The belief in the absolute right of ranchers to graze essentially unregulated on public lands remains strong. Here are 10 things to know about the government’s hands-off approach to the practice.
Rachael Bale
Reporter / researcher
Rachael Bale is a reporter and researcher for The Center for Investigative Reporting. Previously, she worked at KQED in San Francisco and The Center for Public Integrity, an investigative journalism nonprofit in Washington, D.C., where she covered campaign finance in the 2012 election. A California native, she has a bachelor's degree in political science from Reed College and a master's degree in journalism from American University.
Posted inEnvironment, Pesticides
Washington farmworkers sickened by new pesticides
Twenty cherry orchard workers became ill after being exposed to a mixture of three pesticides that do not appear to have been associated with any reported illnesses before.
Posted inEnvironment, Lords of Yesterday, Oil and Mining
Foreign-owned mines operate royalty-free under outdated US law
This “lords of yesterday” policy, created in 1872 in an era of Western expansion, still governs how people and companies prospect and mine for certain minerals on public lands.
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Posted inEnvironment, Pesticides
California’s ‘vomiting gas’ pesticide use rose 650 percent in 2 decades
California regulators have ruled that the state’s farmers must restrict their use of chloropicrin, a toxic pesticide widely used to prepare soil for planting.
Posted inEnvironment, Pesticides
Don’t be too depressed about California strawberries – here’s why
We don’t want to traffic in depression or ruination. So, with that in mind, here are four reasons to feel some hope about a favorite fruit.
Posted inSustainability
Even organic strawberries are grown with dangerous pesticides
Federal code allows organic farmers to use strawberry starts grown in fumigated soil.
Posted inEnvironment, Pesticides
Even organic strawberries are grown with dangerous pesticides
When they are starting out, organic strawberry plants are grown with the help of fumigants.
Posted inGuns, Hired Guns
Interactive: Guards with guns
See if your state requires firearms training, mental health exams and background checks for armed security guards.
Posted inEnvironment, Pesticides
5 striking things we’ve learned about pesticides in California
California keeps detailed data on every commercial pesticide applied across the state. Here are a few of the interesting nuggets we pulled out of our analysis of that information.
Posted inEnvironment, Oil and Mining
The surprising reason abandoned US mines haven’t been cleaned up
The worst of America’s toxic abandoned mines get federal Superfund money for cleanup. The rest – and liability for their pollution – are left to states, private organizations and nonprofit conservation groups to clean up.