Latest news with #Earthjustice
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Trump's EPA targets key health ruling underpinning all US greenhouse gas rules
Washington: The Trump administration said on Tuesday it will rescind the long-standing finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health, removing the legal foundation for all U.S. greenhouse gas regulations. If finalized, the repeal would end current limits on greenhouse gas pollution from vehicle tailpipes, power plants, smokestacks and other sources, and hamper future U.S. efforts to combat global warming. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency's plan to rescind the "endangerment finding" at an event at a car dealership in Indiana, alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and called it the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history. The proposal, which needs to undergo a public comment period, would cut $54 billion in costs annually through the repeal of all greenhouse gas standards, including the vehicle tailpipe standard, he said. Under President Joe Biden, the EPA said the tailpipe rules through 2032 would avoid more than 7 billion tons of carbon emissions as it prodded automakers to build more EVs and provide nearly $100 billion of annual net benefits to society including $62 billion in reduced fuel costs, and maintenance and repair costs for drivers. Environmental groups blasted the move, saying it spells the end of the road for U.S. action against climate change, even as the impacts of global warming become more severe. "With today's announcement, the EPA is telling us in no uncertain terms that U.S. efforts to address climate change are over. For the industries that contribute most to climate change, the message is 'pollute more.' For everyone feeling the pain of climate disasters, the message is 'you're on our own,'" said Abigail Dillen, president of Earthjustice. The move is expected to trigger legal challenges, according to several environmental groups, states and lawyers. Zeldin said a 2024 Supreme Court decision that reduced the power of federal agencies to interpret the laws they administer, known as the Chevron deference, means that the EPA does not have the ability to regulate greenhouse gases. "We do not have that power on our own to decide as an agency that we are going to combat global climate change because we give ourselves that power," Zeldin said. He added that if Congress decides it wants to amend the federal Clean Air Act to explicitly state the U.S. should regulate carbon dioxide, methane and other planet-warming gases, the EPA would follow its lead. SHAKING THE FOUNDATION The endangerment finding's roots date back to 2009, when the EPA under former Democratic President Barack Obama issued a finding that emissions from new motor vehicles contribute to pollution and endanger public health and welfare. That assessment followed a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision in its landmark Massachusetts v. EPA case that said the EPA has the authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and required the agency to make a scientific finding on whether those emissions endanger public health. The endangerment finding was upheld in several legal challenges and underpinned subsequent greenhouse gas regulations, ranging from tailpipe standards for vehicles, carbon dioxide standards for aircraft, and methane standards for oil and gas operations. Zeldin and Wright challenged the global scientific consensus on climate change that global warming and its impacts have since been unfolding faster than expected and that policymakers need to step up action to curb global greenhouse gas emissions. They also contradict the advisory opinion issued last week by the International Court of Justice, which said failure by governments to reduce emissions could be an internationally wrongful act, and found that treaties such as the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change should be considered legally binding. The administration has already dismissed all authors of the U.S. National Climate Assessment, which detailed climate change impacts across the country. "Now the public is open to engage in a thoughtful dialogue about what is climate change? It is a real physical phenomenon. It's worthy of study. It's worthy of even some action, but what we have done instead is nothing related to the actual science of climate change or pragmatic ways to make progress," Wright said. Zeldin said on a podcast earlier Tuesday that the endangerment finding never acknowledged "any benefit or need for carbon dioxide." Industry reaction was limited on Tuesday, with some trade groups weighing in and some companies remaining quiet. American Trucking Associations welcomed the announcement, saying that Biden-era vehicle emissions standards "put the trucking industry on a path to economic ruin and would have crippled our supply chain," said its president, Chris Spear. Ford said in a statement that Biden-created tailpipe standards did "not align with the market," and America needs "a single, stable standard to foster business planning." "The standard should align with science and customer choice, reduce carbon emissions by getting more stringent over time, and grow American manufacturing," Ford said. Other automakers Toyota, GM, Stellantis declined to comment. Marty Durbin, president of the Global Energy Institute at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said it welcomed the administration's focus on affordable energy but said it is still weighing the proposal. "While we did not call for this proposal, we are reviewing it and will consult with members so we can provide constructive feedback to the agency," he said.
