Health and Public Safety

February 27, 2015 - Communities in West Virginia and Alabama are among those that have experienced fiery disasters when trains hauling crude oil derailed, and the government expects more incidents like these due to the oil shale drilling boom. So why are industry interests blocking new regulations that aim to protect the public?

February 26, 2015 - A strike among oil refinery workers continues into the fourth week as negotiations continue. The strike was sparked by concerns over safety standards.

February 20, 2015 - While governors in the Southeast are pushing for offshore oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic, elected officials in other East Coast states are fighting the proposal, saying the potential cost is too great.

February 13, 2015 - Thousands of U.S. oil refinery workers are on strike over health and safety. They cite outsourcing, short staffing, and forced overtime that produces dangerous fatigue -- in a job where mistakes can be fatal.

February 13, 2015 - Residents of Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia rallied, marched and prayed this week against fracking, gas pipelines, dirty power plants, coal ash dumping, and public investments in fossil fuels. The actions preceded an international Valentine's Day protest calling on the world to break up with dirty energy.

February 12, 2015 - States have laws about parental drug use. But Tennessee's law handcuffs new mothers, including ones who are poor, upon delivery. Treatment for those seeking help is rare.

February 6, 2015 - This week marked the first anniversary of a massive coal ash spill into the Dan River from a retired Duke Energy power plant in North Carolina. How much safer are the public and the environment today?