Delays Frustrate White House Environmental Justice Advisers

November 2, 2021 / by

Kelsey Brugger /

E&E News

Mustafa Santiago Ali, Senior Vice President for Environmental Justice, National Wildlife Federation; former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization; and EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article regarding concern felt by environmental justice leaders that delays in developing a climate and economic justice screening tool would prevent federal money from reaching struggling communities.

Environmentalists Decry EPA’s PFAS Testing Strategy as ‘Very Limited’

November 1, 2021 / by

Diana DiGangi /

Inside EPA

Bob Sussman, Counsel for the Center for Environmental Health, former Senior Advisor for the EPA Administrator and former EPA Deputy Administrator, was quoted in this article discussing the possible shortcomings of the chemical testing strategy proposed in EPA’s PFAS Roadmap.

Alaska Judge Enables EPA Veto of Pebble Mine

November 1, 2021 / by

Hannah Northey and Jael Holzman /

E&E News

Phil Mancusi-Ungaro, former Attorney-Advisor, Office of Regional Counsel, EPA Region 4, and Dennis McClerran, former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 10, were quoted in this article regarding a court ruling that could pave the way for EPA to prohibit mining near Bristol Bay in southwest Alaska.

Lead Pipe Replacement Can’t Wait Any Longer

October 28, 2021 / by

Mustafa Santiago Ali /

The Hill

Mustafa Santiago Ali, Senior Vice President for Environmental Justice, National Wildlife Federation; former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization; and EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, penned this op-ed regarding the urgent need for dedicated funding for lead pipe replacement in the infrastructure bill.

CDC lowers lead level for kids as EPA plans to tackle toxin

October 28, 2021 / by

Hannah Northey and Ariel Wittenberg /

E&E News

Mustafa Santiago Ali, Senior Vice President for Environmental Justice, National Wildlife Federation; former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization; and EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article discussing EPA’s draft Federal Lead Strategy.

Black and Latinx People Care More About Climate Change Than White People: Poll

October 26, 2021 / by

Manisha Krishnan /

Vice

Mustafa Santiago Ali, Senior Vice President for Environmental Justice, National Wildlife Federation; former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization; and EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article about how Black and brown communities care more about climate change because they more directly experience its impacts.

EPA’s PFAS Roadmap Could Soon Improve WV Communities’ Water Quality

October 26, 2021 / by

Nadia Ramlagan /

Public News Service

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted and EPN was mentioned in this article discussing the positive impacts that measures like the PFAS roadmap and drinking water standards for two commonly-occurring PFAS will have on public health.

Limetree Bay Faces Possible Liquidation as Bidders Hesitate

October 25, 2021 / by

Patricia Borns /

St. Thomas Source

Judith Enck, former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article about the possible liquidation of the St. Croix Limetree Bay refinery as prospective buyers are faced with a lengthy EPA permitting process.

Weather Infrastructure Shortcomings Hurting Local Businesses

October 25, 2021 / by

Josh Conner /

Spectrum News 1

Judith Enck, former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article discussing infrastructure preparedness in the face of climate change.

EPA Deems ‘Forever Chemical’ Haunting N.C. Toxic to Humans

October 25, 2021 / by

E.A. Crunden and Ariel Wittenberg /

Inside EPA

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in this article regarding EPA’s finding that the PFAS GenX is toxic to humans and will be subject to a drinking water advisory.

Environmentalists Doubt PFAS Plan’s TSCA Timeline, ‘Grouping’ Approach

October 22, 2021 / by

Diana DiGangi /

Inside EPA

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, and Bob Sussman, former Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator, and former EPA Deputy Administrator, were quoted and EPN was mentioned in this article regarding the recently-released PFAS Roadmap and the TSCA testing strategy and timeline for PFAS.

Plastics Destined to Create More Emissions Than Coal in the US, Study Finds

October 22, 2021 / by

Alexander C. Kaufman /

Mother Jones

Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article discussing Beyond Plastics’ recent report that indicates that greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production will exceed that of the coal industry by 2030. Judith was also quoted in numerous other media outlets, including Reuters, E&E News, The Hill, and Rolling Stone.

Asbestos Still Kills: Time for a Total Ban in the U.S.

