In the News

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and former EPA scientist, was quoted in this article regarding a study she co-authored that found that organophosphate esters, commonly found in flame retardants and plasticizers, pose an even greater risk to neurodevelopment in children than previously known.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, 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, and Cheryl Wasserman, former Associate Director for Policy Analysis, EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, were quoted in this article about an announced rulemaking from the White House Council on Environmental Quality that would change the way environmental reviews mandated by the National Environmental Protection Act are approached, undoing several Trump-era regulatory rollbacks.

The testimony of Betsy Southerland, former Director of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, hearing on “The Clean Water Act (CWA) and Emerging Contaminants” held by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment was quoted in this article.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, 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 regarding the announcement from the White House Council on Environmental Quality that it will restore key provisions of the National Environmental Protection Act, federal regulations that regulate major infrastructure projects that had been dramatically overhauled by the Trump administration. Mustafa was quoted in related articles appearing in Reuters, Bloomberg Law, Courthouse News Service, and Common Dreams.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, 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 discussing concerns in the environmental justice movement that the Biden administration will not follow through on many of its environmental justice initiatives.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, 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, co-authored this op-ed about the simple steps Congress could take in the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill to increase low-income and minority access to renewable energy.

John Bachmann, former Associate Director for Science/Policy and New Programs, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, EPA Office of Air and Radiation, was quoted and EPN was mentioned in this article discussing the recently-released draft supplement to the integrated science assessment for particulate matter.

John Bachmann, former Associate Director for Science/Policy and New Programs, EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, was quoted and EPN was cited in this article discussing the recently released draft supplemental science assessment of particulate matter, which is part of EPA’s review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

Stan Meiburg, former EPA Acting Deputy Administrator and former Regional Administrator, EPA Regions 4 and 6, and Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, were quoted in this article discussing the possible steps non-essential EPA staff would have to take in the event of a government shutdown.

Judith Enck, former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article about a proposal by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to do away with specific standards for recyclable material.

Judith Enck, visiting professor at Bennington College, founder of Beyond Plastics, and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article about PFOA contamination of drinking water at a middle school in Rennselaer County, NY.

Cynthia Giles, former Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, was quoted in this article regarding a new rule implemented by the Biden administration that will allow for better tracking of chemical shipments containing hydrofluorocarbons.

Dave Coursen, former attorney, EPA Office of General Counsel, penned this op-ed about the need for Congress to enact EPA’s budget appropriation so the agency can rebuild and carry out its mission to enhance public health and environmental protections.

Tracey Woodruff, Director, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE), University of California, San Francisco; former EPA senior scientist; and former policy advisor, EPA Office of Policy, was quoted in this article discussing a PRHE letter to EPA requesting data earlier, before a chemical is designated high-priority, to minimize information gaps in the Toxic Substance Control Act risk evaluation process.

Mark Ryan, former Regional Counsel, EPA Region 10, and former Special Assistant US Attorney, was quoted in this article about some recent lower-court decisions on standing that industry attorneys feel will make it more challenging for environmental groups to file lawsuits.

Stan Meiburg, former EPA Acting Deputy Administrator and former Regional Administrator, EPA Regions 4 and 6, was quoted in this article about the progress the Biden administration has made and challenges they have encountered in reversing Trump-era environmental actions.

Joel Mintz, former EPA Enforcement and Supervisory Attorney, penned this op-ed about President Biden’s recent address on climate change before the UN General Assembly.

Bob Sussman, Counsel to the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, former Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator, and former EPA Deputy Administrator, was quoted in this article discussing a draft bill that would direct EPA to ban the use of asbestos within one year of the bill’s enactment.

Mike Shapiro, former Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Water, was quoted and EPN was mentioned in this article discussing the importance of including ephemeral and intermittent streams in the definition of “waters of the US” and the need to clarify to farmers which waters are jurisdictional.

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 lack of diversity in witness panels at congressional committee hearings.

Linda Birnbaum, EPN member, former Director of NIEHS, and former EPA scientist, was quoted in this article about a recent study that proposes global changes to the way per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are regulated and methods that can be used to understand the health impacts of this chemical class.

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 about the Senate-confirmation process for Carlton Waterhouse, nominee for Assistant Administrator of the Office of Land and Emergency Management. He was quoted in a similar article published in The Hill.

Linda Birnbaum, EPN member, former Director of NIEHS, and former EPA scientist, was quoted in this article on the limited budget currently allocated to the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity, a newly-created office in the Department of Health and Human Services. A related article was published in Mic.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of NIEHS and former EPA scientist, was quoted in this article discussing the steps 3M has taken over the years to stymie effective regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.