View this email in your browser
In January, a 60-year-old sewer pipe known as the Potomac Interceptor, running along the Maryland shoreline of the Potomac, collapsed near the Clara Barton Parkway corridor in Montgomery County, releasing an estimated 243 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River over approximately three weeks.
But even before that spill, another crisis had already begun to unfold elsewhere in the watershed. At Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, a fuel system failure on Dec. 11 led to thousands of gallons of jet fuel entering the headwaters of Piscataway Creek, a tributary that feeds directly into the Potomac. The leak continued for months before state regulators were notified.
Stretching more than 400 miles, the Potomac River is a source of drinking water for more than 5 million people in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. In April, American Rivers, a conservation nonprofit, named it the most endangered river in the country, citing both the sewage spill and the rapid expansion of data centers.
Dean Naujoks, an investigator with the Potomac Riverkeeper Network, believes neither crisis happened in a vacuum.
More of our coverage of the biggest story on the planet:
- The Trump administration’s new regulatory rollbacks on chemical refrigerants will likely cost consumers more money while creating higher emissions of climate-warming superpollutants.
- The federal government’s pause on new loans for anaerobic digesters, the controversial method of converting animal manure from large-scale feeding operations into biogas, will now extend through the end of the year.
- Researchers are testing whether cross-breeding elkhorn coralsfrom Florida and Honduras can help restore lost genetic diversity and improve the threatened species’ ability to withstand warmer waters.
Sewage and Fuel Leaks Contaminate the Potomac River, Source of Drinking Water for More Than 5 Million People
BY AMAN AZHAR
Observers believe regulatory failures contributed to catastrophic sewage and fuel leaks in the watershed. The river was recently named the most endangered in the nation.Forecasters Predict Below-Average Hurricane Season, Advise Against Complacency
BY AMY GREEN
The forecasters said an expected El Niño was poised to temper hurricane activity inthe Atlantic, but they urged preparedness.The 2026 World Cup Will Feature a Villainous Player: Extreme Heat
BY GABRIEL MATIAS CASTILHO
As athletes and academics urge FIFA to update its heat-stress framework, a study shows nearly a quarter of all games are likely to be played in dangerous temperatures.Malnourished Gray Whales of the Eastern North Pacific Are in‘Serious Trouble’
BY BLAINE HARDEN
The population has plummeted over the past seven years as climatechange triggers mass starvation in warming Arctic waters.Environmentalists Turn Out in Force to Oppose Trump Coal Ash Rollbacks
BY ARCELIA MARTIN
Proposed new regulations from the EPA would loosen requirements for protecting groundwater near power plants where the toxic residue from burning coal is stored. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin calls the changes “commonsense” moves to maintain American energy dominance.Pennsylvania’s Governor Has a Plan to Make Data Centers Bring Their Own Energy. Now Comes the Hard Part.
BY KYLE BAGENSTOSE
Making AI data centers cover the costs of their energy use requires help from legislators and others beyond Gov. Josh Shapiro’s reach.Hardline Conservative Wins Republican Primary for Texas Oil and Gas Regulator
BY MARTHA PSKOWSKI
Bo French prevailed over incumbent Jim Wright after a primary campaign focused more on Islamophobia and deportations than oil and gas regulation.Air Monitors Used inCalifornia Tank Crisis Were Inadequate in the Past, Leaving Returning Residents Uneasy
BY STEVEN RODAS
About 50,000 people fled when a chemical tank from aircraft parts manufacturer GKN Aerospace threatened to explode in Orange County. Some of them say they no longer trust the air or the company after the incident.Community Leaders inFlorida Say Trump’s FEMA Pullback Leaves Them Struggling to Fill the Void
BY AMY GREEN, CHARLES PAULLIN
The president may have backed off killing the agency outright, but his FEMA Review Council clearly sees a much reduced emergency management role for the federal government.In Venezuela, Anxiety About Ramping Up Oil Production in the Heavily Polluted Lake Maracaibo Region
BY AVRIL SILVA
Experts and local activists, wary of past exploitation, are hoping it will be different this time—but aren’t confident it will be.As Seas Rise, Louisiana Faces a Choice: Plan for Movement or Let Crisis Decide
BY AVERY SCHUYLER NUNN
Coastal Louisiana may be ground zero for climate migration in the U.S., but a new study argues that planning now could turn displacement into agency.Residents Wrangle Over Transmission Line Proposal for Rural Virginia
BY CHARLES PAULLIN
Valley Link would connect a potential nuclear reactor and fossil fueled-powered plants to serve suburban data centers.
📈 Trending
In Florida, an Agricultural Town inNeed of an Economic Boost Eyes Hyperscale Data Centers
BY AMY GREEN
Across the state’s heartland, communities such as Indiantown are weighing proposals for hyperscale data centers. The massive facilities would reshape Florida’s rural lands.
👀 Looking for More Climate News?
🟢 Visit our website for the latest.
🟡 Sign up for more newsletters, including our twice-weekly Today’s Climateand Thursday’s Inside Clean Energy.
⚫️ Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.
🔴 Have a tip or story idea? Contact us.Copyright © 2026 Inside Climate News, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you signed up on our website: insideclimatenews.orgUpdate Em