March 5, 2021 — Justice Amy Coney Barrett issued her first signed majority opinion for the Supreme Court on Thursday, siding with the government over an environmental group seeking draft agenda reports about potential harm to endangered species.
$2.8 Million in Grants Awarded in New England to Improve the Health of Long Island Sound
December 9, 2020 — The following was released by the Environmental Protection Agency:
Today, top federal and state environmental officials from New England announced 24 grants totaling $2.8 million to local governments, nongovernmental organizations and community groups to improve Long Island Sound. The grants are matched by $2.3 million from the grantees resulting in $5.1 million in funding for conservation around the Long Island Sound watershed.
Work funded through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) has shown how projects led by local groups and communities make a difference in improving water quality and restoring habitat around the Long Island Sound watershed. The grant program combines funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).
“Long Island Sound is vital to local communities, economies and ecosystems, and these grants will greatly benefit the Sound for years to come,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator Dennis Deziel. “Protecting and restoring Long Island Sound requires a watershed-wide approach and EPA is proud to again support diverse and innovative projects in five of the states that comprise the Sound’s watershed.”
The LISFF 2020 grants will reach more than 670,000 residents through environmental education programs and conservation projects. Water quality improvement projects will treat 5.4 million gallons of stormwater, install 23,000-square-feet of green infrastructure and prevent 3,000 pounds of nitrogen from entering Long Island Sound. The projects will also open 3.7 river miles and restore 108 acres of coastal habitat for fish and wildlife.
Representative Rosa DeLauro, Co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus, added: “The Long Island Sound is one of our most treasured natural resources, and it is vital that we continue to support programs and services that maintain its health and vitality. Having grown up on its shores, the Sound has always held a special place with me, and I am so proud to have the opportunity to work to ensure that its beaches and waters remain places for children and families to enjoy. We have made extraordinary strides, but issues with sewer overflows, stormwater runoff, and other climate change issues challenge us to do more – and so we will. As one of the Long Island Sound Caucus leaders, and the incoming Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, which is the committee that has jurisdiction over all discretionary funding, I am thrilled to have helped provide this funding for a revitalized Long Island Sound. I remain committed to working with NFWF and EPA and with my Congressional colleagues, and the many Long Island Sound advocates here today doing this critical conservation work.”
NEW YORK TIMES: Good News for Salmon, Bad News for Prospectors
December 2, 2020 — The Trump administration’s indifference to the environment and President Trump’s hostility to the laws providing clean water and air, protecting endangered species and keeping public lands and forests free from commercial intrusion have been so unsparing that one had to blink twice at what, finally, after nearly four years, was a piece of undiluted good news.
Yet there it was: a decision by the Army Corps of Engineers to deny a permit for a massive gold and copper mine in Alaska proposed for the headwaters of Bristol Bay, the heart of a multimillion-dollar regional fishing industry. This is a devastating blow for the project and a triumph for conservationists, Native tribes and commercial fishing interests that believed, quite rightly, that the mine and its discharges would not only destroy a delicate marine ecosystem but also gravely threaten one of the richest salmon fisheries in the world.
The project was proposed roughly two decades ago by a Canadian-British mining consortium (only one of the original partners remains) that promised to add 1,000 permanent jobs to Alaska’s struggling economy while unearthing $300 billion in copper, gold and molybdenum. In 2008, the people of Alaska came very close to blocking the proposal in a referendum supported by three former governors, including two Republicans, and the then-powerful dean of the state’s congressional delegation, Senator Ted Stevens. A huge advertising campaign by the mining industry and a last-minute pro-mining push by then-Gov. Sarah Palin turned the tide in the mine’s favor.
Over time, however, the scientific evidence turned decisively against the project, and in 2014 the Environmental Protection Agency determined that even a carefully designed operation, in the words of Gina McCarthy, the E.P.A. administrator, would most likely cause “irreversible negative impacts on the Bristol Bay watershed and its abundant salmon fisheries.”
Senate proposes spending increase at environmental agencies
November 11, 2020 — The Republican-led Senate is proposing modest spending increases for environmental agencies compared to last year’s budget, diverging from proposed cuts that the Trump White House put forward earlier this year.
In its $38 billion Interior-environment spending bill for fiscal 2021, the Senate Appropriations Committee proposed giving about $13.6 billion to the Interior Department and about $9.09 billion to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
That’s up from the $13.5 billion given to Interior last year and the about $9.06 billion appropriated for the EPA in the last fiscal year. The Senate has also proposed increasing the Energy Department’s budget to about $42 billion, an approximately $3.45 billion increase over last year.
The Democrat-led House has also proposed increases for these agencies.
The push by Congress to increase funding for the agencies comes after the White House in February called for cutting the EPA’s budget by 26 percent, the Interior budget by 16 percent and the Energy Department budget by 8 percent.
