The headquarters of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC on July 17, 2013. Matt McClain / The Washington Post via Getty Images
For the third time in three years, the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered Amazon to stop selling illegal pesticides.
<p>The EPA's Seattle office <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-orders-amazon-halt-illegal-pesticides-sales" target="_blank">announced Tuesday</a> that it had presented the online retailer with a "stop sale" order targeting products that were unregistered and potentially dangerous or ineffective. Some of them made false or misleading claims that they offered protection against viruses.</p><p>"Unregistered pesticides in the e-commerce marketplace pose a significant and immediate health risk to consumers, children, pets, and others exposed to the products," Ed Kowalski, director of the Enforcement Compliance Assurance Division in EPA's Region 10 office in Seattle, said in the announcement.</p>
<p>The EPA sent the latest order to Amazon on Jan. 7, <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/epa-again-orders-amazon-to-stop-selling-illegal-pesticides/" target="_blank">The Seattle Times reported</a>. The order added 70 products to a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/stop-sale-use-or-removal-orders-issued-amazoncom-services-llc" target="_blank">June 2020 stop sale order</a> that targeted more than 30 products. The new products include items marketed to clean homes and pools, bracelets claiming to repel mosquitoes and several products promising to kill viruses, The Seattle Times reported.</p><p>"We have no idea what those products are made of," Chad Schulze, the EPA's pesticide enforcement lead in Seattle, told The Seattle Times. "And when you have people purchasing a product that says it will kill or control viruses in their personal space but it does not, that's a huge risk as well."</p>
<p>Since the stop sale order was issued in January, Amazon has removed the products from its website, a spokesperson for the company told The Seattle Times. However, the online sale of unregistered pesticides is an ongoing problem.</p><p>All pesticides sold in the U.S. are supposed to be registered with the EPA under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the agency explained in its June stop sale order. The registration process allows the EPA to ensure all pesticides for sale are safe and do what they say they will do.</p>
<p>Between 2013 and 2018, the EPA claimed that Amazon violated FIFRA almost 4,000 times, The Seattle Times reported. Amazon reached a settlement with the agency over these violations and said it would take steps to reduce the number of illegal pesticides sold on its platforms. Since then, the problem has decreased, but it has not disappeared.</p><p>"Is [Amazon] perfect? Is it stopping everything we need them to stop?" Schulze asked in The Seattle Times. "No."</p><p>For example, one of the products targeted by the June order was labeled "Amazon's Choice," signaling the company's endorsement.</p>
<p>While Schulze said other e-commerce sites were worse, Amazon is the largest in the U.S. It has almost 300 million customers and offers more than 350 million products, according to the EPA.<br></p><p>Any pesticide or disinfectant that meets FIFRA requirements will have an EPA registration and establishment number, the agency said.</p><p>"The agency advises consumers who have purchased an unregistered pesticide product or a misbranded pesticidal device to safely dispose of it in accordance with local, state, and federal laws," the EPA advised. "This is especially important for consumers seeking to protect against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19."</p><p>Anyone looking for safe and effective protection against the new virus can look at the EPA's list of products <a href="https://cfpub.epa.gov/giwiz/disinfectants/index.cfm" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
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A federal judge tosses the secret science rule that limited EPA's ability to use public health research to craft policy. sanjeri / Getty Images
A federal judge vacated the so-called "secret science" rule that limited EPA's ability to use public health research to craft policy on Monday.
<p>The Biden administration had determined the justification proffered, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VWfbCr2pJ-zyW2fQ0mg8r9SDGW65wf3Z4mzcbYN6G5Tqt5nxGrV3Zsc37CgYvBW5Xtdld2pHgLFW8R5S0B3Ncj1_VrtB061GsFh3W21CCND5RJ4bKW7b9jp_7v_jWpW2zTBCC438cDfW6-Xg1t5K2p4TW99pJGs6y6hwXW7zHBC_6VpbJQV2ShR81SLSXBW7LHpbl8NZ9_mTzD1m5x4R3ZW7bjGPd7GpTgTW8m--5w4K_YYSN84G_2gz-rDHW3vqlq14rn6n1W8ppXJF8ggfVgW1xkgQB57mw-vW7bC5vz8mSSdLW3zJ2vp2DLqMYW6lzCx25mp30MW4qg0J71wkCK_W5n3h5P6NXd4CW6KB5JJ2y4w9bW5d3m8f65qKcWVxKxmj1RVMx5W236DqJ4-cD23W70qstg9kGxjmVsSKBC7j2TRHW8v6Qkx9cBM4wW5XGh2C8S1YVYW8dqRKJ6NCDLRW6DZT3l6JVk7BW4ZgmsW9ljN2_37Yc1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">unsuccessfully</a>, by the Trump administration for its hasty publication of the rule was legally indefensible. </p><p>The rule, originally conceived by the tobacco industry in the 1990s, would have restricted EPA's ability to use studies that cannot make their underlying data — like participants' medical histories — public. </p><p>Such research includes bedrock epidemiological studies upon which EPA has relied for decades, and the implementation of the rule would have made it dramatically more difficult to enact public health and environmental protections. </p><p>EPA spokeswoman Lindsay Hamilton said the Biden administration was "pleased" with the ruling, adding, "EPA is committed to making evidence-based decisions and developing policies and programs that are guided by the best science."</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/02/01/trump-secret-science/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=109144976&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--YZL0trkLpYwZM_Ppq2wEtxSXw0f-vjerzFH0NPRuWfAsvJbK0NsZPycYnEtjT9rF_NkJaNoKPyzZRsQ0vGiddysTz99dJraT8xzsgVHgYrnGEv8Y&utm_content=109144976&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/536787-court-tosses-trump-epas-secret-science-rule?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=109144976&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--kopPGBwNgE3pb1cOatOO6-cCFerJCbWrIL6lhlHK1vipwCc-6zXqeqofQhDm6M1pJ34vh9hOgoFh25q4HNdAT1rimNJXoVaO8LM2z6Arpos8WWBk&utm_content=109144976&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The Hill</a>, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2021/02/01/stories/1063724017?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=109144976&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8G0wNIcwi5H0O8YSAsgtO4c9PUYRLzcBTlW45V_xzKlNU3M3uIbY2s_sI6WDoN2W-gk6ddKltR0V95Io4FdFgrgj2-9NYQEpdVOm7R1jUs3P_5eMQ&utm_content=109144976&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">E&E,</a> <a href="https://login.politicopro.com/?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fsubscriber.politicopro.com%2Farticle%2F2021%2F02%2Fjudge-vacates-trump-science-rule-3986721%3Futm_campaign%3DHot%2520News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=109144976&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8bsonQKLkLE9VAVxmbNjj_zugH9-DNOjQ3M8sZr-UByqfSEDsEuWAyW0PEMR05vskT8mKiBjf35QDHI5hrDb1bCsSdmfz3N14635LSu8VjDWaZPYs&utm_content=109144976&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Politico Pro </a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em> </p>From Your Site Articles
- EPA Updates Plans to Limit Use of Science in Decision-Making ... ›
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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FWS biologist Susan Wynn releases an endangered butterfly in San Diego County in 2016. Joanna Gilkeson / USFWS
By Taryn MacKinney
First, the bad news: An analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists reveals that federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) have lost hundreds of scientists since 2017. The good news: With the Biden administration already acting on its pledge to lead with science, a new day has dawned, and it's time to get to work.
