In the wake of the train derailment and toxic spill in Ohio, now is a good time for environmental journalists to be ready for the next such accident. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox offers up a data source for another transportation risk — hazardous materials transported via highway. Plus, why rail hazmat data can be trickier to access.
"The Biden administration is proposing to restore regulations aiming to protect farmworkers from pesticides that had been rolled back under the Trump administration."
"A visit to East Palestine from the head of the E.P.A. and a White House pledge to lend more support were met with skepticism in the community."
"There is no timetable for reopening part of the main southern Arizona highway southeast of downtown Tucson, officials said Wednesday afternoon, a day after a deadly desert crash caused a hazardous material leak and forced evacuations nearby."
"The Bureau of Land Management ignored requests for a public hearing on the proposed rules for venting and flaring methane on public and tribal lands, hindering community members’ efforts to reduce the impacts of gas releases."
"Residents of the Ohio village upended by a freight train derailment packed a school gym to seek answers about whether they were safe from toxic chemicals that spilled or were burned off."
"State lawmakers across the country want to tackle the growing [PFAS] problem. Several states have passed landmark laws in recent years, and now dozens of legislatures are considering hundreds of bills to crack down on using such compounds. The legislation would strengthen product disclosure laws, increase liability for polluters, bolster testing plans and enact water quality standards."
"On Feb. 3, a train derailed in the village of East Palestine, setting off evacuation orders, a toxic chemical scare and a federal investigation."
"Several environmental groups are petitioning federal regulators to require employers to document a wider range of illnesses, including cold- and flu-like symptoms, suffered by cleanup workers and emergency responders during oil spills."
"U.S. oil industry groups said on Monday they are concerned the Biden administration's proposed plan to crack down on methane emissions gives too much power to environmental advocacy groups, by forcing companies to react when third-parties report suspected leaks of the powerful greenhouse gas."
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