In the News

Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, wrote this op-ed about the false promise of chemical recycling and the need for legislation to stop plastic production and use.

Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, former Principal Deputy Acting Administrator for Science, Office of Research and Development, and Dan Costa, former National Program Director, EPA Air, Climate, and Energy Research Program, Office of Research and Development, were quoted in NPR about scientists’ fears of another Trump administration and the imminent threat of Project 2025 if elected again.

Betsy Southerland, former Director of the Office of Science and Technology in EPA’s Office of Water, was quoted in E&E News about a case being brought to the Supreme Court by the City of San Francisco, arguing that EPA pollution limits are vague and not specific enough. If successful, the lawsuit would make it difficult to require cities to upgrade sewage systems.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP), co-authored an op-ed in Environmental Health News that urges FDA commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf to use an FDA reorganization as an opportunity to improve food safety and reduce chronic disease in the American population.

Tracey Woodruff, former EPA senior scientist and policy advisor in the Office of Policy, was quoted in NPR about microplastics, including polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, that were found in human and dog testicles. Preliminary research suggests microplastics can harm reproductive health.

Linda Birnbaum, Penny Fenner-Crisp, Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, Joel Schwartz, Betsy Southerland, and Tracey Woodruff were quoted in The Wall Street Journal about former EPA-turned-industry toxicologist Michael Dourson and his scientific bias that favors chemical companies.

Bob Sussman, former EPA Deputy Administrator, Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator, and current counsel to ADAO, was quoted in Inside EPA about the EPA’s legacy asbestos evaluation and concerns that it does not adequately address exposure in schools or the risk posed to children, teachers, and parents within schools.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP), was quoted in Environmental Health News about phthalates being found in 13 types of olive oils. Phthalates are linked to many adverse health effects including hormone disruption, fertility impacts, low birth weights, obesity, diabetes, and more.

Robert Wolcott, former EPA Senior Counsel to ORD and Deputy Assistant Administrator for Policy and Regional Economist, and Jeremy Symons, Senior Advisor to EPN, co-authored an op-ed about the environmental accomplishments achieved by Biden’s EPA despite the many hurdles the previous administration left behind.

Bob Sussman, former EPA Deputy Administrator and Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator, was quoted in Inside EPA about the draft TSCA evaluation of legacy asbestos and the challenges of risk management.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP), was quoted in The Hill about how the effects of PFAS differ in men and women.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP), co-authored an op-ed contrasting food chemical regulation processes of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the E.U.’s European Food Safety Authority.

Stan Meiburg, former DRA in Region 4 and Region 6 and Acting Deputy Administrator, was quoted with Kevin Minoli, former EPA acting general counsel, in Bloomberg Law about EPA’s new enforcement policy and how the criminal and civil enforcement teams will coordinate to produce better outcomes.

Tracey Woodruff, former EPA Senior Scientist, was quoted in Inside EPA about EPA’s final TSCA rule that governs risk evaluations of existing chemicals, saying that the new rule does not include protections for vulnerable populations.

Betsy Southerland, former Director of the Office of Science and Technology, Office of Water, was quoted in The Lancet about the advances made by EPA to address lead contamination in drinking water as a result of the Flint water crisis.

Stan Meiburg, former DRA in Region 4 and Region 6 and Acting Deputy Administrator, was quoted in Savannah Morning News about EPA’s recently announced power plant rules and how they will affect utilities and consumers.

Ronnie Levin, former EPA Senior Scientist, Region 1, was quoted in The Washington Post about the challenges of implementing national lead pipe replacement standards and working with thousands of utility companies across the country.

Judith Enck, former EPA Region 2 Administrator, co-authored an op-ed with Pamela Miller in Fortune about the UN Plastics Treaty and calls for reduction requirements in plastic production and the phaseout of hazardous plastic chemicals.

Bob Sussman, former EPA Deputy Administrator and Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator, was quoted in Politico about a petition from the Asbestos Disease and Awareness Organization (ADAO) that asserts EPA’s recent ban on asbestos is not strong enough.

Betsy Southerland, former Director of the Office of Science and Technology in EPA’s Office of Water, was quoted in The Port City Daily about the designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances and the clean-up requirements of emitters that accompany the designation.

Tracey Woodruff, former EPA Senior Scientist and Policy Advisor in the Office of Policy, was quoted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about the new Superfund rule, adding that it is a step in the right direction, especially for low income communities and communities of color.

Walter Mugdan, former EPA Region 2 Deputy Regional Administrator and Superfund Director, was quoted in Common Dreams about EPA’s recently finalized rule to hold industrial polluters accountable for PFAS contamination across the country.

Ronnie Levin, former Senior Scientist, Region 1, was quoted in the Washington Post about arsenic contamination in Sunland Park, NM, despite years of sampling and violations.

Brian Swett, EPN Board Member, was appointed by Mayor Michelle Wu to be the City of Boston’s Chief Climate Officer, leading the Environment, Energy, and Open Space (EEOS) Cabinet. Brian is a nationally recognized leader in climate change and sustainability, with more than 20 years of experience working with municipal governments, private sector real estate developers, federal governments, and nonprofits