Her gray SUV packed and a fire-proof bag ready, Melissa Bumstead didn’t waste any time Monday as plumes of smoke engulfed the sky near her suburb.
Most neighbors in West Hills—about 30 miles west of downtown Los Angeles—stayed put after only a voluntary “evacuation warning” was issued for the area. But not her.
As the ever-growing Sandy Fireswept across Southern California, the 45-year-old mother could only think of one thing. Bumstead lives less than four miles from the site of possibly the worst nuclear meltdown in U.S. history besides the Three Mile Island accident.
The Santa Susana Field Laboratory is known locally as a problem site—with a pockmarked history amid a spotty cleanup. A blaze hitting the former nuclear reactor and rocket testing site, Bumstead is sure, would be a cataclysm.
More of our coverage of the biggest story on the planet:
- As of Thursday evening, air sampling locations have been established in seven areas near the Sandy Fire northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
- A group of the world’s leading climate scientists are warning governments and the livestock industry against adopting an “accounting trick”that will imperil the all-out global effort required to control heat-trapping emissions.
- Environmental groups on Thursday sued the U.S. government to ensure internationally sourced seafood doesn’t threaten whales or dolphins that become entangled or drown due to sometimes lethal fishing techniques.
Wildfire Crews Race to Keep Fierce California Blaze From Former Nuclear Reactor Site
BY STEVEN RODAS, NINA DIETZ
Shifting winds placed a former nuclear reactor and rocket testing site in the path of the growing Sandy Fire. The region’s first major blaze of the season raised alarm from families aware of the site’s history and spotty cleanup.Corpus Christi Postpones Water Emergency to December as ‘Super El Niño’ Offers an End to Drought
BY DYLAN BADDOUR, EMILY SALAZAR
In April, one of the city’s three reservoirs received its first inflows in eight months. But narrowly avoiding an immediate disaster doesn’t mean that Corpus Christi has solved its water crisis.A Utility Mega-Merger Is All About Data Centers
BY DAN GEARINO, AMY GREEN, CHARLES PAULLIN
NextEra’s blockbuster deal with Dominion means the largest electricity company stands to benefit even more from AI growth. But what does it mean for ratepayers?Platner’s Energy Plan Prioritizes Lowering Costs and Taking on Big Oil and the ‘Oligarchy’
BY NATHANIEL EISEN
Senate candidate Graham Platner’s key energy goal is to reduce costs for Mainers. He’d also like to tax the “ever-living hell out of the companies that made a lot of money on fossil fuels while they destroyed the planet.”Congress Grills Officials About the Potomac River Sewage Spill
BY GABRIEL MATIAS CASTILHO
Months after a collapsed pipe pushed nearly 250 million gallons of raw sewage into the river, residents say the area still smells.China’s Shark Finning Could Lead to US Seafood Sanctions
BY JOHNNY STURGEON
A formal petition to the U.S. government calls for sanctions on Chinese seafood imports as it highlights China’s loophole-ridden illegal shark fin trade.As Communities Warn of Health Risks, New York Will Weaken Its Landmark Climate Law
BY LAUREN DALBAN
Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced revisions to the state’s greenhouse gas emissions targets that will push off its 2030 deadline. Organizers believe residents are already suffering.Six Months After Oil Spilled Into California Tributary, Families Worry the Cleanup Was Never Finished
BY STEVEN RODAS
People in Ventura County are also concerned that an early estimate—which noted that about 420 gallons of crude oil was accidentally released into a waterway last fall—is inaccurate. Local and federal officials are investigating.A Youth-Led Campaign Claims a Win For Climate Justice
BY BOB BERWYN
A new U.N. resolution reinforces a landmark court opinion tying fossil fuel use to human rights abuses and legal responsibility for climate change.Could Georgia Voters Turn Their Utilities Commission Blue?
BY RYAN KRUGMAN
Democrats are within reach of a majority on Georgia’s Public Service Commission, a little-known body that oversees Georgia Power and utility rates.New Zealand Moves to Ban Tort Liability for Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Damage
BY DANA DRUGMAND
The move comes as the American Petroleum Institute and Republicans in Congress push legislation in the U.S. to shield the oil and gas industry from climate accountability.Sea Level Rise and Sunny-Day Flooding Can’t Stop a Building Boom on the Jersey Shore
BY EMILIE LOUNSBERRY
Developers and politicians are looking to the state’s Democratic governor, legislation or the courts for relief from stringent new state regulations limiting construction along the coast.
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EPA Claims ‘Overwhelming Rejection’ of EVs as It Moves to Loosen Air Pollution Rules
BY ANIKA JANE BEAMER
A proposed rule would give auto manufacturers until 2029 to meet smog and particulate matter emissions standards while the agency reconsiders the requirements altogether.
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