Complete list of press releases

After admitting to false statements at Congressional hearings in late April, Scott Pruitt continued his pattern of false and misleading statements in testimony before Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.
 

• On the $43,000- phone booth: 
  • Pruitt:  When asked about the phone booth, Pruitt said to fix spending controls “I started a process shortly after finding out.” 
  • The Truth: Pruitt announced new internal spending controls on April 27, 2018, one day after being criticized about the phone booth at House hearings.  But the phone booth story broke on September 17, 2017.   Pruitt waited 222 days after the story broke to implement new internal controls that he is now trying to get credit for.

• On the use of sirens in his motorcade:
  • Pruitt: “I don’t recall” asking that sirens be used in his motorcades (allegations include asking his motorcade to turn on emergency sirens to get to a restaurant.)
  • The Truth:  Senator Udall pointed to an EPA email released today showing that former EPA security chief Pasquale Perrotta said that Pruitt “encourages the use” of motorcade sirens.

“I’m worried you are spending all your time enriching yourself and your friends while betraying your mission to protect human health and the environment, said New Mexico Senator Tom Udall said.  “That is the exact swamp that President Trump was trying to get rid of.”

And unlike the House hearings, not one Republican senator today claimed that the attacks on Pruitt were all about politics and policy differences.

While Pruitt’s deceptions provided highlights, his dangerous attacks on public health and environmental safeguards were not lost on some of the senators. In an opening statement, Senator Udall called Pruitt’s scandals, “a mere sideshow distracting us from the lasting impacts your administration is having on public health and the environment.” Senator Leahy followed, saying, “You’ve flipped the mission of the EPA on its head to protect big polluters instead of the people.”

EDF will continue to unpack the hearing’s most critical moments while encouraging senators from both parties to pursue the many questions that remain unanswered.  

Before the hearing, EDF updated its list of unanswered questions about Pruitt’s controversies:

$43,000 Phone Booth: Last month, Pruitt insisted that he asked for a “secure line” because of a single telephone call. What was so important about that call? And Pruitt went on to admit that such calls are “rare”—if so, why can’t he go to one of EPA’s two other secure phones, as his predecessors did?

• Lobbyist Influence:  Why were lobbyists arranging Pruitt’s overseas trips to places like Morocco and Australia?
• Enforcement: Why did Pruitt try to end EPA funding for Justice Department Superfund enforcement efforts, and cut EPA enforcement against criminal polluters?
• Super-polluting trucks: EPA proposed a loophole for super-polluting trucks, citing an industry-funded study now being investigated for research misconduct. Will it withdraw the proposal?
• Illegal Use of Government staff:  Did Pruitt’s use of his employee Millan Hupp to look for his apartment constitute a gift that it is illegal not to report, as Senator Udall alleged today?
• Demoting Staff: Did Pruitt tell his chief of staff not to come to travel planning meetings after he raised concerns about Pruitt’s travel?
• Kell Kelly: Did Pruitt ever inquire why Kell Kelly—who has now stepped down from the his senior EPA post—was banned for life from banking by the FDIC when he hired him?
• Condo: On the condo lease, why was Stephen Hart’s name originally typed in as “landlord,” but then scratched out and the name of his wife scribbled in?
• Private Jet: Was it Pruitt who sought to have the EPA pay $100,000 per month to rent a private jet, as Trump campaign staffer and EPA Deputy Chief of Staff Kevin Chmielewski claims?
• Morocco Trip: Before traveling to Morocco, why was Pruitt’s only briefing before the trip conducted by political staff, not career staff in the agency’s international affairs office, which typically coordinates foreign trips?
• Lavish Travel:  Newly released EPA documents reveal that Pruitt’s schedule called for him to spend 4 hours during his 2-day trip to Rome in work meetings, but more than 9 hours in private, non-work related meals and private tours of the Apostolic Palace, Vatican Library, and Scavi—as well as a private mass at the Vatican. Why was so much time on this official trip devoted to private interests?
• Oklahoma Travel: As Oklahoma Attorney General, in January 2016 Pruitt traveled to Washington, D.C., costing Oklahoma taxpayers more than $1,000 to meet with the Federalist Society and Club for Growth. Did Pruitt reimburse taxpayers? Did he use taxpayer money for political or personal trips?
• Missing in Action:  On May 7, Axios reported that since Pruitt’s April 26 congressional testimony, “senior staff outside his inner circle have had virtually no idea of his whereabouts.” Is that true?