Science Under Attack
<p>Since the birth of the National Academies of Sciences <a href="http://www.nasonline.org/about-nas/history/archives/founding-and-early-work.html" target="_blank">more than 150 years ago</a>, US federal science has fueled many of the nation's and the world's great achievements. Federally funded scientists have mapped the <a href="https://www.genome.gov/human-genome-project" target="_blank">human genome,</a> <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/yes-government-researchers-really-did-invent-the-internet/" target="_blank">created the World Wide Web</a>, protected <a href="https://www.fws.gov/midwest/eagle/History/index.html" target="_blank">species from extinction</a>, and saved countless lives through revolutionary vaccine campaigns—against <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/polio/what-is-polio/polio-us.html" target="_blank">polio</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/history/history.html" target="_blank">smallpox</a> in years past, and today, against COVID-19.</p><p>At the heart of these triumphs stand the government scientists. Whether chemist or physician, economist or engineer, each has dedicated their career to the American public and its interests: clean air and water, safe homes, a healthy future for all.</p><p>But cracks have formed in the foundations of government science. Especially since 2017, political officials have stunted or stalled <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/taryn-mackinney/the-white-house-scrapped-the-science-on-tricholorethylene-so-were-urging-the-epa-to-investigate" target="_blank">scientific research</a>, retaliated against <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/07/25/has-trump-sidelined-restricted-government-scientists-yes/4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">scientists</a>, weakened <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/attacks-on-science/epa-alters-protocol-scientific-advisory-committees-selection?_ga=2.125629898.1514278020.1611251739-397048884.1590005808" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">science advisory committees</a>, left <a href="https://envirodatagov.org/embattled-landscape-series-part-2b-the-declining-capacity-of-federal-environmental-science/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">scientific positions vacant</a>, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/science-ranks-grow-thin-in-trump-administration/2020/01/23/5d22b522-3172-11ea-a053-dc6d944ba776_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">undermined career staff</a>. Some federal offices, battered by political attacks, have hemorrhaged scientific experts.</p><p>Now that the sun has set on the Trump administration, questions remain. How have federal scientists fared in the last four years? How many work in government today? And how can the Biden administration repair what was broken?</p>The Hunt for Numbers
<p>To answer these questions, we needed government information and lots of it. Last autumn, we requested, via the <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/genna-reed/a-thank-you-to-foia-officers-purveyors-of-sunshine" target="_blank">Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)</a>, two decades of staffing records from nearly 30 federal science agencies, from the FWS to the Census Bureau.</p><p>We're still waiting on a lot of data, but the results we <em>have</em> gotten are revealing. In the last four years, five of the seven agencies we analyzed collectively lost more than 1,000 scientists.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU1NDgzNy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDgwODYzMX0.eEivA26E39j-6MEFBHhJubjh__wPQ2vOd1AyTech7aQ/img.png?width=980" id="04e29" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="414dc186e56b94978d00e6f7b920aada" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1024" data-height="1001" /><p>This figure shows the percent change in the number of scientists from 2016 to 2020 across seven federal agencies. Percent change is useful, but it can also mask the human scale of loss. Here's an example: By 2019, the EPA and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) had both lost 6% of their scientists compared to 2016. But the EPA is far larger than BOEM. A 6% loss is 28 scientists at BOEM — and <em>nearly 750 scientists</em> at the EPA. And while BOEM regained many scientists between 2019 and 2020, the EPA did not.</p>
A Blow to Science at the EPA
<p>The losses at the EPA weren't random. Between 2016 and 2020, the EPA lost 550 environmental protection specialists — 1 in 4. These specialists implement air and water quality programs and track environmental law violations, tasks that the last administration spurned.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU1NDgzOC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzA2NjQzOH0.mYVMlYd8PsEvsMHghdq5YrpckOAwD55C4AU6a4f7TDE/img.png?width=980" id="d47c9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d8fdc88b17cf26e0bff149eec1351a18" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="798" data-height="1024" /><p>The EPA lost hundreds of highly specialized scientists, too. For example, environmental engineers work to prevent pollution, recover natural resources, and protect public health; the EPA lost 126 of them. 12 hydrologists, 22 geologists, and 18 statisticians were also lost — about a third of jobs in each category—as were 44 chemists (1 in 10), 27 ecologists (1 in 5), and 18 microbiologists (nearly 1 in 4).</p><p>Scientists nationwide felt the crunch. Many staffers in the EPA's 10 regional offices work on the ground in communities and states to implement Agency programs. These offices are scattered across the country, and every single one lost scientific staff between 2016 and 2020, especially offices in the West, Southwest, Great Plains, and Midwest.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU1NDgzOS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDk3NzA2NX0.ihu2PcoJ53onRAOpxgJn5j9kS_QNMmLVDhPlXeJyI5Y/img.png?width=980" id="512f1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="896a78df21951743420348354275fbdb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1245" data-height="741" /><p>Staff also disappeared from programmatic offices. The Office of Research and Development (ORD), the EPA's research powerhouse, lost 12% of its scientific staff — more than 180 people.</p><p><em>But wait, </em>you ask — <em>could these just be retirements?</em> Good point. But if 20 people retire, we'd expect most of them to be replaced, their roles filled via a robust pipeline of early-career scientists. The result: a net loss of zero, or close to it. Instead, we're seeing a net loss of <em>hundreds </em>of scientific staff, indicating that many lost employees weren't replaced. We know from <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/08/science-under-trump-report.pdf/" target="_blank">surveys</a> that losses like these hinder vital scientific work.</p>
Losses Beyond the EPA
<p>Other agencies also lost experts between 2016 and 2020. The FWS lost 231 scientific staff, a nearly 4% decline. This includes a net loss of 68 wildlife biologists (about 1 in 8) and 48 staff in wildlife refuge management (about 1 in 12). The US Geological Survey, meanwhile, lost 118 hydrologists (1 in 10), 55 geologists (1 in 10), 45 wildlife biologists (1 in 4), and myriad others.</p><p>The Department of Education's research branch, the Institute of Education Services, lost 33 scientific staff—a staggering 19 percent decline. More than half were education researchers.</p><p>BOEM — a young agency with fewer than 600 employees — steadily gained scientists through the last quarter of the Obama administration, when it reached a high of 450 scientific staff. But then this number began declining, falling to 403 in Q2 2019. As with the EPA, many of BOEM's losses were highly specialized scientific staff, including 10 geologists (-10%) and 7 oceanographers (-29%).</p><p>On the flip side, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has <em>gained</em> scientific staff since 2016, continuing a trend that dates to at least 2010. NASA gained 91 scientific experts — a modest 0.7% increase. We're heartened to see this, but don't be fooled: all is not well in government science.</p>The Humans Behind the Data
<p>These numbers validate what many civil servants have long witnessed: the decline of federal science. We've tracked <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/attacks-on-science" target="_blank">nearly 190 attacks</a> on science since 2017, and stories abound of scientists being <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/attacks-on-science/climate-change-resilience-study-halted" target="_blank">ignored</a>, <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/attacks-on-science/cdc-defunded-politically-motivated-ad-campaign" target="_blank">defunded</a>, and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jul/25/trump-administration-climate-crisis-denying-scientist" target="_blank">pushed out</a>. In <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/08/science-under-trump-report.pdf/" target="_blank">our 2018 survey</a>, majorities of scientists across agencies reported seeing workforce reductions.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU1NDg0Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMDYyMTA2Mn0.h1TCYBRcFUmYf_MN59uufwDrUUgmV6Z9hoVFmc1hJ_A/img.jpg?width=980" id="50bdd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="841b8163d7395bb66c332932b9336576" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1457" data-height="870" /><p>Dr. Joel Clement, a <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/joel-clement/doi-caught-lying-about-a-staff-purge-congress-has-questions" target="_blank">Senior Fellow</a> at UCS and former Department of Interior (DOI) scientist, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/im-a-scientist-the-trump-administration-reassigned-me-for-speaking-up-about-climate-change/2017/07/19/389b8dce-6b12-11e7-9c15-177740635e83_story.html" target="_blank">witnessed these attacks</a> firsthand. At the DOI in 2017, he was reassigned from a senior scientific role to an unrelated role in an accounting office. "I believe I was retaliated against for speaking out publicly about the dangers that climate change poses to Alaska Native communities," he said.</p><p>Dr. Clement is one of many to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/28/climate/trump-administration-war-on-science.html" target="_blank">face these assaults</a>. When the Department of Agriculture announced it would move its research arm from Washington, DC to Kansas City, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/science-ranks-grow-thin-in-trump-administration/2020/01/23/5d22b522-3172-11ea-a053-dc6d944ba776_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">two-thirds</a> of Economic Research Service staff jumped ship — as did 8 in 10 staff in the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Even when scientists stayed, they faced <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/attacks-on-science/white-house-directs-scientists-downplay-chemicals-link-heart-defects" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">censorship</a>, <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/node/12738" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">funding cuts</a>, and the dissolution of <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/attacks-on-science/navy-quietly-shut-down-climate-task-force" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">crucial offices and projects</a>. "It feels like a wholesale attack," <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/28/climate/trump-administration-war-on-science.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said Dr. Betsy Smith</a>, a 20-year veteran of the EPA whose research on climate change was abruptly canceled in 2017.</p>
The Path Forward
<p>Still, have hope. Already, President Biden has given the microphone back to federal scientists like <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/president-biden-takes-office/2021/01/21/959378061/after-sparring-with-trump-dr-fauci-says-biden-administration-feels-liberating" target="_blank">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a>, assembled a team of qualified <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-francis-collins-022fc771e262e6f1c7e33ffe80e1d37b" target="_blank">science advisors</a>, and, in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/climate/biden-paris-climate-agreement.html" target="_blank">rejoining the Paris climate agreement</a>, did what his predecessor never could: recognized the truth of climate change and vowed to work with the world to solve it.</p><p>But rebuilding is not enough. Federal science must be fortified. In the coming months, the Biden administration must do all it can to invite more early-career scientists into government—for example, by bolstering <a href="https://www.epa.gov/careers/research-fellowships-and-scholarships" target="_blank">fellowship programs</a> and expanding recruitment to underrepresented communities. The administration must also work to <em>keep </em>these vital staff, by strengthening mentorship of early-career scientists and, of course, funding them (a robust White House science and technology budget is a great start).</p><p>President Biden must also support policies that promote and protect scientists and their work. We at UCS have a <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/2020-08/si-report-roadmap-for-science.pdf?_ga=2.102051905.1514278020.1611251739-397048884.1590005808" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>lot </em>of recommendations</a>, and we're thrilled to see many of them already in the administration's <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/01/new-biden-scientific-integrity-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">latest memorandum</a> on scientific integrity.</p><p>The United States is a divided country, cleaved by <a href="https://time.com/5898231/republicans-democrats-coronavirus-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rival realities</a> and <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2019/10/10/partisan-antipathy-more-intense-more-personal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bitter partisanship</a>. But as our leaders brace themselves for the rocky seas ahead, science must be their lighthouse. We implore the Biden administration, and all those elected by the people, to "<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-francis-collins-022fc771e262e6f1c7e33ffe80e1d37b" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">lead with science and truth</a>." The nation depends on it.</p><p><em>Taryn MacKinney is an investigative researcher for the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from the <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/taryn-mackinney/federal-agencies-have-lost-hundreds-of-scientists-since-2017-what-comes-next" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Union of Concerned Scientists</a>.</em></p>
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An aerial view shows Chicago, Illinois from the south. Steve_Gadomski / Getty Images
The U.S. EPA launched an environmental justice investigation this week into the relocation of a polluting scrapyard from a predominantly white and wealthy neighborhood on Chicago's North Side to a predominantly poor and Latinx neighborhood on the city's Southeast Side last year.
