EPA Goes After Plastics With Chemicals Plan
Judith Enck, former Regional Administrator for EPA Region 2, was quoted in Politico Pro about the five chemicals recently prioritized for risk evaluation by EPA, which are all commonly used in the production of plastics.
EPA Begins Formal Review of 5 Toxic Chemicals, Including One in Ohio Train Derailment
Judith Enck was quoted in USA Today about EPA beginning the high-priority review of five chemicals, one of which was involved in the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment.
Trucking Industry Doubletalk Hurts Our Lungs and Their Own Bottom Line
Margo Oge, former Director, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, penned an op-ed about how truck manufacturers supporting an EV transition should also be pushing for stronger EPA standards.
Chicago Must Choose Lead Pipe Replacement Material Carefully
Judith Enck, former Regional Administrator for EPA Region 2, published an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune about the dangers of PVC pipes, a possible replacement for lead pipes, after EPA’s recently released Lead and Copper proposal.
CR’s Guide to Better, Safer Drinking Water
Ronnie Levin, former EPA Senior Scientist, was quoted in Consumer Reports about the strides in regulating drinking water, but how there is still much-needed regulation to provide protection from contaminants.
Getting the Lead Out of the Water Supply: How One Health Expert Crunched the Numbers and Prodded the EPA
Ronnie Levin, former EPA Senior Scientist, was quoted in STAT News about her cost-benefit analysis of the 2022 Lead and Copper Rule, completed with colleague Joel Schwartz. They found that the 2022 rule significantly underestimated the benefits of lead line replacement and were cited in EPA’s recently released Lead and Copper Rule.
The Republicans’ Surprising Hero on EPA Soot Rule: Obama
John Bachmann, former Associate Director for Science/Policy and New Programs, EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, was quoted in E&E News about Obama-era soot standards and how Biden’s EPA should do more to lower the current standards.
‘Game Changer’: EPA Rule Would Force Removal of America’s Lead Pipes
Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in Politico Pro about EPA’s proposed rule to remove all lead pipes in the next 10 years.
Despite Deadline Pressure, Maine Lawmakers Urged to Press Ahead on PFAS Disclosure Requirements
Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health and the National Toxicology Program, was quoted in the Bangor Daily News about the approaching 2025 deadline to report and regulate PFAS in Maine, despite manufacturers in the state saying they will not be prepared in time.
Strengthening and Diversifying the Federal STEM Workforce
November 7, 2023 / by
Anita Desikan, Jacob Carter, F. Abron Franklin, Raechel McKinley, Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, and Andrew A. Rosenberg /
Union of Concerned Scientists
The Union of Concerned Scientists released a new report entitled, Strengthening and Diversifying the Federal STEM Workforce. This report attempts to assess the current state of the federal scientific workforce and highlight the best practices that can strengthen the workforce in a way that embodies the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, former Principal Deputy Acting Administrator for Science, Office of Research and Development, contributed to this report.
New Speaker, Same Shenanigans
Michelle Roos was quoted in this article about new House leadership’s anti-EPA agenda and the negative impacts it would have on the environment and human health.
PFAS Chemicals on Your Baby’s Diapers
Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health and the National Toxicology Program, was quoted in Environmental Health News about children’s products containing PFAS compounds.
EPA to Strengthen Lead Protections in Drinking Water After Multiple Crises, Including Flint
Ronnie Levin, former Senior Scientist, Risk Assessor, Lead Inspector, Enforcement Office, EPA Region 1, and Joe Cotruvo, a former director of the Drinking Water Standards Division at EPA, were quoted in this article on the history of EPA’s lead standards and how a new proposal to strengthen them will aid in providing safe drinking water across the country.
Experts Discuss Report That Looks at Ways to Address Climate Change
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 NM Political Report discussing a recent climate change report released by American Academy of Arts & Sciences’ Commissioner on Accelerating Climate Action.
Groups Press EPA To Block ‘New’ PFAS Uses Tied To Landmark TSCA Suit
EPN was mentioned in an article by Inside EPA after sending a letter to the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention’s Assistant Administrator, Michal Freedhoff, to encourage the use of TSCA to force Inhance Technologies to stop its production of fluorinated plastics.
AdvaMed CEO Warns Congress of Supply Shortages from EtO, PFAS Regulations
Tracey Woodruff, former EPA Senior Scientist and Policy Advisor in the Office of Policy, was quoted in a Med Tech Dive article discussing EPA’s proposed rulings on ethylene oxide emissions and PFAS and their health effects.
How Gas Utilities Used Tobacco Tactics to Avoid Gas Stove Regulations
Bernie Goldstein was quoted in NPR about the potential health risks of cooking with gas stoves, which produce nitrogen dioxide and affect indoor air quality.
TCTACs: A Treat for Disadvantaged Communities
Michelle Roos was quoted in The American Prospect in an article about Biden’s investment in disadvantaged communities through EPA’s Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (TCTACs), and how EPN has set an example for technical assistance as TCTACs launch across the country.
Promise and Peril: How Government Action Can Help or Hurt Industry Efforts
Margo Oge, former Director, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, was interviewed for a podcast hosted by Automotive News and recounted the U.S. government’s first action to lessen greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act and its impact on automakers.
Shampoos and Soaps Are Mostly Water. Here’s Why You Should Buy Them Without It.
Judith Enck, former Regional Administrator for EPA Region 2 and founder of Beyond Plastics, was quoted in an article about the rise of plastic use in toiletry products.
Fluorinated Plastics Carry the Risk of ‘Forever Chemicals’
Bob Sussman, former EPA deputy administrator and counsel for PEER and the Center of Environmental Health, was quoted in Bloomberg about his role in a suit against Inhance Technologies for the use of PFAS in their products.
Shutdown Vets: ‘Everything About It Sucks’
Bob Perciasepe, former EPA Deputy Administrator, was quoted in this article regarding his past experience with government shutdowns and what federal workers can do to prepare for the next one.
Shutdown Won’t Freeze Work on Climate Law
Stan Meiburg, former EPA Deputy Regional Administrator in Region 4 and Region 6, was quoted in an article discussing the impacts a potential government shutdown would have on climate funding from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Will Proposed Clean Power Plan Create New Tailwinds for AD?
Michael Levin, former Director of Regulatory Reform, EPA Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, penned this op-ed outlining how EPA’s proposed climate pollution plan for power plants may benefit anaerobic digester facilities.