Environmental Integrity Project

06/04/2026

The waste management industry is increasingly pushing trash incinerators as a solution to waste from synthetic forever chemicals known as PFAS. A new industry trade group report alleges that Minnesota's incinerators are reducing their PFAS chemical emissions by 99.6 percent. However, experts say that U.S. incinerators are largely failing to eliminate PFAS air pollution.

A former DuPont PFAS scientist criticized the industry-backed study in Minnesota, saying there is insufficient data to support the conclusion. Research suggests incineration can create smaller toxic PFAS byproducts, and airborne PFAS risks may be greater than previously understood.

These findings raise serious concerns about how PFAS can spread through the air and persist in the environment. If PFAS incineration is creating toxic byproducts, we need stronger oversight and faster action to reduce the use of PFAS-containing products.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/30/garbage-incinerators-pfas-forever-chemicals

06/03/2026

A tank containing 600,000 gallons of caustic “white liquor” recently exploded at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging paper mill in southwestern Washington, killing 11 people. The chemical is used to break down wood chips into a packaging board for products like juice cartons.

In 2025, EIP reported that the mill's boiler, installed in 1928, was the oldest of 185 large pulp and paper mills in the U.S. included in our analysis. Aging boilers often have worn components that can lower efficiency, increase pollution, and elevate the risk of mechanical failures and explosions.

While the exact cause of the deadly explosion remains under investigation, the incident underscores the need for industrial companies to modernize aging equipment and improve safety systems to help prevent future disasters.

NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/30/us/11-dead-longview-washington-chemical-explosion.html

Paper Trail of Pollution: https://environmentalintegrity.org/reports/paper-trail-of-pollution/

05/28/2026

Louisiana lawmakers failed to pass a bill that would have allowed communities near oil and petrochemical facilities to access fenceline air monitoring data at more than 100 high-risk facilities. The state currently monitors air quality at less than two dozen sites.

If it had become law, refineries and petrochemical plants would be required to install and maintain fenceline monitoring systems, share hourly pollution data with the public, and alert the public in real time if pollution levels are unsafe.

EIP Research Scientist Kimberly Terrell has extensively studied the health impacts of industrial pollution in Cancer Alley. She told lawmakers that Louisiana’s existing equipment is not designed to detect many of the most toxic chemicals in emissions, such as ethylene oxide and vinyl chloride.

Communities living near refineries and petrochemical plants should have real-time access to air monitoring data so families know what they are breathing and can better protect their health.

https://lailluminator.com/2026/05/26/air-monitor/

05/27/2026

Trump’s EPA is slowing down a plan to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), chemicals linked to climate pollution, despite the rules being signed into law during Trump’s first term with support from industry groups and both political parties.

Project 2025 called for repealing the HFC rules, though analysts say the move is unlikely to lower grocery prices. Experts point instead to tariffs, extreme weather, and rising fuel costs tied to the war in Iran as major drivers of higher food prices.

This is yet another example of EPA rolling back public health protections. Slowing the phaseout of climate-polluting HFCs does little to address the real causes behind rising grocery prices.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/21/climate/trump-super-pollutants-hfc-epa-climate-change.html

05/22/2026

Backed by $500 million in state funds, company plans 350-mile gas pipeline across North Dakota

A massive natural gas pipeline meant to ship more natural gas out of North Dakota’s prolific Bakken oil- and gas-producing region is now eligible for hundreds of millions of dollars in state financing after a recent vote by state officials.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is holding meetings across the state this week and the first week of June for the Bakken East Pipeline, a new 350-mile pipeline that would move gas from the Bakken Shale formation in the western part of the state to eastern North Dakota, ending near Fargo.

The pipeline, planned by WBI Energy, is eligible for up to $500 million in taxpayer-subsidized financing over 10 years under an incentive program the state’s legislature recently expanded to grow the state’s natural gas network.

Some residents are objecting to the potential seizure of their land rights through eminent domain to build the pipeline. They are also raising questions about what they say is a lack of transparency regarding the state funding agreement.