<p>The investigation stems from complaints brought by Southeast [Chicago] Environmental Task Force and the Chicago Southeast Coalition to Ban Petcoke, which allege state environmental regulators colluded with city agencies and developers to move polluting industries out of gentrified neighborhoods into already heavily polluted neighborhoods predominantly populated by people of color. </p><p>"We refer to ourselves as a sacrifice zone," Peggy Salazar, a lifelong Southeast Side resident and director of SETF, told Grist. </p><p>"The revitalization of parts of Chicago are planned, and they frame the [South and West Sides] as the accommodating communities. To them, we're here to accommodate — not participate — in the revitalization."</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://grist.org/justice/epa-investigation-southeast-side-chicago-scrapyard/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=108492583&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8231wuIyUGGM0P5xff178b3jYzGRr4kFdYwuirPJlMcoqCTMUfmmQMyShHMncGsrEQDVHHlclFylJ2GDLik_0do1a3xu4nCcjXsw8swHlg9hrH-O8&utm_content=108492583&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Grist</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/environment/ct-biden-epa-chicago-scrap-shredder-investigation-20210126-lgdsvu6dzrcbhkeyrkyypdjmru-story.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=108492583&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8HMnrz67rbQv4QbK06SVi68-IF6HbZzeOMPayDzp2rpRsZNn8IGE6iuQIJQJWMhVYxvMmOPq095GLonWoqfgGZIk4-FHgKrRlCsigEXh-IaIgM_Uk&utm_content=108492583&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Chicago Tribune</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
- House Democrats Roll out Environmental Justice Bill - EcoWatch ›
- Why America Needs Environmental Justice - EcoWatch ›
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Biden Has Pledged to Advance Environmental Justice – Here’s How the EPA Can Start
26 January
Politics
An empty school bus by a field of chemical plants in "Cancer Alley," one of the most polluted areas of the U.S. that stretches from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, where oil refineries and petrochemical plants reside alongside suburban homes. Giles Clarke / Getty Images
By David Konisky
On his first day in office President Joe Biden started signing executive orders to reverse Trump administration policies. One sweeping directive calls for stronger action to protect public health and the environment and hold polluters accountable, including those who "disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities."
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<p><br>To lead this effort Biden has nominated <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/17/climate/michael-regan-epa.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Michael Regan</a> to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">EPA</a>). Regan, who currently heads North Carolina's Department of Environmental Quality, would be the first Black man to serve as EPA administrator in the agency's 50-year history. His appointment has fueled expectations that the agency will <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063721111" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">make environmental justice a top priority</a>.</p><p>The EPA <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-09/documents/epa_office_of_environmental_justice_factsheet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">first created an Office of Environmental Justice in 1992</a>, but I know from <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SnSvL-sAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">my research on decades of the agency's work</a> that it has never given the issue sustained attention. Despite <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/10/105002" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">activism</a> from a growing environmental justice movement, widespread evidence that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-082508-094348" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pollution over-burdens poor and minority communities</a>, and a Clinton-era <a href="https://www.archives.gov/files/federal-register/executive-orders/pdf/12898.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">executive order</a> that mandated federal action, <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/failed-promises" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the EPA has largely failed</a> to modify its programs, policies and decision-making processes in response.</p>
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<p>The agency's toolkit for taking on environmental injustice is limited. Current environmental laws do not require it to craft policies to address unequal pollution burdens, and in some cases they make it difficult to do so. Several <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/2236/text" target="_blank">House and Senate members have introduced</a> <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5986/text" target="_blank">bills to give the EPA such a mandate</a>, and they may try again in the new Congress. But the agency can get started before that happens.</p>
<h2>Boost Inclusion and Enforcement</h2><p>In my view, EPA officials can advance environmental justice immediately by striving for inclusive decision-making. This means not just listening to people of color and other communities suffering from pollution burdens, but empowering them to be involved in decisions that affect their lives.</p><p>Historically the EPA has too often taken an "announce-and-defend" approach to its decisions. By giving these communities more voice, I believe the agency will make better decisions and show that it is committed to changing its <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/inside-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">historical insensitivity</a> to environmental justice goals.</p><p>Second, EPA leaders should prioritize enforcement activities in overburdened communities. Numerous studies have shown that federal and state agencies conduct fewer inspections and impose lighter penalties when offending pollution sources are located in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. Researchers have documented this pattern on issues including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022381613000170" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">air pollution</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12397" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">drinking water</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12160" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hazardous waste management</a>.</p><p>EPA enforcement has <a href="https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/enforcement-annual-results-fiscal-year-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">declined for many years</a>, so the agency needs to ramp up these efforts overall. But its leaders have full discretion to target enforcement toward companies located in communities that are heavily polluted. And they can use existing resources, such as the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ejscreen" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">EJSCREEN mapping tool</a>, to help identify these communities.</p><p>EPA officials will need to coordinate these enforcement efforts with the U.S. Department of Justice, which is responsible for prosecuting cases. In addition, the EPA will need to set clear expectations that states, which do the lion's share of enforcement, also prioritize environmental justice communities.</p>
<div id="d8964" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="df5954a2a0e147a6292baacc1851f18a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1340399106414567425" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Quoted in story re: our 25-year fight 2 reduce polluting clusters of waste transfer stations in the communities of… https://t.co/x2ytpTDetm</div> — Eddie Bautista (@Eddie Bautista)<a href="https://twitter.com/eddiebautista08/statuses/1340399106414567425">1608411025.0</a></blockquote></div>
<h2>Spotlight Discrimination and Analyze New Rules for EJ Impact</h2><p>Another thing the EPA can do now is make better use of its authority under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, Title VI of the Civil Right Act prohibits organizations that receive federal funds from <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ogc/facts-title-vi-civil-rights-act-1964" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">discriminating against protected groups</a>. This includes state and local agencies that issue permits and carry out other activities to implement federal pollution control laws.</p><p>As external assessments have shown, the EPA has an <a href="https://publicintegrity.org/topics/environment/pollution/environmental-justice-denied/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">abysmal record of applying Title VI</a>. Historically it has not been willing to make findings of discrimination, or in many cases even to conduct serious investigations of credible allegations. In one of the few exceptions, when Michigan officials approved siting the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-01/documents/final-genesee-complaint-letter-to-director-grether-1-19-2017.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Genesee Power Station</a> in a predominantly Black neighborhood of Flint, Michigan, over community objections, the agency's finding that this was discriminatory came 25 years after the initial complaint.</p><p>The EPA can improve this process by opening its door to Title VI claims and handling them promptly and fairly. Doing so will show environmental justice communities that it takes their concerns seriously, and make clear to state and local agencies that discrimination is not acceptable.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTUzNjg5NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MjQxMjE0MX0.GJFJ-UxzAYpGKfN5-PWSiuAQi7bn3lO5XixeIaUMqRY/img.jpg?width=980" id="9c042" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4354250e5e919653c514b49adaf38370" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="982" />
Michael S. Regan, President Biden's nominee to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, grew up near a coal-burning power plant in North Carolina and has pledged to "enact an environmental justice framework that empowers people in all communities." NCDEQ
<p>A fourth immediate action the EPA can take is to make it routine practice to consider environmental justice in its rule-making. President Clinton's 1994 executive order suggested doing this, but unlike traditional cost-benefit analysis, it is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0143814X18000077" target="_blank">not a regular part</a> of agency decision-making.</p><p>Fortunately <a href="https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/technical-guidance-assessing-environmental-justice-regulatory-analysis" target="_blank">the EPA already has guidance</a> that was published in 2016 showing how to do environmental justice analysis. Through more careful attention to how new rules affect low-income communities and communities of color, the agency can make its decisions more transparent and adopt policies with fewer impacts on already overburdened communities.</p><p>Achieving environmental justice is a long-term project, and the EPA is just one of many government agencies that need to change their ways before the U.S. can make progress. Eventually Congress will need to provide the EPA with new tools. Until that time, the agency can more effectively use its current authorities to get started.</p>
<p>
<em>David Konisky is a professor of public and environmental affairs at Indiana University.</em><br/>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: David Konisky does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/biden-has-pledged-to-advance-environmental-justice-heres-how-the-epa-can-start-152512" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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Trump's Affordable Clean Energy rule eliminated a provision mandating that utilities move away from coal. VisionsofAmerica /Joe Sohm / Getty Images
A federal court on Tuesday struck down the Trump administration's rollback of the Obama-era Clean Power Plan regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
<p>Trump's Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule, which was <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/clean-power-plan-trump-epa-2638927020.html" target="_self">finalized</a> by the Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa" target="_self">EPA)</a> in 2019, moved away from imposing national limits on greenhouse gas emissions, instead allowing states to set their own. It also did away with a provision mandating that utilities move away from <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coal" target="_self">coal</a>. The new rule would have reduced electricity emissions by less than half of what would be necessary to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius and, according to the EPA's initial estimate, would have led to between 470 and 1,400 additional <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution" target="_self">air pollution</a> deaths a year by 2030.</p><p>"Despite [EPA Administrator] Andrew Wheeler's frequent protests, the EPA's role is to protect the American people from dangerous pollution and act on the greatest threat to our country: the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>," Sierra Club Chief Climate Council Joanne Spalding said in a <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2021/01/court-vacates-dirty-power-plan-bookending-trump-administration-s-wide-ranging" target="_blank">statement</a>. "The Dirty Power Plan didn't do either of these things and the court rightly vacated it."</p><p>At stake in Tuesday's decision was the meaning of the Clean Air Act. The Trump EPA argued that the law only allows the agency to limit pollution from individual sources, not across an entire sector, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climate-powerplants/us-court-deals-final-blow-to-trump-epas-clean-power-rule-replacement-idUSKBN29O2BO" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reuters reported</a>. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit disagreed.</p>
<p>"Because the ACE Rule rests squarely on the erroneous legal premise that the statutory text expressly foreclosed consideration of measures other than those that apply at and to the individual source, we conclude that the EPA fundamentally 'has misconceived the law,' such that its conclusion 'may not stand,'" the three-judge panel <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/files/2021/01/2021.01.19-ACE-Opinion.pdf" target="_blank">ruled</a>.</p><p>Some environmental groups hailed the ruling as a boon to the incoming Biden administration, since they will now have an easier time replacing it, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/01/19/federal-circuit-court-scraps-trump-administration-power-plant-rules/" target="_blank">The Washington Post reported</a>.</p><p>"Today's decision is the perfect Inauguration Day present for America," Environmental Defense Fund Senior Attorney Ben Levitan said in a <a href="https://www.edf.org/media/dc-circuit-strikes-down-trump-administration-repeal-and-replacement-clean-power-plan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">statement</a>. "It confirms that the Trump administration's dubious attempt to get rid of commonsense limits on climate pollution from power plants was illegal, it reaffirms that the Clean Air Act and the Endangerment Finding are the law of the land, and it restores the vibrancy of the rule of law. Now we can turn to the critically important work of protecting Americans from climate change and creating new clean energy jobs."</p>
<p>However, the Washington Post reported that the Clean Power Plan also ran into legal challenges. When the Trump administration took office, the plan had been put on hold by the Supreme Court while the court battle continued. In a dissent from part of the ruling Tuesday, Judge Justin Walker, a Trump appointee, said the EPA never had the authority to implement the Clean Power Plan either.</p><p>Columbia Law School Professor Michael Gerrard noted that Walker was a former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh.</p><p>"[The dissent could be a bad sign for how the Supreme Court might rule if these issues ever go there," he told The Washington Post.</p>
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Doug Emhoff, U.S. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Jill Biden and President-elect Joe Biden wave as they arrive on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol for the inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
By John R. Platt
The period of the 45th presidency will go down as dark days for the United States — not just for the violent insurgency and impeachment that capped off Donald Trump's four years in office, but for every regressive action that came before.
