Sunday, May 5, 2019
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Consumers to pay a hefty price for Trump’s rollback of light bulb efficiency standards
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-light-bulb-rollback-cost-2b10f0720303/?fbclid=IwAR2Ta3iPoVEz4D5xX7OiuMzaOKm_B1Q5NP3mKEIpBL3Hk11q31TRV_1q21I
"President Donald Trump wants to roll back efficiency standards for light bulbs, at a cost to consumers of over $100 billion — some $1,000 per household — by 2030. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced in the Federal Register that it has started a process to undo those standards, despite projections that they will prevent the release of 540 million tons of greenhouse gases and hundreds of thousands of tons of the pollutants that worsen asthma, cardiopulmonary disease, and premature death. So, in the annals of Trump’s blinkered pursuit of undoing everything President Barack Obama did, no matter how basic or commonsense, this move ranks near the top."
"President Donald Trump wants to roll back efficiency standards for light bulbs, at a cost to consumers of over $100 billion — some $1,000 per household — by 2030. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced in the Federal Register that it has started a process to undo those standards, despite projections that they will prevent the release of 540 million tons of greenhouse gases and hundreds of thousands of tons of the pollutants that worsen asthma, cardiopulmonary disease, and premature death. So, in the annals of Trump’s blinkered pursuit of undoing everything President Barack Obama did, no matter how basic or commonsense, this move ranks near the top."
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Sunday, February 24, 2019
Friday, February 22, 2019
Saturday, February 16, 2019
Climate-change denier President Trump has rolled back numerous environmental regulations in first two years
https://www.newsweek.com/epa-trump-two-years-environment-regulations-climate-change-1298652?fbclid=IwAR0BT2tJeTAS9zLYIsnhgBNqLe9P3iS3ez30XM0GB2e68d-GXHpL7gravc8
"The president, who also believes that the dangers of asbestos are exaggerated, and that exercise depletes the human body like a battery, has worked alongside the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Department of Interior to roll back environmental and scientific regulations that limit pollutants put into the environment and the toxins workers can be exposed to."
"The president, who also believes that the dangers of asbestos are exaggerated, and that exercise depletes the human body like a battery, has worked alongside the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Department of Interior to roll back environmental and scientific regulations that limit pollutants put into the environment and the toxins workers can be exposed to."
The World Is on the Brink of Widespread Water Wars
https://truthout.org/articles/the-world-is-on-the-brink-of-widespread-water-wars/
"As planetary temperatures continue to increase and rainfall patterns shift due to human-caused climate disruption, our ability to grow crops and have enough drinking water will become increasingly challenged, and the outlook is only going to worsen. The most recent United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report warned of increasingly intense droughts and mass water shortages around large swaths of the globe."
"As planetary temperatures continue to increase and rainfall patterns shift due to human-caused climate disruption, our ability to grow crops and have enough drinking water will become increasingly challenged, and the outlook is only going to worsen. The most recent United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report warned of increasingly intense droughts and mass water shortages around large swaths of the globe."
Trump Quietly Put a Koch Official in Charge of America’s Drinking Water
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/02/trump-put-a-koch-official-in-charge-of-americas-drinking-water?fbclid=IwAR3enfxq2KW81sm3GZfYO3uNWm34-pYpvXI8wMl8PMLdOVEZBTEiQ367ZYU
"Currently, Koch subsidiary Georgia-Pacific, a paper and pulp conglomerate, is facing at least one class-action suit related to chemicals now under Dunlap’s purview. Koch’s various environmental crimes against humanity are laid out in several high-profile lawsuits over the past 20 years. According to Bloomberg, “Koch Industries was assessed more than $400 million in fines, penalties, and judgments” between 1999 and 2003, such as for dumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of aviation fuel into a Minnesota wetland. “You want an independent, hardheaded scientific review of these issues; you don’t want somebody who is already taking the industry party line,” Erik Olson, who heads up the Natural Resources Defense Council’s public health work, told Politico. “There’s a legitimate threat there and, from my perspective, the conflicts of interest that [Dunlap] has having worked as a regulatory compliance director at Georgia-Pacific raises questions about whether he can make those objective decisions or should be recused.” Dunlap, of course, is unlikely to be replaced by someone without a host of conflicts of interest given that the guy currently running the E.P.A., Andrew Wheeler, is a walking, talking conflict of interest, having served as a coal-lobbyist prior to taking over the top job from departed Grift King Scott Pruitt. It is, in other words, par for the course."
"Currently, Koch subsidiary Georgia-Pacific, a paper and pulp conglomerate, is facing at least one class-action suit related to chemicals now under Dunlap’s purview. Koch’s various environmental crimes against humanity are laid out in several high-profile lawsuits over the past 20 years. According to Bloomberg, “Koch Industries was assessed more than $400 million in fines, penalties, and judgments” between 1999 and 2003, such as for dumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of aviation fuel into a Minnesota wetland. “You want an independent, hardheaded scientific review of these issues; you don’t want somebody who is already taking the industry party line,” Erik Olson, who heads up the Natural Resources Defense Council’s public health work, told Politico. “There’s a legitimate threat there and, from my perspective, the conflicts of interest that [Dunlap] has having worked as a regulatory compliance director at Georgia-Pacific raises questions about whether he can make those objective decisions or should be recused.” Dunlap, of course, is unlikely to be replaced by someone without a host of conflicts of interest given that the guy currently running the E.P.A., Andrew Wheeler, is a walking, talking conflict of interest, having served as a coal-lobbyist prior to taking over the top job from departed Grift King Scott Pruitt. It is, in other words, par for the course."
EPA Rollbacks: Hurting Americans Where They Live
EPA Rollbacks: Hurting Americans Where They Live:
"From the outset, Pruitt unabashedly sabotaged the agency’s stated mission “to protect human health and the environment” by severely curtailing the scope of scientific investigations and regulatory enforcement. Pruitt resigned in July under a cloud of ethics scandals. The acting administrator is Andrew Wheeler, formerly a major coal lobbyist. In September, The New York Times reported that Wheeler is dissolving the top office advising him on the science that guides decisions about proposed health and pollution regulations. The EPA also placed Ruth Etzel, the head of the agency’s Office of Children’s Health, on a mysterious administrative leave. Both offices report directly to Wheeler."
