Lisa Song
I report on the EPA and related agencies that oversee the environment, climate change and science.
Have a Tip for a Story?
I’m interested in talking to people who work at the EPA, NOAA, USGS and similar agencies. Please reach out securely via Signal or email if you have a story idea.
What I Cover
I cover how environmental regulations (or the lack thereof) affect communities, human health and the natural world.
My Background
I joined ProPublica in 2017 to cover environmental health and the fossil fuel industry. I’ve written about false solutions related to plastic recycling, carbon credits and biodiversity offsets. I’ve chronicled conflicts of interest in scientific research and regulators’ inability to curb major polluters. I’m currently focused on how the Trump administration is changing environmental protections. My reporting has led to regulatory change and has been cited in lawsuits.
Prior to ProPublica, I worked at Inside Climate News, where I was part of the reporting team that revealed Exxon’s shift from conducting global warming research to supporting climate denial. I co-wrote “The Dilbit Disaster,” which won a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. I have degrees in earth science and science writing from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
United Nations Seems to Boost Plastics Industry Interests, Critics Say
Ahead of a groundbreaking treaty to reduce plastic pollution, a group of independent scientists fear that the United Nations is legitimizing industry-backed proposals such as chemical recycling.
EPA Proposes Major Air Pollution Reforms to Lower Residents’ Cancer Risk Near Industrial Facilities
The EPA has proposed tougher air pollution rules for chemical plants and other industrial facilities after ProPublica found an estimated 74 million Americans near those sites faced an elevated risk of cancer.
Au bord de la catastrophe
Une simple clairière de forêt nous sépare de la prochaine pandémie mortelle. Mais nous n’essayons même pas de la prévenir.
The Next Deadly Pandemic Is Just a Forest Clearing Away
Returning to the starting point of the world’s worst Ebola outbreak reveals how the global community failed the people of Meliandou, Guinea — and the many ways we’re not doing enough to prevent the next virus from jumping species and taking off.
What to Know About the Risks of Gas Stoves and Appliances
After learning her gas stove was leaking methane, one reporter consulted public health experts to learn about the scope of the problem and what people can do to reduce these risks at home.
City Receives Half a Million Dollars for Air Monitoring After Report Reveals Elevated Cancer Risk
After years of resident complaints of toxic fumes and health issues, the EPA has funded Mississippi to conduct air monitoring in Pascagoula. This comes a year after a first-of-its-kind analysis by ProPublica into “sacrifice zones” across the country.
EPA Calls Out Environmental Racism in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley
In a “remarkable” letter, the EPA accused Louisiana regulators of neglecting Black residents’ concerns about toxic air pollution and urged the state to move kids out of a school where monitors found extreme levels of a cancer-causing chemical.
Missouri Town to Get Air Pollution Monitors Following ProPublica Report
The EPA will start monitoring the air in Verona, Missouri, where a manufacturing plant named BCP Ingredients emits ethylene oxide, a potent carcinogen.
How to Investigate Your Next New York Apartment Like a Reporter
A raccoon invasion. Human feces in the lobby. Flooding. Avoid these apartment nightmares by reading a ProPublica investigative reporter’s guide to backgrounding your next New York City rental.
The Supreme Court’s EPA Decision Could Hamper Regulators’ Ability to Protect the Public
The agency will still be allowed to regulate many forms of air pollution, but would need explicit direction from Congress on how to tackle some of the worst aspects of climate change and other pressing issues.