(Washington, D.C. – May 15, 2018) Environmental Defense Fund and a coalition of the nation’s leading environmental organizations representing millions of members across the nation are challenging EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s attempt to weaken the Clean Car Standards – the successful policy that reduces dangerous air pollution and saves families money on gas.

 

The groups filed a petition for judicial review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today. A coalition of 17 states and the District of Columbia have also asked the court to protect the Clean Car Standards from Pruitt’s unlawful action.

 

“The Clean Car Standards are one of America’s biggest environmental success stories. They’re saving Americans hard-earned money while they’re protecting us from unhealthy pollution and the dangers of climate change,” Vickie Patton, EDF General Counsel. “Scott Pruitt’s attempt to roll back the Clean Car Standards is a reckless maneuver that will result in dangerous pollution and bigger fuel costs for all Americans.”

 

Pruitt’s effort to roll back the clean car standards risks putting two billion tons of additional climate pollution in our air and costing American families $460 billion in savings at the gas pump, according to EDF’s analysis.

 

EPA, the Department of Transportation, and the California Air Resources Board conducted an exhaustive technical review of the auto industry’s ability to meet the Model Year 2022 to 2025 Clean Car Standards. They found extensive evidence that the automotive industry can meet the standards at lower costs than predicted when the standards were initially finalized in 2012.

 

More than two-thirds of American voters support the Clean Car Standards, according to a recent poll by the American Lung Association. Automakers like Ford and Honda have said they do not want a roll back and are committed to working with California on the state clean cars program.

 

Scott Pruitt, however, still released a Final Determination in April that seeks to roll back the Clean Car Standards.

 

EDF and the Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Law Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Public Citizen, Inc., Sierra Club, and Union for Concerned Scientists today asked the court to review and set aside that Final Determination.

A new study published today in the journal Environmental Health shows that differences in traffic-related air pollution are associated with higher rates of heart attacks and deaths from heart disease in the elderly. Scientists from Environmental Defense Fund and Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s Division of Research combined data from the nonprofit’s block-by-block study of air pollution in Oakland, CA, with 6 years of electronic health records from more than 40,000 local residents to evaluate the impacts of air quality between neighbors, people who live on the same street or within a few blocks of each other at an unprecedented resolution.

Specifically, the study shows that 3.9 parts per billion higher NO2 concentrations are associated with a 16 percent increased risk of diagnosed heart attacks, surgery or death from heart disease among the elderly and 0.36 microgram per meter cube higher black carbon concentrations are associated with a 15 percent increased risk of having a cardiac event and/or dying from coronary heart disease among the same population. 

The effect estimates of street-level neighborhood differences in long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution on cardiovascular events in the general population of adults, were consistent with results found in previous studies, though not statistically significant. The associations among the elderly add to a growing body of evidence indicating higher susceptibility to air pollution.

In 2017, EDF revealed the results of our work with Google Earth Outreach, which deployed Google Street View cars to create one of the largest, most spatially precise datasets of mobile air pollution measurements ever assembled and mapped the differences in air quality within Oakland It also revealed unexpected variation in air pollution within smaller neighborhoods and even individual city blocks. This latest study combines that highly resolved air map with Kaiser Permanente’s health records to determine the health impacts of unhealthy air on the streets outside residents’ homes.

EDF is also visualizing these results in new maps, which show pollution associated relative risk for residents living in specific parcels. 

