Saturday, February 25, 2017

Lies and pollution: Trump loyalists are willing to poison their bodies as well as their minds

http://www.salon.com/2017/02/21/lies-and-pollution-trump-loyalists-are-willing-to-poison-their-bodies-as-well-as-their-minds/
"It’s not clear whether Trump voters in deeply red states like West Virginia and Kentucky are aware of the fact that coal mining and Trump’s terrible bill will surely add copious amounts of selenium, mercury and arsenic to the water supplies in those states — in addition to the variety of toxins present in coal slurry, ash and other waste materials."

The GOP and ALEC's Brazen Plan to Sell Off America's Public Lands to the Fossil Fuel Industry @alternet

The GOP and ALEC's Brazen Plan to Sell Off America's Public Lands to the Fossil Fuel Industry @alternet:

"Not surprisingly, the effort to privatize public lands is driven in part by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization that relies heavily on financing by extractive industry leaders to distribute cookie-cutter legislation to state legislatures in hopes that they will enact bills to roll back fundamental conservation laws. Many of the people pushing for the takeover of America’s public lands are also tied to radical fringe groups who don’t represent mainstream views.  By mid-January, a House bill (H.R. 621) was introduced by Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz identifying 3.3 million acres of America’s public lands across 10 states to be 'disposed of' and sold off. “What’s worthless to allies of the fossil fuel industry for all except oil and gas extraction has irreplaceable value to the American people for hiking, hunting, camping, fishing and countless other pastimes that Teddy Roosevelt first acknowledged were central to the strength and well-being of this nation,” the Wilderness Society said in a statement responding to the bill. “Today, those outdoor pastimes have a $646 billion value and contribute millions of American jobs to rural communities without harming the lands and waters themselves.” Miraculously, a little over a week after proposing his land disposal bill, Rep. Chaffetz announced in a midnight Instagram post that his bill would "die." Congressional offices had reportedly been overwhelmed by calls from people who want to keep our wild lands public, including many of Chaffetz's own constituents, who were concerned about the possibility of losing access for hunting, fishing, hiking and camping.  Rep. Chaffetz did the right thing in listening to an overwhelming tide of constituents who castigated him for such an un-American piece of legislation. But this is just one victory in a broader defense of public lands at large."

Major outdoor retailers boycott Utah over threats to sell off public lands

https://thinkprogress.org/outdoor-retailers-boycott-utah-over-public-lands-threats-9cac78dcdeac#.t843uuwjh
"After 20 years of hosting the bi-annual outdoor retailer show in Salt Lake City, organizers of the show finalized their decision to move the $45 million event after a “disappointing” call Thursday with Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R). A spokesman for Herbert said OIA’s move perpetuated a “false narrative” about Utah, despite the fact that the governor has been pouring $4.5 million of Utah taxpayer dollars into a lawsuit to seize national public lands in the state each year; an effort that is opposed by Utah residents, and has very little chance of success."

After Advancing Scott Pruitt Confirmation, Senator Heads Over to Energy Lobbyist Fundraiser

https://theintercept.com/2017/02/17/after-advancing-scott-pruitt-confirmation-senator-heads-right-over-to-energy-lobbyist-fundraiser/
"JUST MOMENTS AFTER leading the floor debate on Thursday in support of Scott Pruitt’s nomination to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., left the Senate chamber to attend a high-dollar fundraiser hosted by energy lobbyists at a Capitol Hill steakhouse. The Senate voted 54-46 around 11:15 a.m. to invoke cloture, a mechanism that limits debate and allow an up-or-down confirmation vote Friday at 1 p.m. Barrasso, who has worked to shepherd Pruitt through the confirmation process, gave a brief floor statement, then left the chamber to relax with influence peddlers at Charlie Palmer Steak. The event, which asked for checks as high as $5,000 to Barrasso’s campaign committee, was hosted by lobbyists for energy firms that have cheered Pruitt’s battles with regulators. As the Oklahoma attorney general, Pruitt worked closely with energy lobbyists to file lawsuits against a wide range of environmental regulations. Pruitt challenged EPA rules on fracking, controls on pollution from power plants, limits on mercury emissions, and enhancing clean water regulations. Several of Pruitt’s lawsuits and letters to regulators, a New York Times investigation found, were drafted with language provided to him by industry lobbyists."

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Republicans are creating legislation that would weaken Endangered Species Act

http://www.salon.com/2017/02/17/the-gops-war-on-the-planet-continues/
"The Republican Party’s war on nature rolls on."

The NRA has persuaded Congress to legalize the killing of bear cubs in wildlife refuges

https://thinkprogress.org/congress-legalized-killing-bear-cubs-in-refuges-9ca5d3ae3929#.cmoopmkxc
"The hunting practices the House voted to legalize on Thursday are considered cruel by many Alaska residents. Recent polling shows that by a two-to-one margin, Alaskans don’t support baiting or trapping in national wildlife refuges. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the only network of federal lands and waters dedicated to wildlife conservation. The system is made up of 566 national wildlife refuges, including 16 in Alaska."

