Marian Wang
Marian Wang was a reporter for ProPublica, covering education and college debt.
Marian Wang was a reporter for ProPublica, covering education and college debt. She joined ProPublica in 2010, first blogging about a variety of accountability issues. Her later stories focused on how rising college costs and the complexity of the student loan system affect students and their families. Prior to coming to ProPublica, she worked at Mother Jones magazine in San Francisco and freelanced for a number of Chicago-based publications, including The Chicago Reporter, an investigative magazine focused on issues of race and poverty.
BP’s New Illness and Injury Stats, Texas Tarballs, and More
BP's latest update on injuries and illnesses among Gulf cleanup workers shows a big rise in numbers. Meanwhile, help from another oil containment vessel is on the way.
by Marian Wang,
As BP's Oil Changes the Gulf, Gas Seeps Into Economies Elsewhere
As energy companies ramp up drilling, the promise of natural gas has begun affecting economies in Pennsylvania and other states. Colleges are offering courses to prepare students for jobs in the industry.
by Marian Wang,
1970s BP-Branded Board Game Turned Offshore Drilling Into Child's Play
BP's Gulf blowout turns an old offshore drilling board game into a coveted novelty item. The game, BP Offshore Oil Strike, has players race for profits, with dangers like damaged rigs and oil slicks in the way.
by Marian Wang,
Reality Lags Behind BP's Promises About Oil Skimmers
BP has touted skimmers as a primary strategy for fighting the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but its claims about their potential appears overblown.
by Marian Wang,
BP Shortchanging Safety Even After Deadly Texas Explosion
Since a 2005 disaster that killed 15 people, the culture at BP's Texas City refinery doesn't seem to have changed much. Production and profit have been the priorities, trumping safety and the environment.
by Marian Wang,
Gulf 'Safety Zones' Could Mean Penalties for Press and Public
New rules from the Coast Guard could restrict the public and the media from coming within 65 feet of cleanup operations and protective boom. Violators could face hefty penalties.
by Marian Wang,
Federal Agencies: Some Workers Should Wear Respirators
In a slight switch, two federal agencies have advised Gulf cleanup workers to wear respirators when "potentially excessive exposure" to toxic elements is anticipated or when symptoms are being reported.
by Marian Wang,
Govt's Banned Trailers, Unsafe for Housing, Reappear in Gulf
Some formaldehyde-tainted FEMA trailers used after Hurricane Katrina are being resold to oil cleanup workers in the Gulf. Buyers are supposed to be warned that the trailers are not intended for housing, but a report says these rules aren’t always being followed by the middlemen who are selling the trailers.
by Marian Wang,
Owners of Ruptured Well Feud Over Blame, Liability
Anadarko Petroleum owns one-fourth of the well spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico, and approved of the well's designs. But it says BP's recklessness is to blame for the disaster.
by Marian Wang,
EPA's Initial Testing Finds Dispersants Roughly Equal, But Raises Questions
Tests by the EPA don't show significant differences in the toxicity of dispersants, but how they mix with oil is uncertain. An agency official says the regulation of the products may need to be reviewed after the BP disaster in the Gulf.
by Marian Wang,