When EPA chief Lee Zeldin announced plans to roll back more than 30 environmental regulations, AP journalists from the climate, data and Washington teams immediately began investigating the potential consequences.
Data journalist M.K. Wildeman and science writer Seth Borenstein set out to examine each major EPA rule targeted for repeal under the Trump administration, tallying the projected benefits tied to those regulations. They worked closely with Washington reporter Matthew Daly, who has covered the EPA for years. Many of the data points were buried in lengthy technical documents or had to be drawn from peer-reviewed research and expert analysis. The team dug deep—cross-checking figures, consulting outside experts, and combing through federal documents to highlight the real-world stakes behind the regulatory rollbacks.
At the same time, video journalist Joshua Bickel and reporter Melina Walling traveled to southwestern Indiana to tell the story from the ground up. They found residents whose health and quality of life had improved under existing environmental regulations—and who now fear what will happen if those protections disappear. One local, a lifelong Evansville resident who grew up with asthma, spoke of his concern for his daughter, who’s already showing signs of respiratory trouble.
The result of the team’s work was a comprehensive and sobering estimate: if the regulations are eliminated, the country could see up to 30,000 premature deaths and $275 billion in additional costs annually, largely due to hospitalizations and health impacts tied to pollution.
The team supported its findings with extensive sourcing, including interviews with more than 50 scientists, analysts and current and former EPA officials. The package also featured interactive graphics, produced by Wildeman, that illustrated decades of air quality improvements tied to the rules. Bickel’s video work, along with a vertical-format explainer featuring Walling, gave viewers multiple entry points into the story.
Climate photo editor Alyssa Goodman edited the visual elements, with Doug Glass serving as lead text editor and Kiki Sideris contributing to social video production.
Top officials, including former EPA chiefs under Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, were quoted in the story, and AP’s findings were vetted and praised by leading scientists.
“This is a rigorous, compelling and much-needed analysis,” said Dr. Howard Frumkin, former head of the National Center for Environmental Health.
Judges praised the depth of the journalism and the clarity and power of the storytelling.
For their exhaustive reporting and innovative presentation, Seth Borenstein, M.K. Wildeman, Melina Walling, Joshua A. Bickel and Matthew Daly are this week’s Best of AP — Second Winner.
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