In the News

Judith Enck, former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article regarding the staffing risks EPA and other federal agencies continue to face from appropriators despite the funding provided in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program and former EPA scientist, was quoted in this article discussing a recent study that revealed dangerously high levels of PFAS in freshwater fish across the country.

David Coursen, former Attorney, EPA Office of General Counsel, and Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, were quoted in this article about the significant work EPA has planned for 2023 and the challenges the agency may face in the new Congress.

John Bachmann, former Associate Director of Science/Policy and New Programs, EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, was quoted in this article discussing the benefits of more stringent air quality standards for particulate matter.

Mark Ryan, former Assistant Regional Counsel, EPA Region 10, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, was quoted in this article discussing the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers’ approach in redefining waters of the United States. Mark was also quoted in a related article in Inside EPA.

Art Smith, former Senior Attorney, EPA Region 5, penned this blog post on the negative impact agribusiness has on climate and what could be done in the 2023 Farm Bill to blunt this and build a more sustainable farming system.

Kevin Minoli, former EPA Deputy General Counsel, was quoted in a Washington Post article regarding possible challenges to the Biden administration’s expanded definition of waters regulated by EPA. Kevin and Mark Ryan, former Assistant Regional Counsel, EPA Region 10, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, were also quoted in an E&E News article about the revised water rule.

Dave Coursen, former attorney, EPA Office of General Counsel, wrote this op-ed discussing the funding EPA has received from the 2023 budget appropriation and what the funding may or may not help the agency achieve.

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in this article regarding how the Clean Water Act has been unable to provide source water protection from PFAS.

Margo Oge, former Director, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, was quoted in this article about the recently-finalized standards to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from heavy-duty vehicles and EPA’s plans to transition all diesel trucks to zero-emission vehicles. Margo was quoted in a related article in the Washington Post.

Bob Sussman, counsel to Safer Chemicals Healthy Families and former EPA Deputy Administrator, was quoted in this article discussing EPA’s intention to consider TSCA-specific cumulative risks for chemical exposures in general and for several high-priority phthalates.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, Vice President for Environmental Justice, National Wildlife Federation, former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization, and former EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article about why it is important to have people of color as leaders in environmental organizations.

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in this article discussing how drinking water treatment upgrades from the proposed regulation of PFOA and PFOS would capture other contaminants as well, resulting in massive improvements to drinking water quality.

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted and EPN was mentioned in this article discussing challenges faced with EPA’s proposal to designate the PFAS chemicals PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under the Superfund law.

Art Smith, former Senior Attorney, EPA Region 5, wrote this blog post discussing how delays in moving forward with the nomination of David Glick as Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chair will only hinder the commission’s ability to facilitate the transition to a clean energy system.

Dave Coursen, former Attorney, EPA Office of General Counsel, and Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, wrote this article discussing the need for additional EPA funding for the agency to effectively implement the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Dan Costa, former National Program Director, Air, Climate, and Energy Research Program, EPA Office of Research and Development, was quoted in this article about EPA-funded air monitoring that will begin in Pascagoula, Mississippi, a city with elevated cancer risks due to industrial air pollution.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, Senior Vice President for Environmental Justice, National Wildlife Federation, former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization, and former EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article about the commitments made at COP27 and the failure to make progress on emissions reductions.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, was quoted in this article regarding how widespread PFAS chemicals are, the many sources they may come from, and how they accumulate in the body.

Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming (former EPA Chief of Staff), Stan Meiburg (former EPA Acting Deputy Administrator), and Bob Perciasepe (former EPA Deputy Administrator) were quoted in this article discussing whether the nominees picked to lead EPA’s air, enforcement, and solid waste offices will have confirmation votes before the end of the current Congress.

Dave Coursen, former Attorney, EPA Office of General Counsel, wrote this op-ed regarding the lack of funds EPA has for enforcement and the need to increase those funds, especially with the Inflation Reduction Act needing new resources to implement new climate and environmental justice provisions.

This article referenced EPN’s review of the World Health Organization’s proposal to use technology-focused drinking water guidelines for PFOA and PFOS.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program, and Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, were quoted and EPN was mentioned in this article discussing the severe inadequacies of the World Health Organization’s draft guidelines for PFAS in drinking water. Linda was also quoted in a related article in Phys.org, and EPN’s comments on the draft guidelines were cited in an Inside EPA article.

Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was interviewed on this podcast about how single-use plastics production is increasing and the challenges that make plastics recycling so inefficient.