The Hill
18-07-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Trump exempts more than 100 polluters from environmental standards
The Trump administration is exempting dozens of chemical manufacturers, oil refineries, coal plants, medical device sterilizers and other polluters from Clean Air Act rules. On Thursday, the White House announced that it would exempt more than 100 plants from pollution limits established by the Biden administration. The limits are aimed at reducing the releases of toxic chemicals, including those that cause cancer. One rule, that the Trump administration is exempting about 50 polluters from, would have been expected to reduce cancer risks of people living within 6 miles of a chemical plant by 96 percent. The Trump administration touted its decision as being supportive of fossil fuels and manufacturing. 'President Trump recognizes that overly restrictive environmental regulations undermine America's energy reliability, economic vitality, and national security,' said a White House fact sheet. However, the move also stands in contrast with the administration's pledge to 'Make America Healthy Again.' 'Trump's action on behalf of big corporate polluters will cause more cancer, more birth defects, and more children to suffer asthma. The country deserves better,' said Patrice Simms, vice president of litigation at Earthjustice's Healthy Communities Program, in a written statement. The administration issued four proclamations exempting the total of more than 100 facilities from one of four rules for two years. One proclamation exempts about 40 medical device sterilizing plants from requirements to reduce 90 percent of their emissions of cancer-causing ethylene oxide. Another exempts more than 50 chemical manufacturers and oil refineries from requirements to cut emissions of toxic chemicals including ethylene oxide and another cancer-linked chemical called chloroprene. A third proclamation exempts eight producers of taconite ore, which is used to make steel, from requirements to reduce mercury emissions by about 33 percent. Fetal exposure to mercury is linked to brain and nervous system damage. The fourth proclamation exempts six coal plants from restrictions on releases of mercury, nickel, arsenic and lead. The Biden-era rule in question was expected to reduce exposure to substances that can cause developmental delays in children, as well as heart attacks and cancer. The Trump administration has already said that it plans to overturn a wide swath of rules aimed at reducing pollution, and so by the time the two-year exemptions expire, the rules in question may no longer be in place. This week's proclamations are the second publicly announced set of exemptions issued by the Trump administration. Trump previously exempted 66 coal plants from the standard limiting mercury, lead, nickel and arsenic emissions. The decisions come after a March move from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set up a portal allowing polluters to request exemptions from nine Clean Air Act rules. At the time, an EPA spokesperson noted that the Biden administration had previously said it would consider exempting facilities from the ethylene oxide rule to prevent disruptions to supply chains for medical devices. However, critics described the portal as an 'invitation' for companies to pollute.
