Complete list of press releases

(WASHINGTON, DC) Global oil and gas giant BP today announced its first quantitative methane target as part of several climate initiatives outlined in BP’s Energy Transition report. In a carbon-constrained economy, the climate footprint of oil and natural gas companies becomes an increasingly important metric for investors, policy makers, and civil society alike. A recent Environmental Defense Fund analysis provides critical guidance for operators and other stakeholders on setting and evaluating corporate targets.

“The stringency and immediacy of BP’s initial methane target is constructive. However, going forward, it is necessary that BP expand coverage by including emissions from all oil and gas activities.

“Methane targets are a critical component in risk management and an important public marker for an industry under increasing scrutiny to pursue climate solutions. Verifiable, empirical data and transparency are essential to the credibility of any emissions management program.”

·Ben Ratner, Senior Director, EDF+Business

The International Energy Agency reports that more than half of upstream methane emissions come from oil production activities. As more energy companies and industry coalitions develop methane targets, it is essential that upstream methane emissions from both the oil and gas sides of the business are included in order for targets to be credible and effective long-term.

WASHINGTON, DC – House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-Texas) yesterday released the text of the next farm bill, with committee markup expected next week.

“Overall, the farm bill’s conservation title reflects the long, bipartisan history of farm bills. We urge the committee to proceed with a similar approach for the entire bill and to stay within its jurisdiction. The Endangered Species Act, for example, should not be shoehorned into a farm bill.

“Farm bill conservation programs provide critical protection for land, water and wildlife, plus economic opportunities for producers. The bill takes steps in the right direction by increasing funding for voluntary, incentive-based conservation – a win for farmers and the environment. Such steps include streamlining public-private partnerships and focusing on soil health and water quality.

• The Regional Conservation Partnership Program will receive $250 million per year in mandatory funding and be updated to incentivize collaboration between a broad range of stakeholders including agricultural retailers, nonprofit organizations and corporations.
• The bill directs at least 10 percent of program dollars to be spent on source water protection, which is an important step for the long-term sustainability of farm productivity and the environment.

“We look forward to working with Chairman Conaway, Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and members of the committee to improve the bill, deliver measurable conservation results at scale and make the best use of taxpayer dollars.”

• Callie Eideberg, Senior Policy Manager, Sustainable Agriculture

(LONDON, United Kingdom – 13 April 2018) The Maritime Environment Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has agreed an initial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction strategy, requiring international shipping to reduce total annual GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050, compared to 2008 levels, and to peak emissions as soon as possible. 
 
Although the quantified target is not in line with the Paris Agreement, the deal reached this week will still drive investments to help reduce the shipping sector’s emissions – currently representing 2.6% of annual global emissions, equivalent to Germany’s. 
 
The target falls short of the pleas from small island nations, which are the most vulnerable to the damaging effects of climate change, and the calls of EU Member States and international NGOs, including the Environmental Defense Fund, for a target that would be more in line with the Paris Agreement’s goals of a 70-100% emissions reduction by 2050. However, the target is backed by a pledge to peak shipping emissions as soon as possible and EDF is committed to promoting effective policies and measures to help reduce the shipping sector’s climate impacts. 

“The shipping sector’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction target represents an important step forward. The IMO has been talking about climate change for twenty years but the strategy agreed this week marks the beginning of a focused debate about the policies and measures that will help the shipping sector modernise and regain the status of a clean and efficient mode of transport. The target falls short on ambition, but should be sufficient to drive policy development and consequently investment in clean fuels and technology. EDF remains committed to working with stakeholders including those in the industry to find the ways that will work in order to peak shipping emissions as soon as possible.” 

• Aoife O’Leary, Legal Analyst, EDF Europe

(WASHINGTON, DC) A new analysis from the Environmental Defense Fund titled,“Taking aim: Hitting the mark on oil and gas methane targets” presents the business and environmental case for oil and gas companies to set sound methane targets. Natural gas, or methane, has emerged as the potent paradox for the energy industry. How companies manage preventable oil and gas methane emissions will determine the climate credibility of natural gas.

