In the News

Linda Birnbaum, EPN member and former federal scientist at EPA, was quoted in this article regarding a recent study that provides additional evidence that phthalates are harmful to children’s brain development.

John Bachmann, EPN member and former Associate Director for Science/Policy and New Programs, EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, was quoted in this article discussing a push by states and advocacy groups to get the EPA to revisit the Trump administration’s decision to leave particulate matter NAAQS unchanged.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, EPN member and former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization and Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, discussed the opportunities and challenges the Biden administration faces in its focus on environmental justice in this February 18 interview.

EPN members Judith Enck, former Regional Administrator for EPA Region 2, and Mathy Stanislaus, former Assistant Administrator in EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management, were quoted in this article regarding the potential to accelerate EPA’s work on waste and recycling under the Biden administration.

Linda Birnbaum, EPN member and former federal scientist at EPA, was quoted in this article concerning the continued use of PFAS in firefighters’ turnout gear.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, EPN member and former Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization and Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article highlighting how inadequate infrastructure and weak state support are just some of the challenges Indigenous communities face with water insecurity.

Tracey Woodruff (director of UCSF’s Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, EPN member and former EPA senior scientist and policy advisor in the Office of Policy) was quoted in this article discussing EPA’s decision to abandon a Trump-era method to analyze chemicals.

EPN members Mustafa Santiago Ali (former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization and Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice), Dan Costa (former National Program Director, EPA Air, Climate, and Energy Research Program, Office of Research and Development), and Kevin Minoli (former EPA Acting General Counsel) were quoted in this article discussing the Biden administration’s work to restaff depleted federal agencies.

Michael Levin, EPN member and former Director of Regulatory Reform, EPA Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation, wrote this article about the overturning of the Affordable Clean Energy rule by the D.C. Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals.

EPN member Richard Grow, former environmental protection specialist in EPA Region 9, was quoted in this article regarding increasing internal and external pressure on EPA to strengthen its civil rights law enforcement.

Jeff Alson, EPN member and former Senior Engineer and Policy Advisor, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, wrote this op-ed discussing the role baby boomers could play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by switching to electric vehicles.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, EPN member and former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization and Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted and EPN was cited in this article assessing whether President Biden is upholding his commitment to diversity and equity within his administration.

EPN members Tom Sinks (former Director, EPA Office of the Science Advisor), Betsy Southerland (former Director, EPA Office of Science and Technology, Office of Water), and Jim Woolford (former director of EPA’s Superfund Program) were quoted in this article discussing possible steps the Biden administration could take to rebuild staff and morale at EPA. Tom and Betsy were also quoted in a related article from Red Green and Blue.

EPN members Betsy Southerland, former Director, EPA Office of Science and Technology, Office of Water, and Tim Whitehouse, former Senior Attorney at EPA, were quoted and EPN was cited in this article regarding EPA’s decision not to publish the Trump administration’s advance notice of proposed rulemaking for PFAS.

Ruth Greenspan Bell, EPN Board member and former manager in EPA’s Office of General Counsel, and Jeff Peterson, EPN member and former Senior Policy Advisor, EPA Office of Water, penned this op-ed discussing the work Gina McCarthy must do to put the United States on a path to zero net greenhouse gas emissions.

Betsy Southerland, EPN member and former Director, EPA Office of Science and Technology, Office of Water,  was quoted in this article concerning the EPA’s recent withdrawal of a toxicity assessment for PFBS, a member of the PFAS family.

EPN members Stan Meiburg, former EPA Deputy Regional Administrator in Region 4 and Region 6 and Acting EPA Deputy Administrator, and Betsy Southerland, former Director, EPA Office of Science and Technology, Office of Water, were quoted in this article on the challenging tasks Michael Regan will face once he is confirmed as EPA Administrator.

Chris Zarba, EPN member and former Director, EPA Science Advisory Board, was quoted and EPN was cited in this article concerning the massive work that nominee Regan will have to do to reverse damage from the past four years and move forward with Biden’s environmental policies.

Dennis McLerran, EPN member and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 10, was quoted in this article concerning ongoing efforts by Alaskan communities to obtain permanent protections to the Bristol Bay watershed.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, EPN member and former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization and Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article concerning the grassroots environmental justice movement.

Jeff Peterson, EPN member and former Senior Policy Advisor, EPA Office of Water, wrote this op-ed about the threats that rising sea levels and urban development pose to saltwater wetlands. The op-ed was reprinted in Ecowatch.

Judith Enck, EPN member and former Regional Administrator for EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article concerning efforts to include $1.3 billion in funding for plastic reduction and recycling programs in the next government stimulus package.

Judith Enck, EPN member and former Regional Administrator for EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article about the presence of mercury in dust emitted from the Norlite incinerator in Cohoes, NY.

Tracey Woodruff, EPN member and former EPA senior scientist and policy advisor in the Office of Policy, was quoted in this article regarding a congressional report’s finding that toxic heavy metals are present in many manufactured baby foods. The article was reprinted in the Boston Globe and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.