"From the outset, Pruitt unabashedly sabotaged the agency’s stated mission “to protect human health and the environment” by severely curtailing the scope of scientific investigations and regulatory enforcement. Pruitt resigned in July under a cloud of ethics scandals. The acting administrator is Andrew Wheeler, formerly a major coal lobbyist. In September, The New York Times reported that Wheeler is dissolving the top office advising him on the science that guides decisions about proposed health and pollution regulations. The EPA also placed Ruth Etzel, the head of the agency’s Office of Children’s Health, on a mysterious administrative leave. Both offices report directly to Wheeler."
Trump’s EPA Is Undermining New Law to Regulate Chemicals
https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-epa-is-undermining-new-law-to-regulate-chemicals/
"Just recently, a former Koch Industries executive was tapped to head the scientific research arm of the EPA. Nancy Beck hopscotched from the American Chemistry Council (ACC)—an industry organization with powerful political clout—to a top deputy position in the agency’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. According to The New York Times, Beck subsequently weakened rules designed to track the health consequences of legacy chemicals."
"Just recently, a former Koch Industries executive was tapped to head the scientific research arm of the EPA. Nancy Beck hopscotched from the American Chemistry Council (ACC)—an industry organization with powerful political clout—to a top deputy position in the agency’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. According to The New York Times, Beck subsequently weakened rules designed to track the health consequences of legacy chemicals."
'Absolutely Unconscionable': Trump EPA Refuses to Limit Toxic Chemicals That Contaminate Drinking Water of Millions
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/01/29/absolutely-unconscionable-trump-epa-refuses-limit-toxic-chemicals-contaminate?fbclid=IwAR3x5pMvhRNN3KLFySrwnZCCSROaxeoLUHnaOIeNmgXZ8bDK60GxCuWAE3c
"In a decision deemed by critics unsurprising but also "absolutely unconscionable," the Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reportedly plans to refrain from regulating a pair of toxic chemicals linked to kidney and testicular cancer, even though they are contaminating millions of Americans' drinking water."
"In a decision deemed by critics unsurprising but also "absolutely unconscionable," the Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reportedly plans to refrain from regulating a pair of toxic chemicals linked to kidney and testicular cancer, even though they are contaminating millions of Americans' drinking water."
How Trump’s EPA is letting environmental criminals off the hook, in one chart
https://www.vox.com/2019/1/16/18183998/epa-andrew-wheeler-environmental-policy-enforcement?fbclid=IwAR2XA9h7vWZlt0IzpJYqueineYZAzw02s6G8YitISZ5N0izh_upvfMQI0t4
"Both reports make the case that the EPA is neglecting its mission and letting bad actors off the hook. That, in turn, could lead more scofflaws to ignore critical air, water, and soil protection rules."
"Both reports make the case that the EPA is neglecting its mission and letting bad actors off the hook. That, in turn, could lead more scofflaws to ignore critical air, water, and soil protection rules."
Trump's EPA refuses to regulate pair of chemicals linked to cancer and multiple illnesses
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/1/30/1830891/-Trump-s-EPA-refuses-to-regulate-pair-of-chemicals-linked-to-cancer-and-multiple-illnesses?utm_campaign=recent&fbclid=IwAR2Ql4-HzN1F6KfhC1wf7_E7b64UflcmmDZhQ01PQuZReEUr8KwJBn6NAYs
"the EPA is not going regulate them, despite requirements that such chemicals be regulated under the Safe Water Drinking Act."
"the EPA is not going regulate them, despite requirements that such chemicals be regulated under the Safe Water Drinking Act."
Congress Must Stop USDA’s Animal Experiments, Says Whistleblower
https://truthout.org/articles/congress-must-stop-usdas-animal-experiments-says-whistleblower/
"In December, the Senate introduced legislation called the Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now (KITTEN) Act, the companion to a bipartisan House bill of the same name targeting outdated food safety experiments at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). As Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) explained to CNN when he introduced the bill, “The USDA breeds up to 100 kittens a year, feeds them parasite-infected meat in order to have the parasite’s eggs harvested for use in other experiments, and then kills the kittens. This bill would essentially stop this process.” To date, the project has consumed $22 million tax dollars and taken the lives of 3,000 kittens. I was disturbed, but not at all surprised, when I read about the experiment, because for two decades, I worked as a veterinarian and researcher at the USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Nebraska, the world’s largest livestock research center. When I finally blew the whistle on the extensive government waste and animal abuse I witnessed at the USDA, it destroyed my career, and ultimately, my marriage. But I would do it again."
"In December, the Senate introduced legislation called the Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now (KITTEN) Act, the companion to a bipartisan House bill of the same name targeting outdated food safety experiments at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). As Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) explained to CNN when he introduced the bill, “The USDA breeds up to 100 kittens a year, feeds them parasite-infected meat in order to have the parasite’s eggs harvested for use in other experiments, and then kills the kittens. This bill would essentially stop this process.” To date, the project has consumed $22 million tax dollars and taken the lives of 3,000 kittens. I was disturbed, but not at all surprised, when I read about the experiment, because for two decades, I worked as a veterinarian and researcher at the USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Nebraska, the world’s largest livestock research center. When I finally blew the whistle on the extensive government waste and animal abuse I witnessed at the USDA, it destroyed my career, and ultimately, my marriage. But I would do it again."
Saturday, November 10, 2018
Utah votes to legalize medical marijuana with Proposition 2
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/7/18052950/utah-proposition-2-medical-marijuana-legalization-results?fbclid=IwAR0yzLANEBPeAr9UV1nYF68PAfC8HXkKTzw2PKFiT6Ebm5OKy7qTcHZHAzA
"The measure also sets up a system through which state officials will license and regulate medical marijuana businesses, from growers to dispensaries."
"The measure also sets up a system through which state officials will license and regulate medical marijuana businesses, from growers to dispensaries."
Science Returns to the House
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/11/eddie-bernice-johnson-science-returns-to-the-house/?fbclid=IwAR3v72UFEMFy604IgyV8XpzTWsEqI_m3CuoiIhlcLn2v_4ES87P6Hn_idnI
"The Democratic control of the House means science will get higher billing in the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, which, despite its name, has been run by Republican science deniers since 2011."
"The Democratic control of the House means science will get higher billing in the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, which, despite its name, has been run by Republican science deniers since 2011."
