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Ohio EPA Weighs Allowing Data Centers to Dump Wastewater Into Rivers
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency released a draft for a new permit that would allow data centers across the state to release untreated wastewater and stormwater directly into rivers and streams. The new permit would apply to water that circulates through all current or future data centers, regardless of location. Residents like John Scholl shared concerns about the environmental impact if that permit is approved.
“The EPA is supposed to be protecting the environment; it’s in the title,” Scholl said. “And this draft essentially just makes it clear that they understand that the data centers themselves are going to be releasing pollutants.”
The first page of the draft reads: “It has been determined that a lowering of water quality of various waters of the state associated with granting coverage under this permit is necessary to accommodate important social and economic development in the state of Ohio.”
HHS Secretary Kennedy Announces Nutrition Requirements for Medical Licensing, Baby Formula Safety Standards at Austin Rally for Real Food
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that medical schools will soon teach nutrition after the addition of nutrition questions to licensing exams, and revealed that baby formula will be fully tested by April for PFAS, pesticides, and heavy metals at the Eat Real Food Rally presented by MAHA Action.
Speaking to a capacity crowd at Brazos Hall, Secretary Kennedy also announced the closure of the GRAS loophole, requiring any new food ingredient to provide proof of safety. Companies including Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks will be required to produce safety data they were supposed to have maintained. The reforms aim to ensure American foods follow the highest safety and nutritional standards globally.
“A healthy person has a thousand dreams. A sick person only has one. And right now, most of our kids only have one dream, and that’s not good for our country,” Secretary Kennedy said, calling for restoration of cooking, family meals, and human connection as a foundation for rebuilding American health.
Dow Asks Texas to Legalize Plastic Pollution From Its Seadrift Complex
Two weeks ago, when Texas sued a massive Dow petrochemical plant over water pollution, state environmental regulators were already considering a novel proposal from the company that would effectively legalize discharges of plastic material from the 4,700–acre complex into waters feeding San Antonio Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
If approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, it could set a precedent for authorizing discharges of materials like polyethylene pellets and PVC powder from other plastics manufacturing facilities, legal experts said.
Dow and its subsidiary, Union Carbide Corporation, requested the tweak to its wastewater permit in a 320-page application filed Jan. 4 — three weeks after a citizen group announced plans to sue the companies over unpermitted plastic pollution. The TCEQ posted the application for public comment in February.
Trump Officials Move to Kill System That Protects US From Chemical Disasters
The Trump administration is slowly dismantling the federal disaster management system that protects the nation from chemical catastrophes, such as fires and explosions at high-risk facilities. The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Response Management Program (RMP) requires more than 12,500 high-risk facilities to develop protocols to prevent catastrophes, or limit fallout, and was largely designed to protect workers, first responders, and fence-line communities.
In 2024, the Biden administration finalized a rule 12 years in the making that meaningfully strengthened protections. However, industry in early 2025 asked the incoming Donald Trump EPA to undo it because, chemical companies claim, its provisions are too expensive to implement.
The Trump EPA is now moving to kill most of the 2024 rules after it eliminated a public website that informs communities and first responders which chemicals are in use at facilities. The White House has also targeted the Chemical Safety Board, which reviews accidents and develops actions to avoid a repeat.
Wisconsin Lowers PFAS Drinking Water Limit From 70 ppt to 4 ppt Under New Rules
Governor Tony Evers announced that he has approved new changes to bring the state’s current drinking water standards in line with federal limits for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). It reduces the state’s threshold for PFAS contamination from its current, outdated level of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) to a new enforceable standard of 4.0 part per trillion (ppt) for certain contaminants — an effort that will significantly improve drinking water standards and quality for Wisconsinites.
The governor’s announcement also comes as last year, the Natural Resources Board and the governor approved amendments to the state’s lead and copper rule to be in line with federal standards. This announcement comes amid ongoing bipartisan negotiations between Gov. Evers and Republican lawmakers to ensure the release of $125 million in long-awaited investments to address PFAS contaminants that were approved in the 2023-25 Biennial Budget over two years ago.
The Wisconsin State Assembly approved Assembly Bill 130 and Assembly Bill 131, which, as passed, reflect key aspects of the bipartisan compromise. Now, the measures are being considered for approval by the Wisconsin State Senate, which is slated to conclude its general-business session in March, with opportunities for additional limited-business in April.
Urgent Warning to Pet Owners as Scientists Discover TOXIC Cancer-Causing Chemicals in Popular Wet Foods
Your pet could be at risk from toxic cancer–causing ‘forever’ chemicals found in popular wet foods, according to a new study. Per– and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals often used in plastics, cleaning products and non–stick coatings. They can take over 1,000 years to break down and have been detected in nearly all environments including remote Arctic areas, deep oceans, drinking water and human blood.
Now, experts have found that pets could be exposed to these forever chemicals in the food they eat – with the largest intake from wet products. For their study, the team analysed 100 popular commercial pet food products sold in Japan – including those from China, the USA, Australia and the EU.
They detected PFAS across many of them, with higher concentrations in fish–based foods and dry products. However, because wet foods have higher serving sizes, they resulted in the greatest exposure. ‘The PFAS concentrations detected in pet food in this study are a significant source of daily exposure for companion animals,’ the researchers warned.
