INSIDER
Biden sets 10-year deadline for US cities to replace lead pipes nationwide
Read full article: Biden sets 10-year deadline for US cities to replace lead pipes nationwideA decade after the Flint, Michigan, water crisis raised alarms about the dangers of lead in tap water, President Joe Biden is setting a 10-year deadline for U.S. cities to replace lead pipes and make drinking water safe for all Americans.
EPA awards $4.3 billion to fund projects in 30 states to reduce climate pollution
Read full article: EPA awards $4.3 billion to fund projects in 30 states to reduce climate pollutionThe Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $4.3 billion in grants to fund projects in 30 states to reduce climate pollution.
EPA bans consumer use of a toxic chemical widely used as a paint stripper but known to cause cancer
Read full article: EPA bans consumer use of a toxic chemical widely used as a paint stripper but known to cause cancerThe Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a ban on consumer uses of methylene chloride, a chemical widely used as a paint stripper but known to cause liver cancer and other health problems.
Strict new EPA rules would force coal-fired power plants to capture emissions or shut down
Read full article: Strict new EPA rules would force coal-fired power plants to capture emissions or shut downEnvironmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan says new rules that would force power plants fueled by coal or natural gas to capture smokestack emissions or shut down are targeting pollution that's “pushing our planet to the brink.”.
EPA designates 2 forever chemicals as hazardous substances, eligible for Superfund cleanup
Read full article: EPA designates 2 forever chemicals as hazardous substances, eligible for Superfund cleanupA group that represents the chemical industry says it strongly opposes the Environmental Protection Agency's designation of two forever chemicals used in cookware, carpets and firefighting foams as hazardous substances.
Republican AGs attack Biden's EPA for pursuing environmental discrimination cases
Read full article: Republican AGs attack Biden's EPA for pursuing environmental discrimination casesTwenty-three Republican attorneys general are attacking the Biden administration's stated goal of pursuing environmental justice.
New EPA rule says 218 US chemical plants must reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancer
Read full article: New EPA rule says 218 US chemical plants must reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancerMore than 200 chemical plants nationwide must reduce toxic emissions likely to cause cancer under a new Environmental Protection Agency rule.
EPA sets strict emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks and buses in bid to fight climate change
Read full article: EPA sets strict emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks and buses in bid to fight climate changeThe Environmental Protection Agency has set strict emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks, buses and other large vehicles.
EPA bans asbestos, a deadly carcinogen still in use decades after a partial ban was enacted
Read full article: EPA bans asbestos, a deadly carcinogen still in use decades after a partial ban was enactedThe Environmental Protection Agency has announced a comprehensive ban on asbestos, a deadly carcinogen still used in some chlorine bleach, brake pads and other products.
EPA delays rules for existing natural gas power plants until after the November election
Read full article: EPA delays rules for existing natural gas power plants until after the November electionThe Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it is delaying planned rules for existing natural gas plants that emit harmful air pollutants and contribute to global warming.
EPA sets out rules for proposed 'methane fee' for waste generated by oil and natural gas companies
Read full article: EPA sets out rules for proposed 'methane fee' for waste generated by oil and natural gas companiesOil and natural gas companies would have to pay a fee for methane emissions that exceed certain levels under a new rule proposed by the Biden administration.
House backs GOP bill to block EPA rule on tailpipe pollution; slams plan as electric-vehicle mandate
Read full article: House backs GOP bill to block EPA rule on tailpipe pollution; slams plan as electric-vehicle mandateHouse Republicans have approved a bill to block strict new tailpipe pollution limits proposed by the Biden administration, calling the plan a back-door mandate for electric vehicles.
US targets oil and natural gas industry's role in global warming with new rule on methane emissions
Read full article: US targets oil and natural gas industry's role in global warming with new rule on methane emissionsThe United States has taken action to reduce methane emissions from oil and natural gas production.
EPA offers $2B to clean up pollution, develop clean energy in poor and minority communities
Read full article: EPA offers $2B to clean up pollution, develop clean energy in poor and minority communitiesThe Biden administration is making $2 billion available to community groups, states and tribes to clean up pollution and develop clean energy in disadvantaged communities in what officials called the largest-ever investment in environmental justice.
Biden's clean-car rules face a crucial test as appeals court hears Republican-led challenges
Read full article: Biden's clean-car rules face a crucial test as appeals court hears Republican-led challengesEfforts by the Biden administration to limit tailpipe pollution from automobiles face a crucial test as legal challenges brought by Republican-led states head to a federal appeals court.
Environmental Protection Agency delays new ozone pollution standards until after the 2024 election
Read full article: Environmental Protection Agency delays new ozone pollution standards until after the 2024 electionThe Environmental Protection Agency is delaying plans to tighten air quality standards for smog despite a recommendation by a scientific advisory panel to lower air pollution limits to protect public health.