Methane is a fundamental challenge for the global oil and gas industry because of how much industry emits and how intensely methane impacts warming. Methane is responsible for one quarter of the warming we experience today and the oil and gas industry is one of its largest manmade sources. With proven, low-cost technology solutions, minimizing methane emissions is a strategic opportunity that industry and society cannot afford to miss.

“Setting strong methane emission targets can help oil and gas producers differentiate themselves on climate and compete with other energy options,” said Ben Ratner, EDF Director and lead author of the paper. “Producers must prioritize methane emissions from both oil and gas production to credibly address the full scope of the problem.”

Last year, several oil and gas industry leaders committed to tackle their methane emissions and have released or made plans to announce reduction targets soon. This paper comes at a key moment in the debate over whether gas can play a constructive role in the low-carbon economy.

“Setting and achieving methane emission reduction targets is critical to a stable climate future,” said Michael Cappucci, a Senior Vice President at Harvard Management Company. “EDF’s report provides a framework for strong, attainable methane emissions targets to help investors assess their investment choices.”

>Only six companies, representing three percent of global oil and gas production report quantitative methane emissions goals, according to the paper. Companies face increasing pressure from a wide variety of stakeholders to demonstrate sincerity on climate action. As  leaders in industry take important steps to answer their calls, EDF’s paper provides five key criteria for companies to craft robust methane targets, and for stakeholders to evaluate them.

The analysis makes five recommendations, one of which is that methane targets feature broad coverage across operations and geographies. This includes a focus on reducing oil methane emissions – data indicates that roughly half of industry’s upstream methane problem stems from oil development. Failure by industry to account for and adequately address oil side emissions in addition to the methane associated with marketed gas undercuts the long-term effectiveness of methane reduction strategies.

Further, the paper provides recommendations on absolute versus intensity-based targets, timeline to achieve reductions and the need for consistent, verifiable and robust data to evaluate progress over time.

A diverse group of industry experts – including institutional investors in Europe and the United States – served as peer-reviewers of the paper, representing the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy, Harvard Management Company, Hermes Investment Management, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Rocky Mountain Institute and other organizations.

(TRENTON, NJ) The New Jersey legislature today approved a clean energy bill that will create jobs, cut pollution, and set New Jersey on a path to becoming a national clean energy leader. The bill will spur the state’s economy and benefit New Jerseyans by requiring the state to meet 50 percent of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2030 and launching community solar and energy efficiency programs. State residents and businesses will see annual savings of up to $200 million from energy efficiency initiatives alone. A drop in emissions equivalent to taking approximately 170,000 cars off the road each year is expected overall.

“The legislature’s bold leadership will make New Jersey a hub of innovation and opportunity in the clean energy economy once again. This bill will give the state a much needed roadmap to slash energy waste, boost renewables and protect public health.”
 

• Mary Barber, Director, New Jersey Clean Energy

(NEW YORK, NY) Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp today announced plans to develop and launch a new satellite purpose-built to identify and measure methane emissions from human-made sources worldwide, starting with the oil and gas industry. Data from MethaneSAT is intended to give both countries and companies robust data to spot problem areas, identify savings opportunities, and measure their progress over time.

Krupp unveiled MethaneSAT in a TED Talk at TED’s flagship event in Vancouver, British Columbia, as part of The Audacious Project, successor to the TED Prize. MethaneSAT is part of the inaugural round of world-changing ideas for which a coalition of philanthropists have contributed and helped raise $400 million and counting. MethaneSAT is the newest chapter in EDF’s ongoing effort to advance peer-reviewed science focused on oil and gas methane emissions.

“Cutting methane emissions from the global oil and gas industry is the single fastest thing we can do to help put the brakes on climate change right now, even as we continue to attack the carbon dioxide emissions most people are more familiar with,” Krupp said. “By providing reliable, fully transparent data on a worldwide scale, MethaneSAT will help transform a serious climate threat into a crucial opportunity.”

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas; emissions from human activities are responsible for a quarter of the warming our planet is experiencing. The oil and gas industry is one of the leading sources of human-made emissions, releasing an estimated 75 million metric tons of methane into the atmosphere each year – enough gas to generate electricity for all of Africa twice over.

Simple, cost-effective steps can cut these emissions dramatically. The International Energy Agency estimates the industry can feasibly reduce its worldwide emissions by 75 percent – and that up to two thirds of those reductions can be achieved at zero net cost.

