Gov. Tom Wolf traveled to Taggart Elementary School in South Philadelphia to tout his proposed four-year, $4.5 billion Restore Pennsylvania initiative to fix crumbling schools, eliminate blight, repair storm damage, and expand high-speed internet across the state.
A month after an investigation found dangerous levels of asbestos fibers in some of Philadelphia’s most rundown elementary schools, the school district has begun cleaning up seven of them.
At aging Philadelphia schools, asbestos is a lurking health threat to children and staff. Tests find alarming levels, even after repair work is done.
Many Philadelphia schools are incubators for illness, with environmental hazards that endanger students and hinder learning.
Battery recycling is considered one of the most potentially hazardous industries. Yet Vernon’s Exide workers were routinely being poisoned with nearly nonexistent intervention by Cal/OSHA.
The Clean Air Act’s impact has been greatest on those who live next to industry and highways, where toxic emissions are highest. Such “fence-line communities” typically harbor poorer people and minorities.
For an ambitious project on lead in Chicago, City Bureau started with the question: "How do we as journalists meet people where they are?" The answer included a text-message service that responds with lead test data for the user's community.
The little girl just wasn’t herself. Her mom, Jacqueline Thomas, knew something was seriously wrong....