Big Oil Kills Carbon Initiative in Washington State
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/washington-state-carbon-initiative-vote-752961/?fbclid=IwAR2wVVKrRo97y_LJC5TLTHOztDAb9SO8Dl5V9OuuEexAUjF4gFdTLZ_DphY
"Last night in Washington state, Big Oil bought another election and pushed the world a little deeper into climate chaos. What else is new? Big Oil’s victory came on Initiative 1631, which sought to put a small fee on carbon pollution in the state. It lost by a significant margin, 56 percent to 44 percent. The Initiative was hardly a fossil-fuel killer. In fact, it was distressingly modest: It would put a price on carbon pollution that starts at $15 per ton in 2020 and rises $2 a year until 2035, where it would reach around $55. If state carbon targets are being reached, it would stay there; if not, it would continue upward. This modest fee (don’t call it a tax!) is far below what most economists believe is necessary to really have a transformative impact on our energy system, especially in a state like Washington, which has a lot of clean hydro power, but it was a start."
"Last night in Washington state, Big Oil bought another election and pushed the world a little deeper into climate chaos. What else is new? Big Oil’s victory came on Initiative 1631, which sought to put a small fee on carbon pollution in the state. It lost by a significant margin, 56 percent to 44 percent. The Initiative was hardly a fossil-fuel killer. In fact, it was distressingly modest: It would put a price on carbon pollution that starts at $15 per ton in 2020 and rises $2 a year until 2035, where it would reach around $55. If state carbon targets are being reached, it would stay there; if not, it would continue upward. This modest fee (don’t call it a tax!) is far below what most economists believe is necessary to really have a transformative impact on our energy system, especially in a state like Washington, which has a lot of clean hydro power, but it was a start."
Big Oil spent big and won big in Washington and Colorado
https://thinkprogress.org/washington-colorado-big-oil-spending-ballot-initiatives-1b0620a1cc16/?fbclid=IwAR0Ed-rVNNWkuL0ij_Sty38DZOduuTgShXi_uNIsGFqMg-pW6uNPxRCXEQU
"Sweeping climate initiatives failed to pass in both Washington and Colorado on Tuesday following a record-breaking multi-million dollar opposition effort from the oil industry, which poured a staggering amount of money into campaigns opposing the initiatives."
"Sweeping climate initiatives failed to pass in both Washington and Colorado on Tuesday following a record-breaking multi-million dollar opposition effort from the oil industry, which poured a staggering amount of money into campaigns opposing the initiatives."
Monday, November 5, 2018
Friday, October 26, 2018
Unraveling Trump’s Toxic Agenda
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/donald-trump-environmenal-agenda-738964/?fbclid=IwAR3lPSEn6Dx0CJcM0OTs4L7emLYBrlDcWrokhN4rSaCTvOMxWvBr2LBR7rw
"The Trump administration is reconsidering a 2011 pollution control on mercury and other toxins emitted from coal plants. Mercury is particularly dangerous for pregnant women and can damage fetal brain health. The regulation has successfully reduced emissions of the pollutant by 70 percent, and it could prevent as many as 11,000 premature deaths from heart and lung disease annually. Meanwhile, the EPA has already weakened enforcement: EPA assistant administrator Bill Wehrum — a longtime lawyer for chemical and oil companies — issued a guidance making it easier for plants to turn off their pollution controls, which, according to one study, could more than quadruple the output of toxins and disproportionately impact the poor. “That’s true of most Trump rollbacks,” says Gallagher, “because they favor heavy industries,” which are closer to disadvantaged communities. Polluting Waterways When mountaintops are blown up to mine coal, the debris that falls into the valleys below is laden with toxic heavy metals like arsenic and lead, which seep into streams. One of Trump’s first actions in office was to sign the repeal of a law that held coal-mining companies accountable for the polluted waterways. The toxins are being tied to learning disabilities, kidney stones, tooth loss, cancer and, according to one lawsuit, “unremitting diarrhea.” The health impacts are woefully understudied, however, and likely to remain that way: The administration also canceled funding for a major study on the health risks of mountaintop-removal mining. In another giveaway to coal, the administration weakened already modest standards for coal-ash disposal from power plants. “The ash has arsenic and other toxins, and is often stored in unlined pits that can leak in surface water and groundwater, and in fact do,” says water-policy expert Jon Devine of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Some of these are heavy metals that can cause cancer, result in lowered IQ in children, deformities, harm to fish and wildlife — nasty stuff"."
"The Trump administration is reconsidering a 2011 pollution control on mercury and other toxins emitted from coal plants. Mercury is particularly dangerous for pregnant women and can damage fetal brain health. The regulation has successfully reduced emissions of the pollutant by 70 percent, and it could prevent as many as 11,000 premature deaths from heart and lung disease annually. Meanwhile, the EPA has already weakened enforcement: EPA assistant administrator Bill Wehrum — a longtime lawyer for chemical and oil companies — issued a guidance making it easier for plants to turn off their pollution controls, which, according to one study, could more than quadruple the output of toxins and disproportionately impact the poor. “That’s true of most Trump rollbacks,” says Gallagher, “because they favor heavy industries,” which are closer to disadvantaged communities. Polluting Waterways When mountaintops are blown up to mine coal, the debris that falls into the valleys below is laden with toxic heavy metals like arsenic and lead, which seep into streams. One of Trump’s first actions in office was to sign the repeal of a law that held coal-mining companies accountable for the polluted waterways. The toxins are being tied to learning disabilities, kidney stones, tooth loss, cancer and, according to one lawsuit, “unremitting diarrhea.” The health impacts are woefully understudied, however, and likely to remain that way: The administration also canceled funding for a major study on the health risks of mountaintop-removal mining. In another giveaway to coal, the administration weakened already modest standards for coal-ash disposal from power plants. “The ash has arsenic and other toxins, and is often stored in unlined pits that can leak in surface water and groundwater, and in fact do,” says water-policy expert Jon Devine of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Some of these are heavy metals that can cause cancer, result in lowered IQ in children, deformities, harm to fish and wildlife — nasty stuff"."
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Former Koch staffer appointed to key EPA position
https://thinkprogress.org/koch-epa-industry-david-dunlap-chemical-water-1f08cfa2fb01/
"The Environmental Protection Agency has hired a former Koch Industries staffer who worked on water and chemical policy to fill a key role within the agency, continuing a Trump administration trend of appointing company insiders to oversee the industries they are meant to regulate."
"The Environmental Protection Agency has hired a former Koch Industries staffer who worked on water and chemical policy to fill a key role within the agency, continuing a Trump administration trend of appointing company insiders to oversee the industries they are meant to regulate."
Brett Kavanaugh Also Lied About His Rulings on the Environment
https://theintercept.com/2018/10/04/brett-kavanaugh-environmental-rulings/
"When it comes to wildlife, Kavanaugh’s record is even worse, according to an analysis by William Snape, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. In his 12 years on the federal bench, Kavanaugh had a say in 18 decisions affecting wildlife; taking split decisions into account, he ruled against the animals 96 percent of the time, according to Snape. For comparison, Snape also ran the numbers for Judge David Sentelle, a conservative, who ruled against wildlife 57 percent of the time, and Judge Merrick Garland, a moderate, who came down against wildlife 46 percent of the time."