“Years of data gathered by earth-bound researchers confirm that the oil and gas industry has a serious methane issue. We also know that it’s possible to solve it, and some companies are starting to,” said Mark Brownstein, EDF Senior Vice President for Climate & Energy. “But the pace today doesn’t match the size of the problem. We need to go much farther, much faster. Data from MethaneSAT will give everyone involved a crucial tool to accelerate the process.”

MethaneSAT will involve significant advances on existing technology, in both the design of the instrument on the satellite and the data processing solutions necessary to turn its vast stream of raw data into actionable science that oil and gas companies, governments, investors and others can use to shape and evaluate emissions reduction strategies.

Project Leadership

To get the project off the ground, EDF has hired Tom Ingersoll, a successful satellite entrepreneur with three decades of experience. Ingersoll was previously CEO of Skybox Imaging and Universal Space Network, a global satellite ground-station services company. He started his career in the PhantomWorks of McDonnell Douglas Corporation, where he led advanced technology projects in satellite and rocket systems.

“Advances in space technology have put satellite projects within reach of any organization with the focus and the will. I am so impressed with EDF and their vision to take on a project of this scale and impact,” said Ingersoll. “EDF has assembled the right partners with a strong vision and the ability to execute. The potential impact of the MethaneSAT mission has attracted the top talent in the industry to help successfully execute our vision.”

Work on the mission is well under way, with the goal to lift off in late 2020 or early 2021. EDF has partnered with Harvard University and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory to complete the basic science and technical strategies for the mission, and expect to complete final mission requirements and set a launch schedule later this year. These critical early stage efforts were made possible by support from the Robertson Foundation.

MethaneSAT is designed to measure areas of interest with a level of precision not previously available. It will use a wide, 200 kilometer view path at intervals of seven days or less, making it feasible to regularly monitor roughly fifty major oil and gas regions accounting for over 80% of global production. MethaneSAT will also be capable of measuring emissions from feedlots, landfills, and other man-made methane sources.

“Our analysis at IEA has consistently emphasized that an effective response to the problem of methane emissions requires good data,” said Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency “Today’s announcement is a major step forward, and continues EDF’s pioneering work in seeking to tackle these emissions worldwide.”

The project defies current paradigms in orbital detection. Most satellites originate either from research and space organizations as large-scale projects requiring multi-purpose platforms, or from private sector ventures selling data to corporate and government users. MethaneSAT combines the economic advantages of each model.

Turning Data into Action

As a core part of the project design, EDF plans to make MethaneSAT data available for free to stakeholders and the public, engagingthe oil and gas industry, key governments, institutional and individual investors, and regional and global institutions to ensure sustained long-term data analysis and integration of the results into their thinking on emissions mitigation and verification.

“We believe in the power of cutting-edge science to change the world, producing actionable data that can greatly increase businesses’ and government’s ability to make effective policy decisions,” said Dr. Steven Hamburg, EDF’s Chief Scientist. “Transparent data that shows where there are problems and opportunities creates faster and more effective solutions; that’s the goal we’re after.”

EDF has organized an extensive and influential body of scientific work on methane, including a five-year, $20 million series of studies involving more than 140 researchers from over 40 institutions, examining every link in the U.S. oil and gas supply chain. The research, which has generated 35 peer-reviewed scientific papers, shows that emissions are significantly higher than previously estimated. EDF has also examined the industry’s emissions in Canada and Mexico.

“Methane emissions, especially from the oil and gas sector, are a huge driver of climate change. To help companies and countries cut these emissions faster, we need better data that will enable quick, cost effective action,” said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment. “EDF’s MethaneSAT project will help fill this gap, and make us that much smarter as we tackle this threat.”

EDF has also engaged with ten oil and gas companies representing 20% of worldwide production that together formed the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) around methane issues, and worked with governments and industry to catalyze the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP), a coalition of eight global producers committed to better reporting to reduce methane emissions.

EDF, OGCI, and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) are collaborating on a series of new peer-reviewed studies to measure oil and gas methane emissions in key locations across the globe, which will complement the data collected by MethaneSAT.

