Looked at deaths of infants in St. Louis suburb

The Society of Environmental Journalists selected Jeannette Batz of the Riverfront Times as a finalist for outstanding feature reporting, print, in its inaugural Awards for Reporting on the Environment.

Batz’s story, “The Right to Answers,” raised questions about whether toxic pollution caused the deaths of babies near Weldon Spring, Mo.

“Jeannette Batz of the Riverfront Times produced a compelling story about the impact of pollution in a St. Louis suburb,” the judges said.

Batz’s story was among 257 entries in this year’s contest.

The 1,200-plus-member Society of Environmental Journalists is the world’s largest organization devoted to reporting on the environment.