<p>It's been said that Trump was the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-worst-president-environment-2645034831.html" target="_self">worst environmental president in history</a>, and that's easy to see from his administration's record. They rolled back decades of environmental progress by slashing protective regulations, strangled the agencies tasked with enforcing the regulations that remained, pushed corporate agendas damaging to wildlife, human health and the climate, and stoked the flames of right-wing extremists — including people whose radical agendas often attack public-land protections or climate science.</p><p>That barely covers it all, of course. It would take an entire book — a whole library — to fully convey the environmental damage done under Trump.</p>
<p>And now it's up to a new administration — and the work of a lot of people on top of it — to undo the damage and hopefully make up for four lost years of potential progress.</p><p>President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, together with the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, have a tough task ahead of them.</p><p>Make that many tough tasks. They'll need to rebuild the ranks of government workforces while reinforcing the trust in government and the trust in America on the world stage. They'll need to pass and restore regulations that don't just return us to the status quo but radically improve on it — taking the world forward at a time when the effects of climate change and the extinction crisis continue to worsen. 2020 tied for the <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08012021/2020-earth-hottest-year-temperatures/" target="_blank">hottest year on record</a>, and Trump <a href="https://earther.gizmodo.com/trump-has-listed-the-fewest-endangered-species-of-any-p-1845854952" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">added fewer species</a> to the Endangered Species Act than any other president while <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/08/12/750479370/trump-administration-makes-major-changes-to-protections-for-endangered-species" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">slashing protections</a> for those already on the list. They'll need to address environmental justice at a time when white supremacy is at its most vocal point in decades and firmly entrenched in some areas of government. They'll need to resist the usual corporate influence that could slow things down along the way.</p>
<p>And they'll need to do it all while helping the country stabilize and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and Trump's botched response to the crisis, not to mention the continued threat from seditious domestic terrorists.</p><p>That's a lot on one plate, but they're already off to a good start. Biden and Harris ran on a strong climate platform and have assembled an experienced climate team. Neither the platform nor the team is perfect — progressives think they can do much better — but they're light years ahead of anything we saw under the previous administration.</p><p>And of course, now that the Democrats have won the Senate, Biden's cabinet picks are more likely to be confirmed and the country will no longer face the obstruction ever-present under the majority leadership of Mitch McConnell.</p>
<p>But at the same time, Republicans have risen to power in cities and state legislatures around the country, and many of them are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/14/us/politics/trump-republicans.html" target="_blank">still fueled by MAGA Trumpism</a> and unhinged conspiracy theories. The right-wing media, meanwhile, continue to shape and mold millions with their unique brand of misinformation and discord. Both trends will present a barrier to progress at every level.</p><p>So what's the agenda for moving forward under the Biden-Harris administration? Below, you'll find a series of articles and expert commentaries from <em>The Revelator</em>'s archives addressing key steps the incoming team can take to restore the EPA, protect key species, address the COVID-19 pandemic in a just and climate-focused manner, and more.</p><p>We'll continue to add to these roadmaps as the administration gets its footing, and we invite any insiders and experts to <a href="https://therevelator.org/contact#write-for-us" target="_blank">contribute their own voices</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://therevelator.org/reform-blm-biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reform the Bureau of Land Management: Biden Must Succeed Where Obama Failed</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/climate-new-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">For a Path Forward on Climate, Let's Learn From the Original New Deal</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/gray-wolf-biden-administration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gray Wolf Recovery and Survival Require Immediate Action by the Biden Administration</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/restoring-epa-biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Biden Can Restore the EPA, But It Will Require Steadfast Effort</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/biden-restore-rollbacks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How Biden Can Do More Than Just Restore Trump's Environmental Rollbacks</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/biden-climate-plan-trent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Biden-Harris Climate Plan: 'Not Trump' Is Not Enough</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/biden-leadership-wildlife-crime/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Biden Must Take a Leadership Role Against Wildlife Crime</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/multisolving-covid-recovery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Multisolving Our Way to COVID-19 Economic Recovery</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/biden-climate-farber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Biden Can Leverage Larger Trends to Make Climate Progress</a></p><p><em>And here's a report from our parent organization, the Center for Biological Diversity:</em></p><p><a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/report-50-critical-environmental-reforms-president-biden-can-enact-without-congress-2020-12-03/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">50 Critical Environmental Reforms President Biden Can Enact Without Congress</a></p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/rebuilding-years/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Trending
EPA’s ‘Secret Science’ Rule Will Make It Harder for the Agency to Protect Public Health
06 January
Science
Children's health in particular will be negatively impacted by this new rule. Rawpixel / Getty Images
By Gabriel Filippelli
The Trump administration has worked to weaken U.S. environmental regulations in many areas, from water and air pollution to energy development and land conservation. One of its most controversial actions is known as the "secret science" rule because it would require scientists to disclose all of their raw data, including confidential medical records, for their findings to be considered in shaping regulations. This measure has just been finalized.
<p>This proposal drastically limits what kinds of scientific and medical research the Environmental Protection Agency can draw on as it makes policy. According to press reports, an EPA advisory panel with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/11/04/pruitts-new-science-advisers-add-more-industry-experts-conservatives-to-the-mix/" target="_blank">many members appointed by President Trump</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/31/climate/epa-science-panel-trump.html" target="_blank">criticized the proposal</a>, saying it would do little to increase transparency and could limit what kinds of research get done.</p><p>As director of a <a href="http://www.urbanhealth.iupui.edu/" target="_blank">center on urban health</a>, I study issues including <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MEp4948AAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">human exposure to toxic substances</a> such as lead and mercury. Confidential patient information is a key resource for my work, and I believe that children's health will suffer as a direct result of this rule.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTI2MDQzMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzY1NzI4Nn0.lAHt3SCNKPOECkAp4PnSb4Rq4xxztBDa43lLRyQDCJI/img.jpg?width=980" id="62873" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d197090b9b00a5ed2deab9aec9a71df5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="904" />
Despite steps such as phasing out leaded gasoline, lead poisoning is still a serious public health problem across the U.S. AZDHS
Using Child Health Records to Map Lead Exposure
