Health and Public Safety

May 7, 2012 - A commercial diver who worked in the Gulf of Mexico following the BP disaster has filed a lawsuit blaming his serious health problems -- and the suicide deaths of two of his colleagues -- on the oil and chemical dispersants used to break up the slick.

May 1, 2012 - Despite the million-dollar ad campaigns and the political rhetoric about the Gulf returning to normal, many -- especially in the fishing community -- are facing a new reality and fear their lives will never be the same.

April 30, 2012 - Embroiled in controversy for its role in passing "Stand Your Ground", the American Legislative Exchange Council also worked to block federal regulation of toxic power plant waste that's contaminating groundwater supplies across the country -- and it turns out that the group has close ties to major coal ash polluters.  

April 23, 2012 - A health survey conducted in Gulf Coast communities by the Louisiana Environmental Action Network finds widespread and frequent illnesses among people exposed to pollution from the disaster.

April 4, 2012 - A new report on county health outcomes gets to the heart of the ideological debate.

April 2, 2012 - Another forum to let the people weigh in on a proposal to lift the state's ban on the controversial natural-gas drilling technique will take place tonight in Pittsboro, N.C. The hearing was added after large crowds showed up at two earlier forums.  

March 29, 2012 - Since the BP disaster, a small but dedicated corps of Gulf residents has monitored the beaches and shorelines, photographing and documenting the steady stream of death and oily waste that still washes in.