We hear about pollution all the time, but a new report names the biggest releasers of a rogue's gallery of toxic chemicals. We combed through the data to see where the mess is coming from... more ›

If the Chicago river smelled a little less offensive than usual this morning, it’s probably a coincidence. more ›

The USDA regularly tests produce for pesticides and other chemicals - and they were surprised to find cilantro (the first fresh herb tested) was absolutely loaded with pesticides. The Tribune's Monica Eng reported that 94% of the samples taken by the USDA tested positive for at least one pesticide, and 44% showed pesticides not approved for use in Cilantro - the number in apples was 2%. more ›

Greenpeace activists got busy yesterday protesting coal pollution in Chicago. more ›

A settlement between a Northwest Indiana utility and the US Environmental Protection Agency will likely result in cleaner air here and throughout the region. It could also bring renewed attention to Chicago’s two aging plants as one mayoral candidate has publicly expressed his wish that they clean up or shut down. more ›

Officials report that over 250,000 gallons of oil (or just shy of 6,000 barrels) have been recovered so far from the site of last week's oil leak in Romeoville though a rep from the EPA says it's still too early to say exactly how much oil spilled. It's been enough to spike gas prices across the region, though. Enbridge reports that the pipe has been repaired and the oil flow will begin again by Friday which should help ease the issue. What won't be eased is the pressure President Obama is putting on companies like Enbridge for oversight of the nation's pipelines, citing the Kalamazoo River oil spill and last week's natural gas explosion in San Bruno as examples. Here's a quick overview of Enbridge's violations. more ›

In case you missed it over the weekend, Josh did an excellent job updating us on the situation in Romeoville involving a leaking oil pipeline and breaking down the tomfoolery involving the culprit, Enbridge Energy. This morning, crews continue to work in Romeoville, closing in on the source of the leak which, as you may recall, Enbridge insisted was shut down less than an hour after the leak was reported last week. The EPA has given Enbridge a new deadline of noon tomorrow to stop the leak. There's no solid estimate given of how much oil has leaked thus far but Sam Borries on-scene coordinator for the EPA, said around 7,000 barrels of oil and water have been recovered. Average gas prices across the Midwest have increased six cents a gallon since the leak was reported last week. more ›

Here's some sunshiney news for your sunshiney (whoops) Friday afternoon: the oil leak in Romeoville? Yep, still seeping oil, according to the EPA. In a press release, the EPA said, "Contrary to published reports, EPA has determined that while the spill is being contained, the release of oil from the pipeline has not stopped." This contradicts Enbridge's claims that the oil leak had been shut down within an hour of the leak being reported. The EPA was to hold a press conference this afternoon to outline deadlines for Enbridge to clean up the spill. Meanwhile, some EPA devices that were stashed at a school were misidentified as "suspicious device." Oops. Oh, and oil prices in the Midwest are going up with the pipeline shut down. Double oops. more ›

As clean up of the Kalamazoo River oil spill continues, EPA officials continue to downplay fears that the spill has spread and is threatening Lake Michigan. The EPA's Ralph Dollhopf told the media, “There is no anticipated inflow (of oil) into the city of Kalamazoo. We are confident we can contain the oil upstream.” And another EPA official, Susan Hedman, disputed claims by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm that there was oil on Lake Morrow, an important milestone for potential spread of the oil downriver. Other experts have also spoken up saying, that while this is certainly a disaster for local wildlife, damage to Lake Michigan is unlikely. more ›

There were mixed messages coming out of Michigan yesterday where workers continued to clean up an oil spill on the Kalamazoo River near Marshall. The EPA has officially taken over clean-up duties and is now reporting that over one million gallons of oil leaked into the river and is affecting a 25-mile stretch of the river between Marshall and Battle Creek. U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R, St. Joseph) indicated there were no hitches in the clean-up: “They seem to be getting everything. The system seems to be working at the moment.” But Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm blasted the clean-up efforts. Calling the response "anemic," and "wholly inadequate," she added, “I’m very angered. We need for the responsible party (Enbridge Inc.) and the EPA to step up. The situation is very serious.” Rep. Mark Schauer echoed Gov. Graholm's anger, questioning the time it took Enbridge Energy Partners, the company that owns the pipeline, to report the leak and that officials might be underestimating how much oil entered the river. The EPA's takeover of the clean-up was underscored by the fact that Enbridge had been warned twice since late 2008 about possible pipeline corrosion and monitoring issues. more ›

It has been a rough week at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. The Trib revealed that the US EPA has joined the City and State in pushing for a significant clean-up of the Chicago River as part of an ongoing battle over the District's practice of dumping effluent into the waterway. And despite the Mayor's prickly "swim in the Potomac" response to the feds, the heat was turned up further on Thursday with strong anti-pollution editorials in both the Trib and the Sun-Times. more ›

