In the News

Bob Sussman, former EPA Deputy Administrator and counsel for a North Carolina coalition of environmental groups, was quoted in this article discussing EPA’s request for a federal court to dismiss the coalition’s suit challenging the way in which the agency addressed the coalition’s TSCA petition on PFAS.

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, and Elin Betanzo, former National Tribal Drinking Water Coordinator, EPA Office of Water, were quoted in this article about the elevated levels of lead in drinking water in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and the need for faster federal intervention when state and local water utilities are ineffective at lowering lead levels.

Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article discussing how Canada’s ban on some single-use plastics will also lead to reductions in demand for fossil fuel.

Donn Viviani, Board Director of Climate Protection & Restoration Initiative (CPRI) and former Director, Climate Policy Assessment Division, EPA Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation, was quoted in this essay about CPRI’s petition to EPA to use TSCA authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Donn was also interviewed on a Drilled News podcast about the petition.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Science, was quoted in this article discussing EPA’s recent drinking water advisories for several PFAS.

Tracey Woodruff, Director, University of California, San Francisco Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment and former Senior Scientist and Policy Advisor, EPA Office of Policy, wrote this essay explaining how to minimize exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and BPA substitutes, endocrine disruptors found in many plastic products and food packaging.

Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article about concerns among environmental groups that a proposed California legislation aimed at reducing single-use plastics would be less effective than a ballot initiative that would offer more stringent reductions in plastic use in addition to a polystyrene ban.

Donn Viviani, former Director, Climate Policy Assessment Division, EPA Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation, was quoted in this article about a petition he and others have filed to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, was quoted in this article discussing the intention behind EPA’s recently announced interim drinking water health advisory levels for four PFAS.

Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article regarding a bill before the New Jersey State legislature that would require plastic producers to be responsible for the material they produce.

EPN‘s letter to Congress in support of legislation to ban asbestos was quoted in this article about a Senate Environmental and Public Works hearing about the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2022.

Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article about a report predicting the tripling of global plastic pollution by 2060 if policies are not adopted to dramatically reduce plastic use.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,  was quoted in this article discussing the FDA’s decision to reassess the health effects of bisphenol A, an endocrine disruptor often used in plastics, in response to a petition co-signed by Linda and numerous environmental groups.

Kevin Minoli, former EPA Acting General Counsel, was quoted in this article regarding the raising of the Pride flag at EPA headquarters in honor of the start of Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ community.

Dave Coursen, former attorney, EPA Office of General Counsel, and Eric Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Environmental Integrity Project and former Director, EPA Office of Civil Enforcement, were quoted in this article discussing how the continued lack of funding and insufficient workforce has hampered EPA’s ability to perform its core responsibilities.

Margo Oge, former Director, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, penned this op-ed about how significantly strengthening nitrogen oxide and greenhouse gas emissions standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks would have enormous public health benefits and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, co-authored this op-ed discussing why mechanical and chemical recycling of plastics are failures and proposing a ban on single-use plastics as one solution to the country’s plastic waste and pollution problem.

Judith Enck, former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article about two policy proposals before the New York State legislature that target single-use plastic producers.

Dennis McLerran, former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 10, was quoted in this article regarding EPA’s proposal to deny a Clean Water Act permit that would have allowed copper and gold mining in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed.

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in this article discussing the possible ramifications of listing PFAS as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.

Linda Birnbaum (former Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences), Penny Fenner-Crisp (former Senior Science Advisor, EPA Office of Pesticides Program), Betsy Southerland (former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water), and Bob Sussman (former EPA Senior Policy Advisor and former EPA Deputy Administrator) penned this op-ed rebutting American Chemistry Council claims that policy improvements made by EPA to strengthen TSCA implementation are inconsistent with regulatory needs to protect human health and welfare.

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in this article about EPA’s decision to update and expand regional screening and removal management levels for five PFAS chemicals to help investigate contamination at Superfund sites.

Dave Coursen, former Attorney, EPA Office of General Counsel, penned this op-ed discussing the existing tools the Department of Justice has to support the work of its new Office of Environmental Justice and underscoring the need for congressional funding to attain environmental justice goals.

Bob Sussman, counsel for Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) and former EPA Deputy Administrator, was quoted in this article about EPA’s proposed asbestos reporting mandate, a landmark proposal for the agency’s Chemical Data Reporting proposal.