A fire broke out Sunday, Sept. 29, at the BioLab chemical plant, located about 24 miles east of Atlanta, prompting the evacuation of 17,000 people and a shelter-in-place order for 77,000 others. The fire, which started around 5:30 a.m., was triggered when water from the plant’s sprinkler system mixed with a reactive chemical, creating a…

A federal judge has ruled the Environmental Protection Agency must strengthen its regulations on fluoride in drinking water. This comes after the Department of Health and Human Services released a report in August, showing a link between fluoride in the country’s drinking water and lower IQs in children. Low levels of fluoride have been added…

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, alleging that officials violated the Endangered Species Act by designating the dunes sagebrush lizard under it. Paxton claims the reptiles have been “unlawfully” classified as endangered, a move he says is designed to limit oil and gas development in Texas, where the…

The U.S. government is considering opening up 10% of Utah’s land for solar power developments, but the proposal is facing opposition from state officials and some environmentalists who worry it could impact sensitive landscapes and habitats. Areas like Utah’s West Desert and the shores of the Great Salt Lake, which are home to threatened species…

The Food and Drug Administration has launched an investigation into heavy metals in feminine care products. In July, Straight Arrow News reported on a study that found toxic metals like lead and arsenic in 30 tampons from 14 popular brands. That study is what launched this FDA probe. The study’s authors said only low levels…

Sage Geosystems, a clean power startup led by former oil industry executives, is attempting to leverage its expertise in a different energy sector to advance geothermal technology. On Monday, Aug. 26, Sage announced a partnership with Meta to power the tech giant’s data centers, which support platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Threads, with carbon-free geothermal…

Esmeralda County, Nevada, one of the most sparsely populated regions in the nation, is at the center of a growing debate over a proposed solar energy project that could become the largest in North America. As the second-least densely populated county in the U.S., situated with the country’s third sunniest state, Esmeralda might seem like…

Recent studies show that humans consume about the equivalent of a credit card’s worth of microplastics every week. However, new research found that these pollutants are probably in every human organ, and the most impacted organ may be the human brain. “So, most our organs seem to be hovering around 300 to 600 micrograms per…

A report undisclosed to the public since spring of 2023 revealed workers cleaning up the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment in February of 2023, became sick during the process. The Associated Press released the report on Wednesday, Aug. 14. The report said the cleanup workers reportedly fell ill while cleaning up creeks near the overturned…

SpaceX is currently facing scrutiny for environmental violations at its Starbase facility in south Texas. According to a CNBC report, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have issued notices to SpaceX for unauthorized releases of industrial wastewater during rocket launches. Documents obtained by CNBC indicate that an August…