EPA

Wheeler has been serving as acting EPA administrator since Scott Pruitt stepped down amid ethics scandals in July. Prior to his work at the EPA, Wheeler worked as a lobbyist for the coal industry.

The Federal Lead Action Plan is a framework rather than a call for new regulations. The plan seeks to bolster efforts to communicate the dangers of lead exposure. Critics say it doesn't go far enough.

The Environmental Protection Agency has given farmers the OK to continue to spray the controversial weedkiller dicamba. The chemical is prone to blowing in the wind and damaging other vegetation.

North Carolina's governor is urging federal authorities not to reduce protections for endangered red wolves that can only be found in the state.

"It's going to take different leadership at the top," said Don Fox, a former acting director of the Office of Government Ethics. "And that means a different occupant in the White House."

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry last week released a draft report of man-made chemicals found in air, water, soil, and food at locations around the world.

The EPA intends to block rules to prevent and respond to leaks, explosions and other disasters at chemical facilities and refineries around the U.S. That scares many people who live and work nearby.