Complete list of press releases

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a draft of the first national methane pollution standards for the oil and gas industry.

“This is critical step toward protecting our climate and public health. EPA is taking on a pollutant responsible for 25 percent of the warming we are experiencing today,” said EDF President Fred Krupp.

“The nation’s oil and gas companies emit over seven million tons of methane pollution every year, equal to the greenhouse gas pollution of about 160 coal fired power plants over the next twenty years. This proposal begins the important work of ensuring that the oil and gas industry reduces this pollution.

“There is ample evidence that technologies and practices exist to significantly cut methane pollution from the oil and gas industry. Some leading companies have adopted these practices, but too few have, which is why emissions remain unacceptably high. That’s why we need sensible standards to set a level playing field for everyone.

“Setting the first national standards for methane emissions from the oil and gas industry is an important move, but it can’t be the last. This proposal addresses methane emissions from newly built and modified oil and gas operations, but not from the existing facilities that account for all of today’s emissions and will still account for 90 percent of the problem by 2018.  

“In January, the President set a goal of reducing methane pollution 40-45% by 2025. Additional actions by government are needed to achieve this goal. The question to ask of any proposal is how far does it take us toward achieving a 45% reduction, and how quickly does it get us there? 

     - Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

NEWS RELEASE

Today EPA proposed long-overdue revisions to national emission standards for new and existing municipal solid waste landfills that are expected to reduce methane and other harmful air pollution from these facilities. Landfills are our nation’s third largest source of methane, a potent, climate-destabilizing pollutant more than 80 times as powerful as carbon dioxide over the first twenty years after it is emitted.

“Common-sense, highly-cost effective opportunities are available to reduce landfill methane emissions and protect public health,” said Peter Zalzal, senior attorney at EDF. “Landfills are a major source of potent methane emissions and proven best practices can readily be deployed to reduce these harmful emissions.”

EPA estimates that the proposed standards would reduce methane emissions by over 400,000 metric tons. The proposal updates standards that were last changed in 1996 and would achieve these reductions primarily by expanding the application of landfill gas capture. In addition to these improvements, landfills can reduce emissions by deploying capture technologies at the outset of the landfills life, ensuring rigorous surface monitoring, and adopting best management practices related to landfill cover. To protect public health and the environment, EPA’s final standards should be strengthened to reflect these important opportunities.

Leading landfill operators and industry experts are already identifying and implementing a number of solutions for achieving reductions in landfill emissions. The state of California adopted best management emission standards for landfill methane in 2009 that incentivize landfills to deploy many of these best practices, and require rigorous monitoring and remediation of gas leaks from the surface of the landfill. California’s clean air measures have been working to cost-effectively reduce harmful methane pollution.

(August 14, 2015 – NEW ORLEANS) This weekend, the Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition is launching the “Restore the Coast” community engagement campaign to highlight the important role Louisiana’s elected officials play in coastal restoration. This multifaceted, nonpartisan education campaign will begin by asking voters to sign a pledge urging leaders to: be a voice for coastal restoration, protect existing and secure future coastal restoration funding, and support Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan.

The Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition – made up of national and local organizations working on coastal Louisiana restoration, including Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation – released the following statement announcing the new campaign:

“The ‘Restore the Coast’ campaign’s goal is to demonstrate the importance of coastal restoration as a central issue for all candidates. Its initial step will be to encourage Louisiana residents to do two things – pledge to vote, and urge elected officials to be a voice for coastal restoration, so our communities are better protected from hurricanes, floodwaters and other disasters. We believe that Louisiana needs leaders who protect existing and secure future coastal restoration funding and support the state’s Coastal Master Plan, so our future can be safeguarded through long-lasting, science-based coastal restoration projects.

“Our hope is to send a clear message to our public officials: Louisianians want leaders who will prioritize coastal restoration, by keeping restoration dollars for restoration and continuing the forward progress made through the coastal master planning process. Together, we can protect our communities and coast for generations to come.”

The “Restore the Coast” campaign includes television and radio commercials, billboards, print ads, tabling at local community events, as well as interactive street activities to engage the public and encourage social sharing of this important issue facing Louisiana. Learn more about the “Restore the Coast” campaign and pledge by visiting RestoreTheCoast.org.

Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition is a joint effort of non-profit organizations made up of science, public policy, economics and outreach experts working collaboratively to raise awareness and build support for science-based solutions to restore Louisiana’s coast. The coalition is comprised of staff experts from Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. Together, they are working to restore Louisiana’s coast through long-lasting, science-based restoration solutions, as identified in the state’s Coastal Master Plan. Of the projects included in the Coastal Master Plan, they have identified a suite of 19 priority restoration projects that will collectively and drastically reduce wetland loss and help protect New Orleans and other coastal communities from the effects of tropical storms and hurricanes. Learn more at MississippiRiverDelta.org and RestoreTheCoast.org. 

Today, West Virginia and 14 other states filed lawsuits against the Clean Power Plan in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit – in spite of the fact that the court has already ruled against such lawsuits.

Today’s filings follow a June 9, 2015 decision by the same court in which a three-judge panel, rejecting an unprecedented effort to obtain review of a proposed rule, clearly held that they cannot review a federal standard before the conditions specified by Congress for judicial review have been satisfied. The Clean Power Plan has not yet been published in the Federal Register, and will not be judicially reviewable until it is. 

“It is unfortunate that West Virginia and other states are using taxpayer dollars to bring yet another meritless legal challenge to the Clean Power Plan, instead of protecting public health from dangerous pollution and building a stronger economy,” said Tomás Carbonell, Director of Regulatory Policy and Senior Attorney for Environmental Defense Fund. “Like the previous lawsuit, which was filed by West Virginia and rejected by the D.C. Circuit just a few weeks ago, this new filing does not follow the longstanding procedures clearly set forth under federal law for bringing legal challenges of this kind. This lawsuit is about obstructing one of the most important clean air safeguards in our nation’s history, and it will fare no better than West Virginia’s previous challenge to the Clean Power Plan.”   

The nation’s leading legal experts have found that the Clean Power Plan is on a rock solid foundation – read more about that here. 

(New Orleans – August 13, 2015) Today, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration (RESTORE) Council released its Funded Priorities List (FPL) – a compilation of restoration projects the Council intends to prioritize for funding following the 2010 Gulf oil disaster. These projects will be funded by a portion of RESTORE Act dollars designated for ecosystem restoration from the Transocean Clean Water Act settlement. The announced list is now open for a public comment period, with comments due September 28, 2015. The Council will also hold public meetings on the FPL in each of the Gulf states.

National and local conservation organizations working on Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi River Delta restoration – Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, Ocean Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation – released the following statement in response to today’s announcement:

“While we haven’t yet engaged on the details of the list, we are encouraged to see this first Funded Priorities List moving forward into the public comment period, and we congratulate the RESTORE Council and staff for their efforts to reach this point. The RESTORE Act is focused on comprehensive restoration for the Gulf of Mexico, and our organizations are eager to see strong projects progress to actual construction and implementation.

“With a final BP settlement on the horizon, the RESTORE Council and the Gulf states have a tremendous opportunity ahead to plan for and achieve meaningful restoration and lasting resilience for the essential ecosystems of the Gulf. Our organizations look forward to reviewing and providing comments on this first project list over the coming weeks and working with the Council on the next, more comprehensive FPL process.”

(Chicago – August 6, 2015) The first public hearing on a proposal to improve fuel economy and reduce climate pollution from America’s freight trucks and buses is taking place in Chicago today.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will hear testimony about their proposed greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards for the nation’s freight trucks and buses.

Environmental Defense Fund’s Jason Mathers will testify that, while the standards represent an important step forward, they must be strengthened to spur more extensive deployment of the cost-effective technologies that are available. Those technologies will enable us to secure the climate, health, economic and security benefits we need to protect our communities and to build a prosperous clean energy economy. 

“Freight trucks are one of the single fastest growing sources of climate disrupting emissions,” said Mathers in his testimony. “Leaders in business and the environmental community alike recognize that rigorous well designed standards can save fleets and families in fuel costs, can reduce dangerous pollutants and can strengthen our global competitiveness by spurring the deployment of advanced technologies.” 

The proposed clean trucks standards will build on the historic standards finalized in 2011, which apply to model year 2014-to-2018 trucks. We’re already seeing the success of that first phase of standards in the demand for more efficient trucks – model year 2014 heavy-duty trucks saw the highest sales since 2005.

The proposed standards will apply to new heavy-duty trucks for model years 2021 through 2027, and new trailers built in model years 2018 to 2027. 