<p>My work is made possible because researchers can obtain confidential patient records, under strict regulations and oversight to ensure their confidentiality throughout analysis. These controls are mandated under <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individuals/guidance-materials-for-consumers/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">federal regulations</a> that were rightly instituted to protect people's identities and health data pursuant to the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA.</p><p>I started researching lead exposure hot spots in U.S. cities almost 15 years ago, well before thousands of kids were poisoned by lead in Flint. Pediatric exposure to lead results in permanent neurological effects – namely, reduced IQ and deficits in attention, learning and memory compared with nonintoxicated peers. These impacts <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health" target="_blank">are permanent</a>, so it is critical to identify and eliminate lead exposure sources before children are poisoned.</p><p>Because I did not have the resources to obtain and analyze millions of samples of soil, dust and water for lead, I turned to medical records. Children around the country have routine blood tests, and many of them include an assay for blood lead levels. I realized that if I could obtain those records, as well as each child's age, test date and home address, I could map out the distribution of lead poisoning.</p><p>In an ideal world public health experts wouldn't use maps based on kids who have already been permanently poisoned to find exposure sources. Nevertheless, 16,000 medical records later, I was able to produce a detailed block-by-block map of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-012-9474-y" target="_blank">blood levels in children</a> in Indianapolis.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTI2MDQ0Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTkxMDc5OH0.zxcJv5s3Lvr2TziQ4bX0hD-BQ3PpzyGASxEvfLzVqss/img.jpg?width=980" id="28c4f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f1fc8c49bfef2a4f9350d34525f40777" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="824" />
Blood lead levels of children in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the period February 2002 to December 2008 (n = 12,431) for children between ages 0 and 5.99 years (area = 1,044 km2). Filippelli et al, 2012., CC BY
Pinpointing Exposure Sources and Timing
<p>This approach led me and my colleagues to two major discoveries that have improved communities and shaped policy at the local and national levels. Neither of these insights could be used to implement solutions under the proposed secret science rule.</p><p>First, we found that the pediatric lead poisoning distribution patterns we identified from medical records <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-012-9474-y" target="_blank">matched a rudimentary map</a> of patterns of legacy lead contamination – lead emitted over decades by sources such as leaded gasoline, lead-based paint and industrial emissions – that we constructed from separate research work on <a href="https://www.mapmyenvironment.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">urban soil and dust</a>. This indicated that at least in Indianapolis, soil and contaminated dust generated from it was likely the major exposure mechanism for lead in children.</p><p>We were able to leverage that finding in some particularly contaminated neighborhoods where the EPA had previously carried out cleanups. Indeed, our work spurred the agency to reanalyze one of these poorly mitigated neighborhoods and reopen the cleanup over a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-completes-cleanup-100-properties-american-lead-site-indianapolis-soil-sampling" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">much broader target area</a>.</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a37a039636226eb137004af7c191fdbc"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ATNvg9RXzFE?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>Second, we were able to verify the source of seasonal variations in children's blood lead levels. Through some basic atmospheric modeling, we identified seasonal dust generation as the main driver of this pattern. For example, when soil becomes drier for an extended period of time, it generates more dust that can be tracked into homes or blown into the air. If that soil happens to be contaminated with lead, the dust is also contaminated and becomes a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.7759" target="_blank">regional exposure source</a>.</p><p>After expanding this analysis to 10 different U.S. cities, we were confident enough to begin recommending to clinical networks that they take blood test dates into account. An August blood lead value could be double the level from a February test, so we believed it was important to consider timing in evaluating whether a child might be at risk of unsafe exposure. This led to the first such screening policy to be implemented around the timing of lead test results.</p><h2>Putting Blinders on Regulators</h2><p>Neither of these findings would have been possible without access to original, confidential patient medical records. For each patient we needed a specific home address and exact individual results from blood lead tests. These both are protected classes of personal information that must be kept confidential under federal regulations.</p>
<div id="bda5a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="deb1d11bb13f686c873a5bf1747f433e"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1201607312244387840" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Researchers must unite against US environment agency’s attack on scientific evidence; @NatureNews editorial… https://t.co/vIrJacdJ45</div> — ASA Science Policy (@ASA Science Policy)<a href="https://twitter.com/ASA_SciPol/statuses/1201607312244387840">1575320482.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>I participated in 2011 in the EPA's <a href="https://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/264cb1227d55e02c85257402007446a4/B1B17FB48ACEFE8D8525776D006C55CE/%24File/ISA_FOR_LEAD.PDF" target="_blank">Integrated Science Assessment for Lead</a> review process, in which the agency reviewed papers and consulted experts to determine whether provisions in the Clean Air Act regulating airborne lead exposure were adequately protecting Americans. Regulators were particularly interested in the small-scale links between blood lead levels and known sources of lead from dust that our research was finding. Eventually, the agency <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-and-hud-announce-new-lead-dust-standards-protect-childrens-health" target="_blank">lowered acceptable standards for lead in dust</a> in 2019.</p><p>Childhood lead exposure is still a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/investigates/graphics/lead-water/en/" target="_blank">public health hazard of epidemic proportions</a> in some parts of the U.S., particularly cities. The potential sources are relatively well known: soil, dust and water. The challenge is that researchers don't have adequate environmental measurements for these sources. Until we do, fine-scaled results revealed by human health data remain our best way to identify sources, and thus inform policies to protect children.</p><p>Now, under the secret science rule, EPA officials will have to pretend that this kind of research doesn't exist, since the patient records that it draws on can't be made public. There are ways to reverse this measure: Congress could repeal it under the <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063712743" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Congressional Review Act</a>, or the Biden administration could refuse to defend it in the face of legal challenges. The slowest path would be conducting a new rule-making to rewrite it.</p><p>Until one of these things happens, I believe the Trump administration's action will leave hundreds of thousands of children across the U.S. at risk of a lifetime of avoidable harm from lead poisoning and other types of pollution that researchers analyze using private medical data.</p>
<p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gabriel-filippelli-314915" target="_blank">Gabriel Filippelli</a> is a </em><em>Professor of Earth Sciences and Director of the Center for Urban Health, IUPUI.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: </em><em><em>Gabriel Filippelli receives funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (Environmental Justice Small Grants Program) and from the Indianapolis Foundation.</em></em>
</p><p>
<em><em></em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/epas-secret-science-rule-will-make-it-harder-for-the-agency-to-protect-public-health-128769" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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Former coal lobbyist and current EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler looks at a pamphlet about Superfund sites at EPA's New York City office on March 4, 2019. Drew Angerer / Getty Images
Former coal lobbyist and current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Andrew Wheeler is expected to announce on Tuesday a rule tobacco consultants devised as an "explicit procedural hurdle" to protecting public health.
