Environmental Protection Agency

Companies across the country say the pandemic is interfering with their ability to comply with laws that protect the public from pollution. The federal government is not keeping track of requests for regulatory leniency during the pandemic.

As EPA Steps Back, States Face Wave Of Requests For Environmental Leniency

Rebecca Hersher

The EPA does not require companies to notify federal regulators if the pandemic interferes with pollution monitoring or reporting. That leaves states alone on the front lines of pollution control.

Elite Octane Ethanol in Atlantic, Iowa, is one of many Midwest plants. The industry has hit some snags in recent years.

HPPR Environment

Court Decision May Bring Some Relief To Ethanol Industry

Amy Mayer

A recent federal court decision may reduce the number of small refinery waivers the Environmental Protection Agency issues in the future. The ethanol...

A 2013 explosion at a fertilizer plant in West killed 15 people.

HPPR Environment

Trump EPA Eases Safety Requirements Enacted After West Explosion

Kiah Collier, San Angelo Standard-Times

Days before President Barack Obama left office in 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule aimed at preventing tragedies like the...

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley has worked to ensure the required volume of ethanol mandated by the RFS is maintained.

HPPR Environment

For Biofuels Industry, Federal Support Is Crucial — And Uncertain

Amy Mayer

The comment period on an Environmental Protection Agency rule regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) ends this month, but farm state lawmakers and...

Many oil wells burn off methane, a potent greenhouse gas, in a process called flaring.

HPPR Economy and Enterprise

Even Some In the Industry Oppose Trump Administration's Plan To Roll Back Methane Rules

Mose Buchele

In Washington, D.C., on Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced plans for a major rollback of rules aimed at reducing methane emissions...

An EPA investigation found this sign in a Nebraska field. It provides information about pesticide applications in the area.

HPPR Environment

Revised Worker Protection Standard Still Leaves Field Crews Vulnerable To Pesticides

Amy Mayer

More than 2 million people in the U.S. work in or near agriculture fields that are treated with pesticides. The Environmental Protection Agency has...

Mosquitos don't suck our blood. We pump it into them.

HPPR Environment

When The Skies Clear, Prepare To Fight An Old Enemy Once Again

Brian Kirkpatrick

Recent rains and warmer weather are expected to make the local mosquito population explode. Local health officials offered advice on how to fight them off.

HPPR Environment

Contaminated Groundwater Will Not Affect Amarillo’s Water

Officials say Amarillo will not be affected by recent reports of groundwater contamination linked to Cannon Air Force Base—despite the fact that the…

HPPR Environment

Fracking's Forgotten Waste Endangers Rural Regions

Alison Stine hails from a tiny town in southeastern Ohio that holds an unfortunate interest for those in the High Plains energy industry.Due to its…

HPPR Environment

EPA Proposes Using Less Ethanol In Nation's Fuel Supply

Luke Runyon

The federal government is proposing refiners use slightly less ethanol in the nation’s fuel supply next year. However, the cut would not be a blow to...