're Ineffective

4:23pm December 28, 2020

by Reese Oxner

The Environmental Protection Agency said the new rules will not result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Environmentalists are calling for more stringent measures.

Michael Regan currently leads the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and previously worked on air quality policy at the Environmental Protection Agency.

Biden To Pick North Carolina Regulator Michael Regan To Lead EPA

5:31pm December 17, 2020

by Rebecca Hersher

Regan is the top environmental regulator for North Carolina. He would be first African American man to run the EPA, and he would oversee much of the federal government's response to climate change.

Frank Fahland, 61, is one of hundreds of Libby, Mont., residents who has an asbestos-related disease. That makes them potentially more vulnerable to complications from COVID-19.

COVID-19 Stalks A Montana Town Already Grappling With Asbestos Disease

2:50pm October 11, 2020

by Nate Hegyi

In Libby, Mont., an estimated 1 in 10 have an asbestos-related illness, after decades of pollution from a now-shuttered mine. With lungs already scarred, many fear contracting the coronavirus.

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Nancy Beck testifies in front of the Senate in 2017 when she was a senior policy director at the American Chemistry Council trade group. President Trump nominated Beck to head the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Scientists Warn Against Consumer Protection Nominee

8:31am June 16, 2020

by Rebecca Hersher

Nancy Beck is the Trump administration's nominee to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission for a seven-year term. Many scientists and public health experts warn she is a dangerous choice.

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A cafe employee in Washington, D.C., cleans in preparation for reopening.

EPA Orders Amazon and EBay to Stop Selling Bogus Coronavirus-Fighting Products

10:18pm June 11, 2020

by Hannah Hagemann

On Thursday the EPA ordered the e-commerce giants to stop selling a list of unregistered and misbranded products, some of which contained toxic chemicals like methylene chloride and chlorine dioxide.

Companies across the country say the pandemic is interfering with their ability to comply with laws that protect the public from pollution. The federal government is not keeping track of requests for regulatory leniency during the pandemic.

As EPA Steps Back, States Face Wave Of Requests For Environmental Leniency

6:34pm June 09, 2020

by Rebecca Hersher

The EPA does not require companies to notify federal regulators if the pandemic interferes with pollution monitoring or reporting. That leaves states alone on the front lines of pollution control.

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Map of ozone changes across the country.

Traffic Is Way Down Because Of Lockdown, But Air Pollution? Not So Much

10:27am May 19, 2020

Car traffic took a big dip beginning in late March, and headlines celebrated clean air around the U.S. But an NPR analysis of EPA data tells a more troubling story.

A member of the custodial staff at Los Angeles' Union Station, taking extra care in the waiting area — all part of enhanced cleaning efforts at major transit hubs in response to COVID-19.

Health & Safety

Ships, Planes And Other Spots Are Getting A 'Deep Clean.' What's That Mean?

5:00am March 17, 2020

There is no universal protocol defining "deep clean" as industries work to eradicate the coronavirus. Instead they are tailoring sanitation efforts in accordance with what makes sense for them.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving to roll back government limits on pollution in wetlands and smaller waterways

Environment

Trump Administration Cuts Back Federal Protections For Streams And Wetlands

5:43pm January 23, 2020

by Scott Neuman

The controversial rule change dramatically reduces pollution protections for many waterways. Farmers and builders approve, but environmental groups plan to challenge it.