Complete list of press releases

(Washington, D.C. – July 31, 2013) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Vice President for Land, Water and Wildlife David Festa released the following statement in response to President Obama’s announced intention to nominate Michael Connor, head of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation and leader on energy, conservation and water issues, as Deputy Secretary of the Interior:

“Michael Connor excels at bringing competing interests to the table and coming up with solutions that keep our land and rivers healthy so that farmers, ranchers and businesses can continue to supply Americans with ample food, water and recreational opportunities in the future. His leadership in developing the Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study, for example, earned him the respect of agriculture, conservation, business and municipal water provider communities across the West. We look forward to working with him in his expanded role as Deputy Secretary of the Interior.”

London and Washington: Analysis from Bloomberg New Energy Finance and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) shows that the aviation industry can achieve its goal of carbon-neutral growth from 2020 – and even strengthen that goal considerably – by tapping into the available supply of high-integrity, low-cost carbon credits.

Efforts to control fast-growing carbon pollution from international aviation gained momentum pace last month when the industry urged governments to adopt a mandatory global mechanism to hold its net emissions stable from 2020 onwards – known as “carbon-neutral growth 2020”. Industry called on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to agree on a global offset program with strong environmental integrity rules, so aviation’s own emissions cuts, and real emissions cuts in other sectors, could be used to meet aviation’s targets. This new analysis assesses what such a program might cost.

The analysis, Carbon-Neutral Growth for Aviation: At What Price?, first shows that surplus offset credits already available in the world’s carbon trading systems (4.4bn tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2020) could, in principle, meet just under 50% of the airlines’ potential need for the thirty years between 2020 and 2050. The analysis then finds that if governments adopt tough criteria to ensure offsets represent real emission reductions, the cost of these credits to the aviation industry would be on the order of $4 to $6 per tonne in 2015.

These costs would represent a fraction of a percent (less than 0.5%) of total international airline revenue over this period. For comparison, last year airlines collected more than three times as much (as a share of revenue) from checked bags, extra legroom and in-flight snacks. According to this analysis, in 2030 the program would add less than $2 to a typical one-way fare (e.g., from Paris to New York).

Annie Petsonk, international counsel at Environmental Defense Fund, said: “This analysis demonstrates just how affordable a market-based mechanism can be in limiting carbon emissions. While aviation’s formidable technological ability can help reduce its carbon footprint, our analysis shows the critical role that high-integrity, low-cost reductions in other sectors can play in meeting the industry’s goal of carbon-neutral growth from 2020. As governments in ICAO consider how to address aviation’s contribution to climate change, this should give them the confidence to move ahead with a market-based mechanism for carbon-neutral growth.”

Indeed, the analysis shows that the widespread availability and low cost of carbon credits through a market-based mechanism could enable the industry to take on more ambitious targets.

Guy Turner, chief economist at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said: “These findings show that the international aviation sector can control its CO2 emissions relatively cheaply by using market based mechanisms. The small cost and the ability to pass any costs through into ticket prices, should encourage the international aviation sector to accelerate and deepen its emission reduction pledges. More ambitious emission reductions now look much more doable, than mere stabilization from 2020.”

The report can be found at http://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/BNEF_EDF_Carbon_Neutral_Growth_For_Aviation_At_What_Price.pdf

For further information:

Guy Turner
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
gturner10@bloomberg.net
+44 780 1140 696

Annie Petsonk
Environmental Defense Fund
apetsonk@edf.org
+1 202 387 3500

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NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Keith Gaby, EDF, kgaby@edf.org, 202-572-3336
Sharyn Stein, EDF, sstein@edf.org, 202-572-3396 
Jason Bane, Western Resource Advocates, jason.bane@westernresources.org, 720-763-3721

(July 26, 2013) Today, a coalition submitted a roadmap to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to achieve cleaner air at the Grand Canyon National Park and surrounding communities. The roadmap will also reduce reliance on coal at the Navajo Generating Station in Page, Arizona, cut the carbon pollution from the Navajo Generating Station (NGS), and foster clean energy economic development.

The roadmap was developed through collaboration among diverse interests including the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, Environmental Defense Fund, the Gila River Indian Community, the Navajo Nation, Salt River Project (on behalf of itself and the other NGS owners), the U.S. Department of the Interior, and Western Resource Advocates.  