E&E News
12-07-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
Enviros renew threat to sue over ‘Alligator Alcatraz'
Environmental groups plan to sue Florida and the Trump administration for allegedly violating the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act through the construction of a migrant detention center in the Everglades. Located in a remote area within Big Cypress National Preserve, the detention center threatens the region's wetlands and endangered species such as the Florida panther and Florida bonneted bat, the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Everglades and Earthjustice said in a notice Friday. Aerial images taken in the last two weeks suggest that Florida has filled in and paved over wetlands to construct the detention center without obtaining required federal permits, the groups wrote. The state also hasn't initiated consultation under the Endangered Species Act, even though the facility's 'loud noise, bright light, and vibrations' are likely to disturb endangered and threatened wildlife, they continued. Advertisement The detention center opened earlier this month on the site of a regional airport and will ultimately house up to 5,000 migrants. It consists primarily of large tents and old FEMA trailers, but also includes 'stadium-like' lights, the notice said.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Springfield joins class action lawsuit against feds over cancelled EPA grant
SPRINGFIELD — After the Trump administration terminated a $20 million grant to the Springfield from the Environmental Protection Agency, the city challenging that decision in court. Springfield is part of a class action lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that seeks to reinstate grant funding from the Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant program. The suit names the EPA and the agency's administrator, Lee Zeldin, as defendants and lists two dozen plaintiffs that include nonprofits, tribes and municipalities. Congress allocated the funds under the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022. After President Donald Trump's inauguration, he signed an executive order, 'Unleashing American Energy," that instructed federal agencies to withhold funds from the Inflation Reduction Act. He also signed another executive order to terminate all equity-related grants. After that, grants began to be terminated, the suit says. It argues the EPA can't legally terminate the grant funds. 'It violates bedrock separation-of-powers principles by effectively repealing a congressional enactment and impounding funds based on nothing more than the President's disagreement with policies Congress duly enacted,' the complaint reads. Attorneys plan to seek class action certification to include the more than 300 entities whose grants through the Environmental and Climate Justice program were cancelled, according to a press release from a group of legal groups that filed the complaint: Earthjustice, Southern Environmental Law Center, Public Rights Project, and Lawyers for Good Government. 'Terminating these grant programs caused widespread harm and disruption to on-the-ground projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience and build community capacity to tackle environmental harms,' Hana Vizcarra, a senior attorney at the nonprofit Earthjustice, said in a statement. A spokesperson for the EPA declined to comment Thursday. 'In keeping with a longstanding practice, EPA does not comment on current or pending litigation,' the spokesperson said in an email. In a late-April letter to the city of Springfield, the agency officially terminated the grant. 'The objectives of the award are no longer consistent with EPA funding priorities,' it said. 'As with any change in administration, the agency is reviewing each grant program to ensure it is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars and to understand how those programs align with administration priorities,' an EPA spokesperson told The Republican in May. In Springfield, city officials announced the award of the grant funds in August 2024 and they planned to use the funds for green projects — including removing lead from homes, reducing the city's high asthma rates, planting trees and improving roadways — in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The city received its official grant termination in late April. 'The City of Springfield was left with no recourse but to sue the federal government to enforce the $20 million EPA grant,' city solicitor Stephen Buoniconti said in a statement. 'We are pleased to partner with the non-profit Earthjustice and others in filing the lawsuit to recover the grant monies.' Earthjustice is representing the city for no cost to taxpayers, Buoniconti said. 'Springfield was the only community in the state to receive the grant award and, with the stakes so high, we are optimistic that Earthjustice will best represent the City's interests,' he said. The complaint addresses Springfield specifically. 'Nestled in a valley that often traps air pollution, Springfield is ranked the #4 asthma capital in the United States,' it says, referencing the 2024 Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's annual report. 'It also has significantly increased risk of childhood lead exposure and pedestrian fatalities.' The city planned to use the funding for a slew of programs to address environmental issues. Initiatives included providing homes with new roofs and efficient windows, increasing air-quality monitoring, abating mold in homes and improving air conditioning in a city library. Funds would also create a workforce training program for green jobs at Springfield Technical Community College. Springfield opens first skate, bike park with $2 million renovation This beloved Amherst bar to move; typewriter shop next door closed, too Foes, officials won't shrink from fight to keep 'Frankenstein' plant out of city Mass. casino winner: Man wins jackpot prize playing slots machine Read the original article on MassLive.
