In the News

Judith Enck, former Regional Administrator for EPA Region 2 and founder of Beyond Plastics, was quoted in GreenBiz about the benefits of Amazon’s switch from “air pillow” plastic packaging inside delivery boxes to recycled paper.

Betsy Southerland, former Director of the Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in StateImpact Pennsylvania about EPN’s technical assistance program and the assistance she provided to Move Past Plastic, a PA group working to determine pollution sources along the Conodoguinet Creek.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP), was quoted in CollisionWeek calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to reevaluate the standards of harmful chemical flame retardants added to vehicle interiors.

EPN grant support was mentioned in Bloomberg in an article about the billions of dollars of federal funds coming out to support environmental justice and clean energy projects across the country.

Bob Sussman, former EPA Deputy Administrator and Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator, was quoted in the Port City Daily after a federal appeals court rejected an EPA petition filed by Cape Fear River Watch, Clean Cape Fear, Toxic Free NC, and other environmental groups for extensive PFAS testing in North Carolina.

Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, former Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Research and Development, was quoted in this article regarding the addition of a scientific integrity provision in the union contract for EPA’s largest union and other efforts to protect federal agency research from political manipulation.

Bob Sussman, counsel for several North Carolina-based environmental groups and former EPA Deputy Administrator, was quoted in this article discussing the decision of the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals to support EPA’s use of its PFAS National Testing Strategy to address a petition to test 54 different PFAS.

Barnes Johnson, former Director, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, EPA Office of Land and Emergency Management, was quoted in E&E News about an updated EPA coal ash rule that requires companies to ensure that coal ash is contained and does not pollute nearby waterways.

Tracey Woodruff, Director, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California, San Francisco, and former senior scientist and policy advisor, EPA Office of Policy, was quoted in this article discussing ways to lessen exposure to microplastics that may be shed from food, clothing, and furniture.

Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, wrote this op-ed about the false promise of chemical recycling and the need for legislation to stop plastic production and use.

Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, former Principal Deputy Acting Administrator for Science, Office of Research and Development, and Dan Costa, former National Program Director, EPA Air, Climate, and Energy Research Program, Office of Research and Development, were quoted in NPR about scientists’ fears of another Trump administration and the imminent threat of Project 2025 if elected again.

Betsy Southerland, former Director of the Office of Science and Technology in EPA’s Office of Water, was quoted in E&E News about a case being brought to the Supreme Court by the City of San Francisco, arguing that EPA pollution limits are vague and not specific enough. If successful, the lawsuit would make it difficult to require cities to upgrade sewage systems.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP), co-authored an op-ed in Environmental Health News that urges FDA commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf to use an FDA reorganization as an opportunity to improve food safety and reduce chronic disease in the American population.

Tracey Woodruff, former EPA senior scientist and policy advisor in the Office of Policy, was quoted in NPR about microplastics, including polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, that were found in human and dog testicles. Preliminary research suggests microplastics can harm reproductive health.

Linda Birnbaum, Penny Fenner-Crisp, Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, Joel Schwartz, Betsy Southerland, and Tracey Woodruff were quoted in The Wall Street Journal about former EPA-turned-industry toxicologist Michael Dourson and his scientific bias that favors chemical companies.

Bob Sussman, former EPA Deputy Administrator, Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator, and current counsel to ADAO, was quoted in Inside EPA about the EPA’s legacy asbestos evaluation and concerns that it does not adequately address exposure in schools or the risk posed to children, teachers, and parents within schools.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP), was quoted in Environmental Health News about phthalates being found in 13 types of olive oils. Phthalates are linked to many adverse health effects including hormone disruption, fertility impacts, low birth weights, obesity, diabetes, and more.

Robert Wolcott, former EPA Senior Counsel to ORD and Deputy Assistant Administrator for Policy and Regional Economist, and Jeremy Symons, Senior Advisor to EPN, co-authored an op-ed about the environmental accomplishments achieved by Biden’s EPA despite the many hurdles the previous administration left behind.

Bob Sussman, former EPA Deputy Administrator and Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator, was quoted in Inside EPA about the draft TSCA evaluation of legacy asbestos and the challenges of risk management.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP), was quoted in The Hill about how the effects of PFAS differ in men and women.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP), co-authored an op-ed contrasting food chemical regulation processes of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the E.U.’s European Food Safety Authority.

Stan Meiburg, former DRA in Region 4 and Region 6 and Acting Deputy Administrator, was quoted with Kevin Minoli, former EPA acting general counsel, in Bloomberg Law about EPA’s new enforcement policy and how the criminal and civil enforcement teams will coordinate to produce better outcomes.

Tracey Woodruff, former EPA Senior Scientist, was quoted in Inside EPA about EPA’s final TSCA rule that governs risk evaluations of existing chemicals, saying that the new rule does not include protections for vulnerable populations.

Betsy Southerland, former Director of the Office of Science and Technology, Office of Water, was quoted in The Lancet about the advances made by EPA to address lead contamination in drinking water as a result of the Flint water crisis.