The roadmap addresses clean air protections under the nation’s clean air laws. In addition to the significant reductions in the pollution that impairs the Grand Canyon’s spectacular vistas, the plan lays out a pathway to develop clean energy resources, including crucial commitments by the Department of the Interior to further clean energy economic development for the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and Gila River Indian Community. 

Importantly, the plan also contains a commitment by the Department of the Interior to begin addressing climate change. The Department of the Interior will reduce or offset the carbon pollution associated with its NGS energy use by three percent per year, or 11.3 million metric tons.  An innovative, credit-based, carbon reduction program was developed to assure the carbon pollution reductions are genuine and accurately measured. The program is transparent and simple to administer, and is designed so that it can be replicated elsewhere.   

You can read the blueprint and a fact sheet about the blueprint on EDF’s website. The blueprint will be considered by EPA in a public proceeding involving public notice and comment. 

“Reaching this agreement was a challenging, but rewarding, process,” said John Nielsen, Energy Program Director for Western Resource Advocates. “The agreement balances complex and diverse issues and interests. The environmental benefits of this agreement are significant, and the progress toward addressing climate change is of utmost importance.”

“This is a comprehensive approach to protect scenic vistas at the Grand Canyon National Park while forging lasting clean energy solutions” said Bruce Polkowsky, a former EPA and National Park Service expert on clean air in the national parks who participated in the design of the plan.  

“This plan provides a roadmap to cleaner air, climate progress and a stronger clean energy economy,” said Vickie Patton, General Counsel at Environmental Defense Fund. “We had to work through some difficult issues but together we were able to develop an approach that provides for cleaner air at the Grand Canyon and surrounding communities, that begins a cost-effective clean energy transition at the Navajo Generating Station, and that provides for crucial clean energy economic development for the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and Gila River Indian Community.” 

Clean Air Protections Include Reducing Reliance on Coal

Proposed clean air measures to reduce oxides of nitrogen and carbon pollution:

Alternative A

• Requires the NGS participants to cease coal generation on one unit or substantially reduce generation by January 1, 2020, depending on which ownership changes occur.
• This alternative also requires the NGS participants to achieve the same amount of NOx emissions reductions as provided for under EPA’s BART proposal, while meeting a 30-day rolling average NOx emission rate limit of 0.07 lb/MMBtu on two units at NGS after installing SCR or an equivalent technology no later than December 31, 2030.

Alternative B

• If the conditions for Alternative A are not met, Alternative B requires a reduction of NOx emissions equivalent to the shutdown of one Unit from 2020 to 2030.
• This alternative also requires the submittal of annual Implementation Plans describing the operating scenarios to be used to achieve greater NOx emission reductions than EPA’s Proposed BART Rule as described below. 

Under either Alternative, NOx emissions will be maintained below the total 2009-2044 NOx emissions cap delineated by EPA.  The 2009-2044 NOx cap is calculated based on an annual emission rate of 0.055 lb/MMBtu using selective catalytic reduction.

Additional Commitments to Reduce Carbon Pollution and Foster Clean Energy Development for the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and Gila River Indian Community

• Consistent with the President’s plan to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, a commitment by the Interior Department to reduce the CO₂ associated with the energy used to pump Central Arizona Project water by 3 percent annually for a total of 11.3 million metric tons to be achieved at NGS or through qualifying low emitting clean energy projects no later than December 31, 2035.  Interior’s commitment will be administered through an innovative credit-based CO2 tracking and accounting program that assures the reductions are accurately measured and genuine.
• In furtherance of the President’s “Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future” and to advance clean energy economic development that benefits the Indian tribes affected by NGS, the Interior Department will facilitate the development of Clean Energy Projects at a pace and scope to achieve 80% Clean Energy by 2035 for the U.S. share in NGS by securing approximately 26,975,000 MWh of Clean Energy Projects. The Interior Department will identify, prioritize and further low-emitting energy projects to benefit affected tribes, such as a 33 MW solar facility proposed by the Gila River Indian Community and local, community-based and large scale renewable energy projects within the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe.
• A commitment by the Interior Department to carry out the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Phase 2 Study to analyze options for the future of NGS consistent with the goals of the Joint Statement issued by EPA, Interior, and the U.S. Department of Energy on January 4, 2013, including identifying options for replacing the federal share of energy from NGS with low-emitting energy resources.
• A $5 million Local Benefit Fund for community improvement projects within 100 miles of NGS or the Kayenta Mine (which supplies coal to NGS).  Such projects could include coal or wood stove changeouts, local and community-based renewable energy projects, a partnership with the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) to address electric or water distribution and other infrastructure needs near the plant and mine, or other projects that benefit families and communities in the vicinity of NGS and the Kayenta Mine and that are developed with input from the affected communities.
• A commitment by the current owners of NGS to cease their operation of conventional coal-fired generation at NGS no later than December 22, 2044.

