All articles tagged with #center for biological diversity
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on October 2, 2026, halting all border barrier construction in Texas’s Big Bend region. The ruling voids federal waivers that allowed the administration to bypass environmental laws, marking a significant legal setback for the Trump administration’s $46 billion border infrastructure project.
A new analysis of federal records indicates that the herbicide atrazine contaminates approximately 25% of continental US rivers, affecting 860,000 miles of waterways. This pollution impacts over 20% of surface drinking water intakes and 675,000 wells. The chemical, classified as a probable carcinogen and endocrine disruptor, is linked to reproductive harm in humans and wildlife. Despite being banned in 60 countries, it remains the second most used pesticide in the US, with 70 million pounds sprayed annually. Advocates blame the EPA for inaction due to industry lobbying, while litigation continues over its approval.
Trump's administration finalizes changes to the Endangered Species Act that shrink protections for threatened species, expand development exemptions (including Gulf of Mexico drilling), and shift habitat decisions to states; critics warn these rollbacks could jeopardize wildlife recovery, while officials argue they balance conservation with economic interests.
Wildlife groups urge Royal Caribbean to slow its ships to about 10 knots in whale hotspots after the Ovation of the Seas arrived in Seward with a deceased pregnant fin whale on its bow. NOAA’s necropsy indicated the death resulted from blunt-force trauma consistent with a ship strike, and the Center for Biological Diversity is calling for immediate vessel-speed reductions while investigations continue; Royal Caribbean says it is cooperating with authorities.