EPA and DOT estimate that, over the life of the program, the proposed standards will:

• Reduce climate pollution by 1 billion tons

• Cut fuel use by 1.8 billion barrels of oil

• Save truck owners $170 billion in fuel costs

The proposed standards will also save the average American household $150 a year by 2030.

However, the proposal falls short of the cost-effective goal of 40 percent fuel consumption reduction by 2025 recommended by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and the Union of Concerned Scientists on the basis of extensive technical and economic analyses. (See Khan, S., D.W. Cooke, and L. Tonachel, Fuel savings available in new heavy-duty trucks in 2025. Transportation Research Board paper 15-4977. Presented at the 94^th annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board, January 11-15, 2015 in Washington, DC.) 

Mathers will testify that it is EPA’s responsibility under the nation’s clean air laws to finalize standards that achieve deeper pollution reductions. Among other improvements, Mathers recommended 15 percent efficiency improvements from the engine and a program that is fully implemented by 2024. Read more in the testimony.

Background Information on Clean Trucks

• Today’s average semi truck burns 20,000 gallons of diesel a year – the same volume of fuel used by 50 new passenger cars. (See EIA AEO 2014 Table 68, U Michgan Eco-Driving Index, Federal Highway Administration Table VM-1, American Public Transit Association’s Public Transportation Fact Book Tables 8, 16, and 21)

• Fuel has been the largest single cost for trucking fleets, accounting for 39 percent of the cost of ownership in 2013.

• Stronger fuel-efficiency standards for trucks could lower total per-mile cost of ownership by 22 cents-a-mile by 2025 — savings that would be shared with consumers.

• According to a survey by the Consumer Federation of America, a large majority of Americans – 74 percent – favor requiring truck manufacturers to increase the fuel economy of large trucks to reduce their fuel costs.

• Manufacturers, companies, national security experts, consumer groups and others across the country have spoken out in favor of better fuel efficiency and less pollution from freight trucks and buses.

(Washington, D.C. – August 5, 2015) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is calling on Sen. Lisa Murkowski to demonstrate the effect the energy bill will have on climate pollution before the Senate votes.

Yesterday, Sen. Murkowski’s spokesman Robert Dillon claimed that the energy bill was the Republican’s climate plan. Here’s the story: 

Senate Democrats asked Republican opponents of the Administration’s just-finalized Clean Power Plan to “show us your plan to combat climate change.”

In response, Sen. Murkowski’s spokesman Robert Dillon tweeted, “the bipartisan #energy bill is what you’re looking for. It reduces #emissions w/o costing taxpayers.” 

But, gauging from the version of the energy bill passed by the Senate Natural Resources Committee, substantial emission-reducing provisions would have to be added for the bill to make a significant impact on climate pollution. At the same time, many of Sen. Murkowski’s colleagues are pursuing amendments that would actually increase emissions. 

EDF president Fred Krupp responded to Dillon’s tweet with one of his own — “show us the data on how energy bill reduces emissions & helps meet GHG targets. I’m eager to see the Energy Committee’s analysis.” 

The conversation is continuing now. You can follow it on Twitter.

“Americans have a right to know what energy legislation means for our climate,” said Jeremy Symons, EDF’s Assistant Vice President, Climate Political Affairs.

“Today I was honored to be at the White House to watch history in the making. President Obama formally unveiled the final Clean Power Plan—the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from U.S. power plants. It was a thrilling moment. The United States made it clear that it is no longer acceptable to put unlimited amounts of climate pollution into our air. The move toward a world safe from climate change has now begun in earnest.

“This is the race of our lives. Climate change is the biggest threat facing us right now. It’s a clear and present danger to every human being on the planet. It threatens to undermine every aspect of American society if we don’t address it. 

“The Clean Power Plan will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, and it will do so while creating tens of thousands of jobs, driving investment in clean energy technologies, and saving the average American family almost $85 per year in energy costs in 2030. Most important, it will prevent asthma attacks, other health problems, and even premature deaths by slashing the power plant pollutants that cause them.

“The Clean Power Plan offers an enormous amount of flexibility to states to develop the plans that best harness their energy strengths. The states that join this race first, and run it the fastest, will win both more investment in clean technologies and less air pollution for their communities. And all Americans will benefit from less severe temperature increases, less dangerous sea level rise, and fewer ferocious storms as we address the threat of climate change. 

