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Leading Environmental Group Files Amicus Brief in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo

Nearly 100% of the first round of the U.S. EPA’s Clean School Bus program funding went to electric buses. And for good reason: they reduce local air pollution, lower transportation costs and improve grid resilience.

By John Rutecki As we wrap up a summer of sweltering heat waves and dangerous air quality, new poll results show strong majorities of Pennsylvanians want action to address the climate crisis. The poll from EDF Action, Earthworks Action Fund, Sierra Club and Clean Air Task Force Action found that the majority of Pennsylvanians support …

Statement from Stephanie Jones, Senior Attorney at EDF

Louisiana’s coastal wetlands are disappearing at the rate of a football field every 100 minutes. The state has a plan to get them back. 

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and 16 partner organizations and experts have filed comments to the Office of Management and Budget supporting its proposed guidance for Assessing Changes in Environmental and Ecosystem Services in Benefit-cost Analysis.

The New York Public Service Commission recently approved a certified natural gas pilot program proposed by Con Edison, the gas and electric utility for much of New York City. Under the pilot, Con Edison may pay a premium for limited amounts of natural gas that is purportedly certified as having lower methane emissions than the …

In the face of mounting evidence about the dangers posed by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), one thing is clear: EPA needs to take urgent action to turn off the tap of these “forever chemicals” that have long-term consequences for our health and the environment. As we discussed in a previous blog, it is imperative …

Last legislative session, Oregon’s lawmakers had the opportunity to update Oregon’s statutory climate targets. This would have been the first time that Oregon updated its outdated climate targets in 15 years and would have brought Oregon’s climate goals in line with the level of ambition of President Biden’s national climate targets and from other climate …

EDF Statement from Katelyn Roedner Sutter, California State Director

What’s New? Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) embarked on a critical Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) supplemental risk evaluation of 1,4-dioxane [PDF, 8.7MB]– a highly carcinogenic chemical that contaminates drinking water supplies across the country and is present in products, such as cleaning supplies and personal care products. This draft supplemental risk evaluation represents …

Environmental Defense Fund thanks leaders, as well as businesses, conservation groups and community members, for working to build a more flood-resilient North Carolina. Let’s look at how far we’ve come in the last five years.   The post Five years after Hurricane Florence, EDF looks back at efforts to build resilience in North Carolina first appeared on Growing Returns.

September has arrived, and New York City has again become the epicenter of pivotal climate discussions. Climate Week in New York City — happening alongside the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit, and the Climate Ambition Summit — provides vital opportunities to bolster cooperation, ambition, and implementation ahead of COP28.   …

What’s New? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released and solicited public comments on its draft Cumulative Risk Assessment (CRA) Guidelines for Planning and Problem Formulation. The purpose of a CRA is to determine the combined health and/or environmental risks from multiple stressors and chemicals that can cause the same harms. These guidelines, intended to …

Marine protected areas (MPA) are a conservation tool that sets aside part of the ocean to protect it for long-term conservation, similar to the way a state or national park functions on land. These MPAs are an effective way to preserve biodiversity by protecting ecosystems. But how are they utilized by people, and do they …

New Mexico is falling far short of its climate goals and will achieve less than one-third of the 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 committed to by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham via a 2019 executive order, according to a new analysis from the Environmental Defense Fund.

New Mexico communities know the stakes for climate change are high — hotter and drier conditions threaten public health, livelihoods, and cultural and recreational resources, as they lead to increased drought, extended and more extreme wildfire seasons, and extreme heat. Those impacts are projected to get much worse in the coming decades, without serious and …

Whitepaper prepared for Environmental Defense Fund by partner organization Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) identifies cost-effective pathways for improving affordability for residents of Florida and outlines key opportunities to advance residential energy efficiency.

Statement from Mary Barber, State Director, New York and New Jersey, Environmental Defense Fund

Ian, then Nicole, now Idalia - it’s time to ask ourselves if Florida will be ready when another big storm hits. Here at EDF, the Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds team is focused on building resilience in Florida and ensuring communities are prepared for the increasingly frequent and severe weather events that are predicted. In recent months, there's been a lot of progress – but there’s still a long way to go. Let’s look at how far we’ve come, and ways leaders can further prioritize a more resilient future.   The post It’s nearly one year since Hurricane Ian. Will Florida be ready when another storm hits? first appeared on Growing Returns.

EDF analysis finds that New Mexico will achieve less than one-third of the 45% reduction in climate pollution by 2030 that was committed to by the governor via 2019 executive order.

Today during a special session, Virginia lawmakers voted to finalize amendments to the state’s upcoming fiscal year budget and have made resilience-building programs a greater priority. Once signed by Governor Youngkin, this budget allocates $100 million to the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund and will allow local governments to help property owners finance flood resilience projects and programs across the state.

EDF co-authored study published in the journal Environmental Health evaluated Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) notices that food manufacturers voluntarily submitted to FDA and found that 1) no GRAS notices followed FDA's draft guidance, and 2) there were high risks of bias and conflicts of interest.

By Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals, Klara Matouskova, PhD, Consultant, and Maricel Maffini, PhD, Consultant What Happened? In our new study, we evaluated Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) notices—a total of 403 between 2015-2020—that food manufacturers voluntarily submitted to FDA for review. Our goal was to determine whether industry was adhering to FDA’s Guidance on Best Practices for …

Results were released today for Washington’s third quarterly cap-and-invest auction, which was held on August 30th. The results from this sold-out auction continue to demonstrate strong demand for allowances in this program, which has brought in significant revenue for the state of Washington to reinvest in its communities. These results follow on two previous sold-out …