Politico
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Environmental groups slam gas push
Good morning and welcome to the weekly Monday edition of the New York & New Jersey Energy newsletter. We'll take a look at the week ahead and look back on what you may have missed last week. ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS PUSH BACK ON GAS PLANTS: Environmentalists slammed conclusions by the state's independent grid operator that new or repowered fossil fuel units may be needed for reliability. The New York Independent System Operator indicated in its most recent 'Power Trends' report — a summary of previous analysis with additional context designed to keep policymakers and the public informed about the electric grid — that repowering gas plants should be considered given growing demand and a slow buildout of renewables. But environmental groups — Earthjustice, Environmental Defense Fund, Evergreen Action and WE ACT for Environmental Justice — want Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration to reject calls for more gas power. 'It seems that NYISO is irresponsibly seeking to create a false narrative that New York needs new gas generation, even though there is no evidence to support that claim,' says a letter sent from the groups to Hochul and state officials. The NYISO's most recent reliability analysis that the 'Power Trends' report is based on did not find a statewide reliability issue, based on new large loads being flexible enough to turn off when needed. It did identify reliability problems in New York City if NYPA retires its natural gas peakers. But the grid operator has repeatedly been raising concerns about the narrowing margins for reliability and the aging fossil fuel fleet. The letter also criticizes the lengthy interconnection timelines for renewables, saying that resources take 6 to 7 years to connect. That aligns with findings from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, but may not take into account delays caused by developers changing project design, choosing to wait for state contracts or permits, or other factors out of the NYISO's control. NYISO spokesperson Kevin Lanahan said the grid operator has made significant improvements in recent years to reduce interconnection timelines. The targeted timeline for the current process is 1.6 years. 'We continue to meet with all stakeholders, including Earthjustice and EDF, through our open governance process to identify further improvements to interconnection while also maintaining reliability of the electric grid,' he said. ''Power Trends' suggests that the repowering of all aging resource types — renewable and fossil — be examined to determine the opportunity for capacity additions, efficiency, and carbon reductions,' Lanahan said. 'Doing so may help bridge New York to its climate goals.' Although the letter calls on Hochul to reject gas power plants, her administration has also warmed to the idea that gas will continue to be needed to meet demand from large new factories upstate and electrification of vehicles and buildings. Hochul officials referred to the NYISO's findings as part of the state's energy planning process, which modeled a pathway that involves continued reliance on fossil fuel energy and repowering of aging fossil fuel power plants. One scenario includes potentially relying on gas beyond the state's statutory 2040 deadline for zero emission electricity. 'The plan is talking about wind, solar, energy storage and also repowering aging combustion power plants as a way to move from here to there, as well as the contribution … of emissions free resources that are dispatchable like advanced nuclear,' said NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen Harris last month. The governor announced plans for NYPA to build at least 1 gigawatt of new nuclear power. — Marie J. French ICYMI: NJ TRANSIT CASES GO TO SCOTUS — POLITICO's Ry Rivard: A pair of bus accidents is prompting the Supreme Court to reckon with the scope of state entities' immunity from lawsuits. The court on Thursday agreed to hear two cases involving NJ Transit, which is being sued in Pennsylvania and New York state court after its buses allegedly hit people outside the borders of its home base Garden State. The high court sees a novel legal issue in the otherwise routine personal injury claims — which is partly of its own making. In 2019, it ruled 5-4 that one state cannot be sued in another state's courts without the first state's consent. The ruling left unclear where to draw the line on which state entities get such immunity, leaving open a question about entities like state hospitals, student loan servicers and public transit providers. Attorneys in the personal injury cases argued NJ Transit isn't actually entitled to a state's immunity, even though the transit agency was created by the state. NJ Transit said lawsuits should be brought against it in New Jersey state court because that's where it is based. HAPPY MONDAY MORNING: Let us know if you have tips, story ideas or life advice. We're always here at mfrench@ and rrivard@ And if you like this letter, please tell a friend and/or loved one to sign up. