Australia sought guidance from US environmental regulators about the impact of fracking on water supplies. The practice is currently banned in some Australian states, but the federal government wants a new set of guidelines regarding the process. The US’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided the Australian Department of the Environment with details of a recent study it had carried out... 

An area near a chemical plant in the Vigo County city of Terre Haute, Indiana has been evacuated and cordoned off, as witnesses reported feeling chemicals burning their lungs and throats. Officials have confirmed a spill of sulfur dioxide. Vigo County Central Dispatch has confirmed that chemicals were spilt at 2400 Erie Canal Road in the southern part of the city, which is where Hydrite Chemical Co.... 

Struggling with the pollution of the Spokane River, a town in the state of Washington is taking agrochemical giant Monsanto to court for selling chemicals that endanger human health and the environment, despite it allegedly having known of the hazard for decades. The lawsuit, filed in a US District Court in Spokane, Washington, holds Monsanto accountable for pollutants flowing into the 111 miles (179... 

Rather dubious McDonald’s food chain makes its clients to choose between tasty and healthy food. 700 snackbars turned out to have been closed so far because of not being able to pay the way. But even such problems do not impede McDonald’s getting billions of profit. At the same time the components used in its cuisine terrify even the US National Institutes of Health. Acrylamide is contained... 

Britain could be flooded with harmful chemicals currently banned in the European Union if the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal is signed next week, a trade union has warned. The GMB said chemicals that can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects and development disorders will be allowed in the EU after the controversial trade agreement is signed. The union’s top health and... 

The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a moratorium that will restrict the use of new pesticides that have been blamed for declining bee populations, though the policy does not apply to products currently on the market. The chemicals in question, neonicotinoids, are a new class of insecticides that affect the central nervous system of insects and result in paralysis and death. On Thursday,... 

American poultry producers exported 267,000 metric tons of chicken valued at USD 303 million to Russia in 2013. Russia has decided to impose restrictions on poultry imports from the United States because of “harmful residues.” Russia’s Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) said on Thursday that the new decision would come into effect as of December 5. VPSS said it made the... 

Those who live in close proximity to fracking sites exhibited a greater likelihood to suffer skin and respiratory problems than those who lived farther away from natural gas wells, according to a new study of Pennsylvania’s Marcellus shale region. The study, “Proximity to Natural Gas Wells and Reported Health Status: Results of a Household Survey in Washington County, Pennsylvania,” published... 

Greenpeace has denied a NATO claim that Russia is secretly working with EU environmental groups to oppose fracking. NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen has alleged Russia is trying to promote dependence on its gas exports through sabotage. Rasmussen told reporters Thursday that Russian intelligence agencies were secretly funding and collaborating with European environmental groups to prevent... 

It’s sad when one of the biggest ‘super powers’ can’t even export a quintessentially American food to another country because it is too toxic to eat. But apples treated with diphenylamine (DPA), a substance which keeps them from turning brown for months at a time when they are kept in storage, is now a sore spot for importers of American apples. DPA isn’t harmful all by itself, but it breaks... 

The Russian government says allegations regarding the use of chemicals by forces of the Syrian government are false and fabricated. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that Moscow had proof against the allegations by France and the United States that Syrian forces may have used industrial chemicals on a militant-held village in Hama province this month. “Accusations against... 

The Los Angeles, California City Council has passed a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, making it the largest US city to prohibit the highly controversial oil and gas drilling procedure. In a 10 to 0 vote in favor of a moratorium on Friday, the Los Angeles City Council curbed “all activity associated with well stimulation, including, but not limited to, hydraulic fracturing, gravel packing, and... 

According to a WHO report, in the next 20 years, the world will see an increase in the number of oncological patients. Over the period between 2014 and 2034 the number of cases each year will increase by 22 million people. Mortality will also increase up to 13 million people a year. Among other things, it is expected that the cost of treatment will increase significantly. The most common types of... 

Turkish authorities say they have seized a large quantity of chemicals on the country’s border with Syria, adding that the chemicals “could be transformed into weapons.” Turkey’s army said in a statement issued on Sunday that a convoy of three vehicles attempted to smuggle the chemicals across the border on Saturday near the southeastern Turkish town of Reyhanli. Para-military police were... 

A Washington state ballot measure to label food featuring genetically modified crops is under fire as food and chemical corporations pour millions of dollars against the campaign. On November 5, voters will head to the polls to decide whether or not to label food containing crops that have been genetically modified, but what started out as a landslide victory in the making has turned into a tight...