October 22, 2021 / by

Linda Reinstein and Mustafa Santiago Ali /

Bloomberg Law

Mustafa Santiago Ali, Senior Vice President for Environmental Justice, National Wildlife Federation; former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization; and EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, co-authored this op-ed emphasizing the continued risk of asbestos exposure, particularly in Black, brown, indigenous, and lower-wealth communities, and the need for a total ban on the chemical.

What is Climate Justice?

October 21, 2021 / by

Tiffany Onyejiaka /

Mic

Mustafa Santiago Ali, Senior Vice President for Environmental Justice, National Wildlife Federation; former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization; and EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article discussing how many of the disparities that prevent Black, brown and low-income communities from thriving have their origins in environmental racism.

How Chemical Companies Avoid Paying for Pollution

October 20, 2021 / by

David Gelles and Emily Steel /

The New York Times

Linda Birnbaum, former Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Science and former EPA scientist, was quoted in this article discussing the prevalence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in our communities.

US EPA Issues Category-based PFAS Testing Strategy

October 20, 2021 / by

Julia John /

Chemical Watch

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in this article regarding EPA’s recent release of its categories-based testing strategy for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

EPA Releases ‘Roadmap’ for PFAS Regulations During Biden Administration

October 20, 2021 / by

Enrique Saenz /

Indiana Environmental Reporter

Mustafa Santiago Ali, Senior Vice President for Environmental Justice, National Wildlife Federation; former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization; and EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article discussing the benefits that actions like EPA’s PFAS Roadmap will have on communities.

Biden Administration Launches Roadmap to Tackle Pollution from Widely Used ‘Forever Chemicals’

October 18, 2021 / by

Betsy Klein and Nadia Kounang /

CNN

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in this article about the release of EPA’s PFAS Roadmap, the agency’s plan of actions across multiple statutes to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Betsy was quoted in similar articles appearing in Inside EPA, Bloomberg Law, E&E News, and Chemical Watch.

Democrats Could Abandon Clean Energy Incentives — Here’s How to Save Them

October 18, 2021 / by

Bob Sussman /

The Hill

Bob Sussman, former Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator and former EPA Deputy Administrator, penned this op-ed about the adjustments that could be made to the clean energy performance program to address concerns that threaten its removal from the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill.

EPA’s Asbestos Deal Broadens TSCA Evaluation’s Focus on Impurities

October 18, 2021 / by

Maria Hegstad /

Inside EPA

Bob Sussman, counsel for Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), former Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator, and former EPA Deputy Administrator, was quoted in this article discussing the broadened scope of asbestos review agreed upon in EPA’s recent settlement with ADAO.

Revealed: More Than 120,000 US Sites Feared to Handle Harmful PFAS ‘Forever’ Chemicals

October 17, 2021 / by

Carey Gillam and Alvin Chang /

The Guardian

Linda Birnbaum, former Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Science and former EPA scientist, and Tim Whitehouse, Executive Director of PEER and former EPA attorney, were quoted in this article regarding the EPA’s determination of more than 120,000 industrial sites that may handle per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Tim’s comments also appeared in a Green Matters article.

EPA Retains Trump NSR Project Accounting Rule, but Plans Policy Review

October 15, 2021 / by

Stuart Parker /

Inside EPA

EPN and our recommendations to “Reset the Course of EPA” were cited in this article discussing EPA Administrator Regan’s decision to deny a petition to reconsider a Trump-era new source review accounting policy while also announcing the agency’s intention to revise or withdraw the rule in the future.

EPA Targets ‘Part 2’ Asbestos Evaluation for 2024 with Draft Scope This Year

October 13, 2021 / by

David LaRoss /

Inside EPA

Bob Sussman, counsel to Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), former Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator, and former EPA Deputy Administrator, was quoted in this article regarding a settlement agreement EPA has reached with ADAO that sets a schedule for the agency to conduct risk evaluations for legacy asbestos use. Bob was quoted in a similar article in Chemical & Engineering News.

To Build Back Better, Put a Fee on Corporate Carbon Pollution

October 13, 2021 / by

Jeremy Symons /

The Hill

Jeremy Symons, former Climate Policy Advisor, EPA Office of Air and Radiation, penned this op-ed discussing how a corporate pollution fee should be included in the Build Back Better reconciliation plan to ensure corporations pay their fair share and to make innovation a central part of a climate change strategy.