More than 30 million Americans are living in areas with unsafe drinking water, according to a new study. The researchers identified US counties with the most egregious water quality violations, which are concentrated in four states: West Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. Wyoming County in southern West Virginia had the highest number of water quality violations, meaning its water did not meet federal safety standards. Other states like Mississippi, South Dakota, and Texas also repeatedly had safety violations, putting residents at risk of exposure to heavy metals and harmful contaminants like lead, arsenic, and pesticides, which can increase the risk of long-term health conditions.

A man dressed as a giant rat, known as the "Selly Oak rat", attended a full meeting of Birmingham City Council to raise concerns about the city's bin strike. With 21,000 tonnes of uncollected household rubbish on the streets, security experts warn that residents may be at increased risk of fraud as "bin raiders" search through discarded waste for confidential documents.

A chemical manufacturing company, Industrial Chemicals Ltd, was fined £2.5m after highly corrosive acids were leaked into the atmosphere in West Thurrock, Essex. The first leak occurred in January 2020 when hydrochloric acid released from three storage tanks, prompting schools to close and a gas cloud to spread across nearby towns. Eight months later, sulphuric acid leaked due to a cracked pipe with valve malfunction, releasing about 87 cubic metres of acid into the atmosphere over two days. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated and prosecuted the company for four offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act and Environmental Permitting Regulations.

Birmingham may face a 19th Century-style public health emergency due to an ongoing bin strike, according to senior Tory Kevin Hollinrake. The Unite-led dispute has seen tons of household waste left uncollected, attracting rats that are feasting on the rubbish and roaming freely. Conservatives in Birmingham are demanding the city council declare a public health emergency amid fears of disease outbreaks when spring temperatures rise.