Administrator Wheeler Releases Trump Administration’s Federal Strategy for Addressing Global Marine Litter
October 19, 2020 — The following was released by The White House:
Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler released the U.S Federal Strategy for Addressing the Global Issues of Marine Litter at an event at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla. At the announcement, Administrator Wheeler was joined by U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Deputy Secretary Mark M. Menezes, White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chairman Mary Neumayr, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (NOAA) and Deputy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator Tim Gallaudet, and EPA Region 4 Administrator Mary Walker.
“Internationally, up to 28 billion pounds of waste makes it into our oceans every year, harming marine life and coastal economies,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Marine litter is a top priority for this Administration, and working together with our global partners, we aim to solve the current growing marine litter problem in our shared oceans.”
“It’s scary to think about how much waste – especially plastic – is polluting our environment. Ocean plastics are destroying ecosystems, killing marine life and littering our beaches,” said Rep. Brian Mast (FL-18). “This is a problem that is only going to get worse until we come together to do something about it. Together with the help of the EPA and other agencies, I’m confident that we can get serious about removing pollution from our environment and preventing it from getting there in the first place. The health of our waterways depends on it.”
“Through our National Laboratories, our universities, and American industry, this program will develop new technologies to keep plastics from entering the ocean, new methods to deconstruct existing plastic waste and upcycle it, and new plastics specifically designed to be recycled,” said Deputy Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes. “While the U.S. is not the world’s driver of the marine plastic problem, we intend to drive the solution.”
“As the Trump Administration continues to advance the nation’s economic, security, and environmental interests, we must address this significant problem impacting the world’s oceans,” said CEQ Chairman Mary Neumayr. “CEQ looks forward to continuing to work with EPA, NOAA, DOE, and all of the Federal agencies to implement this important Strategy.”
“We recognize that the U.S. cannot solve this global problem alone,” said EPA Office of International and Tribal Affairs Assistant Administrator Chad McIntosh. “Oceans are our shared resource and when we all work together we can protect this resource from marine litter while growing key economic sectors such as tourism and fishing.”
“The majority of the plastic pollution that enters the ocean comes from rapidly growing cities in the developing world that lack effective waste-management systems,” said United States Agency for International Development Acting Administrator John Barsa. “As part of President Trump’s vision, the U.S. Agency for International Development is working with local governments, communities, and the private sector in key countries to reduce ocean plastic pollution by strengthening systems to manage solid waste and promoting the ‘3Rs’ (reduce, reuse, recycle).”
“A clean ocean is the bedrock of the American Blue Economy,” said retired Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and deputy NOAA administrator.“NOAA’s Marine Debris Program is a core component of this U.S. Marine Litter Strategy, and we are committed to working with EPA and our partners to address the global issue of marine litter. This work is critical to healthy oceans and the coastal communities and economies that depend upon them.”
“It’s critical for our coastal habitats and economy to ensure our waters remain litter free,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Mary Walker. “This initiative reinforces the Trump Administration’s commitment as a global leader in advocating for cleaner oceans.”
The strategy highlights the federal government’s four pillars for tacking the issue of marine litter: (1) building capacity, (2)incentivizing the global recycling market, (3)promoting research and development, (4)promoting marine litter removal. It also identifies existing U.S. legal authorities and federal programs already underway, such as EPA’s Trash Free Waters program.
THE PROBLEM
Five countries in Asia account for over half of the plastic waste input into the ocean: China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The majority of marine litter comes from land-based sources such as littering and the mismanagement of waste and the most effective way to combat marine litter is to prevent and reduce land-based sources of waste from entering our oceans in the first place. To tackle these issues, the U.S. provides a critical global leadership role in improving waste management and recycling.
SNAPSHOT OF U.S. ACTION
U.S. actions to address sources of marine litter focus on building capacity, incentivizing the global recycling market, promoting research and development, and promoting marine litter removal.
EPA, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are collaborating with the Alliance to End Plastic Waste to implement innovative programs and finance initiatives around the world to provide approaches and tools to countries that are struggling with this problem. This partnership is key to addressing marine litter.
Domestically, through EPA’s Trash Free Waters program, EPA works directly with states, municipalities, and businesses to reduce litter, prevent trash from entering waterways, and capture trash that is already in our waters. We currently have over 50 partnership projects across the country. This year, EPA awarded over $7.8 million to 17 recipients within the Gulf States for innovative projects focused on reducing the amount of litter in our waterways through waste prevention and/or removal. EPA will award an additional $2.1 million through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Trash Free Waters Grant Program established under President Trump to address marine litter within the Great Lakes watershed.
President Trump’s FY21 Budget proposes over $7 million for EPA to address marine litter domestically and internationally through a multiple year budget proposal. The same proposal was included in the FY22 President’s Budget. The funding would allow EPA to expand the international Trash Free Waters program to large source countries, which are located in southeast Asia. The funding would also allow the expansion of the domestic trash free waters program allowing for even more domestic place-based projects.
NOAA’s Marine Debris Program has provided over $24 million in funding to local partners for prevention, removal, and research initiatives to address marine debris. Thus far, the program has resulted in the removal of over 22,000 metric tons of marine debris from U.S. waters, engaged with more than 65,000 students on marine debris prevention activities, developed 12 marine debris response guides and 11 regional action plans.
