The United States of Petroleum: A three-chapter package co-published with Guardian US was a deep dive into the American Petroleum Institute, Washington’s nearly century-old premier oil and gas lobby group. The stories looked at the influence API has exerted over each branch of U.S. government to derail climate change action and curb oversight and legal liability across multiple presidential administrations. Download entire package as a PDF.
      READ: A Century of Influence: The unlikely partnership between Big Oil and the White House
      READ: Fueling Dissent: How the oil industry set out to undercut clean air
      READ: Venue of Last Resort: Wave of climate lawsuits threatens the future of Big Oil

Oil’s Pipeline to America’s Schools: An in-depth look into Big Oil’s longtime push into K-12 education includes a state agency in Oklahoma that has spent upwards of $40 million on curricula, field trips and other programming with a pro-oil bent. The story of the oil industry’s influence into classrooms dates back to the 1940s, where education efforts went hand-in-hand with marketing and public relations. This story was co-reported with StateImpact Oklahoma, an NPR reporting project. Multi-platform collaborations included AJ+, the social video arm of Al Jazeera Media network. It was later picked up by a Comedy Central satirical program.
      LISTEN: StateImpact Oklahoma (NPR)
      WATCH: AJ+ (Al Jazeera Media)
      WATCH: The Opposition w/ Jordan Klepper (Comedy Central)
      READ: The Guardian
      READ: The Hechinger Report

     

The ExxonMobil Near-disaster You Probably Never Heard of: An in-depth look at the 2015 near-miss accident at the Torrance refinery that registered as a 1.7-magnitude tremor and sent industrial ash raining across parts of Southern California. The story examines the dangers of hydrofluoric acid in oil refining and takes a critical look at the company that purchased the refinery in the months following the near catastrophe. This was a collaboration with KPCC, or Southern California Public Radio.
      LISTEN: Southern California Public Radio (NPR)
      READ: The Huffington Post
      READ: Grist

     

State Cutbacks, Recalcitrance Hinder Clean Air: Congress promised Americans safe air, but federal and state cutbacks combined with political pushback have weakened enforcement of the landmark Clean Air Act. This national investigation looked at declining environmental regulator staffing across the country, as well as the EPA’s difficulties with reining in polluter-friendly state policies.
      WATCH: Forgotten in the South End
      READ: The Huffington Post
      READ: The News & Observer
      AWARD: Thomas L. Stokes 2016 (winner, series)

     

Hot Mess: A multi-state investigation exploring inconsistencies across the Marcellus Shale when it comes to tracking, handling and disposal of radioactive waste from fracking. This story launched the Ohio Valley ReSource, a new 7-station radio consortium focused on the environment and energy issues, which created interactive graphics and a complementary radio piece. Story was also co-published with Grist.
      READ: Ohio Valley ReSource
      READ: Grist

Science for Sale: A four-part series co-published with VICE News highlighting industry’s growing influence on science. Wrote and reported the final installment, which profiled two prolific journals criticized for playing down chemical risks. Also contributed general reporting and research for the series.
      READ: Brokers of Junk Science?
      READ: Ford Spent $40 Million to Reshape Asbestos Science
      AWARDS: Science in Society 2017 (winner, series); John B. Oakes 2017 (finalist, series); Society of Environmental Journalists 2017 (honorable mention, series)

Unequal Risk: An ongoing series on toxic exposure issues for American workers. My story focused on protracted depositions for plaintiffs suffering from asbestos-related illnesses and was co-published by the ABA Journal.
      READ: Dying Depositions
      READ: Lengthy Depositions Not Widely Regulated