"When it comes to wildlife, Kavanaugh’s record is even worse, according to an analysis by William Snape, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. In his 12 years on the federal bench, Kavanaugh had a say in 18 decisions affecting wildlife; taking split decisions into account, he ruled against the animals 96 percent of the time, according to Snape. For comparison, Snape also ran the numbers for Judge David Sentelle, a conservative, who ruled against wildlife 57 percent of the time, and Judge Merrick Garland, a moderate, who came down against wildlife 46 percent of the time."
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
How Our Air and Water Will Grow More Toxic Under Trump
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-mercury-poison-731648/
"Exhibit A: On Sunday, The New York Times reported that the administration is planning to roll back mercury regulations on coal-fired power plants. Mercury, as most people know, is one of the most toxic substances on earth. It is potentially harmful to everyone, but pregnant women and children are by far the most vulnerable. How toxic is mercury? Consider this: In 1997, Dr. Karen Wetterhan, a researcher at Dartmouth College, accidentally spilled a single drop of dimethylmercury, a highly concentrated form often used in lab research, on her hand. She didn’t worry about it — she was wearing latex gloves. She washed the mercury off immediately and didn’t think about it again until five months later, when she began bumping into walls and slurring her words. Her doctors were not able to diagnose what was wrong, then she told them about the drop of mercury. They did a blood test: mercury poisoning. A few months later, Dr. Wetterhan was dead. Coal-fired power plants are by far the largest emitters of mercury in the United States."
"Exhibit A: On Sunday, The New York Times reported that the administration is planning to roll back mercury regulations on coal-fired power plants. Mercury, as most people know, is one of the most toxic substances on earth. It is potentially harmful to everyone, but pregnant women and children are by far the most vulnerable. How toxic is mercury? Consider this: In 1997, Dr. Karen Wetterhan, a researcher at Dartmouth College, accidentally spilled a single drop of dimethylmercury, a highly concentrated form often used in lab research, on her hand. She didn’t worry about it — she was wearing latex gloves. She washed the mercury off immediately and didn’t think about it again until five months later, when she began bumping into walls and slurring her words. Her doctors were not able to diagnose what was wrong, then she told them about the drop of mercury. They did a blood test: mercury poisoning. A few months later, Dr. Wetterhan was dead. Coal-fired power plants are by far the largest emitters of mercury in the United States."
Monday, October 1, 2018
Trump’s EPA makes ‘sneaky’ move to hamstring its children’s health office
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-epas-sneaky-new-move-in-its-war-on-childrens-health-74fc9f55ce84/
"Acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Andrew Wheeler isn’t going to end Trump’s war on children’s health. But the former coal lobbyist does have sneakier tactics than his much-investigated predecessor Scott Pruitt. Wheeler has put the Director of the Office of Children’s Health Protection (OCHP), Dr. Ruth Etzel, on administrative leave without explanation. Etzel, as the EPA’s website notes, is an award-winning pediatrician and public health expert whose career “to protect children from hazards in the environment” spans three decades. “This seems like a sneaky way for the E.P.A. to get rid of this program and not be upfront about it,” as Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha told the New York Times. Dr. Hanna-Attisha is the pediatrician whose tests of children’s blood revealed elevated lead levels in Flint Michigan’s water. And a former EPA official called the move “highly unusual.” The Trump EPA has been working to undermine the children’s health office for a while, according to several people in and out of the agency who spoke to the Times. For instance, the paper reports that since July, the EPA has stalled a year-long effort by the OCHP to develop an inter-agency strategy to cut children’s lead exposure. What’s especially worrisome with this is that children are much more vulnerable to pollution and toxins than adults because key organs are still developing, they put things in their mouth (like lead paint), and “they eat more, drink more, and breathe more in proportion to their body size,” as the OCHP website explains."
"Acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Andrew Wheeler isn’t going to end Trump’s war on children’s health. But the former coal lobbyist does have sneakier tactics than his much-investigated predecessor Scott Pruitt. Wheeler has put the Director of the Office of Children’s Health Protection (OCHP), Dr. Ruth Etzel, on administrative leave without explanation. Etzel, as the EPA’s website notes, is an award-winning pediatrician and public health expert whose career “to protect children from hazards in the environment” spans three decades. “This seems like a sneaky way for the E.P.A. to get rid of this program and not be upfront about it,” as Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha told the New York Times. Dr. Hanna-Attisha is the pediatrician whose tests of children’s blood revealed elevated lead levels in Flint Michigan’s water. And a former EPA official called the move “highly unusual.” The Trump EPA has been working to undermine the children’s health office for a while, according to several people in and out of the agency who spoke to the Times. For instance, the paper reports that since July, the EPA has stalled a year-long effort by the OCHP to develop an inter-agency strategy to cut children’s lead exposure. What’s especially worrisome with this is that children are much more vulnerable to pollution and toxins than adults because key organs are still developing, they put things in their mouth (like lead paint), and “they eat more, drink more, and breathe more in proportion to their body size,” as the OCHP website explains."
Hurricane Florence Released Tons of Coal Ash in North Carolina. Now the Coal Industry Wants Less Regulation.
https://theintercept.com/2018/09/28/north-carolina-coal-ash-hurricane-florence/
"EVEN AS COAL ash storage basins are leaking massive amounts of pollution in the wake of Hurricane Florence, the coal industry is working on a novel legal strategy to stop the federal regulation of this toxic byproduct of coal combustion. The very same week that coal ash turned some river water in North Carolina into gray pudding and the pollution amassed to the point that it could be seen from space, coal companies have been successfully limiting their liability for this contamination under the Clean Water Act. The coal industry was already enjoying a banner year under the Trump administration — one capped by the rollback of a 2015 Environmental Protection Agency rule that had set basic limitations on the disposal of coal ash. The waste contains carcinogens and neurotoxins, including arsenic, boron, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead, lithium, and mercury, and is often stored in unlined pits. The 2015 rule required that any coal ash storage facility within five feet of a groundwater aquifer be closed. The new rule, which the EPA finalized in July, extended the time coal companies have to close those ash ponds by 12 months, allowed states to suspend the monitoring of some groundwater near coal ash waste sites, and removed a requirement that only engineers can sign off on changes to coal ash ponds."
