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Aerial view of the National Petroleum Reserve in northwestern Alaska

The Biden Administration Protects Millions of Acres of Arctic Alaska

Latest NewsAlaskaJenny Shalant
The new Special Areas Rule in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska could boost biodiversity and empower Indigenous Peoples to defend the lands they’ve relied on for generations.
Two adults and a child walk along a sandy shoreline

“Forever Chemicals” Called PFAS Show Up in Your Food, Clothes, and Home

ExplainerUnited StatesMolly M. Ginty, Courtney Lindwall
These toxic chemicals are so common in consumer products and manufacturing that they’re everywhere—including inside our bodies.
A river with green trees on either side, with yellow hills in the background

In Planning for Climate Change, Native Americans Draw on the Past

ExplainerUnited States, CanadaTim Vanderpool
Across North America, Indigenous tribes and nations are consulting their traditional ecological knowledge to help prepare for a warming world.

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Michigan PFAS Testing: Good Start but Many Still at Risk

Expert BlogMichiganDr. Anna Reade

While the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) announced that approximately 90 percent of water supplies had no PFAS detections, results show that many communities are still exposed to levels that can lead to serious health effects.

As Lead Levels Rise, Newark’s Water Filter Program Must Be Fixed

Expert BlogErik D. Olson
Earlier this month, Newark reported yet another exceedance of the 15 parts per billion federal action level for lead in drinking water, its fifth exceedance in the five six-month monitoring periods that have elapsed over the past two years. This…

Michigan Proposes Strong, Yet Incomplete PFAS Protections

Expert BlogDr. Anna Reade, Cyndi Roper
Michigan is proposing some of the most health-protective standards in the nation for several PFAS, a group of chemicals of great environmental and health concern, yet could be missing out on the opportunity to protect its citizens in the long-term.

Inside the Fight for Clean Water in Newark

DispatchNewark, New JerseyCourtney Lindwall
Denials and delays from city officials have failed to keep residents safe from high levels of lead in their drinking water. These community organizers are busy picking up the slack.

L.A. Takes a Fresh Look at Recycled Water

DispatchLos AngelesLauren Evans
Facing dwindling freshwater supplies, the city is ready to stop dumping millions of gallons into the Pacific—and to follow Orange County’s lead.

Getting the Lead Out of DC Drinking Water

Expert BlogValerie Baron
Earlier this year, the District Council took a step to clean up our drinking water, passing a law that would prohibit partial lead service line replacements—a practice that contributes to elevated lead levels.

Newark’s Lead Crisis Continues: Even Higher Levels in 2019

Expert BlogNewarkErik D. Olson

The first few months of 2019 have brought disturbing news for Newark residents—skyrocketing levels of lead in drinking water. Since the start of the year, more than 10 percent of Newark’s reported drinking water samples have exceeded 66.9 parts per…

EPA Yet Again Fails to Set Health-Protective Levels for PFAS

Expert BlogDr. Anna Reade
Yesterday the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released draft interim recommendations for addressing groundwater contaminated with PFOA and PFOS. EPA’s proposal would leave Americans across the country who live near contaminated sites unprotected from potentially dangerous levels of these toxic…

Five Years In, Flint’s Water Crisis Isn’t Over

Expert BlogFlintSarah Tallman

Rev. Allen Overton and Melissa Mays, co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to the ongoing replacement of Flint’s lead pipes, describe lessons learned—and a community that’s determined to better its future.

Get the Lead Out of Drinking Water in Schools: Model Law

Expert BlogJoan Leary Matthews
Lead in drinking water in schools has been in the news over the years, with particular concerns in New York City and Washington, D.C., among other cities. But ever since the recent crisis of lead in drinking water exploded in…

Michigan Should Set Precedent-Setting PFAS Water Standards

Expert BlogDr. Anna Reade, Erik D. Olson
Today the Natural Resources Defense Council filed an extensive scientific report making a detailed case for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to establish strict drinking water standards for five chemicals within the PFAS class. We also requested that…

Basic Fairness: Access to Water & Sewer Service in Michigan

Expert BlogLarry Levine
In this country, in this day and age, it’s shameful that our public water systems often struggle to provide safe, sufficient, affordable, accessible water for the people those systems were built to serve.