EPA Alumni Urge Congress to Pass Asbestos Ban Bill

June 8, 2022 / by

Staff Writer /

Inside EPA

EPN‘s letter to Congress in support of legislation to ban asbestos was quoted in this article about a Senate Environmental and Public Works hearing about the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2022.

Global Plastic Waste Set to Triple by 2060, OECD Says

June 3, 2022 / by

Nyah Phengsitthy /

Bloomberg Law

Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article about a report predicting the tripling of global plastic pollution by 2060 if policies are not adopted to dramatically reduce plastic use.

FDA Agrees to Reassess BPA Risks

June 2, 2022 / by

E.A. Crunden and Ariel Wittenberg /

E&E News

Linda Birnbaum, former Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,  was quoted in this article discussing the FDA’s decision to reassess the health effects of bisphenol A, an endocrine disruptor often used in plastics, in response to a petition co-signed by Linda and numerous environmental groups.

EPA Raises Pride Flag for First Time

June 1, 2022 / by

Kevin Bogardus /

E&E News

Kevin Minoli, former EPA Acting General Counsel, was quoted in this article regarding the raising of the Pride flag at EPA headquarters in honor of the start of Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ community.

Biden Wants to Rebuild the EPA. He Doesn’t Have the Money to Do It.

May 31, 2022 / by

Dino Grandoni /

The Washington Post

Dave Coursen, former attorney, EPA Office of General Counsel, and Eric Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Environmental Integrity Project and former Director, EPA Office of Civil Enforcement, were quoted in this article discussing how the continued lack of funding and insufficient workforce has hampered EPA’s ability to perform its core responsibilities.

Electric Trucks Can Fight Inflation – and Petro-State Dictators Like Putin

May 31, 2022 / by

Margo Oge /

Forbes

Margo Oge, former Director, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, penned this op-ed about how significantly strengthening nitrogen oxide and greenhouse gas emissions standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks would have enormous public health benefits and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work

May 30, 2022 / by

Judith Enck and Jan Dell /

The Atlantic

Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, co-authored this op-ed discussing why mechanical and chemical recycling of plastics are failures and proposing a ban on single-use plastics as one solution to the country’s plastic waste and pollution problem.

2 New Bills Aim to Reduce Plastic Pollution in New York State

May 26, 2022 / by

Joseph Winters /

Grist

Judith Enck, former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article about two policy proposals before the New York State legislature that target single-use plastic producers.

Biden EPA Deals Major Blow to Pebble Mine

May 25, 2022 / by

Jael Holzman, Ariel Wittenberg, and Hannah Northey /

E&E News

Dennis McLerran, former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 10, was quoted in this article regarding EPA’s proposal to deny a Clean Water Act permit that would have allowed copper and gold mining in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed.

PFAS Pose ‘Watershed’ Moment for Superfund Liability

May 24, 2022 / by

E.A. Crunden and Hannah Northey /

E&E News

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in this article discussing the possible ramifications of listing PFAS as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.

Unjustified Industry Pushback on EPA’s Toxic Chemical Regulation

May 20, 2022 / by

Elizabeth Southerland, Robert Sussman, Linda Birnbaum, and Penny Fenner-Crisp /

The Hill

Linda Birnbaum (former Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences), Penny Fenner-Crisp (former Senior Science Advisor, EPA Office of Pesticides Program), Betsy Southerland (former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water), and Bob Sussman (former EPA Senior Policy Advisor and former EPA Deputy Administrator) penned this op-ed rebutting American Chemistry Council claims that policy improvements made by EPA to strengthen TSCA implementation are inconsistent with regulatory needs to protect human health and welfare.

EPA Updates, Expands Superfund Screening Levels for Five PFAS

May 18, 2022 / by

Suzanne Yohannan /

Inside EPA

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in this article about EPA’s decision to update and expand regional screening and removal management levels for five PFAS chemicals to help investigate contamination at Superfund sites.

The Department of Justice’s Strategy to Advance Environmental Justice

May 18, 2022 / by

David Coursen /

The Hill

Dave Coursen, former Attorney, EPA Office of General Counsel, penned this op-ed discussing the existing tools the Department of Justice has to support the work of its new Office of Environmental Justice and underscoring the need for congressional funding to attain environmental justice goals.

