‘Disruptive’ Shutdown Seen as Crippling EPA Powers and Economy

September 29, 2021 / by

Stephen Lee /

Bloomberg Law

Stan Meiburg, former EPA Acting Deputy Administrator and former Regional Administrator, EPA Regions 4 and 6, and Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, were quoted in this article discussing the possible steps non-essential EPA staff would have to take in the event of a government shutdown.

New York Debates What Really Is, or Isn’t, Recyclable

September 28, 2021 / by

Rick Karlin /

Albany Times Union

Judith Enck, former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article about a proposal by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to do away with specific standards for recyclable material.

Residents of Poestenkill Discuss PFOA-Contaminated Drinking Water

September 28, 2021 / by

Dave Lucas /

WAMC - Northeast Public Radio

Judith Enck, visiting professor at Bennington College, founder of Beyond Plastics, and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article about PFOA contamination of drinking water at a middle school in Rennselaer County, NY.

EPA Targets Potent Greenhouse Gases, Bringing US Into Compliance With the Kigali Amendment

September 27, 2021 / by

Phil McKenna /

Inside Climate News

Cynthia Giles, former Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, was quoted in this article regarding a new rule implemented by the Biden administration that will allow for better tracking of chemical shipments containing hydrofluorocarbons.

EPA Needs a Real Budget to Rebuild, Not a Continuing Resolution to Keep It Running in Place

September 27, 2021 / by

David Coursen /

The Hill

Dave Coursen, former attorney, EPA Office of General Counsel, penned this op-ed about the need for Congress to enact EPA’s budget appropriation so the agency can rebuild and carry out its mission to enhance public health and environmental protections.

Academics, EPA Veterans Seek More and Earlier Data in ‘Tiered’ TSCA Rule

September 27, 2021 / by

Maria Hegstad /

Inside EPA

Tracey Woodruff, Director, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE), University of California, San Francisco; former EPA senior scientist; and former policy advisor, EPA Office of Policy, was quoted in this article discussing a PRHE letter to EPA requesting data earlier, before a chemical is designated high-priority, to minimize information gaps in the Toxic Substance Control Act risk evaluation process.

Industry’s Touting of Citizen Suit Standing Hurdles Appears ‘Optimistic’

September 24, 2021 / by

Dawn Reeves /

Inside EPA

Mark Ryan, former Regional Counsel, EPA Region 10, and former Special Assistant US Attorney, was quoted in this article about some recent lower-court decisions on standing that industry attorneys feel will make it more challenging for environmental groups to file lawsuits.

Biden Makes Early Gains Eroding Trump’s Environmental Legacy

September 23, 2021 / by

Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk /

The Hill

Stan Meiburg, former EPA Acting Deputy Administrator and former Regional Administrator, EPA Regions 4 and 6, was quoted in this article about the progress the Biden administration has made and challenges they have encountered in reversing Trump-era environmental actions.

Biden’s Idealistic UN Message on Climate Change

September 22, 2021 / by

Joel Mintz /

The Hill

Joel Mintz, former EPA Enforcement and Supervisory Attorney, penned this op-ed about President Biden’s recent address on climate change before the UN General Assembly.

Merkley Drafting Asbestos Ban Bill, Working With Republican Daines

September 20, 2021 / by

Maria Hegstad /

Inside EPA

Bob Sussman, Counsel to the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, former Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator, and former EPA Deputy Administrator, was quoted in this article discussing a draft bill that would direct EPA to ban the use of asbestos within one year of the bill’s enactment.

In Texas High Country, Biden’s Effort to Expand Federal Water Protection Meets Resistance

September 20, 2021 / by

James Osborne /

Houston Chronicle

Mike Shapiro, former Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Water, was quoted and EPN was mentioned in this article discussing the importance of including ephemeral and intermittent streams in the definition of “waters of the US” and the need to clarify to farmers which waters are jurisdictional.

‘Come On, It’s 2021’: Advocates Demand Diversity in Hearings

September 17, 2021 / by

Emma Dumain /

E&E News

Mustafa Santiago Ali, Senior 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 about the lack of diversity in witness panels at congressional committee hearings.