For Polluters, Congress Will Overturn an Environmental Rule for $2.3 Million

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2017/02/14/415105/for-polluters-congress-will-overturn-an-environmental-rule-for-2-3-million/
"In the 24 days since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Republican-controlled Congress has already moved to overturn four major rules that the oil, gas, and coal industries spent millions of dollars fighting during the Obama administration. First, Congress eliminated the Stream Protection Rule, which would prevent toxic mine waste from being dumped in streams. Then Congress voted to get rid of a rule that limited bribery and corruption in oil operations around the world. And in the coming days, the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote to overturn a rule that limits methane pollution when oil and gas companies drill on public lands and to eliminate a rule that increases public input in public lands management decisions."

With 'Valentine to Corruption,' Trump Officially Kills Big Oil Transparency

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/02/14/valentine-corruption-trump-officially-kills-big-oil-transparency
"President Donald Trump on Tuesday officially voided a rule that forced extractive industries to disclose payments made to foreign governments.  The transparency law, known as the Cardin-Luger amendment, was an Obama-era rule established to prevent multinational energy companies from striking backroom deals with corrupt governments."

Sunday, February 12, 2017

The Trump Administration’s Two-Pronged Assault on Public Health

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2017/02/07/298183/the-trump-administrations-two-pronged-assault-on-public-health/
"The 115th Congress and the Trump administration have already set their sights on gutting the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other cornerstone protections that ensure that our air is safe to breathe and our water safe to drink. They have promised to get rid of pollution limits for power plants instead of shifting to clean energy and nullify pollution limits for oil and gas drilling—as they also promise to drill anywhere and everywhere. These actions alone would greatly endanger public health and environmental quality. If that was not enough, however, congressional Republicans and the administration are also set on eliminating health insurance coverage for millions of Americans. This extreme rollback of federal regulations and services would allow more pollution, affect public health, and, at the same time, remove health care options for treatment when people get sick."

Jason Chaffetz uses meeting with Trump to promote disposal of public lands

https://thinkprogress.org/chairman-of-house-ethics-committee-uses-meeting-with-trump-to-promote-disposal-of-public-lands-3270703a3198#.bogau0daw
"Chaffetz also seems to have quickly forgotten the intense public backlash to his recent efforts to privatize or dispose of public lands. Last Thursday, in response to massive protests in Montana and New Mexico, Chaffetz was forced to pull a bill he had introduced that would have sold off 3.3 million acres of public lands."

EPA Nominee Pruitt Sued for Withholding Thousands of Energy Co. Emails

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/02/07/epa-nominee-pruitt-sued-withholding-thousands-energy-co-emails
"The suit alleges Pruitt has failed to respond to multiple records requests seeking access to more than 3,000 emails with Koch Industries and other coal, oil, and gas corporations, as well as the corporate-funded Republican Attorney General’s Association (RAGA)."

Saturday, February 11, 2017

So begins the war on science, fact and the environment

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/1/25/1625116/-So-begins-the-war-on-science-fact-and-the-environment
"What he thinks about crowd size is one thing, but what he believes about our environment has direct and serious potential impacts for all of us."

Senator Elizabeth Warren Condemns Republican Effort to Repeal SEC Extraction Rule

Republicans Want to Make the EPA Great Again by Gutting Health Regulations

https://theintercept.com/2017/02/05/republicans-want-to-make-the-epa-great-again-by-gutting-health-regulations/
"This bald industry bid to subvert public health-based regulations that can cut into profit isn’t new. What’s new is that this upside-down environmental attack, in which those who benefit directly from polluting industries are policing the independent scientists who can show the harms of their products, could now succeed. Although the House passed the “secret science” bill in 2014 and 2015, it never made it to the Senate floor. After it passed the House in 2015, Barbara Boxer called the bill “insane,” Bernie Sanders called it “laughable,” and President Obama promised to veto it. This time, it’s not a joke. With a Republican majority in both houses and Trump in the White House, the Secret Science act could easily become law. The small group of lawyers and PR strategists orchestrating the secret science effort are closely tied to those attacking the EPA from within. All have connections to either big tobacco, oil, or both — and almost all have been affiliated with a small, right wing group called the Energy & Environment Legal Institute. It’s interesting that E&E should fixate on transparency since the group has gone to great lengths to conceal its donors. Nevertheless, public records document some of the group’s ties to big coal companies, including the now bankrupt Alpha Natural Resources, Peabody Coal, and Arch Coal."

Trump Cronies Rewarded as House GOP 'Dirty Trick' Bolsters Big Oil

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/02/03/trump-cronies-rewarded-house-gop-dirty-trick-bolsters-big-oil
"The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday voted to repeal a rule curbing methane emissions on public lands, delivering a win, say environmental groups, to big oil and cronies of President Donald Trump. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulation, finalized under the Obama administration in November, limited methane venting, flaring, and leaks from fossil fuel production on federal and tribal lands, thereby aiming to "avoid wasting up to 41 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas per year," as Reuters wrote at the time. The Associated Press adds Friday: "A government report said about 40 percent of gas being flared or vented could be captured economically and sold"."