"EVEN AS COAL ash storage basins are leaking massive amounts of pollution in the wake of Hurricane Florence, the coal industry is working on a novel legal strategy to stop the federal regulation of this toxic byproduct of coal combustion. The very same week that coal ash turned some river water in North Carolina into gray pudding and the pollution amassed to the point that it could be seen from space, coal companies have been successfully limiting their liability for this contamination under the Clean Water Act. The coal industry was already enjoying a banner year under the Trump administration — one capped by the rollback of a 2015 Environmental Protection Agency rule that had set basic limitations on the disposal of coal ash. The waste contains carcinogens and neurotoxins, including arsenic, boron, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead, lithium, and mercury, and is often stored in unlined pits. The 2015 rule required that any coal ash storage facility within five feet of a groundwater aquifer be closed. The new rule, which the EPA finalized in July, extended the time coal companies have to close those ash ponds by 12 months, allowed states to suspend the monitoring of some groundwater near coal ash waste sites, and removed a requirement that only engineers can sign off on changes to coal ash ponds."
Stay of Execution for Yellowstone Grizzly Bears as Court Rules Trump Admin Illegally Gutted Protections
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/09/25/stay-execution-yellowstone-grizzly-bears-court-rules-trump-admin-illegally-gutted
"First Nations tribes and green groups celebrated a federal court's ruling late Monday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it gutted the Endangered Species Act's (ESA) protections for grizzly bears in the Yellowstone National Park region."
"First Nations tribes and green groups celebrated a federal court's ruling late Monday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it gutted the Endangered Species Act's (ESA) protections for grizzly bears in the Yellowstone National Park region."
How Feedback Loops Are Driving Runaway Climate Change
https://truthout.org/articles/how-feedback-loops-are-driving-runaway-climate-change/
"NOAA’s 2017 Arctic Report Card states unequivocally that the Arctic “shows no sign of returning to reliably frozen region of recent past decades.” The Executive Summary of the report also adds, “Arctic paleo-reconstructions, which extend back millions of years, indicate that the magnitude and pace of the 21st century sea-ice decline and surface ocean warming is unprecedented in at least the last 1,500 years and likely much longer.” A recent report from National Geographic revealed that some of the ground in the Arctic is no longer freezing, even during the winter. Along with causing other problems, this will become yet another feedback loop in the Arctic, causing yet more greenhouse gasses to be released from permafrost than are already being released and impacting the entire planet."
"NOAA’s 2017 Arctic Report Card states unequivocally that the Arctic “shows no sign of returning to reliably frozen region of recent past decades.” The Executive Summary of the report also adds, “Arctic paleo-reconstructions, which extend back millions of years, indicate that the magnitude and pace of the 21st century sea-ice decline and surface ocean warming is unprecedented in at least the last 1,500 years and likely much longer.” A recent report from National Geographic revealed that some of the ground in the Arctic is no longer freezing, even during the winter. Along with causing other problems, this will become yet another feedback loop in the Arctic, causing yet more greenhouse gasses to be released from permafrost than are already being released and impacting the entire planet."
The soaring cost of climate change, especially for the U.S.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/9/30/1771160/-The-soaring-cost-of-climate-change-especially-for-the-U-S
"A new study delivers more bad news about climate change: The U.S. is second only to India in experiencing the negative economic consequences of greenhouse gas emissions. The study projects the loss to be a whopping $250 billion a year in this country alone. The study, by researchers at the University of California at San Diego and published in Nature Climate Change, looks at the social cost of carbon, or SCC, a commonly employed metric of the expected economic damages from carbon dioxide emissions. A basic definition of the social cost of carbon is the measure, in dollars, of the long-term damage done by the release of a metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions in a given year. The study measured the effects of the social cost of carbon on each of the world’s nearly 200 countries. The four countries with the highest economic losses from the social cost of carbon are India, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Brazil. China, the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, places fifth. The U.S. cost was put at $48 per ton of carbon dioxide emissions, while most countries, especially those in more northern latitudes, had costs of $10 or less per ton of CO2 emissions. Why does this matter, besides the obvious conclusion that climate change is costing the world a lot of money in addition to the damage to our individual health and the health of the planet? Because Donald Trump’s administration wants to scale back the regulations now in place for greenhouse gas emissions."
"A new study delivers more bad news about climate change: The U.S. is second only to India in experiencing the negative economic consequences of greenhouse gas emissions. The study projects the loss to be a whopping $250 billion a year in this country alone. The study, by researchers at the University of California at San Diego and published in Nature Climate Change, looks at the social cost of carbon, or SCC, a commonly employed metric of the expected economic damages from carbon dioxide emissions. A basic definition of the social cost of carbon is the measure, in dollars, of the long-term damage done by the release of a metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions in a given year. The study measured the effects of the social cost of carbon on each of the world’s nearly 200 countries. The four countries with the highest economic losses from the social cost of carbon are India, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Brazil. China, the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, places fifth. The U.S. cost was put at $48 per ton of carbon dioxide emissions, while most countries, especially those in more northern latitudes, had costs of $10 or less per ton of CO2 emissions. Why does this matter, besides the obvious conclusion that climate change is costing the world a lot of money in addition to the damage to our individual health and the health of the planet? Because Donald Trump’s administration wants to scale back the regulations now in place for greenhouse gas emissions."
Taibbi: Why Aren’t We Talking More About Trump’s Nihilism?
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-white-house-climate-change-731440/
"The White House now says we might as well pollute because global catastrophe is inevitable"
"The White House now says we might as well pollute because global catastrophe is inevitable"
Mercury Can Cause Brain Damage In Kids. The EPA Wants To Weaken Rules On Its Emissions.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mercury-epa-mats-rule_us_5bb21460e4b027da00d56346
"The proposal would not completely eliminate MATS, which sets limits on power plant emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants. But it is “designed to put in place the legal justification for the Trump administration to weaken it and several other pollution rules,” and could open the door to a possible full repeal of the regulation, according to The New York Times."
"The proposal would not completely eliminate MATS, which sets limits on power plant emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants. But it is “designed to put in place the legal justification for the Trump administration to weaken it and several other pollution rules,” and could open the door to a possible full repeal of the regulation, according to The New York Times."
