Circle of Blue

● The U.S. EPA has proposed repealing a landmark rule that sets limits on four types of PFAS compounds in drinking water. ● Australia is projecting its wheat exports this year will be 15 million tons lighter than usual amid rising fertilizer costs and a strong forecasted El Niño. ● The United Nations is warning of a global sand deficit caused by over-dredging, threatening water quality, infrastructure, and biodiversity. ● Pollution in Colombia’s Magdalena River is contributing to the rapid spread of an invasive plant that is restricting wetland communities’ access to fresh water.

KEY POINTS A warming climate is increasing the risk to water infrastructure. The U.S. recorded a record number of billion-dollar weather disasters in the last three years. Weather hazards, combined with aging infrastructure and rising costs, are raising the cost of supplying water. When the Eaton Fire blitzed central Los Angeles County in January 2025, […]

Legislators are considering classifying natural gas and some coal as “clean” energy sources while effectively banning solar and wind in a race to secure electricity for AI training

● A report from the UK Parliament warns of a 1.3 billion gallon daily water shortage in England if action is not taken to address climate change and industrial growth. ● Laos, a major energy producer in Southeast Asia, is adding another 80-megawatt hydropower project to the Sekong River, a key Mekong tributary. ● All of North Carolina is under drought conditions following its second-driest January-through-April span in 130 years. ● A new study from Sri Lanka warns that a cocktail of untreated sewage and saltwater in several major rivers is leading to the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

EPA aims to end federal regulation of four PFAS in drinking water and give utilities more time to comply with existing rules.

Illinois has enacted new PFAS monitoring requirements to address environmental concerns and protect water resources.

The Rundown And lastly, the EPA administrator visits Great Salt Lake. “Not just for Utah, but also for our nation, Great Salt Lake is vital to our economy, national security, and environment, and it’s entirely necessary to save.” – Lee Zeldin, EPA administrator, in a statement posted to X. Zeldin joined Utah congressional representatives on […]

Expect the unexpected. That’s the only certainty of planting season across the Corn Belt. Heat. Frost. Insects. Too much rain, or none at all. Now add the distress the Trump administration has cursed farmers with: Broken markets. Tariffs. Rising fuel costs. Never, though, has the unexpected included this spring’s surprise: serious consideration of the harm […]

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Find out why the Illinois POWER Act fails to pass, leaving crucial data center water usage and energy use regulations unaddressed.