DOE’s Plastic Innovation Challenge is a comprehensive program to accelerate innovations that will dramatically reduce plastic waste in oceans and landfills and will position the U.S. as a global leader in advanced plastics collection and recycling technologies and in the manufacture of new plastics that are recyclable by design. Building from a foundation of prior investment and capabilities, DOE expanded their efforts in degradation, recycling and upcycling of plastics.
USAID’s $48 million flagship, five-year, global program Clean Cities, Blue Ocean works in rapidly urbanizing countries across Asia and Latin America to target marine plastics directly at their source. It works to improve systems that manage solid waste, build capacity and commitment to the “3Rs” (reduce, reuse, recycle) and promote sustainable social and behavior change.
To read the full strategy, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/
Rep. Don Young says Alaska should be compensated if Army Corps or EPA block Pebble Mine permit
October 9, 2020 — On the Pebble Mine, Congressman Don Young is holding his ground. The state’s sole U.S. House member said Monday that the federal government has no business telling the Pebble Limited Partnership whether it should be allowed to build the proposed copper and gold mine near the headwaters of Bristol Bay.
Rather, Young said he thinks the state should be the one deciding whether or not the mine goes forward. And he says if the Environmental Protection Agency or Army Corps won’t give the mine a federal wetlands permit, the feds should compensate the state for the lost potential.
“I do not like outside influence. This is state land. People forget that — they never mention that, ol’ Tucker [Carlson] on Fox News never said it’s state land. It’s land that was granted to myself and to you and you and you and you and you. And when outside influence takes that land — or the value from the state — they should pay us for it,” Young said at a campaign stop at Ketchikan’s Chamber of Commerce.
His remarks echo what he said in August, when the Army Corps of Engineers announced it would require Pebble to submit plans for extensive environmental mitigation before it would issue a permit.
2020 SPW Registration Now Available
October 9, 2020 — The following was released by Oregon State University:
Agenda
- Welcome
- Oregon Regulatory Updates
- Tiffany Yelton-Bram, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Tim McFetridge, Water Quality Engineer, Ranei Nomura, Western Region Department of Environmental Quality
- Alaska Regulatory Updates
- Jackie Ebert, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
- EPA
- Sally Goodman, Environmental Protection Agency
- Washington and BC Regulatory Updates
- Alan Ismond, P. Eng, Aqua Terra Consultants
- Steven Hammer, P. Eng, SLR Consulting
- Closing remarks
Lobstermen catch break on diesel engine standards
August 20, 2020 — Lobster fishermen are getting a temporary reprieve from federal diesel engine emissions standards because the cleaner running engines needed to power today’s bigger, faster fishing vessels farther and farther offshore have yet to hit the commercial market.
During a visit to Maine on Thursday, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler is expected to announce that lobster and pilot boat builders will have another two to four years to meet low particulate, low nitrogen oxide emissions standards written into the national marine diesel program in 2008. The cleanest engines were to be used in all new large lobster boats by 2017.
“This relief gives boat builders and operators flexibility to meet EPA standards during the next several years,” Wheeler said in a prepared statement. “The larger market for diesel engines can’t build new models quickly enough for marine users – putting these operators in potential violation of pollution rules through no fault of their own.”
Trump Says He’ll Listen to Both Sides on Alaska Mine Project
August 6, 2020 — President Donald Trump said Wednesday he would “listen to both sides” after his eldest son and a campaign adviser urged him to intervene to block a proposed copper and gold mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region.
Donald Trump Jr. on Tuesday agreed with a tweet from Nick Ayers, a former aide to Vice President Mike Pence and a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, expressing hope the president would direct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to block the proposed Pebble Mine.
Trump Jr., in response, wrote: “As a sportsman who has spent plenty of time in the area I agree 100%. The headwaters of Bristol Bay and the surrounding fishery are too unique and fragile to take any chances with.”
The EPA has said the Bristol Bay watershed supports the largest sockeye salmon fishery in the world and contains significant mineral resources. An environmental review released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last month — and assailed by critics as deficient — stated that under normal operations, the alternatives it looked at “would not be expected to have a measurable effect on fish numbers and result in long-term changes to the health of the commercial fisheries in Bristol Bay.”
The corps has yet to make a permitting decision. When it does, it could issue a permit, approve a permit with conditions or issue a denial. The project, should it advance, also would face a state permitting process.
Eating Fish May Protect the Brain From Pollutants
July 15, 2020 — Eating fish could help protect the brain against the detrimental effects of air pollution, a new study suggests.
Previous studies have shown that exposure to the smallest particles of air pollution, called PM 2.5, is associated with decreases in brain volume, which may increase the risk of memory and thinking problems as we age. This new study, published in Neurology, included 1,315 women ages 65 to 80 who underwent brain M.R.I. imaging to determine brain volume.
The participants filled out questionnaires on their fish consumption and had blood tests to determine their levels of omega-3s, the healthy unsaturated fatty acids found in fish. Using data from the Environmental Protection Agency, the researchers tracked three-year levels of air pollution at the women’s addresses.
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