More information is available on the blueprint and the fact sheet.

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Peter Zalzal, 303-946-0907, pzalzal@edf.org
Sharyn Stein, 202-572-3396, sstein@edf.org

(Washington, D.C. – July 26, 2013) Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit dismissed lawsuits filed by the state of Texas and a group of power companies that could have undermined vital clean air protections and hurt efforts to reduce climate pollution.

The lawsuits had challenged efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure smooth, uninterrupted permitting of large sources of greenhouse gas emissions, as required under America’s clean air laws. Permitting ensures that large emitters deploy modern pollution control technology to cost-effectively reduce their climate pollution.

Today’s dismissed lawsuits are part of an ongoing set of challenges the state of Texas has mounted against some of the most important climate protections in our country.

“Instead of using its taxpayer dollars to litigate and obstruct clean air protections, Texas should invest in expanding its world-class wind energy resources, and in building a stronger clean energy economy,” said Peter Zalzal, an attorney for Environmental Defense Fund, which was an intervenor in the case. “Investing in clean energy instead of lawsuits will benefit Texas communities facing the debilitating impacts and soaring costs of the extreme weather linked to climate change.”

In the rulemaking at issue here, EPA took action to ensure that large greenhouse gas emitting sources in certain states could obtain the permits they needed for construction and deployment of modern technologies to reduce their emissions.

All states except Texas worked with EPA to ensure that a permitting authority was in place.

In today’s decision, the court concluded that the Clean Air Act unambiguously required large greenhouse gas emitting sources to obtain these construction permits. The court also found that because EPA’s limited actions allowed sources to obtain permits that they otherwise could not obtain, neither the power companies nor states had standing to challenge them.

(Washington, D.C. – July 25, 2013) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is launching a new TV ad campaign to thank the U.S. Senators who put public health ahead of politics, and voted to confirm Gina McCarthy as the new Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Political squabbling in the Senate delayed the vote on McCarthy for 136 days, even though she was widely viewed as an exceptionally qualified nominee with a well-earned reputation for bipartisanship. She was finally confirmed last week by vote of a 59 to 40. 

“EPA needs a strong leader to ensure that Americans have the cleanest air and the healthiest environment possible,” said EDF’s Keith Gaby. “Thanks to Senators who were focused on public health instead of politics, we now have that strong leader. With Gina McCarthy’s confirmation, we can get to work solving the critical issues we face – from climate change to the need for cleaner air.”

The 30-second ads will run in six states: Arizona, Arkansas, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Tennessee. A version thanking Senators who voted to confirm Gina McCarthy will run in the Washington D.C. TV market.

You can see the 30-second ads by clicking on these links: 

• Thank You Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
• Thank You Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
• Thank You Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
• Thank You Senator Bob Corker (R-TN)
• Thank You Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
• Thank You Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC)
• Thank You Senator Angus King (I-ME)
• Thank You Senator John McCain (R-AZ)
• Thank you Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR)
• Thank You Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)

(RALEIGH, NC – July 24, 2013) The North Carolina budget that became law today will fire all members of the state’s Environmental Management Commission (EMC), a rule-making body established in 1973 during the administration of Republican Governor James B. Holshouser, Jr. The following statement may be attributed to Jane Preyer, director of the North Carolina office of Environmental Defense Fund:

“Most of us don’t realize the daily impact that the EMC has on our lives. We turn on a faucet, and clean water comes out. We go for a walk and breathe fresh air. That’s because the EMC developed the rules to limit toxic pollution in our water and air.

“The EMC deals with critical issues that affect the health of our families, businesses and communities. It’s difficult to imagine how firing an entire commission and losing that expertise and institutional knowledge will help our state be a better place to live and work.”

The new budget decreases the number of commissioners from 19 to 15, gives the General Assembly more control over appointments, changes the qualifications for members and weakens conflict of interest provisions. Current EMC members will lose their positions on July 31.