EPA head says he's 'proud' of decision to block Alaska mine and protect salmon-rich Bristol Bay
Read full article: EPA head says he's 'proud' of decision to block Alaska mine and protect salmon-rich Bristol BayThe nation’s top environmental official said he fully supports his agency’s decision to block a proposed gold and copper mine in Alaska’s salmon-rich Bristol Bay, even as the state of Alaska has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn that action.
Biden making $20 billion available from 'green bank' for clean energy projects
Read full article: Biden making $20 billion available from 'green bank' for clean energy projectsThe Biden administration is making available $20 billion from a federal “green bank” for clean energy projects such as residential heat pumps, electric vehicle charging stations and community cooling centers.
EPA boosts use of biofuels but holds steady for corn-based ethanol production
Read full article: EPA boosts use of biofuels but holds steady for corn-based ethanol productionThe Biden administration on Wednesday increased the amount of biofuels that must be blended into the nation’s fuel supplies over the next three years, but held production totals steady for corn-based ethanol, disappointing the biofuel industry and farm advocates.
EPA: New pollution limits proposed for US coal, gas power plants reflect 'urgency' of climate crisis
Read full article: EPA: New pollution limits proposed for US coal, gas power plants reflect 'urgency' of climate crisisThe Biden administration is proposing new limits on greenhouse gas emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants.
EPA awards $177 million to environmental justice groups
Read full article: EPA awards $177 million to environmental justice groupsThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it’s investing $177 million to create 17 technical assistance centers around the country to help environmental justice organizations successfully apply for federal funds.
EPA 'neighbor' rule cuts downwind pollution by power plants
Read full article: EPA 'neighbor' rule cuts downwind pollution by power plantsA new “good neighbor” rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency will restrict smokestack emissions from power plants and other industrial sources that burden downwind areas with smog-causing pollution they can’t control.
EPA orders Norfolk Southern to clean up toxic derailment
Read full article: EPA orders Norfolk Southern to clean up toxic derailmentThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered Norfolk Southern on Tuesday to pay for the cleanup of the East Palestine, Ohio train wreck and chemical release as federal regulators took charge of long-term recovery efforts and promised worried residents they wouldn’t be forgotten.
White House defends response to Ohio toxic train derailment
Read full article: White House defends response to Ohio toxic train derailmentThe Biden administration is defending its response to a freight train derailment in Ohio that left toxic chemicals spilled or burned off, even as local leaders and members of Congress demanded that more be done.
EPA chief at train derailment site: 'Trust the government'
Read full article: EPA chief at train derailment site: 'Trust the government'The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is trying to assure residents forced from their homes by a toxic train derailment in Ohio nearly two weeks ago that testing shows the air and water are now safe.
EPA outlines $27B 'green bank' for clean energy projects
Read full article: EPA outlines $27B 'green bank' for clean energy projectsThe Biden administration is outlining how states and nonprofit groups can apply for $27 billion in funding from a “green bank” that will provide low-cost financing for projects that cut greenhouse gas emissions.
EPA to award $100M to boost environmental justice programs
Read full article: EPA to award $100M to boost environmental justice programsThe Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $100 million in competitive grants for projects that advance environmental justice in communities disproportionately affected by industrial pollution and other hazards.
Biden tightens methane emissions rule amid push for more oil
Read full article: Biden tightens methane emissions rule amid push for more oilThe Biden administration has ramped up efforts to reduce methane emissions, targeting the oil and gas industry for its role in global warming even as President Joe Biden has pressed energy producers for more oil drilling to lower prices at the gasoline pump.
EPA awards grants to monitor air quality in 37 states
Read full article: EPA awards grants to monitor air quality in 37 statesThe Environmental Protection Agency has awarded grants for projects to monitor air quality in 37 states, with a focus on minority communities and other areas overburdened by pollution.
Biden administration launches environmental justice office
Read full article: Biden administration launches environmental justice officeForty years after a predominantly Black community in Warren County, North Carolina, rallied against hosting a hazardous waste landfill, President Joe Biden’s top environment official has returned to what is widely considered the birthplace of the environmental justice movement to unveil a national office that will distribute $3 billion in block grants to underserved communities burdened by pollution.
EPA head: Advanced nuke tech key to mitigate climate change
Read full article: EPA head: Advanced nuke tech key to mitigate climate changeThe head of the U.S. Environment Protection Agency says advanced nuclear technology will be “critical” for both the United States and Japan as they step up cooperation to meet decarbonization goals.
G20 environment ministers in Bali spur global climate action
Read full article: G20 environment ministers in Bali spur global climate actionEnvironment officials from the Group of 20 leading rich and developing nations are gathering in Indonesia for talks to spur global climate action and other troubles.
