Steve Newborn
Steve Newborn is WUSF's assistant news director as well as a reporter and producer at WUSF covering environmental issues and politics in the Tampa Bay area.
He’s been with WUSF since 2001, and has covered events such as President George W. Bush’s speech in Sarasota as the Sept. 11 attacks unfolded; the ongoing drama over whether the feeding tube should be removed from Terri Schiavo; the arrest and terrorism trial of USF professor Sami Al-Arian; how the BP Deepwater Horizon spill affected Florida; and he followed the Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition through the state - twice.
Before joining WUSF, he covered environmental and Polk County news for the Tampa Tribune and worked for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center during the early days of the space shuttle.
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The primary defendant is the state Department of Environmental Regulation, which allowed the plant's operators to refill the gypsum stack several years ago with sea water being dredged at nearby Port Manatee. -
Three months ago, a rupture at the former Piney Point phosphate plant sent hundreds of millions of gallons of toxic water into Tampa Bay. We take a tour of one towering "gypstack" to see what's being done to keep that from happening again. -
In the first segment of our ongoing series on phosphate mines, WUSF reports on the long, tangled history of Florida's phosphate mines and the environment. Thursday, we take a look at the one company that's still mining phosphate in Central Florida. -
The population of the Florida panther once dwindled to below two dozen, but it has since rebounded to more than 200. Photographer Carlton Ward Jr. has made it his mission to photograph their progress. -
Piney Point's owner is among the targets of the lawsuit, which seeks a full cleanup and closure of the former phosphate plant. -
The bill would ban local governments from enforcing policies that restricts the types of fuel sources that could be used by businesses and homes. Proponents say it would ensure Florida consumers have energy options and insure energy independence. -
Supporters of what's being called the "Rights of Nature" are planning to get a constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot to grant these legal rights across Florida. -
A bill now awaiting the governor's signature could spur new development that doesn't fit into existing growth plans. Opponents fear it may lead to more urban sprawl. -
Additional pumps should double the amount of water that can be taken from of the retention pond. Rep. Vern Buchanan said the problems at the processing plant are "something that's been going on for too long." -
The National Guard dropped off pumps in an attempt to drain the reservoir before the hole in the earthen dam becomes larger. -
A state of emergency was declared and hundreds of homeowners were told to evacuate as a pond full of wastewater from a former phosphate mine is at risk of collapse south of Tampa.
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A group of climate change bills championed by Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls could be helped by new federal stimulus money.