(Washington, D.C. – July 23, 2013) Today, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected petitions for stronger, more protective air quality standards for ground-level ozone pollution – commonly known as smog.

The court affirmed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) current smog standard in spite of strong scientific evidence that currently allowed ozone levels continue to endanger Americans’ health. 

“Today’s court decision is deeply disappointing in light of the compelling body of scientific evidence showing the health hazards of ozone pollution at levels below the current standard,” said Peter Zalzal,  an attorney for Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). “Ozone is a corrosive air pollutant linked to aggravation of asthma, serious bronchial conditions, and other serious health harms – including premature death.”

In 2008, EPA set national ozone standards in 2008 at 75 parts per billion – despite of unanimous advice from the statutorily-established Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and from the nation’s leading medical societies that called for a more protective standard.

States and cities – including New York, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, the District of Columbia, the City of New York, and the California Air Resources Board – sued to strengthen the ozone standards consistent with rigorous scientific evidence. 

Earthjustice represented the American Lung Association, EDF, NRDC, National Parks Conservation Association, and Appalachian Mountain Club in pressing for a more protective standard.

While today’s decision declined to require a more protective health standard as these groups urged, the court did agree that EPA’s secondary standard, which is designed to protect damage to vegetation and ecosystems, violated the Clean Air Act. The court remanded this portion of the rule for further explanation or reconsideration by EPA.

“The scientific evidence for a more protective standard has only become stronger since 2008,” said Elena Craft, Health Scientist for EDF. “Notwithstanding today’s decision, EPA must move forward with stronger standards to protect Americans’ health with an adequate margin of safety in its legally-required review of the 2008 standard, which is now underway.”

There are proven, cost-effective solutions available that can help protect Americans from smog. Those solutions include: EPA finalizing the “Tier 3” emission standards for cleaner cars and cleaner gasoline; strengthening emission standards for oil and gas development activities; and cutting the smog-forming emissions from coal-fired power plants.

“The bill reported out by the Senate Appropriations Committee is an encouraging first step toward bringing immediate relief to those around the country suffering from serious decline of fish stocks.   This decline, exacerbated by warming ocean temperatures associated with climate change, has hit fishermen, their families and communities hard, rippling outward in local economies. 

“We want to thank the New England congressional delegation and committee chairwoman Mikulski for their leadership and commitment to help meet the challenges facing families and fisheries in New England.”

- Johanna Thomas, Director, New England and Pacific EDF Oceans Program

NEWS RELEASE 

Contact:
Keith Gaby, kgaby@edf.org, 202-572-3336
Sharyn Stein, sstein@edf.org, 202-572-3396
 

 “We are very gratified the Senate has finally voted to confirm Gina McCarthy as America’s new EPA Administrator. McCarthy has always been an ideal candidate for this crucially important job. She has exceptional qualifications and experience, and she has a well-earned reputation for bipartisanship. She has a history of working with both environmental advocates and industry stakeholders, and for pursuing a regulatory approach that is flexible, cost-effective and environmentally effective.

“It’s time to put politics behind us and get to work on the many important issues facing EPA, including implementing key parts of the President’s Climate Action Plan. I look forward to working with Gina McCarthy and her staff at EPA to ensure that Americans have a cleaner, healthier environment.” 

-          Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

• offers the most detailed treatment to date of how to develop comprehensive, statewide REDD+ programs that account for emissions from entire states, not just fragmented, often isolated small-scale efforts.
• addresses how to effectively incorporate REDD+ credits into a carbon-market system while maintaining environmental and social integrity.
• describes how to ensure that any REDD+ credits from outside California come from states and provinces that are reducing emissions from their forest sectors in a way that is as stringent as California’s program requires for other types of emissions.

(New York, NY – July 18, 2013) Today, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) announced the hire of Cheryl Roberto as Associate Vice President, US Climate and Energy.

Roberto served as the Commissioner of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) from 2008 to 2012, where she was the lead commissioner for PUCO’s partnership with the United States Department of Energy combined heat and power pilot project. She was also Co-Chair of the 2012 National Electricity Forum, which centered on envisioning a future electric grid.

Roberto has distinguished herself in the area of energy efficiency. She currently serves on the Executive Group of the State and Local Energy Efficiency Action network (SEEAction) and received the Inspiring Efficiency Leadership Award from the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance in January 2013.