“With 80 percent of the US population living in urban areas and cardiovascular disease contributing to one in six heath care dollars spent, it is critical that we better understand what is driving health disparities in cities,” said Ananya Roy, EDF Health Scientist and a co-author of the study. “Local action requires local information. While researchers have been able to study air pollution and health effects across populations in large neighborhoods, towns or cities, accurately evaluating and quantifying risks from air pollution at street level has been elusive until now. 

“Our study shows the power of comprehensive health records for conducting cutting edge environmental health research,” said Stacey Alexeeff, lead author of the study and Research Scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research. “We’ve broken new ground by analyzing the health impact of air pollution on the city block scale for the first time.”

This research is part of EDF’s effort to advance the science behind air quality monitoring, using an emerging wave of environmental innovation to make pollution not only visible but actionable. EDF is not only tracking and measuring air pollution, but also bringing academia, industry, community groups and the public sector together to develop solutions and take these ideas to scale. EDF is already working on future air pollution mapping projects and will assess the health impacts of local pollution in new locations as well.

“As EDF builds on our research by expanding to other communities and exploring other kinds of data we can collect and analyze, we’ll be able to more accurately pinpoint environmental threats and do so in a way that’s scalable,” said Steven Hamburg, Chief Scientist at EDF. “We hope to empower people with this new information, driving solutions that improve the health of millions.” 
 

(BATON ROUGE) Today, the Fiscal Year 2019 Coastal Annual Plan passed unanimously on the Louisiana Senate floor – its last stop during this 2018 regular session. This plan is the annual funding vehicle that supports the implementation of the 2017 Coastal Master Plan, the 50-year vision for priority coastal restoration and risk-reduction projects to restore and protect Louisiana’s coast. 

National and local conservation groups working together to address Louisiana’s land loss crisis – Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, the National Wildlife Federation, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana – released the following statement:

“We have no time to lose when it comes to addressing Louisiana’s land loss crisis. Our state needs projects turning dirt, and quickly, if we are to avoid a future where we lose an additional 4,000 square miles of our coast. The legislature’s unanimous approval of the Coastal Annual Plan recognizes that urgency. Delay is not an option.

“Louisiana again has demonstrated how it is a global leader in dealing with land loss and planning for its future. The state continues to demonstrate a true commitment to putting science ahead of politics and acknowledging that – despite geography, political party or background – we are all united in combating a common enemy: continued coastal land loss.”

(Washington, D.C. – May 10, 2018) The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) sued the Department of the Interior today for failing to release documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

EDF filed FOIA requests for documents related to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s efforts to undermine the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Waste Prevention Standards, common sense protections that have important benefits for western and tribal communities. The public comment period for Zinke’s proposal to suspend the standards started, and then ended, while these FOIA requests were still pending.

“BLM’s Waste Prevention Standards save valuable natural gas, reduce harmful air pollution, and provide economic benefits to communities across the West. Americans have a right to know about their government’s actions about the Waste Prevention Standards, and the Department of the Interior’s failure to release public documents deprives them of that right,” said Peter Zalzal, Lead Attorney for Environmental Defense Fund.

BLM’s Waste Prevention Standards require oil and gas companies operating on federal and tribal lands to take common sense measures to reduce preventable leaks of natural gas. Between 2009 and 2015, those companies wasted enough natural gas to supply more than 6.2 million homes for an entire year. The waste of natural gas on public and tribal lands costs taxpayers millions of dollars in royalties and allows large amounts of unhealthy pollution into our air – including methane, which is a potent driver of climate change.

In November, EDF filed FOIA requests for communications about the standards between the Department of the Interior and oil and gas companies and trade associations, among other documents. The deadline for responding to the FOIA requests has passed, but the Department of the Interior has not released any responsive records.

Today, EDF filed a lawsuit in federal court in the District of Columbia to secure the release of those documents. The Emmett Environmental Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School is representing EDF in the case.

