Amicus Brief in Suncor v. Boulder
EPN and 20 former EPA officials filed a Supreme Court brief supporting communities’ ability to hold fossil-fuel companies accountable for wrongful conduct. (August 3, 2026)
EPN In Action July-August 2026
Welcome to your EPN In Action newsletter update for July/August 2026.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM EPN’S WORK
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Held polluters accountable: EPN and 20 former EPA senior officials, attorneys, and career staff filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Suncor Energy v. Boulder County, supporting communities’ ability to hold fossil-fuel companies accountable for misleading the public and other wrongful conduct.
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Defended clean air protections: EPN opposed proposals to weaken ozone planning requirements, delay Tier 4 vehicle emission standards, and leave some oil and gas hazardous air pollution sources unregulated, warning these rollbacks could slow progress toward health-based air standards and increase vehicle and industrial pollution.
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Fought PFAS rollbacks on multiple fronts: EPN testified and submitted comments opposing proposals to rescind drinking-water protections for certain PFAS, delay compliance for others, and rely on voluntary guidance for PFAS-contaminated biosolids instead of stronger action. EPN urged EPA to uphold the science, protect drinking water, and pursue enforceable biosolids limits.
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Protected communities from toxic waste and chemical risks: EPN opposed EPA’s proposed federal Coal Combustion Residuals permit program, warning it could weaken coal ash oversight, polluter accountability, and national standards. EPN also urged EPA to protect scientific integrity by not advancing its TBBPA risk evaluation before key peer review is complete.
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Defended public participation, federal capacity, and democratic safeguards: EPN and partners opposed proposals that could weaken federal financial assistance, ballot mail protections, and public participation in minor New Source Review permitting, helping protect access to critical services, fair elections, and information about local air-quality changes.
EPN’S NETWORK IN ACTION
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Connected EPA expertise to communities: EPN connected more than 50 volunteers to 90+ technical assistance requests on issues including Superfund, flooding, and data centers, helping communities understand risks and participate in environmental decisions. For example, EPN worked with community partners in La Plata County, CO, to strengthen an independent, community-based water monitoring effort around a proposed mining project.
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Launched the Environmental Science Impact Fellowship: The first cohort of 14 recently separated EPA scientists and engineers began fellowships in July, allowing them to continue important environmental and public health research while preserving critical scientific expertise.
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Strengthened independent scientific review: EPN and the Union of Concerned Scientists launched the Independent Science Review Initiative, bringing together former EPA advisory board members, displaced federal experts, and other scientists to provide independent guidance to decision-makers. EPN, UCS, and former Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee members also urged EPA to preserve rigorous expert review of national air quality standards.
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Supported current and recently separated EPA staff: Through its Civil Service Resilience Initiative, EPN continued providing resources including a revamped job board, free Former Gov accounts, career programming, helpful links and FAQs, and mentoring.
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The DOE Alumni Network continued to grow: The network welcomed Maya Harris-Cameron to its Advisory Board, released Trailblazers and Transformers episodes featuring Jenn Garson and Rob Sandoli, shared Department and budget analysis through its Substack, and hosted professional and social events as it approaches its first anniversary. Follow the Network on LinkedIn.
Safer, Not Sicker Campaign
This summer, EPN’s Safer, Not Sicker campaign continued connecting EPA rollbacks to the everyday pollution risks and costs families face. The campaign:
Highlighted back-to-school clean air concerns, including ozone, traffic pollution, idling vehicles, and school-bus emissions. |
Elevated the risks of PFAS-contaminated biosolids used as fertilizer on farms, gardens, and lawns, urging EPA to adopt strong, enforceable protections. |
Explained how weakened safeguards can shift pollution costs from industry to families and communities, including medical bills, missed work, filtration expenses, and local cleanup costs. |
Holding Polluters Accountable and Protecting Communities
Stan Meiburg, former acting EPA Deputy Administrator, spoke with Bloomberg Law about the Trump administration’s pardons for individuals convicted of selling illegal vehicle emissions defeat devices and their implications for environmental enforcement. Walter Mugdan, former EPA Region 2 Deputy Regional Administrator and Superfund Director, spoke with Inside EPA about the D.C. Circuit ruling upholding EPA’s designation of two PFAS as hazardous substances under CERCLA . Bill Muno, former Superfund Director, EPA Region 5, spoke with Inside Climate News about a Pennsylvania neighborhood dealing with a fuel spill as federal environmental enforcement resources shrink.
EPN Comments on Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities; Federal CCR Permit Program; Reopening of Comment Period
EPN warned that EPA’s proposed federal coal ash permitting program could weaken oversight, polluter accountability, and national environmental standards. (July 29, 2026)
EPN Comments on Minor New Source Review Program Air Permitting Public Participation Requirements for State Implementation Plans
EPN cautioned that eliminating federal minimum public-participation requirements could leave communities without notice of nearby air pollution changes. (August 20, 2026)
Trump’s Pardons for Car Emission Devices Show Enforcement Shift
Ruling Backing CERCLA PFAS Rule Could Drive Host Of New Mandates
Neighbors of Pipeline Leak Live in Fear and Regulatory Neglect in Trump Era of ‘Unleashed’ Energy
Protecting Clean Air
Janet McCabe, former EPA deputy administrator, spoke on the Brief Encounters Podcast about the endangerment finding, the Clean Air Act, and changes in the EPA. Lynn Goldman, former Assistant Administrator for Toxic Substances at EPA, spoke on Mornings with Zerlina about the impact wildfires are having across the globe. Chet Wayland, former head of air quality monitoring in EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, spoke with Floodlight about air pollution monitoring in Louisiana and the challenges of tracking toxic emissions.