<p><br/></p>
<p>The rule — sometimes called the 'Secret Science' rule — will require EPA to give less credence to scientific studies that take into account individuals' medical histories and other data that cannot be made public. Such studies have served as the foundation for a half-century of clean air and clean water protections. </p>
<p>"It's as absurd as it sounds," Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) said in a statement. Had the rule been in place, the EPA would have been unable to require mercury pollution cuts from coal-fired power plants because it would have been unable to show how mercury impairs brain development. It could also effectively bar EPA from relying on foundational research — including findings that lead paint dust harms children and that <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution">air pollution</a> causes premature deaths — when existing public health protections come up for renewal. </p>
<p>"The people pushing it are claiming it's in the interest of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/science/">science</a>, but the entire independent science world says it's not," Chris Zarba, a former director of the EPA's Science Advisory Board, told The Washington Post. </p>
<p>As reported by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/climate/trump-epa-science.html?searchResultPosition=1&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105370693&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8qJY58DWP-Gm8kwHc3MMIG57TY-2oSKqhlW6DmWJBvdGWumU4AJcwSlquFCcnZKbIthK9SGP5hEvDIUGcS6X9idFP5Mg&utm_content=105370693&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>:</p><blockquote>"Right now we're in the grips of a serious public health crisis due to a deadly respiratory virus, and there's evidence showing that air pollution exposure increases the risk of worse outcomes," said Dr. Mary Rice, a pulmonary and critical care physician who is chairwoman of the environmental health policy committee at the American Thoracic Society.</blockquote><blockquote>"We would want E.P.A. going forward to make decisions about air quality using all available evidence, not just putting arbitrary limits on what it will consider," she said.</blockquote>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/climate/trump-epa-science.html?searchResultPosition=1&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105370693&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8qJY58DWP-Gm8kwHc3MMIG57TY-2oSKqhlW6DmWJBvdGWumU4AJcwSlquFCcnZKbIthK9SGP5hEvDIUGcS6X9idFP5Mg&utm_content=105370693&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/01/04/epa-scientific-transparency/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105370693&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_hW0l4f96fpnvwIwQbGwvHMl0UX4egRCajABI8Wi7lfRIF7QzOnRds0fv5vManQ8locqm9Z-Nt_HuysTdXRKMatPRG7g&utm_content=105370693&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-science-environment-e0c89b49e3ed2408731d49c6f0c88bcb?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105370693&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8GTGbmC7w4yd6daKHOyK0Epnrj3NMFphHhGK99ZSeOyVV58996wTkEN_8vfYeroAZloXenCIarUTZUvTOHN3Yn6lxj7A&utm_content=105370693&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AP</a>, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2021/01/04/stories/1063721703?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105370693&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Dmv8dCHnlINNver_qluMydevL4PV3sPYmn8vPEXkhg4xBqzPbHsg-AgAAIf-eFKud76nNGP2fhH8_-Uw51Posswb8Sg&utm_content=105370693&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">E&E</a>, <a href="https://login.politicopro.com/?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fsubscriber.politicopro.com%2Farticle%2F2021%2F01%2Fepa-set-to-release-scientific-transparency-rule-2026812%3Futm_campaign%3DHot%2520News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105370693&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9QZyI4nCYCCvkP314KHb6Bs_FiWu0JA-WDAXtVs_NceBazW6-rz9CXFcaD7pVvQfylNconVfxHaZ0YJcjAhQmWXns_0Q&utm_content=105370693&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">POLITICO Pro</a></p><p><a href="https://login.politicopro.com/?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fsubscriber.politicopro.com%2Farticle%2F2021%2F01%2Fepa-set-to-release-scientific-transparency-rule-2026812%3Futm_campaign%3DHot%2520News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=105370693&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9QZyI4nCYCCvkP314KHb6Bs_FiWu0JA-WDAXtVs_NceBazW6-rz9CXFcaD7pVvQfylNconVfxHaZ0YJcjAhQmWXns_0Q&utm_content=105370693&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Joe Biden and Donald Trump at the final presidential debate at Belmont University on Oct. 22, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
By Brett Wilkins
A report published Tuesday by the eco-advocacy group Environment America urges President-elect Joe Biden to immediately restore critical environmental protections gutted by Trump administration regulatory rollbacks.
<p><br/></p>
<p>The report, <a href="https://uspirgedfund.org/sites/pirg/files/reports/First%20Things%20to%20Fix%20Design%20Final_0.pdf" target="_blank"><em>First Things to Fix</em></a>, notes that President Donald Trump has overseen the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks-list.html" target="_blank">reversal or weakening </a>of around 100 environmental regulations during his nearly four years in office.</p><p>"His administration has steadily loosened oversight of polluting industries, eroded protections for endangered wildlife, and stymied efforts to address our most daunting environmental threat: climate change," the report states. "These rollbacks have and will continue to significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions and lead to thousands of premature deaths due to poor air quality every year."</p><p>"By undoing the Trump administration's rollbacks of environmental protections, the Biden administration will be able to protect our natural landscapes and give Americans cleaner air, cleaner water, and a more livable climate," the report continues.</p>
<div id="e7035" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5da1fd4251ba813b9a67acbfbb8f32f0"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1343951158826725376" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Here’s our recommendations for the first actions President-elect Biden can take to protect the environment. 5 thing… https://t.co/yRSojPMrJh</div> — Environment America (@Environment America)<a href="https://twitter.com/EnvAm/statuses/1343951158826725376">1609257900.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"Many of the rollbacks have been carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency," the report notes. "Others by the departments of Transportation, Energy, and Interior. A lot of them can be undone through swift administrative action in the early days of a Biden administration."</p><p>The report says that Biden's actions could and should include:</p><ul><li>Rejoining the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/04/28/epas-dirty-water-new-rule-discards-science-ignores-importance-wetlands-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Paris climate agreement</a>;</li><li>Repealing the so-called "<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/04/28/epas-dirty-water-new-rule-discards-science-ignores-importance-wetlands-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dirty Water Rule</a>";</li><li>Raising <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/30/trump-kneecap-obama-era-fuel-efficiency-standards-hurtling-nation-toward-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">federal fuel economy and emissions standards</a> for vehicles and reaffirming <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/09/24/days-after-attacking-californias-efforts-reduce-emissions-trump-epa-threatens-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">California's authority</a> to set stronger vehicle emissions standards;</li><li>Withdrawing the Trump <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/01/06/trumps-offshore-drilling-plan-flouts-law-ignoring-governors-wishes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">draft five-year plan</a> on offshore drilling; and</li><li>Restoring smart <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/10/groups-will-sue-unless-doe-updates-26-overdue-energy-efficiency-standards" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">energy efficiency</a> policies.</li></ul>
<p>Additionally, the report recommends 15 policies and actions the incoming administration should consider during its first 100 days, including ending oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, protecting endangered species, and reducing methane emissions.</p><p>Earlier this year, nine other environmental groups <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-worst-president-environment-2645034831.html?rebelltitem=4#rebelltitem4" target="_self">declared</a> Trump "the worst president for our environment in history," citing his administration's "unprecedented assault on our environment and the health of our communities" and policies that "threaten our climate, air, water, public lands, wildlife, and oceans."</p><p>Matt Casale, lead author of the new report and environmental campaigns director for the U.S. Public Interest Resource Group Education Fund, said that "air pollution has been on the rise and many of our bodies of water are at risk of pollution."</p>
<p>"As greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, so have the impacts of global warming — from increased wildfires and hurricanes to heat-related illness," he noted.</p><p>"There's a lot to do," added Casale, "but so much of the policy damage from the past four years can quickly be fixed through swift administrative action in the early days of the Biden administration."</p><p>"Biden has the opportunity to use the first 100 days to put us on a path toward a cleaner, healthier future for ourselves, our children, and grandchildren," said Casale. "He cannot pass up that opportunity. We don't have any time to waste."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/29/report-urges-biden-reverse-trump-environmental-rollbacks-and-set-us-path-cleaner" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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An aerial view of the Palos Verdes Shelf Superfund site on Sept. 22, 2020 in Rancho Palos Verde, CA. Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
A joint report on Monday highlighted the pressure that President-elect Joe Biden is already facing to deliver on his environmental justice campaign promises—particularly when it comes to the 34 Superfund sites nationwide for which there is no reliable cleanup funding—the largest backlog of "unfunded" sites in 15 years.
