In the News

Mike Shapiro, EPN member and former Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Water, was quoted and EPN was cited in this article regarding EPA’s plan to include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on its contaminant candidate list, potentially placing them under future Safe Drinking Water Act regulations.

Jim Jones, EPN member and former Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, wrote this op-ed discussing the proposed PFAS Action Act, clarifying the importance of a hazardous substance designation for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Cynthia Giles, EPN member and former Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, was interviewed on this podcast discussing how to decrease the rate of non-compliance with environmental laws.

Alexis Strauss, EPN member; former EPA Senior Policy Advisor; and former Acting Regional Administrator, EPA Region 9, was quoted in this article discussing potential ways to speed up the hiring process at EPA.

Stan Meiburg, North Carolina Environmental Management Commission Chairman, EPN member, and former EPA Acting Deputy Administrator, was quoted in this article regarding efforts led by environmental groups to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in North Carolina.

Linda Birnbaum, EPN member, former Director of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and former EPA scientist, was quoted in this article regarding the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in oil and gas drilling and fracking operations. She was quoted in related articles appearing in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and The Allegheny Front.

Frank Princiotta, EPN member and former Director, Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division, EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory, authored this article examining the mitigation actions needed for the United States to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, National Wildlife Federation vice president, 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 concerning efforts by the Biden administration to eliminate “sacrifice zones.”

Judith Enck, EPN member, founder of Beyond Plastics, and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article discussing the influence fossil fuel companies have been exerting on regulatory legislation as they shift to the plastic production market.

Linda Birnbaum, EPN member, former Director of NIEHS, and former EPA scientist, was quoted in this article describing the harmful impacts per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have on human health.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, EPN member and former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization and EPA Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article regarding the significant new funding EPA has allocated towards low-income communities and communities of color most affected by pollution, climate change, and COVID-19.

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 push by environmentalists to get EPA to use Toxic Substances Control Act enforcement authority to protect analytical standards for toxic chemicals.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, EPN member and former Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization and Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article discussing the need for improved access to health care for Black communities in the Appalachian region.

EPN was cited in this article regarding recommendations by environmental groups to designate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as hazardous substances under the the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act (CERCLA).

Judith Enck, EPN member and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article concerning the decision by the Limetree Bay oil refinery, located in St. Croix, to cease operations after facing numerous environmental violations. Judith was also quoted in a similar article in the Associated Press.

Betsy Southerland, EPN member and former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in this article about a push by environmental groups to get EPA to require companies to include analytical standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as part of EPA’s proposed mandate to set TSCA reporting requirements for the chemicals.

EPN members Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, and Linda Birnbaum, former Director of NIEHS and EPA scientist, were quoted in this article regarding the use of foam containing PFAS at a chemical plant fire in Rockton, IL. They were quoted in similar articles appearing in The Chicago Tribune and Newsweek.

Mustafa Santiago Ali, National Wildlife Federation vice president, EPN member, former Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization, and former Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice, was quoted in this article discussing the many low-income and minority communities across the country dealing with compounding natural disasters.

Betsy Southerland, EPN member and former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in this article regarding possible changes the Biden administration could enact to reverse Trump-era exemptions to wastewater pollution from coal-fired power plants.

John Bachmann, EPN member and former Associate Director for Science Policy and New Programs, EPA Office of  Air Quality Standards and Planning, was quoted in this article regarding the disparate impact the 24-hour particulate matter (PM) standards, which target direct sources of PM, have on low-income and minority communities.

John Bachmann, EPN member and former Associate Director for Science Policy and New Programs, EPA Office of Air Quality Standards and Planning, was quoted in this article discussing EPA’s decision to reconsider National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter, which was left unchanged by the Trump administration.

Cliff Villa, EPN member and former EPA attorney, was interviewed in this news segment regarding the progress of environmental justice at the federal level.

Judith Enck, EPN member and former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 2, was quoted in this article discussing possible ways to dispose of existing landfill waste and minimize the production of new municipal waste.

Kevin Minoli, EPN member and former EPA Acting General Counsel, was quoted in this article discussing challenges the Biden administration faces as it considers redefining Waters of the United States.