EDF is also defending the Waste Prevention Standards in cases before the U.S. District Court in Wyoming and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and is involved in litigation in the U.S. District Court in California over BLM’s unlawful decision to delay the standards.

You can find more information about litigation on the BLM Waste Prevention Standards – including all legal documents – on EDF’s website. You can also find more information about EDF’s FOIA requests on our website.

Environmental Leaders to Auto CEOs: Clean Car Standards Are a Win-Win
 
Washington, D.C. – Ahead of tomorrow’s planned auto industry meeting with President Donald Trump, environmental leaders urged carmakers to side with Americans who want cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles by opposing the administration’s plans to roll back the Clean Car Standards.
 
“When you meet with President Trump on Friday, we ask that you stand with the majority of Americans who want cleaner, more fuel efficient cars and cleaner air. We ask that you oppose any rollback of the fuel economy and climate pollution standards and support working in concert with California’s clean cars program,” reads the letter, which was signed by leaders of the League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
 
Major carmakers are slated to attend the White House meeting tomorrow. The Clean Car Standards are overwhelmingly popular, will reduce climate pollution by 6 billion tons, and will save Americans more than $1 trillion at the gas pump.
 
“These standards are working exactly as they were designed to do – they are protecting our health and climate, driving innovation, saving Americans money at the gas pump, and reducing our reliance on oil. And you have been meeting these standards while enjoying record profits. They are truly a win-win,” the environmental leaders say in the letter.  
 
The full letter can be found here and below.

Mrs. Mary T. Barra 
Chairman and CEO 
General Motors Company 

Mr. Sergio Marchionne 
Chairman and CEO 
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US

Mr. James P. Hackett 
President and CEO 
Ford Motor Company

Mr. Toshiaki Mikoshiba 
President and CEO 
American Honda Motor Co.

Mr. James Lentz 
CEO 
Toyota Motor Sales, USA

Mr. Anders Gustafsson 
Senior Vice President, Americas 
Volvo Car Group

Mr. Fred Diaz 
President and CEO 
Mitsubishi Motors North America

Mr. Bernhard Kuhnt 
CEO 
BMW of North America

Mr. Thomas J. Doll 
President and COO 
Subaru of America

Mr. Hinrich J. Woebcken 
President and CEO 
Volkswagen Group of America 

Mr. Dietmar Exler 
President and CEO 
Mercedes-Benz USA

Mr. Masahiro Moro 
President and CEO 
Mazda North American Operations 

Dr. Ralf Speth
CEO 
Jaguar Land Rover North America

Mr. Denis Le Vot 
Chairman and Senior Vice President 
Nissan North America

Mr. Kyung Soo Lee 
President and CEO 
Hyundai Motor America 

Mr. SeungKyu (Sean) Yoon 
President and CEO 
Kia Motors America

Dear Auto Executives, 
 
On behalf of our over 10 million members and supporters, who are your customers, we strongly oppose any rollback of the fuel economy and climate pollution standards or any attack on state authority to address tailpipe pollution. These standards are working exactly as they were designed to do – they are protecting our health and climate, driving innovation, saving Americans money at the gas pump, and reducing our reliance on oil. And you have been meeting these standards while enjoying record profits. They are truly a win-win.
 
Curbing pollution from the transportation sector could not be more important in our fight against climate change, as this sector is now America’s largest source of climate pollution. The fuel economy and climate pollution standards would save nearly 2.5 million barrels of oil a day by 2030, save Americans $1 trillion, and reduce climate change pollution by 6 billion metric tons.
 
What’s more, rolling back the fuel economy and climate pollution standards is out of step with the vast majority of the people in this country who are your consumers. Recent polling shows strong support for the existing standards. And 87 percent of Americans — across party lines — want automakers to continue to improve fuel economy.
 
