Parts Per Billion

Latest Episodes:

'Tiger King,' Virus Make Wildlife a Bipartisan Issue Apr 29, 2020

Show notes

A strange confluence of events involving a hit Netflix TV show and a global pandemic originating from the animal trade has all of a sudden turned wildlife trafficking into a prime time topic on Capitol Hill.

On this episode of Parts Per Billion, reporter Dean Scott explains why both Republicans and Democrats now view a crack down on the sale of wildlife as a winning political issue heading into this fall's elections.

Read more reporting on this issue here.

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Toxic Cleanup Slowdown Hits Low Income Areas Hardest Apr 22, 2020

Show notes

The EPA took action earlier this month to allow cleanup work at some toxic Superfund sites to slow down or even stop during the coronavirus pandemic.

The agency did this to protect the workers cleaning up these sites, who may not be able to social distance on the job or to even find the necessary protective gear. But the move also negatively affects the neighborhoods near Superfund sites, many of which contain a disproportionate amount of public housing.

On this week's episode of Parts Per Billion, reporter Sylvia Carignan explains what this Superfund order means and why these sites tend to be located in low income communities.

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Why Interior's Post-Virus Plan is Lots of Hunting Apr 15, 2020

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The Department of the Interior wants Americans to celebrate the (presumptive) end of the coronavirus pandemic this fall by going out to federal lands and hunting some animals.

On this episode of Parts Per Billion, reporter Bobby Magill explains why the department wants to open up millions of acres of public wildlife refuges for hunting and what this could mean for the environment.

Click here to read more of Bobby's reporting on this issue.

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Pandemic's Effects on Environment Are Good, Bad, Weird Apr 08, 2020

Show notes

The massive scope of the coronavirus pandemic is having some strange effects on the environment. For example, some sewer operators are reporting an increased rate of blockages caused by a pile up of those "flushable" sanitizing wipes everyone is using.

On this episode of Parts Per Billion, we speak with California correspondent Emily C. Dooley about some of the strange environmental trends that have popped up in her state and elsewhere as a result of the pandemic and its economic aftermath.

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Virus Strains Waste Industry, Regulators Weigh Relief Apr 01, 2020

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The waste management industry is about to get a deluge of medical waste as the coronavirus pandemic ramps up in the U.S. This deluge is also coming at a time when many of its employees will likely be getting sick.

On today's episode of Parts Per Billion, reporter Sylvia Carignan talks about how the industry is asking for some leniency from environmental regulators and about how that leniency could affect the environment.

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Judges Struggle With Environmental Cases Amid Pandemic Mar 25, 2020

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Environmental problems persist, so federal judges hearing environmental cases are struggling to make sure this litigation doesn't grind to a halt.

On today's episode of Parts Per Billion, legal reporter Ellen M. Gilmer talks about the many virus-related delays in these cases and about one case over the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline in which a judge decided a hearing must go on.

(Note: After the recording of this episode, the judge in the Dakota pipeline case issued a ruling. Visit news.bloombergenvironment.com for breaking news coverage.)

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EPA Grudgingly Embraces Telecommuting Amid Pandemic Mar 18, 2020

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The EPA under the Trump administration has frowned upon allowing its own employees to work from home—that is, until a global pandemic suddenly changed the agency's mind.

On this episode of Parts Per Billion, reporter Stephen Lee talks about the EPA's approach toward telework, how the coronavirus has altered that approach, and about the Trump administration's attempt to bring private-sector management philosophies into the government.

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Gun Toting Ranchers May Win With Trump Grazing Policy Mar 11, 2020

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A group of heavily armed ranchers made headlines a few years ago by getting into a tense standoff with law enforcement during their protest of federal grazing policies.

Though those Obama-era protests more or less fizzled out, Bloomberg Environment's Bobby Magill says now the Trump administration may be poised to give the angry ranchers nearly everything they wanted. Magill joins our podcast, Parts Per Billion, to talk about the proposal to change grazing rules on federal lands and what its environmental impact could be.

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Honey Bees Get Attention, But Native Bees Need Help Feb 28, 2020

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Problems with honey bees have grabbed headlines, but scientists say we should really be tracking the health of native bee species.

That's one of many topics discussed at a recent annual conference in Seattle for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS. Bloomberg Environment's Adam Allington was at the conference and held a live taping of our special six-part podcast series, Business of Bees. Host: David Schultz. Producers: Jessica Coomes, Marissa Horn, Josh Block.

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Dominion, Duke Hike to Supreme Court in Trail Dispute Feb 18, 2020

Show notes

Two energy companies, Dominion and Duke, want to build a pipeline underneath the famed Appalachian Trail, but environmentalists want them to go take a hike. On this episode of Parts Per Billion, we head out to the trail with Bloomberg Environment's Ellen M. Gilmer and find out what this dispute is about and why it's heading all the way to the Supreme Court. Host: David Schultz. Editors: Marissa Horn and Josh Block.

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