U.S. Steel Corp Pollution at Gary Works

Gary Works is an extensive steelmaking complex that sits on approximately 3,000 acres along the south shore of Lake Michigan just 15 miles southeast of Chicago. It is known as the number one polluter in the Lake Michigan basin and the third largest throughout all of the Great Lakes. In fact, U.S. Steel reported dumping [...]

Shangba, China’s Village of Death

Photo Credit: Adam Cohn Just south of Liangqiao, in southern China’s Guangdong province is the small village of Shangba. On the surface, this community of roughly 3,300 appears to be a tranquil, rural village comprised of sugar cane fields and plentiful rice paddies. When a closer look is taken, the people of Shangba have been [...]

Endocrine Disruptors in Potomac River Fish

In 2006, researchers found that many large and smallmouth bass caught in the Potomac River and its tributaries in the Washington D.C. region were showing signs of “intersex.” Intersex is a condition in which the male fish start growing eggs in their reproductive organs. As is often the case, the most likely cause is environmental [...]

Newton Creek: a Worm in the Big Apple

Each year, during the annual New York City marathon, approximately 30,000 athletes cross the Pulaski Bridge. The Pulaski Bridge not only marks the halfway point of the marathon, it is also the most polluted and noxious waterway in the United States. The marathon walkers and runners will most likely notice the smell radiating up from [...]

Dirty Greens

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declared that all fresh spinach is again safe for human consumption. However, this outbreak was not the first time we saw this type of E. coli contamination and will not be the last. Dating back to 1995, this most recent E. coli poisoning episode is the 20th occurrence linked to spinach, lettuce and other salad greens.