DNC GOES GREEN: Senator Bernie Sanders appointed well-known environmentalist Bill McKibben and former U.S. EPA administrator Carol Browner to serve on the platform committee that will draft Democratic Party policy.

MINING POISONS JUNGLES: Peru declared a state of emergency in 11 jungle districts on Monday after hair samples from people living in the Madre de Dios area of eastern Peru revealed alarming levels of mercury poisoning. Illegal gold mining operations are believed to have caused the poisoning, which could affect as many as 50,000 people.

TSCA REFORM PASSES: After months of negotiations, a bill to reform the 40-year-old Toxic Substances Control Act has been pushed through Congress, thanks to support from both parties. The new law requires safety findings for all new chemicals used in the market and will enhance the EPA’s authority to enforce testing and regulations.

GMO SALMON IS A GO: Last week, the Canadian government approved a strain of genetically modified salmon for sale. Although GMO salmon is already legal in the United States, it will be the first such animal in Canada to be deemed safe for consumption.

PIPELINE SCRAPPED: Political and consumer opposition to the Kinder Morgan Pipeline forced the energy company to withdraw its federal application for the 188-mile, $3.3 billion dollar project that would have pumped natural gas from Albany, New York, through Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. The decision could make room for a competitor’s proposed pipeline, which is already backed by two energy giants, Eversource Energy and National Grid.