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National Poison Prevention Week is coming up, and the staff at the Illinois Poison Center is getting the word out to be aware of toxic substances around the house. The nonprofit organization provides both assistance and education on what to do if you suspect poisoning, and courses on identifying poisonous substances. Last year, the center handled nearly 70,000 involving potentially harmful substances, ranging from minor to severe. ...

Most Texans take breathing for granted - unless the air is polluted. It's a health issue the Biden administration hopes to mitigate through new restrictions on one of the deadliest air pollutants - soot. The Environmental Protection Agency wants to tighten national air-quality standards for soot - also known as fine particulate pollution - which haven't been updated since 2012. ...

Lawmakers in Maine are considering a bill to compensate farmers for the widespread use of state-sanctioned PFAS, or "forever chemicals" on their land. The chemicals are a byproduct of sewage processing once used as fertilizer and have caused irreversible damage to soil and water resources on at least 50 farms in the state. Heather Spalding, deputy director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, said while struggling farmers deserve help, the bill may be getting ahead of a special state fund already set up to identify the extent of the problem. ...

The Sierra Club sees eerie similarities between the La Salle disaster and a recent incident in East Palestine, Ohio.

Environmental groups in Illinois are pushing state and federal officials to tighten regulations on businesses that use toxic substances after a fire and explosion last month in north-central Illinois. A Jan. 11 fire and explosion at a chemical company in La Salle spewed a cloud of toxic particles across the area. ...