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Here's what we're watching this week: TUESDAY — The Department of Public Service holds in-person public hearings on Con Ed's rate hike request, 1 p.m., Borough of Manhattan Community College, and 6 p.m., Cortlandt Town Hall. WEDNESDAY — The Department of Public Service holds in-person public hearings on Con Ed's rate hike request, 1 p.m., Brooklyn Borough Hall, and 6 p.m., Westchester County Center. THURSDAY — The Department of Public Service holds in-person public hearings on Con Ed's rate hike request, 1 p.m., C.W. Mixon Center, 112-50 Springfield Blvd., Queens Village, and 6 p.m, Residence Inn — Marriott Meeting Rooms A and B, 1776 Eastchester Road, Bronx. Around New York — National Grid is installing smart meters in western New York. — Drone sightings of sharks shut down beaches in New York. Around New Jersey — Threats to the Delaware River watershed. — Court decision upholds compressor station project permit. What you may have missed PIPELINE TEST — POLITICO's Marie J. French: Gov. Kathy Hochul faces a major decision on a new pipeline supported by President Donald Trump to bring more natural gas into the New York City region. The Department of Environmental Conservation declared the application for a water quality permit for the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project complete on Wednesday. The pipeline would run 24 miles from New Jersey, across the Raritan Bay, to connect to the pipeline system in the Rockaways. The state told federal agencies last month it would make a decision on the project by Nov. 30, in compliance with an accelerated timeline under a Trump executive order. The DEC declined to schedule any public hearings at this stage, a move sure to spark pushback from environmental advocates. — National Grid filed an updated long-term gas plan Wednesday, highlighting reliability and cost savings for customers if NESE is built. 'National Grid is committed to fulfilling our responsibility to provide safe, reliable, and affordable energy to our customers,' said Sally Librera, president of National Grid New York. 'This addendum to our Gas System Long-Term Plan outlines critical investments necessary to ensure our gas network continues to operate dependably and supports the region's growing energy needs.' — NEW JERSEY LEG: The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said it has received land use and air permit applications from Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Co. for the portion of its proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline in the Garden State. A DEP spokesperson said most of the permits have a 120-day total permit review window but a Freshwater Wetlands permit does not have a statutory deadline. Several New Jersey towns have passed resolutions opposing the project, according to the Sierra Club, which also opposes it. — Ry Rivard PORTAL NORTH — Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) toured the Portal North Bridge project on Wednesday morning along with top officials from NJ Transit and Amtrak. The bridge, which is part of the larger Gateway program and sits between Jersey City and Newark, will replace an old bridge over the Hackensack River that creates a chokepoint for trains moving around New Jersey and in and out of New York City. After a bruising fight over the megabill this week that Booker strongly opposes, he sounded a bipartisan note about the bridge. President Donald Trump green-lit the bridge during his first administration after lobbying from Gov. Phil Murphy and it's since gotten billions of dollars in federal money. 'I didn't stop and ask one hardhat whether they voted for me or not, whether they voted for which party or not,' Booker said following a tour of the construction site. 'This is about Americans working together to get great things done, to build projects that serve all of America.' The bridge is expected to be finished in fall 2027 with one track in service in 2026. — Ry Rivard DEP MULLS COASTAL RULES CHANGE — POLITICO's Ry Rivard: The Murphy administration is reconsidering parts of the sprawling package of coastal building rules meant to cope with rising sea levels. It's unclear what amendments the Department of Environmental Protection might make, but Commissioner Shawn LaTourette has publicly shown he's open to changes. At a recent public event, he said he was 'not allergic' to amendments. Lobbyists on both sides of the issue are now expecting a new draft of the rules. One of the biggest flashpoints is the assumed amount of sea level rise that developers should prepare for. The original draft rule assumes, using scientists' projections, that sea levels will rise by 5 feet by the end of the century — a major threat to development and tourism along the state's 130 miles or so of coastline. That concerns environmental groups supporting the rule, including the state chapter of the Sierra Club and the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters. Advocates from both groups are worried that revising the rule could delay its final adoption. Gov. Phil Murphy is term-limited and leaves office in January. 