“The U.S. each year produces more than 100 million tons of coal ash, a toxic substance made when coal is burned for electricity. Much of that waste is kept in active storage units around the country, where it can potentially leach into the groundwater and major waterways. Ivette Feliciano reports from one of these facilities…
“We speak to journalist Sharon Lerner about how corporations in the United States are refusing to turn to more sustainable materials, with most of the country’s plastic waste ending up in landfills or scattered around the world. According to her investigation, in 2015, the United States only recycled 9% of its plastic waste, and since…
“Asbestos is no longer ubiquitous in building materials, and since it’s proven to cause cancer, many Americans likely assumed the substance had been banned entirely. But not only is asbestos a naturally occurring mineral, it is also still used to make some household products. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports on “broken” U.S. regulation and why…
“In the 70 years that plastic has been around, humans have created 9 billion tons of it — most of which still exists. Are the existing strategies for tackling plastic pollution — namely reusing and recycling — really making any difference? Amna Nawaz and producer Lorna Baldwin make stops in three states to take a…
“In 1980, the Congress approved the Superfund program, generating money to clean up the country’s most hazardous toxic sites by imposing a tax on industries that polluted the most. Since 2000, the program’s purchasing power has declined by 40 percent and over 1,300 sites still need to be cleaned up. Katherine Probst, who has analyzed…