“No single step will fix climate change, but the Clean Power Plan is also a catalyst for more and quicker pollution reductions in the future, as we continue to innovate and grow the economy.

“The President is using his authority under the Clean Air Act because it is his responsibility to carry out the law and protect our nation’s climate security, and because Congress has failed to adopt comprehensive climate solutions. Eventually Congress must pass a comprehensive, market-based system that puts a price on climate pollution from major emitters and gives business an incentive to develop new clean energy solutions. 

“But for today, it was an honor and a pure joy to stand near the President and watch history unfold. We are prepared to work with the President, and with Congress, to ensure the promise of the Clean Power Plan becomes a reality.”

                    - Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

(AUSTIN – August 3, 2015) Environmental Protection Agency today releases the final version of its Clean Power Plan, the nation’s first-ever standards aimed at reducing carbon pollution from existing power plants.

“Texas is already an energy leader, and the Clean Power Plan is an opportunity for our state to become even more of a powerhouse in the new clean energy economy. The good news is the Lone Star State is already on track to comply with the new standards, with relatively minor improvements in state policy, as long as our leaders don’t stand in the way of progress. The worst thing our public officials and decision makers could do is deny the clean energy facts and fight the plan.” 

• Jim Marston, Vice President, Clean Energy

“In a video released last night, the Obama Administration announced that it will finalize the Clean Power Plan on Monday. ‘Climate change is not a problem for another generation — not anymore,’ the President declared.

“We could not agree more. With this historic announcement, the United States is making clear that it is no longer acceptable to put unlimited amounts of climate pollution into our air. The move toward a world safe from climate change is beginning in earnest. 

“This is the race of our lives. Climate change is the biggest threat facing us right now. It’s a clear and present danger to every human being on the planet. It threatens to undermine every aspect of American society if we don’t address it.

“The Clean Power Plan will reduce carbon emissions from power plant smokestacks – and by doing so it also creates new opportunities to continue development of the strong, vibrant clean energy economy that is creating prosperity. The states that join the race first, and run it the fastest, will win both more investment in clean technologies and less air pollution for their communities. And we will all benefit from less severe temperature increases, less dangerous sea level rise, and fewer ferocious storms. 

“No single step will fix climate change, but the Clean Power Plan is also a catalyst for more and quicker pollution reductions in the future, as we continue to innovate and grow the economy.

“The President is using his authority under the Clean Air Act because it is his responsibility to carry out the law and protect our nation’s climate security, and because Congress has failed to adopt comprehensive climate solutions. Eventually Congress must pass a comprehensive, market-based system that puts a price on climate pollution from major emitters and gives business an incentive to develop new clean energy solutions. 

“The President is demonstrating leadership and we are prepared to work to ensure the promise of the Clean Power Plan becomes a reality.”

                    - Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

WASHINGTON (July 30, 2015) –The Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan is likely to prevail against an expected barrage of legal challenges by big polluters and their allies, according to legal experts at the Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club and Environmental Defense Fund.

In a telephone briefing today, the attorneys released an issue brief covering expected legal challenges and cited three central reasons for their optimism: EPA’s long track record of successfully defending its Clean Air Act protections in court; the high bar to secure any court-ordered delay; and the sound legal footing of its Clean Power Plan, which is expected be issued as early as next week.

“Foes of the Clean Power Plan have admitted they hope to ‘gum up the works’ for the EPA with their barrage of litigation. But they are likely to lose,” said David Doniger, director of the Climate and Clean Air Program at NRDC. “EPA has an excellent track record in court, and the Clean Power Plan should be sustained against expected attacks. That will be a victory for all Americans who want cleaner air and a more stable climate.”

Tomas Carbonell, EDF’s Director of Regulatory Policy, said, “EPA has a long history of creating regulations that are firmly rooted in science and the law, and the courts have recognized that. The proposed Clean Power Plan addresses a problem – carbon pollution — that the Supreme Court has already said EPA has authority to mitigate, and it does it with common-sense measures and an unprecedented level of flexibility for states. Some of the best legal experts in the country have already spoken out in favor of the proposed Clean Power Plan. We expect the final Clean Power Plan to have the same strong legal foundation.”

