SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN)

"In his first four weeks in office, Louisiana Republican Gov. Jeff Landry has filled the ranks of state environmental posts with fossil fuel industry executives."

"A bill backed by Kentucky’s poultry industry and approved by the Senate Thursday would subject drone operators to new restrictions that opponents warn could help hide health and safety hazards in food production."

"A company’s plan to mine minerals near the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp and its federally protected wildlife refuge neared final approval Friday as Georgia regulators released draft permits for the project, which opponents say could irreparably harm a natural treasure."

"As states across the country roll back how much they pay rooftop-solar owners for the surplus electricity they send back to the grid, Puerto Rico is bucking the trend, protecting its generous solar credits until at least the end of the decade."

"They vowed to fix water woes and save cities millions. But a Times investigation found the deals racked up debt and left many worse off than before."

"Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration is pursuing a federal lawsuit demanding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency turn over three years of its communications with journalists and activist groups, a highly unusual move that has provoked concern among press freedom advocates."

"A local official said proper authorities were notified, but state regulators said they weren’t made aware of the blaze until an inspection two weeks after the fire began."

"Chemours and state regulators say the Fayetteville Works plant has reduced air emissions, but we found levels of 'forever chemicals' as much as 30 times higher than state tests".

"The average life expectancy in predominantly nonwhite communities along the Houston Ship Channel, the site of largely unregulated petrochemical production, is up to 20 years less than nearby predominantly white communities, according to a report released Thursday by Amnesty International"