(Portland, Oregon – April 11, 2018) A major West Coast fishery that was declared a federal disaster in 2000 could add new jobs, increase economic activity and cut outdated red tape – all while creating one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world, according to new analysis of the fishery.

These gains are possible through policies being tested in a pilot project in the pacific groundfish fishery, approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which is demonstrating that certain outdated regulations focused on the types of gear fishermen can use in certain areas are no longer necessary. The fishery encompasses more than 90 species of fish including rockfish, Dover sole and lingcod.

“We have worked hard to bring this fishery back sustainably, and this change will help us realize all the benefits of that work,” said Mike Retherford, Jr., a commercial fisherman out of Newport, Oregon fishing in the pilot.

The pilot, formally known as an Exempted Fishing Permit, allows participating fishermen to operate free of these outdated regulations and instead relies on a conservation approach adopted by the fishery in 2011. It focuses on individual accountability using a tool called “catch shares” and full fishery monitoring to create long-term incentives for conservation.

“This is a great example of what can be achieved when stakeholders work together,” said Lori Steele, Executive Director of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association. “We’re only into the first quarter of the year and we have already seen an additional $5 million injected into our fishing communities from this pilot.” 

An economic analysis of a select group of fish being caught in this limited pilot shows the potential across the fleet to create more than 400 new jobs and more than $35 million in economic activity per year in West Coast communities. If the entire fishery is able to realize these benefits, the economic reward could equal more than $100 million dollars per year.

“This is a demonstration that commercial gains can go hand-in-hand with environmental performance and accountability.” said Mike Okoniewski, Fisheries Policy and Management Advisor for Pacific Seafood. “We’re proud of the results we’re delivering for customers and the American public who entrust us as stewards of this resource.”

In part thanks to this pilot, West Coast fishermen increased their landing by nearly 20 million pounds in 2017, bringing in enough new sustainable American seafood to feed almost the entire population of California a delicious filet of seafood tonight.

“After the federal disaster declaration in 2000, the fishery was struggling to recover and we all worked together to design a system that could work for conservation and fishing businesses,” said Shems Jud, West Coast director for Environmental Defense Fund’s Oceans program.

Catch shares take the science-based catch limit for the fishery and divide the total sustainable amount of fish that can be caught into individual quotas that each fisherman can catch throughout the year. Once implemented, catch shares ensure fishermen stay within the fishery’s sustainable limit while giving them a direct stake in its success and the flexibility to fish when it make sense for them.

“Catch shares and accountability are delivering strong conservation benefits and it’s time to get rid of these outdated regulations,” said Jud.

Since 2011 the fishery has reduced discarding, or wasted bycatch, by 80 percent. In 2014 the fishery was certified by the Marine Stewardship Council and received upgraded ratings for several species from Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program. In addition, six species caught in the fishery that were once declared overfished, have been certified as rebuilt by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Environmental Defense Fund, Pacific Seafood, the West Coast Seafood Processors Association, the Oregon Trawl Commission and many others are asking that the elimination of these outdated regulations be made permanent after this year.
 

(Portland, Oregon) A vast swath of sensitive ocean habitat larger in size than the state of New Mexico will be protected while less sensitive fishing grounds will be reopened thanks to cooperation between conservationists, fishermen and policy decision-makers, EDF announced today.

The plan, approved this week by the Pacific Fishery Management Council will permanently protect 140,000 square miles of ocean off the West Coast while opening 2,000 square miles of previously closed fishing grounds that have now been found safe for fishing. EDF joined with Natural Resources Defense Council, The Nature Conservancy, and industry leaders Tom Libby and Brad Pettinger to convene more than 30 meetings up and down the coast to get input on this issue. 

“This is compelling conservation because it recognizes that teamwork between conservationists and fishermen, coupled with strong science, can lead to major changes that make our west coast groundfish industry more sustainable, resilient and profitable over the long term,” said Shems Jud, West Coast director for Environmental Defense Fund’s oceans program. 

The closure, known as the Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA), was implemented in 2002 to minimize catch of overfished species, such as darkblotched and canary rockfish. While the RCA covered areas of sensitive, high value habitat like underwater cliffs, rock piles and pinnacles where several of the depleted species congregate and reproduce, it also prevented access to vast areas of sandy, soft-bottom seafloor where more plentiful target species like Dover sole and sablefish are found.
 