When you meet with President Trump on Friday, we ask that you stand with the majority of Americans who want cleaner, more fuel efficient cars and cleaner air. We ask that you oppose any roll back of the fuel economy and climate pollution standards and support working in concert with California’s clean cars program.

Sincerely,

Gene Karpinski
President
League of Conservation Voters

Fred Krupp
President
Environmental Defense Fund

Rhea Suh
President
Natural Resources Defense Council

Michael Brune
Executive Director
Sierra Club

Ken Kimmell
President 
Union of Concerned Scientists

“On Tuesday, Wendy Hartley and Cindy Wynne – both of whom lost their sons to methylene chloride exposure – met with members of Congress and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, asking that use of this deadly chemical in paint and coating removal products be banned.

“We are encouraged that today EPA has decided to reverse course and move forward to finalize its proposed rule banning methylene chloride in these products. We are also encouraged that EPA is not re-evaluating the paint stripping uses of methylene chloride and is relying on its previous risk assessments, which found very high risks to consumers and workers from these products.

“It needs to be noted that EPA’s statement falls short of committing to finalize a ban. It is vitally important that EPA move quickly to implement a ban, and that includes ensuring necessary administrative procedures are followed to guarantee a permanent ban and that these products are promptly removed from store shelves. We, and families all across this country, will be watching closely to make sure this Administration delivers on today’s promise from Administrator Pruitt.

“The credit for any step forward here belongs entirely to the brave members of the Hartley, Wynne, and Atkins families who, to honor their sons and protect all of us, fought to ban this deadly chemical. They received important support from Senators Graham, Carper, Scott, and Udall, and Representatives Sanford, Pallone, DeGette, Tonko, Lowey, and others.

“We will delay any celebration until paint strippers containing this deadly chemical are actually off the market. There are a number of steps that now must be taken in order to effectively finalize and implement this ban.

“But if methylene chloride in paint strippers is effectively removed from the marketplace, it will be a good day for American families.”

--Dr. Sarah Vogel, VP, Health, Environmental Defense Fund

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today filed joint and individual comments recommending specific actions the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) should take to support a cleaner and more affordable, reliable, and resilient electric grid.

The current action stems from the misguided coal and nuclear bailout the U.S. Department of Energy proposed in 2017. FERC rightly rejected the proposal in January 2018 and asked regional grid operators to assess the current state of resilience measures already in place. In March, grid operators submitted reports to FERC that generally concluded the grid is resilient, and uneconomic coal and nuclear plants are not necessary to keep the lights on. EDF’s comments today support these conclusions and provide a set of recommendations on improving resilience that are cost-effective, market-driven, and customer-centric.

“Customers pay the biggest price when the lights go out, through electricity bills and other harm to their health and property. And since most outages occur due to damages on the poles and wires that deliver Americans electricity, focusing resilience improvements on this part of the grid will ensure customers recover quickly and cost-effectively.”

• Michael Panfil, Director of Federal Energy Policy and Senior Attorney

NEWS RELEASE

“These two families came to Washington to tell their stories to Mr. Pruitt and members of Congress. Each family has suffered a tragic loss because a chemical that should be banned remains on the market. 

“Methylene chloride, an ingredient in paint strippers, has taken the lives of scores of Americans. Despite strong scientific evidence that these products should be taken off the market, Administrator Pruitt shelved a proposed ban and put its consideration on a slow track. The families met with Mr. Pruitt to plead with him to act before more Americans are hurt by a deadly chemical still legally sold every day in home improvement stores. 

“Mr. Pruitt has the authority to immediately ban the chemical in paint strippers. After years of extensive scientific review, a proposed ban was moving forward when he took office, yet he continues to insist on delay — exposing more Americans to this dangerous chemical every day. It is long past time to do the right thing and take this deadly product off the shelves.”

— Sarah Vogel, Vice President, Health, Environmental Defense Fund

Quote from the Wendy Hartley:

“While we were pleased that Mr. Pruitt met with us, we are deeply disappointed that he has chosen not to take immediate action. We are not political people. Our only interest is to prevent this terrible and preventable tragedy from happening to others. There is no excuse for inaction. Lives are on the line. I pray no more parents are forced to go through what we have.”

