Articles by Anne Schechinger

Algae Blooms: More Than 300 Outbreaks So Far This Year

If you're headed for the lake or river this Labor Day weekend, be on the lookout for outbreaks of potentially toxic algae. Through the end of August, algae blooms have plagued 318 bodies of water...

Lakes With Algae Outbreaks May Also Be Tainted With E. Coli

Toxic algae outbreaks – slimy, smelly blooms of microorganisms, triggered by polluted farm runoff into lakes and rivers – can cause nausea, vomiting and more serious, longer-term health impacts, such...

Beware Toxic Algae Over the Fourth of July

Over the Fourth of July holiday, don't act like the crowds recreating in Grand Lake St. Marys, Ohio. With area pools closed due to the pandemic, people are flocking to the lake to cool off, despite...

Escaping Quarantine? Watch Out for Toxic Algae

With summer beginning and millions of Americans experiencing what feels like the thousandth week of quarantine, enjoying the outdoors is one of the few ways many of us can escape the claustrophobia...

Algae Outbreaks Up by Nearly One-Fifth in 2019

EWG has found 508 news reports about algae blooms in the country's lakes, ponds and rivers so far this year – 18 percent more than the 429 we found in the same period last year.

Record-Breaking Number of Algae Outbreaks in 2019

A record-breaking number of potentially toxic algae blooms have plagued bodies of water across the country this summer. According to our map, which tracks news stories of algae blooms, as of August 27...

This Fourth of July, You’ll See 70 Percent More Algae Outbreaks Than Last Year

Over the Fourth of July holiday, many of us love to beat the heat in a favorite lake, pond or river. But this year, vacationers from coast to coast will have to look out for a potentially record...

The Huge Cost of Toxic Algae Contamination

The city of Toledo, Ohio, is spending an astounding $54 million on a new treatment facility to remove contaminants, including toxins produced by algae blooms, from its drinking water.

Out-of-Season Algae Outbreaks on the Rise

Outbreaks of toxic algae in U.S. waterways usually happen in warmer months. But in a sign that the problem is growing worse, algae blooms were reported in December in Michigan and Washington state...

Farm Crisis? What Crisis? Ag Interests Cry Wolf on Economy

In the wake of President Trump's tariffs, agriculture interests are claiming that the farm economy is crashing. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said recently that farm debt is rising to levels not...

Update: Algae Outbreaks Rose 40 Percent in 2018

Outbreaks of potentially toxic algae in U.S. lakes, rivers and other waterways rose by an additional 40 percent this year compared to 2017, according to EWG's tracking of news reports.

UPDATE: Across U.S., Alarming Rise in Algae Outbreaks Plagues Lakes, Rivers and Beaches

Outbreaks of potentially toxic algae in U.S. lakes, rivers, streams and even the Gulf of Mexico continue to rise sharply this summer, according to EWG's ongoing tracking of algae outbreaks.

Florida’s Beaches and Waterways Devastated by Unprecedented Algae Outbreaks

An unprecedented environmental catastrophe is striking Florida's storied beaches, lakes and rivers this summer. Outbreaks of three separate strains of harmful algae are killing fish and other marine...

UPDATE: Algae Outbreaks Rise Sharply from Coast to Coast

Outbreaks of potentially toxic algae are rising sharply this summer in lakes, rivers and streams in the U.S., according to EWG's ongoing tracking of algae outbreaks.

This Fourth of July, Watch Out for Toxic Algae Blooms in Lakes

Millions of people could be exposed to potentially toxic algae blooms this July Fourth holiday.

Senate Farm Bill Amendment Would Rein in Crop Insurance Subsidies for the Rich

A new amendment to the Senate farm bill that limits crop insurance subsidies for the wealthiest farmers would save taxpayers more than $490 million dollars over the next 10 years.

Algae Outbreak Poisons Another City’s Drinking Water

An outbreak of poisonous algae has forced officials in Salem, Ore., to warn citizens that infants, children and vulnerable adults should not drink the city's tap water.

As House Weighs GOP Farm Bill, Subsidy Spending Keeps Soaring

Federal farm subsidies are now likely to cost almost $12.6 billion more than originally anticipated when lawmakers passed the 2014 Farm Bill.

House Committee’s Farm Bill Would Make It Easier for Millionaires to Get Subsidies

The majority of federal farm subsidies already go to the wealthiest farmers: The top 10 percent of recipients received 77 percent of subsidies between 1995 and 2016. But a provision in the House...

Strict Work Requirements to Get Food Stamps, But Not Farm Subsidies

Proposals to tighten work requirements for low-income Americans who receive food stamps are halting progress on a new farm bill – meanwhile, work requirements for farm subsidies are almost nonexistent...