Global Action on Harmful PFAS Chemicals is Long Overdue

September 15, 2021 / by

Kristina Marusic /

Environmental Health News

Linda Birnbaum, EPN member, former Director of NIEHS, and former EPA scientist, was quoted in this article about a recent study that proposes global changes to the way per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are regulated and methods that can be used to understand the health impacts of this chemical class.

Carlton Waterhouse is Fighting for Environmental Justice at the EPA — and Getting Called a “Racist”

September 14, 2021 / by

Zahra Hirji /

BuzzFeed

Mustafa Santiago Ali, EPN member, former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization, and former EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article about the Senate-confirmation process for Carlton Waterhouse, nominee for Assistant Administrator of the Office of Land and Emergency Management. He was quoted in a similar article published in The Hill.

U.S. Climate Equity Office Debuts With ‘Teeny-weeny’ Budget

September 13, 2021 / by

Ariel Wittenberg /

E&E News

Linda Birnbaum, EPN member, former Director of NIEHS, and former EPA scientist, was quoted in this article on the limited budget currently allocated to the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity, a newly-created office in the Department of Health and Human Services. A related article was published in Mic.

3M’s Support for PFAS Could Cost Taxpayers Billions of Dollars

September 11, 2021 / by

Jim Spencer /

Star Tribune

Linda Birnbaum, former Director of NIEHS and former EPA scientist, was quoted in this article discussing the steps 3M has taken over the years to stymie effective regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Industry Attorneys Eye Likely Battle Over Scope of PFAS Reporting Rule

September 10, 2021 / by

Diana DiGangi /

Inside EPA

Betsy Southerland, EPN member and former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted and EPN was mentioned in this article discussing the need to include processors of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in EPA’s proposed TSCA reporting rule for PFAS.

The Big Problem With Plastic

September 8, 2021 / by

Kevin Loria /

Consumer Reports

Judith Enck, EPN member, founder of Beyond Plastics, visiting professor at Bennington College, and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article regarding what can be done to increase the amount of plastic recycling, including making plastic producers and sellers responsible for the life cycle of their products and eliminating single-use plastics.

No More ‘Sacrifice Zones.’ Time for Port Houston to Become a Good Neighbor.

September 4, 2021 / by

Allyn West /

Houston Chronicle

Mustafa Santiago Ali, former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization and former EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article discussing how industries should use the infrastructure bill to rebuild trust and improve the lives of the communities they have negatively impacted.

The New Orleans Power Outage Shows How Urgently a Climate-Resilient Power Grid is Needed

September 3, 2021 / by

Robert Verchick /

The Washington Post

Rob Verchick, EPN member; Loyola University law professor; president of the Center for Progressive Reform; and former Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Policy, penned this op-ed outlining steps that could be taken to modernize the nation’s electrical grid and make it more climate-resilient.

Undoing the Trump Water Rule

September 3, 2021 / by

Mark Ryan and Betsy Southerland /

The Hill

EPN members Mark Ryan, former EPA Regional Counsel, EPA Region 10, and former Special Assistant US Attorney, and Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Research and Development, EPA Office of Water, penned this op-ed discussing the recent repeal of the Navigable Waters Protection Rule and what EPA can do to ensure development of a lasting definition of waters of the United States that offers clean water protections for everyone.

How Biden’s Team Rushed to Dump a Trump-era PFAS Assessment

September 1, 2021 / by

E.A. Crunden /

E&E News

Betsy Southerland, EPN member and former Director, Office of Research and Development, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in this article regarding the amount of political interference that was involved in the toxicity assessment of PFBS, a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, and the steps taken early on in the Biden administration to withdraw and replace the assessment.

A Legal Pillar of Environmental Justice is Now Under Attack

January 1, 2021 / by

James Goodwin and Robert Verchick /

The Hill

Rob Verchick, EPN member; Loyola University law professor; president of the Center for Progressive Reform; and former Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Policy, co-authored this op-ed discussing the ways industry has been using the infrastructure bill to attempt to strip the authority of the National Environmental Protection Act.

EPA Defends Controversial PFAS Reporting Provisions at SBA Meeting

August 31, 2021 / by

Diana DiGangi /

Inside EPA

Betsy Southerland, EPN member and former Director, Office of Research and Development, EPA Office of Water, was quoted and EPN was mentioned in this article about EPA’s proposed TSCA reporting rule for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.