<p><br/></p>
<p>The federal Superfund program began with the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-cercla-overview" target="_blank">Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)</a>, passed by Congress in 1980. While cleanup efforts were initially paid for by a trust fund created by taxing the chemical and petroleum industries, lawmakers let the tax expire 25 years ago.</p><p>The new report on the cleanup program from <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/biden-will-inherit-hundreds-toxic-waste-superfund-sites-climate-threats-n1252276" target="_blank"><em>NBC News</em></a>, <em><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">InsideClimate News</a></em>, and <em><a href="https://www.texasobserver.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Texas Observer</a></em> is the fifth installment of the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/superfund-sites-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">"Super Threats" </a>series about Superfund sites and climate change. The first report, published in late September, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/specials/superfund-sites-climate-change/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">detailed</a> how hundreds of hazardous waste sites across the United States are threatened by hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, which are all exacerbated by a climate crisis that the Trump administration often refused to acknowledge let alone act to address.</p><p>Both reports pointed to a 2019 Government Accountability Office (GAO) analysis which found that 945 Superfund sites are vulnerable to extreme weather events that are intensifying because of human-caused climate change, including hurricanes, flooding, sea level rise, increased precipitation, or wildfires. The news outlets behind the series created an<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/map-see-toxic-sites-near-you-are-threatened-climate-change-n1240932" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> interactive map</a> for all the locations on the office's list, which includes over half of the unfunded sites—19 of 34.</p>
<div id="b03a5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="539a490467d6c3af2cb231aa97a42739"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1343520823013871616" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">President-elect Joe Biden will have his work cut out for him as he attempts to reverse President Trump’s environmen… https://t.co/NIZ6juIClW</div> — Inside Climate News (@Inside Climate News)<a href="https://twitter.com/insideclimate/statuses/1343520823013871616">1609155300.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The outlets reported Monday that Democrats in Congress, environmentalists, and former officials at the Environmental Protection Agency are urging Biden to consider climate change when creating cleanup plans for not only the unfunded backlog—which has grown under President Donald Trump—but all 1,570 Superfund sites.</p><p>"Even before taking office, the Biden administration accomplished one of the GAO's key recommendations: acknowledge the climate threat," said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). "A Biden EPA will need to assess every federal Superfund project and help states do the same. As the GAO showed, climate change brings a new priority to rapid Superfund cleanup work."</p><p>As the outlets reported:</p><blockquote>Beyond Whitehouse's call for climate-threat assessments at every site, one senior former EPA official said the incoming Biden administration should review all of the agreements negotiated by the Trump EPA at Superfund sites with corporations liable for cleanups.<br><br>"You will want to see if the responsible parties were being given preferential treatment," said Mathy Stanislaus, who served as assistant administrator of the EPA's Office of Land and Emergency Management during the Obama administration.<br><br>Stanislaus said such reviews should focus first on any agreements negotiated since the election by the lame-duck Trump EPA.<br></blockquote>
<p>Earlier this month, Public Citizen <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/15/new-trump-lame-duck-temper-tantrum-tracker-will-document-final-gasps-nations" target="_blank">launched</a> an online tool to track Trump's "most corrupt, norm-breaking, dangerous, and unjust actions during the lame-duck session," noting that the past four years have featured "cruelty, recklessness, and cronyism" from the outgoing administration.</p><p>The watchdog group has been critical of Trump's EPA administrators. Currently the agency is run by former coal industry lobbyist Andrew Wheeler, who was <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/02/28/gop-slammed-shameful-vote-ex-coal-lobbyist-andrew-wheeler-confirmed-epa-chief" target="_blank">confirmed</a> by the Republican-controlled Senate in early 2019. His predecessor, Scott Pruitt, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/07/05/finally-victory-people-and-planet-epa-chief-scott-pruitt-resigns" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stepped down</a> in July 2018 in the face of several ethics scandals.</p><p>The Monday report noted that "the Superfund program is led by Peter C. Wright, a lawyer who previously worked for Dow Chemical and represented the company in negotiations with the EPA over Superfund sites."</p><p>Although party control of the Senate will be determined by a pair of <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/28/perdue-and-loeffler-silent-2000-checks-while-praising-trump-leadership-covid-relief" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">runoff elections</a> in Georgia on January 5, Biden has already announced several of his preferred Cabinet picks, including Michael Regan, the top environmental official in North Carolina, to head the EPA—a move that <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/17/michael-regan-nc-official-reportedly-tapped-be-bidens-epa-head-urged-genuinely" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">drew</a> a range of responses from campaigners.</p><p>On the campaign trail, Biden promised to take bold climate action with a focus on frontline communities. His $2 trillion green energy and environmental justice plan, unveiled in July, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/07/14/more-work-do-major-step-forward-progressives-welcome-bidens-2-trillion-green-energy" target="_blank">earned </a>praise from various activists, including Varshini Prakash, co-founder and executive director of the youth-led Sunrise Movement.</p>
<div id="28f6b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1bb1d6e0d5f2a65c1b4bad9e5b683f76"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1343604912794595333" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">[email protected]'s @VarshPrakash and @DiverseGreen's @andresforchange: @JoeBiden needs to make good on environmental j… https://t.co/7dvRKDzRET</div> — Defend Our Future | #TimeToAct 🌎✊🏿✊ (@Defend Our Future | #TimeToAct 🌎✊🏿✊)<a href="https://twitter.com/DefendOurFuture/statuses/1343604912794595333">1609175348.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Writing for <em>The Hill</em> on Monday, Prakash and Green 2.0 executive director Andrés Jimenez <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/12/28/biden-needs-make-good-environmental-justice-promises" target="_blank">welcomed</a> Biden's selection of Regan for EPA and Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.)<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/17/perfect-choice-progressives-applaud-biden-pick-deb-haaland-interior-secretary" target="_blank"> for interior secretary</a> as "an encouraging sign that his administration is prioritizing the voices of the populations who are most in need of serious attention and aggressive action on some of the most important environmental challenges our nation faces."</p><p>"Still, much difficult work remains to be done if the concerns of frontline and at-risk communities are to be truly prioritized with forging and implementing equitable environmental policies," Prakash and Jimenez wrote, emphasizing that "communities of color have been disproportionately affected by our federal government's lack of action to solve ongoing environmental problems" and "are also at<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2020/06/29/climate-change-racism/" target="_blank"> higher risk</a> of the consequences of human-induced climate changes."</p><p>The pair urged Biden to "follow through on his promises to root out<a href="https://joebiden.com/environmental-justice-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> systemic racism</a> when it comes to our nation's environmental policy," appoint environmental leaders of color to positions at all levels of his administration, and "take urgent action to curb the global climate crisis and to restore justice for communities impacted by air, water, and land polluters."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/28/biden-already-facing-pressure-tackle-backlog-unfunded-toxic-waste-sites-threatened" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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President-elect Joe Biden has reportedly tapped Michael Regan, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, to be EPA administrator. N.C. Department of Environmental Quality
By Andrea Germanos
President-elect Joe Biden will nominate Michael Regan, the top environmental official in North Carolina, to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to multiple news reports Thursday.