The critics include Vern Thompson, a Democratic candidate for state agricultural commissioner, who organized a May 4 press conference that featured a small group of farmers, ranchers, and local officials.

“Why are meetings held behind closed doors by government officials and industry with no participation by the general public?” asked Tim Leppert, a zoning administrator for Russell Township in LaMoure County.

Learn more: https://news.oilandgaswatch.org/post/backed-by-500-million-in-state-funds-company-plans-350-mile-natural-gas-pipeline-across-north-dakota

05/20/2026

The Chemical Safety Board is opposing the Trump Administration's attempt to roll back Biden-era chemical disaster safety rules meant to prevent accidents at industrial facilities. In a public letter, CSB's members warned the administration is taking a step backwards in preventing chemical incidents and advised EPA not to eliminate mandatory audits at plants with prior accidents.

Trump's 2027 budget proposal requested no funding for the Safety Board, which would effectively eliminate the agency, just as his 2026 budget did (though Congress rejected this proposal and approved $14 million for the board this year). The administration has also argued that the Board’s work duplicates the work of other agencies like the EPA and Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which oversees worker safety.

Eliminating the Chemical Safety Board is a dangerous step backward. The Board plays a critical role in investigating chemical disasters and preventing future accidents. Without strong oversight and mandatory audits, communities and workers could face more serious and preventable incidents.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/climate/chemical-safety-board-disaster-warning-letter.html

05/19/2026

05/19/2026

EPA proposed a rule that would allow developers to begin certain construction projects before receiving key Clean Air Act permits. If finalized, companies could complete major site work, like pouring concrete pads, before installing pollution-emitting equipment such as gas turbines.

Environmental groups say the proposal could boost gas-powered AI data centers while weakening pollution safeguards. Permit requirements help officials assess health risks, adjust pollution controls, and encourage cleaner energy options before projects move forward.

Weakening Clean Air Act permitting removes important health and pollution safeguards that prevent overly harmful projects from moving forward. If finalized, this rule change could contribute to the growing number of risks faced by communities near gas-powered data centers.

https://heatmap.news/plus/the-fight/spotlight/trump-epa-air-permits-data-centers

05/15/2026

Trump rebrands struggling oil refinery along Texas coast as 'America First' refinery

In mid-March, amid a spike in gas prices brought on by the war in Iran, President Trump announced that American First Refining would build a crude oil refinery outside of Brownsville, Texas, along the Gulf Coast, adding, “This is what AMERICAN ENERGY DOMINANCE looks like.”

The $3-4 billion project, backed by India's Reliance Industries, operator of the world's biggest refining complex, is being promoted as a hydrogen-powered refinery that would produce some of the cleanest gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel in the country. Unlike most other Gulf Coast refineries, it would be designed to process light, low-sulfur crude oil from Texas’ fracking fields rather than the heavier crude with higher sulfur content piped in from Canada and Venezuela.

John V. Calce, chairman and founder of America First Refining, said in a statement that “for the first time in half a century, the U.S. will build a new refinery designed specifically for American shale oil.”

The announcement did not mention that, for almost a decade, the 240-acre Port of Brownsville site has been at the center of a struggling effort to construct a 160,000 barrel-per-day oil refinery under a different name.

So it’s not really a proposal to build a refinery “for the first time in a half century” – or a new refinery project at all.

Learn more: https://news.oilandgaswatch.org/post/trump-rebrands-struggling-oil-refinery-project-along-texas-coast-as-america-first-refinery

Watch video: https://youtu.be/_D4Hy5uxPIc

05/15/2026

After years of steady decline, mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants rose nearly 9% in 2025, according to a New York Times analysis. Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin linked to premature cardiovascular deaths in adults and developmental delays and reduced IQ in children.

Higher mercury emissions were fueled by increased coal-fired electricity generation, which also drove up CO2, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide pollution. At the same time, Trump’s EPA rolled back stronger Biden-era pollution limits for coal plants set to begin in 2027.

Rising mercury emissions from coal plants is a serious danger to public health and represents a step backward in public health progress for vulnerable communities across the U.S.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/climate/as-coal-rebounds-more-mercury-a-potent-toxin-is-in-the-air.html