ADAO Seeks Stronger Asbestos Reporting But Backs ‘Landmark’ Proposal

May 13, 2022 / by

Maria Hegstad /

Inside EPA

Bob Sussman, counsel for Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) and former EPA Deputy Administrator, was quoted in this article about EPA’s proposed asbestos reporting mandate, a landmark proposal for the agency’s Chemical Data Reporting proposal.

Gina McCarthy is Leaving. Who Will Take Her Place?

May 13, 2022 / by

Kelsey Brugger and Robin Bravender /

E&E News

Kevin Minoli, former EPA acting General Counsel, was quoted in this article discussing the possible departure of Gina McCarthy from her role as the White House National Climate Advisor.

Pregnant Women Increasingly Exposed to Chemicals That Could Harm Development

May 10, 2022 / by

Sharon Usadin /

The Hill

Tracey Woodruff, Director, University of California, San Francisco’s Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment; former EPA senior scientist; and former Policy Advisor, EPA Office of Policy, was quoted in this article discussing the results of her research group’s study, which found widespread exposure of pregnant women, particularly Latinas, to understudied chemicals and toxins that could be harmful to fetal development. Tracey was quoted in similar articles appearing in E&E News, Yahoo News, and other media outlets.

Biden’s New Strategy for Environmental Justice

May 9, 2022 / by

Joseph Winters /

Grist

Mustafa Santiago Ali, Vice President for Environmental Justice, National Wildlife Federation, former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization, and former EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article regarding the announcement of an Office of Environmental Justice within the Department of Justice.

Trump Showed How Easy It Is To Break The EPA. It’s Much Harder To Fix It.

May 6, 2022 / by

Zahra Hirji /

Buzzfeed News

Mustafa Santiago Ali, Vice President for Environmental Justice, National Wildlife Federation, former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization, and EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, and Tim Whitehouse, Executive Director, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and former EPA senior attorney, were quoted in this article about EPA’s struggles as it moves to rebuild in the face of growing environmental challenges.

CEQ Makes Top Environmental Justice Hire

May 5, 2022 / by

Kelsey Brugger /

E&E News

Mustafa Santiago Ali, Vice President for Environmental Justice, National Wildlife Federation, former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization, and EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article discussing the appointment of Jalonne White-Newsome as the senior director of environmental justice at the Council on Environmental Quality. Mustafa was quoted in a related article appearing in Inside Climate News.

U.S. Plastics Recycling Rate Slumps Below 6 Percent, Analysis Finds

May 4, 2022 / by

Taylor Telford /

The Washington Post

Judith Enck, founder of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article discussing a recent report prepared by Beyond Plastics and Last Beach Cleanup that determined Americans recycle only 5-6% of their plastics. Judith was quoted in several articles about the report that were published in Reuters, Grist, and other news outlets.

Congress Needs to Stop Starving EPA

May 3, 2022 / by

David Coursen /

The Hill

Dave Coursen, former Attorney, EPA Office of General Counsel, penned this op-ed outlining how the EPA’s FY2023 appropriations request would provide a much-needed boost to the agency’s core programs and move environmental protections forward.

U.S. Government’s $650 Billion Buying Power Could Move Markets to PFAS-free Products

May 2, 2022 / by

John Reeder /

EWG News & Insights

John Reeder, Vice President of Environmental Affairs at Environmental Working Group and former EPA Deputy Chief of Staff, wrote this piece suggesting ways the General Service Administration could drive the US government’s $650B purchasing budget towards PFAS-free products to shift the markets to reduce production of these chemicals.

California Attorney General Investigates the Oil and Gas Industry’s Role in Plastic Pollution, Subpoenas Exxon

April 30, 2022 / by

James Bruggers /

Inside Climate News

Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article supporting a decision by the California Attorney General to investigate the oil and gas industry’s role in the global plastics crisis.

Former Officials Challenge Freedhoff’s Claims on PFAS Data Availability

April 29, 2022 / by

Diana DiGangi /

Inside EPA

A blog post written by Bob Sussman, former EPA Deputy Administrator, and Tracey Woodruff, Director, UCSF Program on Environmental Health and the Environment and former EPA senior scientist, urging EPA to use its TSCA authority to require Chemours to perform toxicity assessments on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances was quoted in this article.