Mayor Daley was in rare form on Wednesday responding to questions about a Trib story that revealed an April letter from the Obama Administration and the U.S. EPA pushing for the Chicago River to fulfill the Clean Water Act’s “fishable and swimmable” goal. Bristling at the federal guidance and unfunded mandates, Daley seemed to be channeling his inner Tea Partier when he blurted that the feds should, “Go swim in the Potomac,” and noted that, "We're trying to make this river every day cleanable, more cleanable." more ›

The great state of Illinois is now one-third of the way closer to classifying tire burning as green energy alongside wind and solar power. The Illinois House has shrugged off common sense and voted 61-45 on Monday to add "incineration and tire burning" to the state's definition of renewable energy. If passed by the Illinois Senate and signed by Governor Pat Quinn, the new definition would allow south suburban tire incineration company Geneva Energy to receive state funds and loans reserved for green energy companies. Supporters of the bill say incineration is an ideal way to safely dispose of the millions of unused tires that pile up in Illinois annually. And it would provide Geneva Energy with funds to keep operating. more ›

It’s amazing what five little words can do. An amendment to Illinois HB1470 would allow a tire incinerator in Ford Heights to receive green energy credits. The Tribune reports the bill would add the words “incineration or burning of tires,” giving tire burning the same status as wind and solar power, even though the practice releases plenty of toxic chemicals into the air such as carbon monoxide, butadiene, sulfur dioxide and styrene. more ›

Yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency released its list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest number of energy efficient buildings that earned EPA’s Energy Star in 2009. And Chicago has moved into the top five at fifth place overall (Chicago was sixth on the 2008 list). According to the EPA, Chicago had 134 Energy Star labeled buildings in 2009 (totaling 59.9 million square feet) for a reported savings of $50.2 million. The top 10 are: more ›

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that clean-up from the February 8 oil sludge spill at the Caterpillar, Inc. plant in Rockdale has been mostly completed. The EPA is also currently reviewing Caterpillar's plan and plans to issue any further rulings at a later date. The EPA and other federal authorities claim there was "no significant impact" on the ecological surroundings where the spill happened on the Des Plaines River. Officials did not state how many Shamwows were used in the clean-up. more ›

Things are a mess at the Caterpillar plant in Rockdale (near Joliet) this morning after a holding tank overflowed, sending 65,000 gallons of oil sludge spilling out into the surrounding area. Of that, 6,000 gallons wound up in the Des Plaines River. By Sunday night, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency officials claimed the spill had been contained and, according to spokeswoman Maggie Carson, "there is no evidence of a fish kill or harm to water fowl." Ginny Narsete, a spokeswoman for the U.S. EPA, said there was not enough oil or sludge in the water to cut off the oxygen supply to any fish in the river, the biggest danger in these situations. Of course, it was a three mile stretch of the Des Plaines that was affected, so while it's not out of the question there wasn't much harm to wildlife, it's still 6,000 gallons of oil sludge; that's going to mess with some part of the eco-system, right? Officials insist there is no eminent danger to any humans living in the area, though. more ›

The EPA has put Chicago and it's surrounding metro area on notice: clean up your air in five years or else.

The agency on Monday released a list of counties and urban areas that violate the revised standard. Six northeastern Illinois counties are on the list—Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will. Also cited are two fast-growing townships in Grundy County and one in Kendall, because pollution there is believed to contribute to the wider problem.

According to an EPA study, Cook County had the worst dangerous air pollution of any county in 2005 and the highest risk score, says a Tribune Watchdog Report, is a Lincoln Park steel mill. But it's not just in the city; according to the study, Will and DuPage Counties have six of the area's worst 50 factories and Lake County, Indiana has nine. more ›

According to a letter the EPA sent Governor Blagojevich, air quality in 14 Illinois Counties—Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, Grundy, Kendall, Rock Island, Massac, Madison, Monroe, St. Clair and Randolph—does not meet federal pollution standards. Prepare ye wrists for slapping, Illinois! "The EPA said it intends to settle on its final soot nonattainment list by Dec. 18. Counties included on that list would face pressure to cut levels of microscopic soot produced by power plants, diesel-burning trucks, cars and factories." [AP, Trib]
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Although it may not feel like it, at some point summer will (allegedly) kick in and children will once again take up ye olde pastimes like stickball, frolicking in sprinklers, and drinking from garden hoses. Pesky science, however, has once again reared its ugly head to mar said pastimes. Parents are becoming alarmed by labels on garden hoses warning of the risk of lead leaching into the hose water, making it unsafe for those who drink water straight from the hose. more ›

EPA Midwest administrator Mary Gade has been forced to resign her post. Last summer, Gade invoked emergency powers against Dow Chemical to force the company to clean up three toxic hotspots near their Midlands, Michigan headquarters. She had been fighting the company for years over dioxin-contaminated soil and sediment that extends 50 miles beyond the Midlands plant and into Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. And when tests revealed that dioxin levels in along a park in Saginaw were the highest in the nation, she ordered more dredging. Dow and the EPA had been working out a deal over the cleanup, but Gade ended those negotiations in January, saying that Dow wasn't taking the steps necessary to protect public health. Company officials appealed to Washington, and Gade was forced from her position yesterday. more ›