More Proof Trump EPA 'Working for Coal Millionaires' as EPA Plan to Weaken Mercury Regulations Revealed
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/01/more-proof-trump-epa-working-coal-millionaires-epa-plan-weaken-mercury-regulations
"Acting EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler counted Murray's company, Murray Energy, among his clients when he worked as a lobbyist before entering government. Bill Wehrum, another top EPA official who authored the proposal, has also represented energy companies as a lawyer. "If finalized, this shameful plan would undermine standards that have already been widely implemented, exposing our kids to more toxic mercury and arsenic just so Andrew Wheeler and Bill Wehrum can appease a handful of their former clients in the coal industry," said Mary Ann Hitt, director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal program, in a statement. "If anyone needed further proof that Wheeler and Wehrum are still working for coal millionaires, this is it"."
"Acting EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler counted Murray's company, Murray Energy, among his clients when he worked as a lobbyist before entering government. Bill Wehrum, another top EPA official who authored the proposal, has also represented energy companies as a lawyer. "If finalized, this shameful plan would undermine standards that have already been widely implemented, exposing our kids to more toxic mercury and arsenic just so Andrew Wheeler and Bill Wehrum can appease a handful of their former clients in the coal industry," said Mary Ann Hitt, director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal program, in a statement. "If anyone needed further proof that Wheeler and Wehrum are still working for coal millionaires, this is it"."
Congress allows parks program to expire over the weekend
https://thinkprogress.org/congressional-republicans-zinke-allow-countrys-most-successful-conservation-program-to-expire-c2dc46eff642/
"The Republican-controlled Congress allowed the country’s most popular parks program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to expire Sunday. The lapse threatens access to public lands and water and leaves many potential projects in limbo. “The Land and Water Conservation Fund is the most successful land conservation program in our nation’s history. Congress’s inability to prevent its expiration is a stunning failure and a betrayal of more than a half century of broad bipartisan support,” Colin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said in a statement. “America’s wildlife heritage, outdoor recreation opportunities and public lands are the envy of the world and drive our $887 billion recreation economy.” The Land and Water Conservation Fund provides funding to protect parks, forests, cultural heritage sites, and water resources, at zero expense to taxpayers. The fund, which is paid for through revenues from offshore drilling, was passed in 1964 and has financed projects in all 50 states."
"The Republican-controlled Congress allowed the country’s most popular parks program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to expire Sunday. The lapse threatens access to public lands and water and leaves many potential projects in limbo. “The Land and Water Conservation Fund is the most successful land conservation program in our nation’s history. Congress’s inability to prevent its expiration is a stunning failure and a betrayal of more than a half century of broad bipartisan support,” Colin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said in a statement. “America’s wildlife heritage, outdoor recreation opportunities and public lands are the envy of the world and drive our $887 billion recreation economy.” The Land and Water Conservation Fund provides funding to protect parks, forests, cultural heritage sites, and water resources, at zero expense to taxpayers. The fund, which is paid for through revenues from offshore drilling, was passed in 1964 and has financed projects in all 50 states."
Friday, September 28, 2018
Sunday, September 16, 2018
States Allow For-Profit Pipeline Companies to Seize Private Property
https://truthout.org/articles/states-allow-for-profit-pipeline-companies-to-seize-private-property/
"The company must now wait until at least November to finish, when a court will decide whether Energy Transfer Partners has the legal right to “expropriate” the property under state law. Workers have already built much of the pipeline easement on the property after clearing trees and grinding them into mulch. The deal is a setback for the company and a victory for environmentalists, but much of the project is already completed. Aerial photos show unpermitted pipeline construction on Aaslestad’s property as far back as July 23, but the local police did not show up until the media and environmental activists arrived last month. Unlike Energy Transfer Partners, the activists claimed to have written permission from one of Aaslestad’s co-owners to be on the property, but several were arrested on felony charges and dragged off to jail after resorting to civil disobedience to halt construction. “Everyone should be concerned that certain people get away with things that others can’t,” said Mitchell. “It’s not an equitable system, and there should be serious spotlight on accountability and compliance with the laws of this state.” As the spoils of fracking and the Trump administration’s pro-drilling agenda increase demand for new fossil fuel infrastructure, private oil companies are seizing private property from landowners to build oil and gas pipelines across the country. In most cases, state regulators and courts have granted private firms like Energy Transfer Partners eminent domain or “expropriation” powers by framing their for-profit pipelines as public benefit. Activists and landowners are fighting back, and some have been jailed in the process."
"The company must now wait until at least November to finish, when a court will decide whether Energy Transfer Partners has the legal right to “expropriate” the property under state law. Workers have already built much of the pipeline easement on the property after clearing trees and grinding them into mulch. The deal is a setback for the company and a victory for environmentalists, but much of the project is already completed. Aerial photos show unpermitted pipeline construction on Aaslestad’s property as far back as July 23, but the local police did not show up until the media and environmental activists arrived last month. Unlike Energy Transfer Partners, the activists claimed to have written permission from one of Aaslestad’s co-owners to be on the property, but several were arrested on felony charges and dragged off to jail after resorting to civil disobedience to halt construction. “Everyone should be concerned that certain people get away with things that others can’t,” said Mitchell. “It’s not an equitable system, and there should be serious spotlight on accountability and compliance with the laws of this state.” As the spoils of fracking and the Trump administration’s pro-drilling agenda increase demand for new fossil fuel infrastructure, private oil companies are seizing private property from landowners to build oil and gas pipelines across the country. In most cases, state regulators and courts have granted private firms like Energy Transfer Partners eminent domain or “expropriation” powers by framing their for-profit pipelines as public benefit. Activists and landowners are fighting back, and some have been jailed in the process."
Legal Battle Staves Off Trump’s Assault on Clean Water Protections
https://truthout.org/articles/legal-battle-staves-off-trumps-assault-on-clean-water-protections/
"Since taking office, Donald Trump has waged a relentless attack on the nation’s waterways, but his efforts to strip away protections for rivers and wetlands have run into a tide of legal resistance. One of Trump’s first environmental policy directives was to choke off the foundational law protecting water bodies and aquatic habitats, the Nixon-era Clean Water Act. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under Trump nominee Scott Pruitt, targeted a keystone amendment to the Clean Water Act developed by the Obama administration, which strengthened the agency’s ability to control and monitor a range of water bodies and pollution sources."
"Since taking office, Donald Trump has waged a relentless attack on the nation’s waterways, but his efforts to strip away protections for rivers and wetlands have run into a tide of legal resistance. One of Trump’s first environmental policy directives was to choke off the foundational law protecting water bodies and aquatic habitats, the Nixon-era Clean Water Act. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under Trump nominee Scott Pruitt, targeted a keystone amendment to the Clean Water Act developed by the Obama administration, which strengthened the agency’s ability to control and monitor a range of water bodies and pollution sources."
