Durbin urges action on lead threat to children
A decades-old federal policy that puts children at risk for lead poisoning is drawing the attention of an Illinois senator after the Tribune documented a once-hidden problem facing poor families....
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Flint water crisis reflects national ambivalence on pollution regulation
The last time a top Chicago-based EPA official was ousted from her post, it was for being too aggressive about fighting pollution in Michigan. Mary Gade was forced out as...
Federal housing policy leaves poor kids at risk of lead poisoning
When Lanice Walker moved in 2012 from public housing to a private rental in Chicago's Austin neighborhood, she thought she finally had secured a safe, cozy place for her family...
EPA testing finds dirty air on Union Station platforms
Confirming what Chicago-area commuters have experienced for years, federal regulators have documented spikes of lung- and heart-damaging pollution in the acrid blue clouds that hover between diesel locomotives at Union...
Triphenyl phosphate, found in ‘eco-friendly’ nail polish, spurs worries
Some cosmetics manufacturers and beauty salons promote "eco-friendly" nail polishes that are free of a handful of chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive problems. But a new study suggests a...
Pilsen residents kept waiting for cleanup of toxic lead contamination
Clouds of metallic-tasting smoke that churned for years through Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood left dozens of yards contaminated with dangerous amounts of brain-damaging lead. Using forensic sleuthing techniques, the U.S. Environmental...
EPA toughens smog limit, but health and business groups split on its impact
Polluting industries will be required to do more to curb lung-damaging smog under new restrictions announced Thursday by the Obama administration, but most of the nation is projected to clean...
CPSC considers ban on toxic flame retardants in household products
For the government's top consumer safety watchdog, protecting Americans from household hazards typically means prodding companies to recall defective products that strangle children, cause life-threatening burns or trigger bone-breaking falls....
Chicago River still teems with fecal bacteria, tests show
People are dipping kayaks into the Chicago River from boathouses designed by celebrated architects. Tourists are flocking to restaurants and bars on the newly extended Riverwalk that invites onlookers to...
Obama unveils rules to limit carbon dioxide emissions, curb climate change
In a sweeping bid to curb heat-trapping pollution that is altering the planet's climate, President Barack Obama on Monday unveiled the first-ever limits on carbon dioxide emissions from the nation's...