'We are concerned because the clock is ticking,' said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, the state Sierra Club director. Ray Cantor, a representative of the Business and Industry Association, has helped organize opposition to the rule package, including a plane that flew over the Jersey Shore last summer carrying a sign that warned about the rule. He's also waiting to see what the DEP does. 'Until we know what they are going to do, our concerns remain,' he said. PORTAL NORTH SETTLEMENT — NJ Transit paid $450,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a former engineer who alleged he was fired for raising concerns about the design of the Portal North bridge, the most expensive project in the transit agency's history. Mohammed Nasin, who was the chief of construction management for the rail bridge, alleged in an early 2024 lawsuit that he'd found design defects, including track settlement issues. The settlement happened earlier this year, on Jan. 22, but was below the threshold that requires NJ Transit board approval. It was, however, disclosed to lawmakers in May after Sen. Michael Testa, a Cumberland County Republican, asked about the litigation during back and forths over the budget. In a written response to Testa, NJ Transit revealed the settlement. The agency said Portal North is 'on time and on budget, with Amtrak scheduled to take over construction of track, catenary and other systems in the coming months. The bridge project is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2027. The Portal Bridge project has an excellent safety record.' John Chartier, an NJ Transit spokesperson, said in an email to POLITICO that the $450,000 included back pay and attorneys' fees. 'There was no admission of liability by NJ Transit and there was a confidentiality clause in the settlement,' he said. An attorney for Nasim, Paula Dillon, declined to comment. — Ry Rivard RATE HIKE PROPOSED — POLITICO's Marie J. French: Two major upstate gas and electric utilities owned by Avangrid want to raise customer bills more than 20 percent. New York State Electric and Gas and Rochester Gas and Electric filed their rate proposals on Monday, arguing they need to recover costs for storm recovery, unpaid bills and compliance with new in-state call center requirements. NYSEG serves nearly 1 million electricity customers and 270,000 gas customers. RG&E serves 386,000 electricity customers and 320,000 natural gas customers. The two companies are owned by Avangrid, whose parent company is Spanish energy giant Iberdrola. Utility rate hikes have become a political flashpoint as affordability remains top of mind for policymakers in New York. Gov. Kathy Hochul criticized the rate increase proposals. The two utilities 'must find a way to avoid these unacceptably high rate hikes,' she said in a statement. 'I am calling on the Department of Public Service to scrutinize these proposals to ensure these companies have the resources to keep our energy grid going but are not making additional profit off the backs of ratepayers.' BUDGET BASH — A pair of New Jersey Senate Democrats offered modest criticism of the state budget's diversion of $190 million from the Board of Public Utilities' clean energy fund to prop up NJ Transit and the state budget surplus. Sen. Andrew Zwicker gave a brief floor speech about the diversion before his chamber approved the $58.8 billion budget deal on Monday afternoon, which Gov. Phil Murphy signed late Monday night. Zwicker said he understood the move but that the state needs to use the clean energy money to help get clean air, clean water and better energy prices. 'It is critically important that we make those investments moving forward,' Zwicker said. In an interview, Sen. Bob Smith, who chairs the Senate's energy committee, said there is a 'tenuous connection' between clean energy funding and NJ Transit, since getting cars off the road is good for the environment. But that connection, Smith said, is 'not as strong as building new energy storage or building windmills or making our grid more flexible.' The senators were not alone or loudest to lament term-limited Murphy's final budget. Environmental groups also criticized the clean energy fund transfers, and both the attorney general and state comptroller, two members of Murphy's own Cabinet, slammed other non-environmental aspects of the budget. At a BPU meeting on Monday afternoon, none of the four members ventured to justify the money being taken from their budget, but they also did not criticize it. 'This budget is reflecting an additional diversion from the clean energy fund, but it is not reflecting a cutting of programs,' board President Christine Guhl-Sadovy said in the entity's sole remark about the budget deal. — Ry Rivard A BRIGHT SPOT — Both chambers have passed a bill to ease permitting of solar projects (S4100/A5264). 'We should put people over paperwork so we can get more solar on our rooftops and more savings for ratepayers in our wallets — that's a win for our environment, our electric grid and for all of us,' Sen. John McKeon, a Democrat, said in a statement. Smith also said that both houses have passed legislation to provide $60 million to help with battery storage projects. That bill comes after a recently-approved BPU battery storage program that is funded with $125 million in money from the settlement with Orsted, the energy company that canceled a pair of offshore wind farms in the state. — Ry Rivard