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Ryan Zinke’s War on the Interior
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/ryan-zinke-trump-war-on-department-of-interior-700218/
"From gutting the Endangered Species Act to opening off-shore drilling – inside the Trump administration’s crusade to hand America’s public lands to the fossil-fuel industry"
"From gutting the Endangered Species Act to opening off-shore drilling – inside the Trump administration’s crusade to hand America’s public lands to the fossil-fuel industry"
Accidentally-released documents show Interior agency prioritized industry over public lands
https://thinkprogress.org/interior-zinke-public-lands-oil-drilling-d8a4cc51c5d2/
"Under Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, the agency intentionally tailored a survey of protected sites, emphasizing instead the value of fossil fuel extraction and other industry endeavors."
"Under Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, the agency intentionally tailored a survey of protected sites, emphasizing instead the value of fossil fuel extraction and other industry endeavors."
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Mike Pence's Family Business Is Still in the Indiana Soil, Literally
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a22487247/mike-pences-family-business-indiana-pollution/
"We begin in Indiana, where the legacy of Vice-President* Mike Pence and his family business remains alive in the soil and the water, even if certain other things do not. Pence’s father got rich by helping to develop a chain of gas stations all over the Midwest. In 2004, the business went bust, but it’s still costing the taxpayers. From the AP: The collapse of Kiel Bros. Oil Co. in 2004 was widely publicized. Less known is that the state of Indiana—and, to a smaller extent, Kentucky and Illinois—are still on the hook for millions of dollars to clean up more than 85 contaminated sites across the three states, including underground tanks that leaked toxic chemicals into soil, streams and wells. Indiana alone has spent at least $21 million on the cleanup thus far, or an average of about $500,000 per site, according to an analysis of records by The Associated Press. And the work is nowhere near complete."
"We begin in Indiana, where the legacy of Vice-President* Mike Pence and his family business remains alive in the soil and the water, even if certain other things do not. Pence’s father got rich by helping to develop a chain of gas stations all over the Midwest. In 2004, the business went bust, but it’s still costing the taxpayers. From the AP: The collapse of Kiel Bros. Oil Co. in 2004 was widely publicized. Less known is that the state of Indiana—and, to a smaller extent, Kentucky and Illinois—are still on the hook for millions of dollars to clean up more than 85 contaminated sites across the three states, including underground tanks that leaked toxic chemicals into soil, streams and wells. Indiana alone has spent at least $21 million on the cleanup thus far, or an average of about $500,000 per site, according to an analysis of records by The Associated Press. And the work is nowhere near complete."
Monday, July 23, 2018
Trump Just Nominated a Pesticide Exec to Oversee Science at the USDA
https://www.motherjones.com/food/2018/07/trump-just-nominated-a-pesticide-exec-to-oversee-science-at-usda/
"If approved by the Senate, Scott Hutchins will be the third major player from Dow Chemical’s pesticide/seed division—now known as Corteva, after Dow’s 2017 merger with DuPont—to hold a high post in Trump’s USDA. Back in April, the administration tapped Ken Isley, a 30-year Dow Agroscience/Corteva veteran, to lead the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. In October 2017, another former Dow man, Ted Mckinney, was confirmed by the Senate as undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs. McKinney had served for 19 years on Dow Agroscience’s government affairs (read: lobbying) team."
"If approved by the Senate, Scott Hutchins will be the third major player from Dow Chemical’s pesticide/seed division—now known as Corteva, after Dow’s 2017 merger with DuPont—to hold a high post in Trump’s USDA. Back in April, the administration tapped Ken Isley, a 30-year Dow Agroscience/Corteva veteran, to lead the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. In October 2017, another former Dow man, Ted Mckinney, was confirmed by the Senate as undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs. McKinney had served for 19 years on Dow Agroscience’s government affairs (read: lobbying) team."
Scott Pruitt Can’t Escape His Investigations Just Because He Resigned
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/07/scott-pruitt-cant-escape-his-investigations-just-because-he-resigned/
"Scott Pruitt may be out at the Environmental Protection Agency, but he left in the midst of more than a dozen federal investigations into his conduct."
"Scott Pruitt may be out at the Environmental Protection Agency, but he left in the midst of more than a dozen federal investigations into his conduct."
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Russian Asbestos Company Puts Trump's Face, Seal of Approval, on Pallets of Its Products
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/07/11/russian-asbestos-company-puts-trumps-face-seal-approval-pallets-its-products
"Praising the Trump administration's new asbestos policies, which were announced last month, the company's post thanked the president for supporting recently-resigned Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt, "who declared that his agency would no longer deal with matters related to side effects potentially caused by asbestos," according to a translation by Guardian."
"Praising the Trump administration's new asbestos policies, which were announced last month, the company's post thanked the president for supporting recently-resigned Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt, "who declared that his agency would no longer deal with matters related to side effects potentially caused by asbestos," according to a translation by Guardian."
So Long, Scott Pruitt. We Knew You All Too Well.
https://theintercept.com/2018/07/06/epa-scott-pruitt-resignation-andrew-wheeler/
"In Oklahoma, where he sided with poultry companies in Arkansas to subvert environmental protections for a river in his own state and suppressed a report on corruption at a Superfund site, what he wanted was the political support of a wealthy industry. In Washington, where he had recently expressed interest in Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s job, he wanted the approval of the president. (Pruitt’s resignation letter even seemed to be aimed for the president’s good side: “Truly, your confidence in me has blessed me personally,” he wrote, adding that he believed God “brought me into your service.”) For his part, Trump didn’t care about Pruitt’s scandals as long as he was doing the bidding of industry, which is why it took so long for his tenure to end. When it did, Democrats and environmentalists rejoiced as if the house had fallen on the wicked witch. “Finally,” was the headline quote of a press release from Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., who, just hours before, had called for a criminal investigation into Pruitt’s secret calendar. A Washington, D.C., restaurant whipped up a special cocktail for the occasion. Even Republicans joined in the post-Pruitt celebration. The party will be brief. The president has another loyal industry servant primed for service. Former coal lobbyist and current EPA deputy administrator Andrew Wheeler will take over as the agency’s acting director on Monday. His views on climate change, the rollback of the Clean Power Plan, and the ongoing evisceration of other environmental protections are virtually indistinguishable from Pruitt’s. In several ways, Wheeler is a more daunting adversary. He has more experience working to undermine environmental regulations and deeper ties to industry than his predecessor."