“By filing a series of premature lawsuits raising baseless claims, the coal industry and its allies have shown that they will throw whatever they can at the Clean Power Plan in the desperate hope that something will stick,” said Joanne Spalding, Sierra Club’s Chief Climate Counsel. “EPA has won each round to date and its winning streak is likely to continue because the Clean Power Plan is on solid footing, building on the steady progress we are already making in reducing carbon pollution from the electric sector by replacing coal with clean energy.”

NRDC released an issue brief, “What to Expect in Clean Power Plan Litigation.” It explains the high bar challengers have to clear to get a stay—or suspension—of the carbon pollution standards; issues that could be fought over on the merits of the Clean Power Plan; and a rough analysis of previous legal challenges to Clean Air Act air measures and their outcomes, largely in EPA’s favor.

Challengers would have a difficult time securing a stay—or court-ordered suspension of its standards—because they must demonstrate they will suffer “irreparable harm” in time it takes the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to rule on the merits (typically within a year from when cases are filed).  Because states and power companies will have a long lead time to implement the carbon pollution reductions, they will not be able to meet this test.

Further, challengers may claim that EPA lacks authority to issue standards limiting carbon pollution, that EPA cannot consider measures such as renewable energy when establishing standards for power plants, or that the Clean Power Plan is unconstitutional. In each line of attack, EPA is likely to win, the issue brief shows.

Finally, challengers may assert that EPA’s factual determinations are “arbitrary and capricious” or so clearly wrong they must be overturned. But courts usually grant agencies like the EPA deference when evaluating the scientific and technical questions that may be at issue in the Clean Power Plan.

The bottom line, the issue brief concludes, is that states and power companies would be wise to begin work to meet the EPA’s carbon pollution limits, and not bet on lawsuits to block them.

The issue brief, “What to Expect in Clean Power Plan Litigation,” is here: http://www.nrdc.org/air/clean-power-plan/litigation.asp

NRDC’s rough analysis of litigation challenges to EPA Clean Air Act initiatives under the Obama Administration is here: http://www.nrdc.org/air/clean-power-plan/files/CAA-rules-and-litigation-table.pdf

Environmental Defense Fund welcomes international energy company Statoil to the ranks of companies participating in the groundbreaking Methane Detectors Challenge as the second round of technology testing concludes. Launched in spring 2014, the Challenge is a collaboration between environmental organizations, eight oil and natural gas companies, technology developers, and government and academic advisors. The partners aim to identify and bring to market new, cutting-edge technologies that could ultimately help reduce methane emissions from oil and natural gas operations.

“Statoil has invested in multiple research and technology initiatives to mitigate methane emissions from its operations globally. As a lesson learned from these experiences, Statoil recognizes that the timely detection of methane emissions remains the single most important factor in addressing this key issue,” said Desikan Sundararajan, senior researcher for Statoil’s shale oil & gas research team.

Methane emissions present an economic and environmental opportunity for the oil and gas industry. There is a market-wide need for cost-effective technologies that provide continuous detection of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that can escape during production, transportation and delivery of natural gas. In addition to its impact on the climate, because methane is the primary component of natural gas, it represents a wasted energy resource when it is emitted into the atmosphere.

“Addressing the climate impacts of using natural gas requires minimizing methane emissions,” said Ben Ratner, EDF senior manager for the project. “Continuous detection must be the eventual best practice for protecting climate and communities, while cutting waste of a valuable natural resource. We’ve come to expect real time information in the digital age; notifications of oil and gas methane emissions to enable rapid repairs should be no exception.”

Headquartered in Norway and operating in 37 countries, Statoil joins Anadarko, Apache Corporation, BG Group, Hess Corporation, Noble Energy, Shell and Southwestern Energy as an industry partner in this effort. Later in 2015, it is anticipated that some of the companies will select one or more of the most advanced technologies for an initial wave of industry pilot purchases and trial deployments at operating facilities.

“In line with Statoil’s publicly stated ambition to be recognized as the most carbon efficient oil and gas producer, we intend to field test the methane detection technology platform(s) selected under this challenge at one or more production sites in 2016. Our ambition is to address the important issue of methane emissions by driving innovation through this unique partnership and ultimately deploying practical, cost-effective solutions,” noted Bruce Tocher, manager for shale oil & gas research at Statoil.

