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Jennifer Ortega, Research Analyst, Environmental Health This past Wednesday, Rhode Island’s Childhood Lead Action Project (CLAP) led a coalition of groups in submitting a civil rights complaint to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against the Providence Water Supply Board (Providence Water), pursuant to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The administrative complaint highlights the discriminatory …

Lauren Ellis, Research Analyst, Environmental Health  We recently submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on a subset of proposed Significant New Use Rules (SNURs) published by the New Chemicals program under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). We commend EPA for issuing these proposed SNURs. Our review of some of the SNURs, however, raised concerns about chemical releases to the environment, risks to consumers,

Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals EDF this week submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), applauding the agency’s recent activities related to its Closer to Zero Action Plan for reducing toxic elements in children’s food and outlining specific steps to strengthen the FDA’s action. The agency’s November 18 public meeting on the …

An upcoming Supreme Court case has major implications for businesses including regulatory certainty, climate commitments and climate risk.

Coal companies and supporting states recently filed opening briefs in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency, a case involving the Trump Administration’s repeal of, and weak replacement for, the 2015 Clean Power Plan regulating carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. Although neither regulation is in effect – indeed, EPA has indicated that it plans to adopt …

Ugbaad Ali, Community Environmental Health Tom Graff Fellow We all deserve to live in a healthy and vibrant community, yet many residents of Flint, Michigan, are overburdened by a lifetime of toxic exposures and environmental injustice. Recently, a coalition of environmental justice groups and community organizers in Flint used their combined power to organize against …

Jennifer McPartland, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist, and Lariah Edwards, Ph.D., is an EDF-George Washington University Postdoctoral Fellow EPA Administrator Michael Regan recently completed a five-day “journey to justice” tour, highlighting communities across three US states that have been adversely affected by decades of chemical and air pollution. EPA’s focus on protecting those whose health is …

Supreme Court Asked to Limit EPA’s Long-Standing Authority to Protect America from Climate Pollution

The U.S. Department of Labor should finalize a rule that will help protect Americans’ retirement funds from the financial risks posed by climate change, according to comments filed today by EDF and other organizations.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to withdraw two answers to frequently asked questions about the responsibilities of property management companies (PMCs) to comply with the agency’s Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule (RRP). EDF applauds the agency’s action, which is consistent with the intent of the rule. The agency’s Federal Register notice explaining …

FERC Allows Spire STL Pipeline to Operate Through Winter as Anticipated

(This post was co-authored by EDF legal fellow Jesse Hevia) The Supreme Court has agreed to review a D.C. Circuit decision that struck down the Trump administration’s rule weakening regulations of carbon pollution from power plants. Here’s a look at what happened – and what might happen next. History of the case In 2019, the …

Lauren Ellis, Research Analyst, Environmental Health Earlier this week, EDF submitted comments to EPA on the agency’s draft scope for the manufacturer-requested risk evaluation of D4 under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This is EPA’s first draft scope under the Biden Administration – providing an opportunity to see where improvements have been made and …

Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director and Maricel Maffini, consultant The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made no apparent progress to comply with the legal requirement that it consider the cumulative effect of chemicals in the diet that have similar health impacts when evaluating the safety of an additive. A year ago, on September 23,

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Lead Senior Scientist. [I delivered a shorter version of these comments at the September 22, 2021 webinar titled “Hair on Fire and Yes Packages! How the Biden Administration Can Reverse the Chemical Industry’s Undue Influence,” cosponsored by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), NH Safe Water Alliance, and EDF.  A recording …

This week EDF experts testified as EPA holds public hearings on its historic proposed rules to reduce methane emissions from both new and existing oil and gas sources across the country.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission affirmed support to allow the Spire STL pipeline to continue operating during the winter months.

EDF demands the utility Spire Missouri and its affiliate, Spire STL Pipeline, immediately halt a misleading public relations campaign.

Heavy-duty standards case resources for freight trailers.

EDF filed a request with the FERC today urging the agency to issue an order on Spire STL Pipeline’s pending request for a temporary emergency certificate.

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case about the EPA's long-standing authority to limit climate pollution from power plants.

The U.S. Supreme Court denied a request to stay the mandate of the unanimous decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals that the approval of the Spire pipeline was unlawful.

EDF rebutted an application to the Supreme Court by Spire to stay the mandate of a unanimous ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

After the D.C. Circuit court vacated Spire STL’s unlawful certificate to operate a 66-mile natural gas pipeline running between Illinois and Missouri in June, Spire last week asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the vacatur decision and hand the company back its permission slip. Not only should the Supreme Court not grant the stay,

Statement by Natalie Karas, Senior Director and Lead Counsel, Environmental Defense Fund