<p>The news drew a range of responses from environmental campaigners, including praise that the apparent choice means the rejection of California Air Resources Board chair Mary Nichols, who faced <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/12/03/70-organizations-oppose-carb-chair-mary-nichols-epa" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pushback</a> from progressives over alleged failings to communities on the front lines of dirty industry. Other green campaigners reacted to the possible nomination with a critical eye, pointing to what they see as Regan's "mixed record on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/environmental-justice">environmental justice</a>."</p><p><a href="https://www.wfae.org/politics/2020-12-17/biden-picks-regulator-michael-regan-for-epa-administrator" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According to</a> The Associated Press, Biden's choice of Regan "was confirmed Thursday by a person familiar with the selection process who was not authorized [to] the discuss the matter publicly before the official announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity."</p><p>CNN, citing information from people familiar with the matter, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/17/politics/biden-michael-regan-epa/index.html" target="_blank">reported</a> that Regan would be formally announced as the pick on Saturday.</p>
<div id="7065d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b6c3a995456388cfaf620d33bd21e9c4"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1339668763789176832" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">"Michael Regan will take the EPA's helm at perhaps the most critical moment in the agency's history, and he has to… https://t.co/LUVF4TrtAr</div> — Center for Bio Div (@Center for Bio Div)<a href="https://twitter.com/CenterForBioDiv/statuses/1339668763789176832">1608236897.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Regan, 44, has served as secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality since 2017. He previously worked for the federal EPA's air quality and energy programs during the Clinton and Bush administrations. If confirmed by the Senate, Regan would be the nation's second Black EPA administrator; Lisa Jackson, who served in the Obama administration, was the first.</p><p>As the Raleigh, North Carolina, News & Observer <a href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article247855130.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> Tuesday:</p><blockquote>Under Regan, DEQ created part of the state's Clean Energy Plan. It called for drastically reducing private sector greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and attaining carbon neutrality by 2050, as well as accelerating clean energy innovation to create economic opportunities in rural and urban parts of the state.<br>Earlier this year, Duke Energy agreed to the largest coal ash clean-up in U.S. history as part of a legal settlement with DEQ, one of highlights of Regan's tenure. Duke agreed to excavate nearly 80 million tons of coal ash at six sites.</blockquote>
<p>His tenure at the state agency also included the 2018 establishment of the Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board.</p><p>"If Regan is ultimately Biden's pick and is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he will find himself in familiar political territory," Lisa Sorg <a href="https://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2020/12/16/deq-secretary-michael-regan-is-leading-contender-for-top-epa-job-under-biden-administration/" target="_blank">wrote</a> Wednesday at NC Policy Watch. She continued:</p><blockquote>He would inherit an EPA that is struggling with challenges similar to those that faced the Department of Environmental Quality when he became secretary nearly four years ago: a decimated budget, demoralized staff, a previous leadership that favored industry over sound science, myriad regulatory rollbacks, and a politically divided legislative body that uses the purse strings as punishment.</blockquote><p>While Regan drew accolades from some environmental groups quoted by Sorg, others suggested Regan hasn't taken on polluting industries forcefully enough. Sorg added:</p><blockquote>"He's a great person but I don't think he's done enough for us on PFAS" — perfluorinated compounds — said Emily Donovan, co-founder of Clean Cape Fear. "I understand the agency is understaffed and underfunded. But the agency has made decisions unrelated to those things. We've fought so hard, but received so little."<br>She cited the consent order between DEQ, Cape Fear River Watch, and Chemours, which opponents of the agreement have noted, is weak. It specifically covers only contamination upstream, including private well owners near the Chemours plant in Cumberland and Bladen counties; downstream communities that are on public water systems in New Hanover and Brunswick counties feel excluded. <br>"There are a quarter-million people still exposed," Donovan said. "To see the state treat municipal ratepayers different than private well owners is not a good answer. They left municipalities on their own to fight our own battles."</blockquote>
<p>Criticism for Regan's background extended beyond his action on PFAS.</p><p><a href="https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/an-epa-administrator-michael-regan-should-not-pacify-environmental-justice-community/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According to</a> the Revolving Door Project:</p><blockquote>Regan <a href="https://scipol.org/content/nc-approves-atlantic-coast-pipeline-permit-through-8-counties" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">supported</a> the controversial Atlantic Coast Pipeline despite <a href="https://foe.org/news/68-organizations-call-on-secretary-michael-s-regan-to-stop-the-atlantic-coast-pipeline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">major opposition</a> from environment, faith, justice, community, and Indigenous groups. His department also failed to respond to recommendations from the Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board to halt the construction extension. He also allowed a major liquid natural gas facility to be built in the middle of Lumbee territory, the largest Indigenous tribe East of the Mississippi, and was accused of failing to initiate public discourse or government-to-government consultation before the facility was built. <br>Regan led a department that <a href="https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/air-quality/air-quality-permitting/wood-pellet-industry-permitting-actions-and#active-energy-renewable-power" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">approved every permit application</a> from the wood pellet industry in North Carolina despite the industry's <a href="https://www.sec.gov/rules/petitions/2019/ptn4-741-exb.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">massive deforestation problems</a> and <a href="https://thefern.org/2019/08/for-years-complaints-about-north-carolinas-hog-pollution-vanished-in-state-bureaucracy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">failed to resolve</a> critical environmental issues related to hog waste disposal.</blockquote><p>Earthjustice president Abigail Dillen, however, welcomed Regan as possible EPA chief, saying in a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/12/17/earthjustice-statement-michael-regans-nomination-epa-administrator" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">statement</a> Thursday that he "has dedicated his career to environmental work, advancing clean energy, fighting climate change, and addressing coal ash pollution."</p><p>"As EPA administrator, Regan will play a key role in solving the climate crisis and protecting the health of all communities," she added. "We will do everything in our power to support and push Regan to repair the damage done by the Trump administration, take bold action on climate solutions, and genuinely address environmental injustice that has been allowed to go on too long."</p>
<div id="175c8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b7e804fc36ff41c50b87aee48c032b7b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1339647900658221056" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">BREAKING: Biden just tapped Michael Regan to head EPA — who has not had the best track record on environmental just… https://t.co/ATViRduodf</div> — Friends of the Earth (Action) (@Friends of the Earth (Action))<a href="https://twitter.com/foe_us/statuses/1339647900658221056">1608231923.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The choice was similarly applauded by Lori Lodes, executive director of Climate Power 2020, who called Regan "an outstanding choice by the Biden team" and said he possesses "an understanding of the bold climate action this moment requires."</p><p>Lisa Ramsden, Greenpeace senior climate campaigner, welcomed the choice as well, praising Biden for not going with the previous rumored pick of Nichols.</p><p>"Biden gave himself the chance to choose an EPA administrator who will prioritize justice for the communities most impacted by fossil-fueled pollution," said Ramsden, who urged Regan to "go well beyond simply reversing the Trump administration rollbacks" and to boldly "call out oil and gas corporations for the unjust impacts of their pollution."</p><p>"While leading the Department of Environmental Quality in North Carolina, Regan rightly pushed massive utility Duke Energy to clean up its toxic coal ash and fought Trump's offshore oil drilling plans. But he has a mixed record on environmental justice issues in the state, failing to protect communities from the health impacts of living near hog farms and approving multiple permits for the carbon-intensive wood pellet industry," she said.</p><p>"Going forward," said Ramsden, "Regan and the rest of the Biden-Harris administration need to pair their lofty rhetoric on environmental justice with consistent action."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/17/michael-regan-nc-official-reportedly-tapped-be-bidens-epa-head-urged-genuinely" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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