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Photo of Sharon Lerner

Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

Need to Get in Touch?

Please do reach out, either by email or securely on Signal. I take confidentiality seriously and welcome your ideas.

What I Cover

My beat is health and the environment. Specifically, I cover the Environmental Protection Agency, charting its handling of pesticides, plastic-based fuels and other chemicals. I have reported on EPA whistleblowers who were pressured to downplay the harms posed by new chemicals, as well as on plastic, greenwashing and biosafety.

I have also written extensively about PFAS, a family of industrial pollutants linked to cancer, infertility, developmental harm and immune dysfunction. My reporting has focused on corporate irresponsibility and on the knowledge that PFAS manufacturers 3M and DuPont had of the chemicals’ harms.

My Background

I joined ProPublica in 2022 after seven years as an investigative reporter at The Intercept.

I’ve received numerous local and national awards for my reporting, including being honored by the Society of Environmental Journalists 12 times and by the Newswomen’s Club of New York, which named me its journalist of the year in 2021.

Industry-Backed Legislation Would Bar the Use of Science Behind Hundreds of Environmental Protections

Two bills in Congress would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from using hundreds of chemical assessments completed by its IRIS program in environmental regulations or enforcement.

A Study of Mint Plants. A Device to Stop Bleeding. This Is the Scientific Research Ted Cruz Calls “Woke.”

The senator flagged thousands of National Science Foundation grants for using words like “female” and “diversify.” A ProPublica analysis found numerous examples of projects caught up in his crude method for identifying research he calls “woke.”

The Courts Blocked Trump’s Federal Funding Freeze. Agencies Are Withholding Money Anyway.

Agencies continue to suspend funding, despite multiple court orders blocking the federal freeze. Experts say the Trump administration’s actions set the stage for challenges to Congress’ authority — and the limits of the presidency.

“We Feel Terrorized”: What EPA Employees Say About the Decision to Stay or Go Under Trump

More than 300 career employees at the Environmental Protection Agency have left. Those who remain face a painful decision: resign or work for an administration that plans to radically reshape the EPA while reversing environmental protections.

Unreasonable Risk

EPA Report Finds That Formaldehyde Presents an “Unreasonable Risk” to Public Health

The report was published weeks after a ProPublica investigation found that the chemical causes more cancer than any other toxic air pollutant and can trigger asthma, miscarriages and fertility problems.

Unreasonable Risk

U.S. Senator Urges EPA to Release “Science-Based” Report on Formaldehyde Health Risks

Citing a ProPublica investigation that found formaldehyde causes far more cancer than any other toxic air pollutant, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a letter that “the agency has an obligation to protect the public from the chemical.”

Unreasonable Risk

How to Reduce Formaldehyde Exposure in Your Home

The underregulated toxic chemical can be found in common household items from couches to clothes. We asked experts how you can reduce your exposure.

Unreasonable Risk

How Much Formaldehyde Is in Your Car, Your Kitchen or Your Furniture? Here’s What Our Testing Found.

The chemical can trigger health problems and causes more cancer than any other toxic air pollutant. Our reporters traveled around New York City and New Jersey with equipment to measure its presence. The results proved concerning.

Unreasonable Risk

Check the Formaldehyde Cancer Risk in Your Neighborhood

In most of the country, formaldehyde contributes more to outdoor cancer risk than any other toxic air pollutant. Look up your address to see risks from the chemical on your block and where it comes from.

Unreasonable Risk

Formaldehyde Causes More Cancer Than Any Other Toxic Air Pollutant. Little Is Being Done to Curb the Risk.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s attempts to reckon with formaldehyde have been repeatedly thwarted by the companies that rely on it. If the past is any guide, even modest steps toward reform are all but guaranteed to hit a dead end under Trump.