When the fishery adopted catch shares in 2011 discarding of bycatch dropped 80 percent and it became clear it was time to update the RCA, because the new system strongly incentivizes fishermen to avoid overfished species. 

“We knew that if we could identify currently unprotected areas of sensitive habitat, including areas inside the RCA, the Council could protect those areas while opening up valuable fishing grounds,” said Jud. “We worked together to combine information from  new academic studies, fisheries observer data, and modeling with fishermen’s logbooks, charts and knowledge gained from decades of combined fishing experience.”

“This was an amazing team effort, with fishermen and environmentalists focused on the goal of opening up closed fishing grounds and carving out the areas that really need protection,” said Ralph Brown, a fisherman from Brookings, Oregon. “I’m looking forward to going back to some of my old favorite fishing grounds.”

The Council’s final decision included: 

•    Opening up 2,000 square miles of highly productive, soft-sediment fishing grounds in the former Rockfish Conservation Area;
•    Permanently protecting more than 10,000 square miles of sensitive, priority habitat such as reefs, pinnacles and coral and sponge aggregations;
•    Establishing new protection for an un-fished, deep-water area off California that is the size of New Mexico (roughly 130,000 square miles).
 

NEWS RELEASE

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) released a new report today that shows the Houston area could see a sharp increase in harmful air pollution under one of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s most recent actions undermining our nation’s clean air laws.

The report looks at Pruitt’s recent reversal of the “once in always in” policy, which creates an ‘Air Toxics Loophole’ by overturning protections against hazardous air pollutants that had been in place for almost a quarter century. The new policy would allow many industrial facilities that are now subject to tough emission standards for “major” sources of pollution to become subject to weaker emission standards, or even avoid federal emission limits altogether.

These standards limit pollutants like benzene, which EPA has classified as a known human carcinogen and is linked to blood disorders and reproductive effects in women, as well as mercury, arsenic, xylene, and toluene, which are linked to effects such as cancer and neurological, gastrointestinal, immune, kidney, and liver impacts. Even though Pruitt’s dramatic change in policy could result in greater emissions of these highly dangerous pollutants, this new “air toxics loophole” was issued without any opportunity for public comment and with no analysis of public health or air pollution impacts.

“The results of our Houston analysis underscores just how reckless Pruitt’s decision to create an Air Toxics Loophole will be for the city’s residents and for Americans that live near industrial facilities all across the country,” said Tomás Carbonell, EDF’s Director of Regulatory Policy. “Administrator Pruitt’s decision to plow ahead despite expert warnings of significant pollution increases, and with no public input and no analysis of health impacts, is unconscionable.”

EDF’s report focuses on the Houston area, which has a large industrial base including two of the nation’s four largest petroleum refineries and more than 400 chemical manufacturing plants. These facilities spew a wide array of cancer-causing and toxic substances like benzene and formaldehyde into the air.

EDF found:

• At least 18 facilities in Houston are potentially eligible to use Pruitt’s new Air Toxics Loophole, according to recent emissions and regulatory data
• If all the facilities do use the loophole, their hazardous air pollution could increase to as much as 900,000 pounds (450 tons) - almost two-and-a half times their 2014 levels.
• On average, almost 20,000 people live within three miles of each facility in this report.
• A majority of residents living within three miles of these Houston-area facilities are minorities, and over a third live below the federal poverty level.

Recent records also show that these same communities have borne the brunt of a significant amount of toxic pollution released in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, much more than initially reported.

EDF has joined other health and environmental groups in a lawsuit to stop Pruitt’s Air Toxics Loophole.

After a week of intense negotiations, a working group of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has produced a draft initial greenhouse gas (GHG) strategy that calls on international shipping to reduce total annual GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050. The strategy will need to be finalized next week at the Maritime Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the IMO as it does not yet reflect consensus between all parties.

“Although the IMO’s draft emissions target would represent a positive step to address international shipping’s contribution to climate change, it does not do enough to drive the needed investment in clean solutions. Many countries, including EU Member States and small island developing states that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, wanted to see a quantified emission reduction target in line with the Paris Agreement’s goals, which would mean a 70-100% emissions reduction by 2050. Industry groups have also been calling for the IMO to set a more ambitious target.

