Trump Administration Accuses California of Water Pollution

Sept. 26, 2019 / by

John Flesher /

Associated Press

Betsy Southerland, EPN member and former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, is quoted in this article about the Trump Administration accusing California of failing to stop water pollution from sources such as human waste in big cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. This story also ran in the Hartford Courant.

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States Demand Wheeler Explain EPA’s Stance on Federalism (2)

September 27, 2019 / by

Stephen Lee /

Bloomberg Environment

EPN members Janet McCabe, former Acting Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Air and Radiation, David Coursen, former EPA Office of General Counsel, and Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, were quoted in this article about the Trump Administration’s fight with California regarding fuel efficiency standards.

Even At Legal Levels, Contaminants Found In Tap Water Are A Cancer Risk

September 26, 2019 / by

Hillel Aron /

FairWarning

Ronnie Levin, EPN member and former EPA Senior Scientist, Region 1, was quoted in this article about tap water contamination and EPA’s acceptable carcinogen levels that are so permissive that few water utilities, if any, are violating federal standards.

Fired EPA Scientists Band Together To Continue Their Work

September 26, 2019 / by

Steve Hanley /

CleanTechnica

Betsy Southerland, EPN member and former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in this article about the gathering of scientists from the disbanded particulate matter review panel that existed under the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee.

Scientists Booted From EPA Panel Form Their Own Group

September 26, 2019 / by

Rebecca Beitsch /

The Hill

EPN member Chris Zarba, former Director, EPA Science Advisory Board, was quoted in this article about a gathering of former members of the now-disbanded Particulate Matter Review Panel in an attempt to provide objective, scientific expertise without the backing of the government. Similar articles ran in S&P GlobalInside EPA, and Bloomberg Environment.

Around the Agencies: California vs. EPA Goes Another Round

September 25, 2019 / by

Kelsey Tamborrino /

Politico

EPN member Janet McCabe, former Acting Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Air and Radiation, is quoted in the Around the Agencies section about EPA’s threat to withhold California highway money over air quality compliance.

Former EPA Staff See ‘Dangerous Precedent’ In SO2 Designation Revision

September 25, 2019 / by

Stuart Parker /

Inside EPA

EPN members Sara Schneeberg, former Assistant General Counsel, EPA Air and Radiation Law Office, and Janet McCabe, former Acting Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Air and Radiation, were quoted in this article about comments submitted by EPN regarding EPA’s decision to allow five Texas counties to escape sulfur dioxide regulation.

US EPA Floats Sanctions For California As Fight Over Clean Car Rules Escalates

September 24, 2019 / by

Zack Hale /

S&P Global

EPN member Gay MacGregor, former Senior Policy Advisor, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, was quoted in this article about EPA’s letter threatening California over its backlog of air quality plans in retaliation for the state’s deal with automakers to maintain strict fuel efficiency standards.

EPA Threatens California Over Backlog Of 100-Plus Air Quality Plans

September 24, 2019 / by

Abby Smith /

Washington Examiner

Janet McCabe, EPN member and former Acting Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Air and Radiation, was quoted in this article about EPA’s letter to California threatening to withhold federal funding unless it addresses its air pollution, the latest salvo in the fight between California and the government over fuel efficiency standards. Similar articles ran in the Washington Post and NPR.

Trump Administration Ramps Up Fight With California As EPA Threatens To Withhold Federal Funds

September 24, 2019 / by

Stephanie Ebbs /

ABC

Margo Oge, EPN member and former Director, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, was quoted in this article about the escalation of the Trump Administration’s fight with California over fuel efficiency standards, specifically regarding a recent letter sent by EPA claiming that California could lose federal funds unless it fixes its air quality. Similar articles ran in Bloomberg and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Lawyers Expect EPA’s New CWA 401 Plan To Spur Lengthy Litigation ‘Mess’

September 23, 2019 / by

Lara Beaven /

Inside EPA

Mark Ryan, EPN member and former EPA Regional Counsel, Region 10, was quoted in this article about an EPA proposal to scale back state authority to review whether federal programs under the Clean Water Act would harm state water quality standards.

EPA Rule Not Great for Clean Power

September/October 2019 / by

Michael H. Levin /

BioCycle

Michael H. Levin, EPN member and formerly EPA’s first National Regulatory Reform Director, wrote this article about EPA’s Affordable Clean Energy Rule, developed to replace the Clean Power Plan, which could eliminate EPA’s ability to use the Clean Air Act to regulate existing-source greenhouse gas emissions as well as compliance options for emitting sources.

 

Professor: West Virginia Faces Challenges From Climate Change

September 22, 2019 / by

Scott Beveridge /

Observer-Reporter

EPN member Bernard Goldstein, former chair, EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, was quoted in this article about the growth of renewable energy and changing energy dynamics in West Virginia, emphasizing the importance of science and education about air pollution.