Quote from Cindy Wynne:

“We appreciate that Administrator Pruitt took time to meet with us, but his words of consolation and explanation are — sadly — not nearly enough. With every delay, thousands more Americans buy and use paint strippers containing methylene chloride — risking death each time. We are here to ask for action, in the name of our sons and of all the families who may someday find themselves making the same plea.”

(CHICAGO, IL) The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) today approved Ameren Illinois’ voltage optimization plan, which will reduce energy consumption and system losses, save customers money, and help the downstate electric utility meet its energy efficiency goals.

To ensure appropriate voltage levels are maintained for all customers on a given electric line, utilities typically maintain voltage levels at the upper end of the acceptable range. With the advent of new, cost-effective sensors, controls, and communication systems, Ameren Illinois can now maintain voltage levels at a lower acceptable voltage level throughout an electric line, which will reduce unneeded energy usage and system losses. By lowering the voltage with sensors and controls, customers only use the energy they need, which lowers electricity bills and helps build a cleaner, more efficient energy system.

Ameren Illinois’ plan exceeds the voltage optimization requirements established by the Future Energy Jobs Act, the historic clean energy legislation Illinois passed in 2016. Additionally, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Ameren Illinois, Environmental Defense Fund, the Citizens Utility Board, Natural Resource Defense Council, ICC staff, and other stakeholders, the plan includes agreed-upon methods and an updated timeline for measuring results. Additionally, Ameren Illinois will prioritize lowering voltage on electric lines in low-income communities.

“Voltage optimization is another step in our long-range plan to build a smarter grid and drive energy efficiency in central and southern Illinois. We’re excited to implement these system enhancements in communities and neighborhoods whose residents will benefit the most.”

• Richard J. Mark, Chairman and President, Ameren Illinois

“Voltage optimization is a smart way for utilities to cut energy waste, leading to cleaner air and lower electricity bills for Illinoisans. Ameren Illinois’ plan represents a big step forward on efficiency, especially for those who stand to benefit the most.” 

• Christie Hicks, Senior Attorney, Clean Energy, EDF

“We are pleased that Ameren Illinois has taken a key step toward making its power grid more efficient and affordable. We look forward to working with the utility to find even more ways to improve efficiency and reduce electric bills for customers across Central and Southern Illinois.”

• David Kolata, Executive Director, CUB  

“Although most people have likely never heard of voltage optimization, it is a simple and cost-effective solution will have widespread benefits for Ameren Illinois’ customers. Today’s ICC order will also help Ameren Illinois find innovative and low cost solutions using voltage optimization for even more customer savings in the future.”

• Toba Pearlman, staff attorney and clean energy advocate, NRDC

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 2, 2018) – The U.S. Department of Interior today began releasing draft revised federal plans for the greater sage-grouse. Among other changes, the plans propose to walk back requirements to offset impacts on federal lands – one of the key protections put in place to avoid an Endangered Species Act listing in September 2015. Mitigation rules and responsibilities for the bird could now fall to western states.

“Our biggest concern is that, by allowing each state to set its own standard for mitigation, there may be temptation for some states to favor oil and gas extraction over habitat protection. These are federal lands that belong to all Americans, and federal rules and statutes apply.

“States should maintain a strong advisory role in setting wildlife protection standards, but it is the responsibility of the Bureau of Land Management to provide strong and consistent standards across federal lands. It cannot outsource the protection of critical national assets. Doing so only increases pressure on states and puts the greater sage-grouse at risk of being added to the endangered species list.

“Instead of fulfilling his responsibility to protect America’s natural resources and heritage, Secretary Zinke is shirking his duties and letting this important role fall to states. Without consistent federal standards or requirements, some states may fall short.”