Morning 4: US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg moves permanent residence to Michigan -- and more top stories
Read full article: Morning 4: US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg moves permanent residence to Michigan -- and more top storiesMorning 4 is a quick roundup of stories we think you should know about to start your day.
EPA: 'Forever chemicals' pose risk even at very low levels
Read full article: EPA: 'Forever chemicals' pose risk even at very low levelsThe Environmental Protection Agency is warning that two nonstick and stain-resistant compounds in drinking water pose health risks at levels so low they cannot currently be detected.
Biden to crack down on polluters in poor, minority areas
Read full article: Biden to crack down on polluters in poor, minority areasThe Biden administration has announced a wide-ranging enforcement strategy aimed at holding industrial polluters accountable for damage done to poor and minority communities.
Affordable housing, long overlooked, getting federal boost
Read full article: Affordable housing, long overlooked, getting federal boostStates and localities are increasingly tapping federal funds to help finance efforts to build more affordable housing, repair dilapidated units or reduce their homeless numbers.
$75 million for residents whose homes were built on landfill
Read full article: $75 million for residents whose homes were built on landfillA group of New Orleans residents whose homes were built on a toxic landfill decades ago have won a $75.3 million court judgement against the city, its housing authority and a local school board.
Public transit gets $3.7B to woo riders, adopt green fleets
Read full article: Public transit gets $3.7B to woo riders, adopt green fleetsPublic transit systems straining to win back riders after being crushed by the COVID-19 pandemic are getting a $3.7 billion boost to help stay afloat and invest in electric buses.
Black members of Biden's Cabinet mark Black History Month
Read full article: Black members of Biden's Cabinet mark Black History MonthBlack members of President Joe Biden's Cabinet came together Thursday for a Black History Month event highlighting their roles in the administration, some of which are historic firsts.
EPA acts to curb air, water pollution in poor communities
Read full article: EPA acts to curb air, water pollution in poor communitiesThe Environmental Protection Agency is taking a series of enforcement actions to address air pollution, unsafe drinking water and other problems afflicting minority communities in three Gulf Coast states.
EPA moves to crack down on dangerous coal ash storage ponds
Read full article: EPA moves to crack down on dangerous coal ash storage pondsThe Environmental Protection Agency is taking its first major action to address toxic wastewater from coal-burning power plants, ordering utilities to stop dumping waste into unlined storage ponds and speed up plans to close leaking or otherwise dangerous coal ash sites.
EPA head: 'Journey to Justice' tour 'really personal for me'
Read full article: EPA head: 'Journey to Justice' tour 'really personal for me'EPA Administrator Michael Regan says a recently completed “Journey to Justice” tour from Mississippi to Texas enabled him to put “faces and names with this term that we call environmental justice.”.
EPA unveils strategy to regulate toxic 'forever chemicals'
Read full article: EPA unveils strategy to regulate toxic 'forever chemicals'The Biden administration is launching a wide-ranging strategy to regulate toxic industrial compounds used in products including cookware, carpets and firefighting foams.
EPA rule sharply limits HFCs, gases used as refrigerants
Read full article: EPA rule sharply limits HFCs, gases used as refrigerantsThe Environmental Protection Agency is sharply limiting domestic production and use of highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners.
EPA completes rule to phase out gases used as refrigerants
Read full article: EPA completes rule to phase out gases used as refrigerantsThe Environmental Protection Agency is sharply limiting domestic production and use of highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners.
Head of EPA visits Detroit wastewater plant, talks infrastructure solutions
Read full article: Head of EPA visits Detroit wastewater plant, talks infrastructure solutionsEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan made a visit to Detroit on Thursday to discuss a federal investment proposal in water infrastructure.
EPA chief reinstates science advisory board he dismantled
Read full article: EPA chief reinstates science advisory board he dismantledThe head of the Environmental Protection Agency says he has fully reinstated one of two key advisory boards he dismantled earlier this year in a push for “scientific integrity” at the agency.
VP Harris making Southern stops to promote vaccination
Read full article: VP Harris making Southern stops to promote vaccinationVice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration’s top environmental official are making stops in several Southern states to promote an intensive White House coronavirus vaccination effort.
Eying deal, GM softens on tough standards for car pollution
Read full article: Eying deal, GM softens on tough standards for car pollutionThe nation’s largest automaker says it can support greenhouse gas emissions limits that other car manufacturers negotiated with California — if they are achieved mostly by promoting sales of fully electric vehicles.
EPA restoring state and tribal power to protect waterways
Read full article: EPA restoring state and tribal power to protect waterwaysThe Environmental Protection Agency is restoring a rule that grants states and Native American tribes authority to block pipelines and other energy projects that can pollute rivers, streams and other waterways.