Repealing The Clean Water Rule Is Not About Protecting Farmers

September 20, 2019 / by

Betsy Southerland and Mark Ryan /

The Hill

EPN members Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, and Mark Ryan, former EPA Regional Counsel, Region 10, wrote this op-ed about the repeal of the 2015 Clean Water Rule and the law’s crucial role as an authority protecting national waterways and wetlands.

MIT Media Lab Kept Regulators in the Dark, Dumped Chemicals in Excess of Legal Limit

Sept. 20, 2019 / by

Lisa Song and Max Larkin /

ProPublica

Carl Reeverts, EPN member and former Project Manager, Infrastructure Branch of EPA’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, and Deputy Director of the EPA Drinking Water Protection Division, was quoted in this article about MIT’s Media Lab dumping wastewater underground in violation of a state environmental regulation.

AP FACT CHECK: Trump Team Distortions On Fuel Economy Rules

September 19, 2019 / by

Michael Biesecker and Tom Krisher /

Associated Press

Jeff Alson, EPN member and former EPA Senior Engineer and Policy Advisor, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, was quoted in this article that fact-checked EPA Administrator Wheeler’s claim that electric vehicles were making an insignificant impact on national emissions, concluding that loosening fuel efficiency standards would be disastrous for fossil fuel pollution and auto industry competitiveness.

White House Green Lights Looser Standards To Drive Back Climate Change

September 19, 2019 / by

Kyle Midura /

Gray TV

Mustafa Santiago Ali, EPN member and former EPA Senior Advisor and Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was interviewed about dual moves by the Trump Administration to weaken fuel efficiency standards: federal plans to lower national standards combined with a repeal of California’s authority to set stricter limits. (Clip starts at approximately 0:36).

Greta Tells Congress to #UniteBehindtheScience

September 19, 2019 / by

Andy Rowell /

Common Dreams

EPN member Jeff Alson, former EPA Senior Engineer and Policy Advisor, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, was quoted in this article about the Trump environmental record of deregulation and scientific censorship, which has prompted many high-profile scientists to leave the government.

Column: Can Trump Legally Revoke California’s Clean Air Waiver? Probably Not.

September 19, 2019 / by

Michael Hiltzik /

LA Times

Dan Reich, EPN member and former Assistant Regional Counsel, EPA Region 9, was quoted in this article about the legality of the Trump Administration’s move to revoke California’s waiver under the Clean Air Act to higher fuel efficiency standards than the federal limit. A similar article ran in Climatewire.

EPA Could Rewrite Cross-State Pollution Rule, It Tells Court (2)

September 18, 2019 / by

Amena Saiyid /

Bloomberg Environment

Janet McCabe, EPN member and former Acting Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Air and Radiation, was quoted in this article about cross-state power plant pollution and a recent court decision that granted EPA time to consider voluntarily rewriting the 2018 regulation.

EPA’s Own Analysis Shows Fuel Efficiency Rollback Will Kill People And Cost Money

September 18, 2019 / by

Jamie Dow /

Electrek

EPN members Trish Koman, former Senior Environmental Scientist, Program Manager and Supervisor in EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality, and Jeff Alson, former EPA Senior Engineer and Policy Advisor, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, were quoted in this article about EPA’s disingenuous analysis of its repeal of California’s authority to set strict fuel efficiency standards and the disastrous effects it could have on pollution and public health.

Trump Bars California From Setting Stricter Fuel Standards

September 18, 2019 / by

Michael Biesecker and Adam Beam /

Associated Press

Jeff Alson, EPN member and former EPA Senior Engineer and Policy Advisor, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, was quoted in this article about President Trump’s announcement that the government will revoke California’s authority to maintain strict fuel efficiency standards, a move even automakers argue will make the US less competitive and cause more pollution. Similar articles also ran in Forbes, Washington Examiner, Truthout, and CBS San Francisco.

Facing Fines, Polluters Turn To Trump’s Enforcement Fixer

September 18, 2019 / by

Corbin Hiar and Mike Soraghan /

Greenwire

EPN member George Czerniak, former Director, Air and Radiation Division, EPA Region 5, was quoted in this article about enforcement failures in Region 5, specifically involving an Indiana whiskey distillery and EPA’s recent decisions not to investigate non-compliance with the Clean Air Act.

Abolition of Supplemental Environmental Projects: A Damaging Retreat for Environmental Enforcement

September 18, 2019 / by

Joel Mintz /

Center for Progressive Reform

EPN member Joel Mintz, former EPA Enforcement and Supervisory Attorney, wrote this op-ed about DOJ’s recent decision to stop approving enforcement case settlements with Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs), which allows non-complying entities to develop environmental programs instead of paying a fine.