• Eric Holst, associate vice president of working lands at Environmental Defense Fund

Washington, D.C. – May 1 2018) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today identified certain areas across the country that meet or exceed the nation’s health-based standards for ground-level ozone, more commonly known as smog. The long-overdue and still incomplete action comes in response to a court order requiring EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to begin implementing the life-saving standards for most areas by April 30th.
 
Officially called “final area designations,” the identifications are an important first step for communities that are trying to reduce their air pollution levels.
 
“Today’s action is important to ensure that Americans know about air pollution problems near their homes, and to help communities begin the process of cleaning up the air,” said U.S. District Court ordered the agency to move forward with the designations in response to a lawsuit filed by a broad coalition of states as well as EDF and other health and environmental groups.
 
In today’s announcement, EPA identified 51 areas in 22 states and two tribal areas that do not meet the 2015 Ozone Standards.
 
However, EPA declared some areas as meeting the standard even though they had previously determined that they did not. EPA has also not yet announced final area designations for other places. For instance, eight counties in the San Antonio, Texas area will not be designated until July. Yesterday EDF

States File Legal Challenge to EPA Clean Cars Rollback

(Washington, D.C. - May 1, 2018) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a list of regions no longer in compliance with the nation’s Clean Air Act due to high levels of ozone pollution. 

Ozone is a common problem in larger, densely populated cities, but it is often less prevalent in more rural parts of the country. Utah’s Duchesne and Uintah counties – each with populations under 40,000 — have high ozone levels largely due to pollution from oil and gas activity in the region. Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and airway inflammation. It also can reduce lung function and harm lung tissue. Ozone can worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma, leading to increased medical care. A 2013 industry-funded study showed that oil and gas development is responsible for 98% of ozone-forming volatile organic compounds in the Uinta Basin. These areas will now be required to restore air quality to healthier levels. These emissions have also worsened air quality in Dinosaur National Monument and could negatively affect Utah’s tourism economy.

“High ozone levels jeopardize public health, and we need to do everything we can to protect communities from breathing harmful air pollution. By implementing simple, straight-forward pollution standards for the oil and gas sector, the state of Utah and the Environmental Protection Agency can deliver major clean air benefits for people in Duchesne and Uintah counties. These measures will also help to diversify and strengthen the local economy. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality has made gains in recent months to update the state’s oil and gas policies, but this progress must continue to restore healthy air quality to Utah’s families.”

•    Jon Goldstein, Director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs, Environmental Defense Fund
 

(April 27, 2018) News reports now say the Trump administration plans to attack the state clean cars program that helps provide cleaner air and healthier, longer lives for millions of Americans.

 

“The state clean car standards are a tremendous American success story. They save families money at the gas pump, inspire the technological innovation that leads to jobs and economic growth, help us address the growing threat of climate change, and help ensure that we breathe cleaner and healthier air,” said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). “If these reports are correct, the health of Californians and millions of other Americans across the country are in danger. We will vigorously fight for their right to protect their children and their communities from dangerous tailpipe pollution.”

 

The Clean Cars program the administration is reportedly targeting helps protect 113 million people in California and 12 other states across the nation.

 

The authority for a state clean cars program was forged in our nation’s clean air laws and has been recognized for more than half a century. Never in our nation’s history has there been an attempt to revoke a state’s right to these protections.

 

Automakers like Ford and Honda have made public statements saying they do not want the clean cars standards weakened and are committed to working with California.

 

Just yesterday, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt denied such actions were imminent when he testified before Congress. Pruitt was asked if EPA intends to begin proceedings to revoke California’s authority to set its own clean cars standards. He replied, “not at present.” (See C-SPAN video at 1:49:56)

 

“Children and communities all across California are afflicted by tailpipe pollution, and cleaner cars are essential for our efforts to protect public health. This assault on the safety and well-being of our children and families is unlawful and immoral,” said Quentin Foster, EDF Director, California Climate.