“Shipping has an opportunity to show to the world it can step up to the challenge of climate change with an ambitious strategy, enacted through effective policies and measures. Key to this will be securing a redirection of capital to assist the commercialisation of low emission technology. For example, a carbon price could be recycled back into the sector through a fund supporting the deployment of low or zero carbon vessels and sustainable fuels. Work on policies will need to start as soon as the ink dries on the interim strategy, which should be strengthened and agreed in the MEPC next week.” 

•        Aoife O’Leary, Legal Analyst, EDF Europe

 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has submitted a proposal to remove the blanket section 4(d) rule of the Endangered Species Act. Environmental Defense Fund’s associate vice president of working lands, Eric Holst, has reviewed the proposal and provided the following statement.

“I am shocked by the proposed removal of the blanket section 4(d) rule. I can’t understand why anyone would want to target this long-standing policy of the Endangered Species Act, which has been in place since 1978.

“The blanket 4(d) rule offers an efficient means of providing safeguards to species that are in need of support, with built-in flexibility to create special rules exempting certain activities from restrictions when appropriate.

“This proposal shows that the Interior Department is not immune to the reckless ideas that have plagued other departments.

“This proposal, if it moves forward, would backfire in many ways.

“First, eliminating the 4(d) rule would create more work for agency staff, who without default protections would have to address each species uniquely. This is unworkable at current funding and staffing levels.

“Second, removing the blanket rule will exacerbate uncertainty for stakeholders, because each threatened species would need its own, unique rule – exactly the opposite of the clarifications that stakeholders, including the Western Governors’ Association, have requested.

“It would also stifle collaborative conservation efforts that have successfully kept many species off the endangered species list.

“Finally, removing the blanket rule will only delay protections for threatened species, making it more difficult and costly to reverse population declines, and more likely that species will be listed as endangered.

“Removing the blanket 4(d) rule is unlikely to result in protections that are substantially different than those currently in place through existing take prohibitions and special rules. Removing the rule won’t serve to green light activities that harm species or degrade important habitat, it would just cost more, take more time, create uncertainty and result in more litigation.”

(April 4, 2018) A Wyoming judge today ruled that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) standards to reduce the waste of natural gas on public and tribal lands should be paused pending completion or withdrawal of a rulemaking by BLM to rescind the standards.

The ruling is not a decision on the merits of the Waste Prevention Rule. In fact, the Judge’s order expressly “acknowledges” that his decision ignored the key considerations properly weighed by courts in pausing the implementation of protections, such as the likely outcome on the merits and the full suite of public interests at stake:

“[T]he Court acknowledges that some courts have employed the four-factor preliminary injunction test in determining whether to grant relief under § 705….” (Decision, page 9 note 10)

“The Wyoming judge ‘acknowledges’ that his decision did not consider key legal factors such as the merits of the case. That is deeply problematic because the standards at stake are rooted in BLM’s duty to minimize waste, save extensive amounts of natural gas, reduce harmful pollution, and deliver economic benefits to people across the West,” said Peter Zalzal, Lead Attorney for Environmental Defense Fund, which is a party to the case. “We are preparing an immediate appeal because under our nation’s laws the merits, the governing case law, and the public interest matter.”

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.

“Today’s ruling effectively punishes the responsible operators that have been complying with these reasonable standards while rewarding those in the oil and gas industry that are recklessly wasting a valuable public resource and squandering tax payers’ hard-earned money,” said Zalzal.

The waste of natural gas on public and tribal lands costs taxpayers millions of dollars. A recent report found the public is only getting royalty payments on 11 percent of that wasted gas. Preventing waste would mean more royalty money for Western communities and tribes – money that can be used for roads and schools.  

Natural gas that is wasted through leaks, venting or flaring also allows large amounts of unhealthy pollution into our air – including methane, which is a potent driver of climate change.

The Trump Administration’s efforts to suspend the Waste Prevention Standards have suffered setbacks in both the courts and Congress. Most recently, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in February preliminarily enjoined an attempt by BLM to suspend the standards.

Industry opponents have also launched a series of legal challenges to these needed protections.