EPN Comments on Ozone Reclassification State Implementation Plan Rule
EPN warned that EPA’s proposed changes could weaken state planning requirements and slow progress toward health-based ozone standards. (July 13, 2026)
Revision of Tier 4 Criteria Pollutant Standards, Part 1: Amendments to Phase-In Schedule for Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles
EPN told EPA that delaying Tier 4 vehicle standards would allow higher levels of harmful vehicle pollution for longer. (July 6, 2026)
EPN Comments on National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production Facilities and Natural Gas Transmission and Storage Facilities; Technology Review and Reconsideration
EPN called for continued federal protections from hazardous air pollution at oil and gas facilities that could otherwise go unregulated. (August 4, 2026)
Clearing the Air – A Conversation with EPA’s former Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe
Wildfires Around the Globe
Louisiana communities are left in the dark on toxic air — and industry helped keep it that way
Protecting People from Toxic Chemicals
Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, spoke with WJLA about laboratory testing that found toxic PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in tap water samples across the United States. Betsy Southerland, former Director of Science and Technology in EPA’s Office of Water, spoke with Fox 5 DC about EPA’s announcement that they will not regulate the amount of PFAS allowed in sewage sludge. Martha Guzman Aceves, former EPA regional administration for region 9, spoke with Between the Lines about the recent hazardous chemical disasters and the dangers of rolling back federal safety regulations.
EPN Comments on Rescission of Regulatory Determinations and Removal of Related Provisions for Four PFAS Substances (PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA (GenX), and the Mixture of These Three PFAS Plus PFBS)
EPN urged EPA to retain drinking water protections for four PFAS and keep safeguards grounded in the best available science. (July 20, 2026)
EPN Comments on Extending the Compliance Deadline for the PFOA and PFOS Maximum Contaminant Levels
EPN explained that EPA failed to justify extending the compliance deadline for two years and that the delay would unnecessarily prolong Americans’ exposure to harmful forever chemicals such as PFOA and PFOS. (July 20, 2026)
Virtual Testimony on Proposed PFAS Rollbacks
EPN experts testified against proposals to weaken and delay federal drinking water protections for PFAS. (July 7, 2026)
Virtual Testimony on Draft Guidance for Reducing Risk from PFOA and PFOS in Biosolids
An EPN volunteer called on EPA to move beyond voluntary guidance and pursue stronger, enforceable protections from PFAS-contaminated biosolids. (August 18, 2026)
EPN Comments on the 4,4′-(1-Methylethylidene)bis[2,6-dibromophenol] (TBBPA) Risk Evaluation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
EPN urged EPA not to advance its TBBPA risk evaluation until key independent scientific peer review is complete. (August 17, 2026)
Exclusive lab tests show toxic ‘forever’ chemicals in America’s tap water
EPA Wants Your Input on Forever Chemicals Plan
Hazardous Chemical Disasters Strike as Trump EPA Rolls Back Federal Safety Regulations
Protecting Federal Programs and Public Institutions
Michelle Roos, Executive Director of The Environmental Protection Network, spoke with the Legal AF Podcast about OMB Director Russell Vought’s efforts to shift grant fund decision making and how it impacts the environment and public health. Amy Kenyon, former Special Advisor for Implementation in EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, co-authored an article for Shelterforce about the proposed rule from the Office of Management and Budget facilitating political interference in federal grant disbursements across all agencies. Jeremy Symons, senior advisor at EPN, spoke with E&E News about efforts to provide EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin with damaging information about EPA staff.
EPN and L4GG Comments on Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance
EPN and Lawyers for Good Government warned that proposed changes could politicize federal grant decisions and restrict communities’ access to funding. (July 13, 2026)
EPN Comments on USPS’ Proposal “Ballot Mail for Federal Elections”
EPN urged USPS to preserve longstanding safeguards for the timely and reliable delivery of election mail. (July 2, 2026)
Trump Administration Proposes Weaponizing More Than $1 Trillion in Federal Funding and Dramatically Increase Red Tape
EPN and Lawyers for Good Government warned that proposed OMB changes could politicize more than $1 trillion in federal grants and add new administrative burdens. (June 5, 2026)
Trump’s SECRET TRILLION Dollar Takeover EXPOSED!!!
FEDERAL GRANT RULE CHANGE THREATENS COMMUNITY ACCESS TO PUBLIC FUNDS
Trump ally offered Zeldin dirt on EPA staff
More EPN in the News
EPN volunteers were quoted in additional articles about the changes being made to EPA and the importance of EPN’s work.
Laura McKelvey, former Group Leader for the Community and Tribal Programs Group in OAQPS, spoke with WRAL about concerns over PFAS-containing chemicals being used to cool AI data centers and the need for greater transparency and oversight of emerging cooling technologies. Mustafa Santiago Ali, former Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization at EPA, spoke with The Dean Obeidallah Show about the potential risks of artificial intelligence and its implications for humanity. Judith Enck, former EPA Regional Administrator for Region 2, spoke with The New York Times about advanced recycling technologies and their role in addressing plastic waste.
As AI data centers expand, new cooling chemicals raise PFAS concerns
The dangers posed by AI data centers EXPOSED!! An expert explains it all.
Advanced Recycling Hits a Rough Patch
Read all recent EPN in the News items here.