EPA sets grants to restore 'brownfields' at blighted sites
Read full article: EPA sets grants to restore 'brownfields' at blighted sitesThe Environmental Protection Agency has announced more than $66 million in grants to 151 communities nationwide to assess and clean up contaminated or abandoned “brownfields."
Appeals court tells EPA to ban pesticide or decide it's safe
Read full article: Appeals court tells EPA to ban pesticide or decide it's safeA federal appeals court has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to quickly determine whether a pesticide linked to brain damage in children should be banned.
GOP lawmakers slam EPA chief over firing of science advisers
Read full article: GOP lawmakers slam EPA chief over firing of science advisersTwo House Republicans are demanding that the Environmental Protection Agency provide records related to an action by the agency’s leader removing dozens of scientists and other experts from two key advisory boards.
AP Interview: EPA head removes Trump-era science advisers
Read full article: AP Interview: EPA head removes Trump-era science advisersReganis taking steps to restore what he calls scientific integrity at the EPA. “Scientific integrity is a foundational value for EPA,'' Regan said. He said that “is very true," but added that "underpinning that is the importance of scientific integrity and transparency here at the agency. The actions we’re taking are indicative of how serious we are about repairing the scientific integrity at EPA.'' The overhaul announced Wednesday ousts more than 40 members of the two science advisory boards, including some whose terms do not expire this year.
Senate confirms Fudge to lead housing agency, Regan for EPA
Read full article: Senate confirms Fudge to lead housing agency, Regan for EPAFudge, a veteran lawmaker, will lead the housing agency agency just as Congress has passed new benefits for renters and homeowners who have suffered economic losses amid the coronavirus pandemic. Fudge was confirmed 66-34, while Regan was also approved by a 66-34 vote. All three nominees won bipartisan support for their nominations, although Republican Leader Mitch McConnell voted against Regan. The two nominees both support “far-left policies that crush jobs″ in his state and across the country, the Kentucky Republican said. AdCapito also complained that Regan will take cues from Biden's White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy, a former EPA chief.
Senate panel advances EPA nominee; GOP slams Interior pick
Read full article: Senate panel advances EPA nominee; GOP slams Interior pick(Caroline Brehman/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – A Senate committee has endorsed President Joe Biden's nomination of Michael Regan to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, setting up a vote in the full Senate. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee advanced Regan's nomination Tuesday on a 14-6 vote. Regan, who has served as North Carolina's top environmental regulator since 2017, would be the first Black man to run the EPA. A third Biden nominee, Deb Haaland, has not yet had a hearing on her selection to lead the Interior Department. AdHe also was concerned by Haaland's responses on issues such as wildlife management and access by hunters and sportsmen to public lands, Daines said.
Biden EPA nominee vows 'sense of urgency' on climate change
Read full article: Biden EPA nominee vows 'sense of urgency' on climate change(Caroline Brehman/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden's nominee to run the Environmental Protection Agency pledged Wednesday to “move with a sense of urgency on climate change” and other priorities, while working with lawmakers from both parties to protect the environment. AdRegan, who has served as top environmental regulator in North Carolina since 2017, would be the first African American man to run the EPA. Regan told senators he learned the importance of preserving the outdoors while hunting and fishing with his father and grandfather in rural North Carolina. Regan told Capito he anticipates “healthy debates” on a variety of issues, adding that he reports to the president, not White House advisers. In a related development, Jennifer Granholm, Biden's nominee to be energy secretary, won approval from the Senate energy panel Wednesday.
President-elect Biden introduces appointees for new climate, energy team
Read full article: President-elect Biden introduces appointees for new climate, energy team(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris introduced the individuals nominated and appointed to their climate and energy team at an event on Saturday, Dec. 19. On Tuesday, a report from CNN indicated that Biden would nominate former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm to lead the U.S. Department of Energy. Progressives, energy lobbyists, environmental groups and auto workers welcomed Biden’s choice of popular former Mayor Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary. Jennifer Granholm for energy secretary and former Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy as leader of domestic climate efforts also were met with general applause. Biden is also tapping environmental lawyer and Obama administration official Brenda Mallory to run the Council on Environmental Quality, the president-elect announced Thursday.
Biden introduces his climate team, says 'no time to waste'
Read full article: Biden introduces his climate team, says 'no time to waste'President-elect Joe Biden announces his climate and energy team nominees and appointees at The Queen Theater in Wilmington Del., Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020. The incoming Biden team will try to undo or block many of the current administration’s initiatives. In his remarks, Biden stressed the diversity of an emerging team that he described as “brilliant, qualified, tested and they are barrier-busting." The nominees Biden introduced Saturday had compelling personal stories that they cited as guiding them if confirmed by the Senate. Two other members of the team introduced Saturday do not need Senate confirmation.