Biden’s Climate Plans Are Stunted After Dejected Experts Fled Trump

Aug 1, 2021 / by

Coral Davenport, Lisa Friedman, and Christopher Flavelle /

The New York Times

Stan Meiburg, EPN member, former Acting EPA Deputy Administrator and former Deputy Regional Administrator, EPA Regions 4 and Region 6, was quoted in this article about President Biden’s ambitious plans to confront climate change being hampered by Trump’s battle against climate science, including undermining federal studies, firing scientists, and driving many experts to quit or retire.

Toyota Actively Lobbying to Slow Down EV Revolution

July 30, 2021 / by

Steve Hanley /

CleanTechnica

Margo Oge, EPN member and former Director, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, was quoted in this article about Toyota’s efforts to sidetrack the Biden administration’s electric car and climate change initiatives.

EPA Must Protect Public Health by Regulating PFAS as a Class

July 30, 2021 / by

Linda Birnbaum, Betsy Southerland, and Robert Sussman /

The Hill

EPN members Linda Birnbaum, former Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and former EPA scientist; Betsy Southerland, former Director, EPA Office of Science & Technology in the Office of Water; and Bob Sussman, former EPA Deputy Administrator and Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator, penned this op-ed urging EPA to use a class-based approach to regulate PFAS in order to more quickly address the growing risks of these chemicals to the American people.

So-called ‘Forever Chemicals’ Are Polluting Waterways. But Regulating Them Is Proving To Be a Long Journey.

July 30, 2021 / by

Brittany Trang /

Milwaukee Sentinel Journal

Mike Shapiro, EPN member and former Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in this article regarding EPA’s proposal to include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as a class of pollutants in its next Candidate Contaminant List regulatory cycle.

EPA Waits — and Waits and Waits — For a Science Nominee

July 29, 2021 / by

Kevin Bogardus /

E&E News

EPN members Linda Birnbaum (former Director of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and former EPA scientist), Tom Burke (former Science Advisor and Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Research and Development), Dan Costa (former National Program Director, Air, Climate, and Energy Research Program, EPA Office of Research and Development), and Bernard Goldstein (former EPA Assistant Administrator for Research and Development) were quoted in this article expressing concern that the Biden administration has yet named a nominee for assistant administrator of the EPA Office of Research and Development.

4 Areas EPA Could Expand With House’s 23% Budget Boost

July 29, 2021 / by

Juan Carlos Rodriguez /

Law 360

Stan Meiburg, EPN member; former Acting EPA Deputy Administrator; and former Deputy Regional Administrator, EPA Regions 4 and Region 6, was quoted in this article discussing how the House’s proposed fiscal year 2022 budget for EPA would support the agency’s ability to once again function effectively.

EPA Could Seek To Scrap PFAS TSCA Exemptions Despite ‘Voluntary’ Plan

July 28, 2021 / by

Maria Hegstad /

Inside EPA

Bob Sussman, EPN member, former EPA Deputy Administrator, and former Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator, was quoted in this article discussing EPA’s decision to stop issuance of and rollback previously-granted low-volume exemptions from TSCA review for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Pelosi, Schumer Vow Climate Action: ‘It Is an Imperative’

July 28, 2021 / by

Zack Budryk /

The Hill

Mustafa Santiago Ali, EPN member, vice president of Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization for the 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 impacts the climate crisis is having on communities.

Why Biden Needs to Go Big On the Upcoming Clean Car Standards

July 27, 2021 / by

Margo Oge /

Forbes

Margo Oge, EPN member and former Director, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, penned this op-ed urging President Biden to take more significant action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation industry for post-2026 regulations.

Agencies Expected to Miss Biden’s Deadline For Tailpipe Rule

July 27, 2021 / by

Arianna Skibell /

E&E News

Margo Oge, EPN member and former Director, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, was quoted in this article discussing the fuel economy standards EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be setting in the near future.

Toyota Led on Clean Cars. Now Critics Say It Works to Delay Them.

July 25, 2021 / by

Hiroko Tabuchi /

The New York Times

Margo Oge, EPN member and former Director, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, was quoted in this article regarding Toyota’s efforts to stall policy on electric vehicles.