The states of California and New Mexico are supporting the standards, along with a group of 15 national, regional, tribal and local public health and environmental groups – including EDF.

The standards are being challenged by the Attorneys General of Wyoming and Montana, North Dakota and Texas, as well as oil and gas industry groups the Western Energy Alliance (WEA) and Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA).

Despite broad public support for the Waste Prevention Standards, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke proposed in February to rescind many of the protections of the Waste Prevention Standards. BLM will accept public comments on that proposal until April 23.

You can find more information – including all legal documents – on EDF’s website.

(AUSTIN, TX – April 3, 2018) The Texas Farmers’ Market and Environmental Defense Fund are co-hosting a Monarch Festival in Austin, Texas this weekend to educate visitors about the Monarch Butterfly Habitat Exchange, a new program for restoring and conserving high-quality monarch habitat on America’s private working lands. The exchange launched on March 1, 2018 with its first five projects located in Texas.

Amy and George Greer, sixth generation ranchers at Winters Family Beef located in Brady, Texas, are early participants in the exchange and sell their Angus and Wagyu beef every weekend at the Texas Farmers’ Market. The Greers and monarch experts from Environmental Defense Fund will be available for interviews.

Market visitors can stop by the main market tent to enjoy a variety of monarch butterfly activities, including monarch butterfly face painting and butterfly wing balloons from Tony the Clown. The first 15 shoppers who sign up for Texas Farmers’ Market weekly newsletter will receive a milkweed start from f-stop farm to grow monarch habitat.

Where:

Saturday, April 7 at Lakeline, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., 11200 Lakeline Mall Drive, Cedar Park, Texas 78613

Sunday, April 8 at Mueller, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., 4209 Airport Blvd., Austin, Texas 78722

Who:

• Amy and George Greer, sixth generation ranchers at Winters Family Beef
• David Wolfe, director of conservation strategies at Environmental Defense Fund

Photos: Dropbox folder to download photos of monarchs and George and Amy Greer (please include: “Photo courtesy of Environmental Defense Fund”)

Video: YouTube video featuring EDF’s David Wolfe and George and Amy Greer

The Illinois Commerce Commission today approved the state’s Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan (the Plan), which lays out a path for electric utilities to get 25 percent of their power from renewable resources by 2025. Based on workshops and input from stakeholders, including Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), the Plan includes incentives and programs to jumpstart Illinois’ development of wind and solar power. It also prioritizes funding for building new projects in the state, which will provide clean energy for years to come. The state’s ambitious 25 percent renewables goal was established by the landmark bipartisan Future Energy Jobs Act, a monumental clean energy development package passed in late 2016.

“Hundreds of millions of investment dollars will soon be flowing into developing clean wind and solar projects that will power Illinois homes and businesses. Not only is Illinois solidifying its place at the forefront of America’s clean energy economy, it’s showing other states how to provide equitable access to renewables.”

• Christie Hicks, Manager, Clean Energy Regulatory Implementation, EDF

“With the approval of this ambitious plan, Illinois takes another step toward becoming a national leader in affordable clean energy. A more diverse power portfolio, which includes wind and solar, makes the grid more stable and affordable. No question, there’s a lot of work to do. But Illinois now has an excellent opportunity to act on the promise of the Future Energy Jobs Act to make sure that everyone receives the benefits of the clean energy economy.”  

• David Kolata, Executive Director, CUB  

“Our clean cars standards are one of America’s biggest environmental success stories. They have saved us money at the gas pump, have inspired the technological innovation that leads to jobs and economic growth, have helped make our air cleaner and safer to breathe, and have helped us address the growing threat of climate change.

“No one in America is eager to buy a car that gets worse gas mileage and spews more pollution from its tailpipe. Automakers like Ford and Honda have said they don’t want the clean cars standards weakened. Designing and building cleaner, more cost-efficient cars is what helped automakers bounce back from the depths of the recession and will be key to America’s global competitiveness in the years ahead. But the Trump administration is still trying to undermine the clean car standards.

“We should be racing toward a cleaner, healthier transportation future. Instead, the Trump administration is steering us onto a dead end road. We have solutions at hand to build the cars of tomorrow. Strong clean cars standards will move us forward.”