 “With its international presence and strong interest in driving innovation, Statoil is a welcome addition to the Methane Detectors Challenge and rounds out a group of eight active industry partners,” said Ratner. “We look forward to collaborating with them to launch emerging technologies at industry pilot sites next year – a big step in the continuous improvement journey.”

Full details on the Methane Detectors Challenge, including progress on the Challenge and details on the competing technologies, can be found at edf.org/methanedetectors.

“It is good news for all of us that, according to reports, EPA will soon finalize the Clean Power Plan. The final Clean Power Plan will end the era of unlimited carbon pollution from power plant smokestacks, which are the largest source of climate-altering emissions in the nation. 

“There is enormous potential for the electric utility sector to reduce pollution and rapidly shift to clean, renewable sources of energy and improve the efficiency of the American economy.  A clean energy transformation is good for the health of our families, for creating jobs, and for safeguarding our planet for our children’s future. 

“The Clean Power Plan will accelerate reductions in pollution and a transition to a cleaner power sector, but the benefits for our climate and public health depend on how the final rule has been designed, and we eagerly look forward to learning the details.”

                    - Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

(Washington, D.C. – July 28, 2015) Today the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected legal claims by Texas and other states to vacate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and its life-saving clean air protections.

The D.C. Circuit Court decision recognizes that, when the Supreme Court upheld the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule in April of 2014, it affirmed EPA’s fundamental methodology for implementing the “good neighbor” protections of the Clean Air Act. Today the D.C. Circuit Court granted claims by Texas and other states challenging particular emissions budgets while firmly rejecting associated requests to vacate the state-based emissions protections and rejecting several additional fundamental legal claims. 

The court directed EPA to carry out additional analyses on remand, stating, “We remand without vacatur to EPA for it to reconsider those emissions budgets. We reject all of petitioners’ other challenges to the Transport Rule, including all of their facial challenges to the Rule. (Decision, page 36, emphasis added)

The rule’s life-saving pollution reductions remain in full effect. 

“The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule will continue to protect 240 million Americans from dangerous smokestack pollution in upwind states,” said EDF attorney Graham McCahan, who argued the case in its remand phase. “The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule is already helping to ensure healthier and longer lives for millions of Americans, including the children at risk of increased asthma attacks.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule under the “good neighbor” provision of the Clean Air Act. The rule will reduce the sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen pollution emitted from coal-fired power plants across 28 eastern states. Those emissions, and the resulting particulate pollution and ozone — more commonly known as soot and smog — drift across the borders of those states and contribute to dangerous, sometimes lethal, levels of pollution in downwind states. 

Opponents challenged the rule in EME Homer City Generation v. EPA. The D.C. Circuit Court overturned the rule in 2012, but the Supreme Court reversed the D.C. Circuit’s decision in a 6-to-2 ruling in April 2014. The High Court also remanded parts of the case to the D.C. Circuit Court so it could rule on some remaining state-specific issues.

Texas and several other states raised further legal claims on remand and asked the D.C. Circuit court to vacate the entire rule. Today, the court rejected that request. 

You can read all the legal briefs in the case and read more about the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule on EDF’s website.

(MONTEREY, C.A. – July 22, 2015) Environmental Defense Fund applauds the Monterey City Council on its decision to use $225,000 from the city’s Tidelands Trust Fund to increase local, sustainable fishing. EDF’s California Fisheries Fund is also proud to announce today that we will issue a low-interest loan of $220,000 to the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust (MBFT) to support its vision of ensuring that Monterey fishermen have access to sustainable fishing.

“The CFF and city funds will be used to acquire rights for Monterey fishermen to catch hundreds of thousands of pounds of groundfish under a sustainable management system. The allocated pounds, also known as “fishing quota,” will be managed by the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust, a new community non-profit dedicated to owning and managing groundfish quota for local fishermen.

We are proud to help advance the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust’s goal of ensuring the long-term viability of fishing in this small but historic and vibrant fishing town. We look forward to continuing to support the Monterey’s dedication to environmental stewardship, sustainability and its strong fishing community and heritage.

With its CFF loan, the MBFT will be better equipped to serve a community of local, family-owned businesses, make it easier for new fishermen to lease quota with flexible terms, support better technology that provides quick and improved services for fishermen and most importantly it will ensure fishermen will be able to fish out of Monterey Bay for future generations to come.”

• Phoebe Higgins, Director, California Fisheries Fund, Oceans Program