Toxic Forever Chemicals Are in Our Blood: Senate Must Vote to Regulate Them as Hazardous Substances

July 23, 2021 / by

James Woolford /

The Hill

Jim Woolford, EPN member and former Director, EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation, penned this op-ed discussing why per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances should be designated as hazardous substances under the Superfund law.

Are We Being Kept Safe From ‘Forever Chemicals’ Injected Into Fracking Sites?

July 21, 2021 / by

David Bond /

The Guardian

Linda Birnbaum, EPN member, former Director of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and former EPA scientist, was quoted in this piece about the negative health impacts of living near fracking sites.

EPA Plan for Top Environmental Equity Job Faces Long Road Ahead

July 21, 2021 / by

Dean Scott /

Bloomberg Law

Mustafa Santiago Ali, EPN member, former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization, and former EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article discussing EPA’s proposal to create a national environmental justice program led by a newly-created assistant administrator position.

EPA’s SDWA Plan For PFAS Seen As ‘Baby Step’ Toward Strict TSCA Rules

July 20, 2021 / by

Diana DiGangi /

Inside EPA

Mike Shapiro, EPN member and former Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Water, was quoted and EPN was cited in this article regarding EPA’s plan to include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on its contaminant candidate list, potentially placing them under future Safe Drinking Water Act regulations.

The Real Story Behind PFAS and Congress’ Effort to Clean Up Contamination

July 20, 2021 / by

Jim Jones /

Environmental Health News

Jim Jones, EPN member and former Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, wrote this op-ed discussing the proposed PFAS Action Act, clarifying the importance of a hazardous substance designation for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Rampant Environmental Rule-breaking and How to Fix It

July 14, 2021 / by

David Roberts /

Volts

Cynthia Giles, EPN member and former Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, was interviewed on this podcast discussing how to decrease the rate of non-compliance with environmental laws.

EPA, in Midst of Hiring Spree, Faces Uphill Push for More Staff

July 14, 2021 / by

Stephen Lee /

Bloomberg Law

Alexis Strauss, EPN member; former EPA Senior Policy Advisor; and former Acting Regional Administrator, EPA Region 9, was quoted in this article discussing potential ways to speed up the hiring process at EPA.

N.C. Takes Steps on Carbon Cap, Multi-state Pollution Effort

July 13, 2021 / by

Gary D. Robertson /

Associated Press

Stan Meiburg, North Carolina Environmental Management Commission Chairman, EPN member, and former EPA Acting Deputy Administrator, was quoted in this article regarding efforts led by environmental groups to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in North Carolina.

Documents Show EPA Staff Concerns Over PFAS in Fracking

July 12, 2021 / by

E.A. Crunden /

E&E News

Linda Birnbaum, EPN member, former Director of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and former EPA scientist, was quoted in this article regarding the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in oil and gas drilling and fracking operations. She was quoted in related articles appearing in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and The Allegheny Front.

The Climate Mitigation Challenge-Where Do We Stand?

July 7, 2021 / by

Frank Princiotta /

Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association

Frank Princiotta, EPN member and former Director, Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division, EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory, authored this article examining the mitigation actions needed for the United States to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

In Corpus Christi’s Hillcrest Neighborhood, Black Residents Feel Like They Are Living in a ‘Sacrifice Zone’

July 4, 2021 / by

Aman Azhar /

Inside Climate News

Mustafa Santiago Ali, National Wildlife Federation vice president, EPN member, former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization, and former EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article concerning efforts by the Biden administration to eliminate “sacrifice zones.”

We Now Know How Exxon Secretly Fights Crackdowns on Plastic Pollution

July 2, 2021 / by

Dharna Noor /

Gizmodo

Judith Enck, EPN member, founder of Beyond Plastics, and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article discussing the influence fossil fuel companies have been exerting on regulatory legislation as they shift to the plastic production market.

Improved Medical Screening in PFAS-impacted Communities to Identify Early Disease

June 29, 2021 / by

Isabella Raponi, Phil Brown, and Alissa Cordner /

Environmental Health News

Linda Birnbaum, EPN member, former Director of NIEHS, and former EPA scientist, was quoted in this article describing the harmful impacts per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have on human health.