Life in Trump’s America Just Got Worse for Your Pet | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

In Welcome Gift for Tillerson, Congress Abolishes Big Oil Transparency

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/02/03/welcome-gift-tillerson-congress-abolishes-big-oil-transparency
"An Obama-era rule that prevented fossil fuel companies from striking backroom deals with foreign governments is about to be dismantled after Senate Republicans passed a bill early Friday voiding the measure."

It’s official. Congress has rolled back two Obama-era rules that curbed pollution and corruption.

https://thinkprogress.org/first-two-cras-8baa11e3bdd7#.516dwdbka
"Friday morning, U.S. senators took some time out of their day to vote on a rule that increased transparency requirements for oil and gas companies operating overseas. They voted to overturn the rule. It was the second time this week the Senate, following on the heels of the U.S. House of Representatives, voted in favor of fossil fuel industries. The Senate voted Thursday to roll back the Stream Protection Rule, which, as the name suggests, protects streams from mountaintop removal coal mining operations, which habitually dump the debris from mountaintop removal into the fresh water streams below. The practice has been tied to water contamination and virtually destroys the downhill ecosystem."

More Bald-Faced Corruption As House GOP Repeals Anti-Bribery Law For Oil Companies

http://thedailybanter.com/2017/02/house-republicans-oil-company-bribery/
"In yet another sign that they're done pretending they work for the American people, House Republicans got rid of a regulation that keeps oil companies from secretly paying off officials in other countries: Using the little-known Congressional Review Act, the House GOP voted on Wednesday to kill an Obama-era regulation that would require publicly traded oil, gas, and mining companies to disclose any payments that they made to foreign governments, including taxes and royalties.  The rule itself dates back to the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act — when senators from both parties included a provision requiring greater disclosure from mining and drilling companies working abroad. The hope was to cut down on corruption in resource-rich developing countries by increasing transparency."

Virginia House Votes to Keep Fracking Chemical Cocktails a Secret

Virginia House Votes to Keep Fracking Chemical Cocktails a Secret:

"Virginia's House of Delegates voted 59-37 on Monday in favor of a bill that would allow fracking companies to keep their chemical cocktails a secret. HB 1678 states that "chemical ingredient names, the chemical abstracts number for a chemical ingredient, or the amount or concentration of chemicals or ingredients used to stimulate a well" are exempt from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. As the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, while fracking is not heavily used in Virginia, some energy companies have shown interest. Texas energy company Shore Exploration and Production Corp. has acquired about 86,000 acres of gas and oil leases for Virginia's Taylorsville basin. The bill was sponsored by Republican delegate Roxann L. Robinson, who introduced a similar bill last year. During Friday's debate of the bill, she argued that "by protecting that actual recipe, it will foster more efficient and more advancements in the fracking industry"."

Thursday, February 9, 2017

The Trump Administration’s Two-Pronged Assault on Public Health

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2017/02/07/298183/the-trump-administrations-two-pronged-assault-on-public-health/
"The 115th Congress and the Trump administration have already set their sights on gutting the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other cornerstone protections that ensure that our air is safe to breathe and our water safe to drink. They have promised to get rid of pollution limits for power plants instead of shifting to clean energy and nullify pollution limits for oil and gas drilling—as they also promise to drill anywhere and everywhere. These actions alone would greatly endanger public health and environmental quality. If that was not enough, however, congressional Republicans and the administration are also set on eliminating health insurance coverage for millions of Americans. This extreme rollback of federal regulations and services would allow more pollution, affect public health, and, at the same time, remove health care options for treatment when people get sick."

Republicans Introduce Bill to "Terminate the Environmental Protection Agency"

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/39377-republicans-introduce-bill-to-terminate-the-environmental-protection-agency
"Ironically, the bill to abolish the EPA is part of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee's plan to "Make the EPA Great Again"."

Army Corps Tossed Environment Studies On DAPL Because Trump Told Them To | Crooks and Liars

Army Corps Tossed Environment Studies On DAPL Because Trump Told Them To | Crooks and Liars

"As former State Department lawyer Keith Benes said to the Washington Post, the Corps can't just drop the EIS process for arbitrary reasons. And Trump demanding they do is an arbitrary reason."

Congress moves to restrict public input on public land planning

https://thinkprogress.org/congress-moves-to-restrict-public-input-on-public-land-planning-e8461a41dfd4#.79j2dzghq
"Hundreds of sportsmen, outdoor business owners and supporters of the great outdoors rallied in states across the West last week, raising their voice in support of protecting public lands. Congress responded by moving to restrict citizen input on public land use planning."

Seattle found a new way to resist the Dakota Access Pipeline

https://thinkprogress.org/seattle-dakota-access-wells-fargo-divestment-48cc7a7041a6#.uh5ggw66n
"The city council wants to send a clear message to Wells Fargo by divesting some $3 billion."