"In Oklahoma, where he sided with poultry companies in Arkansas to subvert environmental protections for a river in his own state and suppressed a report on corruption at a Superfund site, what he wanted was the political support of a wealthy industry. In Washington, where he had recently expressed interest in Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s job, he wanted the approval of the president. (Pruitt’s resignation letter even seemed to be aimed for the president’s good side: “Truly, your confidence in me has blessed me personally,” he wrote, adding that he believed God “brought me into your service.”) For his part, Trump didn’t care about Pruitt’s scandals as long as he was doing the bidding of industry, which is why it took so long for his tenure to end. When it did, Democrats and environmentalists rejoiced as if the house had fallen on the wicked witch. “Finally,” was the headline quote of a press release from Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., who, just hours before, had called for a criminal investigation into Pruitt’s secret calendar. A Washington, D.C., restaurant whipped up a special cocktail for the occasion. Even Republicans joined in the post-Pruitt celebration. The party will be brief. The president has another loyal industry servant primed for service. Former coal lobbyist and current EPA deputy administrator Andrew Wheeler will take over as the agency’s acting director on Monday. His views on climate change, the rollback of the Clean Power Plan, and the ongoing evisceration of other environmental protections are virtually indistinguishable from Pruitt’s. In several ways, Wheeler is a more daunting adversary. He has more experience working to undermine environmental regulations and deeper ties to industry than his predecessor."
GOP-Controlled House Passes Bill to Eviscerate Nation's Marine Ecosystems, Fisheries
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/07/12/gop-controlled-house-passes-bill-eviscerate-nations-marine-ecosystems-fisheries
"Conservations, scientists, and members of fishing communities and industry expressed outrage and disappointment after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that experts warn will set the nation's fishing industry back decades by eviscerating protections that have made U.S. fisheries more sustainable and undermining the health of marine ecosystems as well as the communities that live off the ocean."
"Conservations, scientists, and members of fishing communities and industry expressed outrage and disappointment after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that experts warn will set the nation's fishing industry back decades by eviscerating protections that have made U.S. fisheries more sustainable and undermining the health of marine ecosystems as well as the communities that live off the ocean."
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Scott Pruitt is mired in scandals — but you wouldn’t know it from watching Fox News
https://www.vox.com/2018/6/8/17441310/scott-pruitt-fox-news-scandal-data
"In this instance, Fox News isn’t trying to spin the Pruitt scandals in some positive manner. Instead, it’s just ignoring a story that makes the administration look bad, as it so often does. And as long as the Fox News machine builds an alternate reality where none of this happened, Pruitt might be able to sleep peacefully on his Trump hotel mattress."
"In this instance, Fox News isn’t trying to spin the Pruitt scandals in some positive manner. Instead, it’s just ignoring a story that makes the administration look bad, as it so often does. And as long as the Fox News machine builds an alternate reality where none of this happened, Pruitt might be able to sleep peacefully on his Trump hotel mattress."
Billions in solar projects and thousands of jobs shelved after Trump tariff
https://www.politicususa.com/2018/06/07/billions-in-solar-projects-and-thousands-of-jobs-shelved-after-trump-tariff.html
"The U.S. solar industry employs more than 250,000 people – about three times more than the coal industry – with about 40 percent of those people in installation and 20 percent in manufacturing, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration."
"The U.S. solar industry employs more than 250,000 people – about three times more than the coal industry – with about 40 percent of those people in installation and 20 percent in manufacturing, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration."
Trump says EPA is doing ‘really, really well’ as scandals continue to mount around Scott Pruitt
https://thinkprogress.org/pruitt-scandals-trump-fema-f1746162d6ff/
"Only a few days earlier, on Saturday, the New York Times reported that Pruitt attended a December University of Kentucky basketball game as a guest of coal baron Joseph W. Craft III. A day prior, emails obtained via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit by the Sierra Club revealed that the EPA administrator had spent $3,230 at a Washington, D.C.-based jewelry store using agency funds. Of that, $1,560 was spent on 12 fountain pens — approximately $130 per pen. Pruitt also appointed Steven D. Cook, a former chemical industry lawyer linked to at least 36 Superfund pollution sites, as head of the EPA’s Superfund Task Force last week. That announcement came shortly before the EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) voted to review a number of regulatory rollbacks instigated under Pruitt, including efforts to gut tailpipe emission restrictions. The official is also under ongoing criticism for barring reporters from EPA meetings, while favoring right-wing media like the Daily Caller and Sinclair Broadcast Group stations. The EPA administrator is already under fire for a number of prior decisions, including a sweetheart condo deal arranged with the wife of an energy lobbyist. The lobbyist, J. Steven Hart, had official business before the EPA during the time of the deal and attempted to recommend potential candidates for positions with the SAB during that same timeframe. Pruitt has also faced criticism for staggering 24-hour security costs and the installation of a $43,000 soundproof phone booth in his office, which a federal investigation has already deemed a violation of the law. The EPA head overhauled the agency’s advisory boards last fall, sparking legal action from environmental advocates. Pruitt has moreover relied on industry connections and lobbyists to help arrange expensive travel to destinations both domestic and international."
"Only a few days earlier, on Saturday, the New York Times reported that Pruitt attended a December University of Kentucky basketball game as a guest of coal baron Joseph W. Craft III. A day prior, emails obtained via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit by the Sierra Club revealed that the EPA administrator had spent $3,230 at a Washington, D.C.-based jewelry store using agency funds. Of that, $1,560 was spent on 12 fountain pens — approximately $130 per pen. Pruitt also appointed Steven D. Cook, a former chemical industry lawyer linked to at least 36 Superfund pollution sites, as head of the EPA’s Superfund Task Force last week. That announcement came shortly before the EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) voted to review a number of regulatory rollbacks instigated under Pruitt, including efforts to gut tailpipe emission restrictions. The official is also under ongoing criticism for barring reporters from EPA meetings, while favoring right-wing media like the Daily Caller and Sinclair Broadcast Group stations. The EPA administrator is already under fire for a number of prior decisions, including a sweetheart condo deal arranged with the wife of an energy lobbyist. The lobbyist, J. Steven Hart, had official business before the EPA during the time of the deal and attempted to recommend potential candidates for positions with the SAB during that same timeframe. Pruitt has also faced criticism for staggering 24-hour security costs and the installation of a $43,000 soundproof phone booth in his office, which a federal investigation has already deemed a violation of the law. The EPA head overhauled the agency’s advisory boards last fall, sparking legal action from environmental advocates. Pruitt has moreover relied on industry connections and lobbyists to help arrange expensive travel to destinations both domestic and international."
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