In addition to her experience as PUCO Commissioner, Roberto was the head of the City of Columbus, Ohio Department of Public Utilities. During her four-year tenure as the chief executive officer of municipal distribution utilities, she managed a team of over 1,300 employees, directed a successful water quality environmental initiative and completed the first restructure of utility rate models in two decades.

In her new role at EDF, Roberto will apply her many years of utility leadership experience to lead the organization’s national “EDF Clean Energy” campaign. Through regulatory reform and new utility incentives, among others, EDF’s clean energy initiatives aim to modernize our outdated energy infrastructure, accelerate the deployment of cutting-edge, clean technologies into the nation’s electric system and break down the regulatory and financial barriers to broad-scale adoption of renewable energy, energy efficiency and other innovative ways to generate, distribute and use energy.

Putting the right policies in place to accelerate investments in clean, homegrown energy will address the need for reliable power and reduce harmful pollution sharply, while spurring economic development, creating jobs and helping America gain a global leadership position in the multi-trillion dollar clean energy economy.

“We would like to thank the commission for giving careful consideration to these issues and moving forward into a formal rulemaking process,” said Jon Goldstein, EDF Senior Energy Policy Manager. “On the whole, this rule establishes a solid, scientifically-valid framework for groundwater quality testing.”

“We would like to thank Governor Mead for his leadership on this issue,” said Amber Wilson, Environmental Quality Coordinator with WOC. “As he noted today at the commission, this rule establishes a foundation that can be added to over time. This rule will go a long way toward providing the public with important information about the quality of the water resources we all share.”

“We will continue to be involved as this rule moves forward, especially on the newly introduced concept of “master plans,” said Goldstein. “We need to ensure these plans don’t undermine the fundamental goal of creating a scientifically sound program that protects the critical groundwater resources of Wyoming.”

Draft rules that would require oil and gas drillers to scientifically establish the quality of aquifers around sites before drilling occurs — if done well — would be cheap insurance and provide “a first line of defense” for Wyoming citizens, two environmental groups say.

A coalition of groups, including the Wyoming Outdoor Council and the Environmental Defense Fund, submitted comments on Thursday on draft regulations establishing a statewide groundwater testing program in Wyoming.

“Governor Mead and his staff are showing great leadership in this effort,” said Richard Garrett, energy policy analyst with the Wyoming Outdoor Council. “The governor is right — and just about everyone agrees — collecting baseline water quality data prior to drilling, and following up with post completion sampling, are necessary steps. If done right, it’ll protect everyone: landowners, Wyoming citizens, and industry. Our task now is to participate and do everything we can to help ensure that the final rule is strong, scientifically valid, and protects the people of Wyoming.”

Jon Goldstein, senior energy policy manager with EDF, said “On the whole, the draft rule would create a strong, scientifically-valid groundwater testing program. Wyoming regulators and the governor should be praised for the solid, science-based approach outlined in this draft. If these rules stay strong, this program will give Wyoming residents important information about the quality of their water.”

A solid, scientifically-valid testing program will provide a first line of defense in detecting any groundwater contamination that may occur as a result of well development activities – including both surface and subsurface activities – in order to protect public health and quickly remediate any problems that arise.

The draft rule requires sampling from existing water wells within a half-mile radius of proposed oil or gas wells when submitting an application for a permit to drill. Subsequent sampling must be conducted in two future time windows.

The Wyoming draft rule’s statewide applicability, use of a radial approach without an artificial cap on the number of wells tested, ability to rely on the experienced technical staff of the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and their understanding of local hydrogeological conditions in reviewing and approving testing plans, and the use of a required Sampling and Analysis Protocol are of special importance.

In particular the groups’ note, Wyoming’s proposed SAP is currently the most detailed guidance provided by any state regarding how private wells should be sampled.

“Overall, Wyoming’s draft rule fixes the mistakes others have made and establishes a strong, scientifically-valid program without costing operators any more than what they will need to spend to comply with other, less valid approaches,” EDF’s Goldstein added.

While the groups offer overall support for the approach taken in the draft, they also recommend several improvements to the program. These include adding clear statements of program and sampling objectives, requiring that well logs and groundwater gradient survey information be reviewed whenever possible, adding a phrase to the liability clause to ensure no assumption is made either for or against liability, requiring baseline sampling reports be completed and submitted with all sampling results to help add explanation and context, and adding a clause requiring consideration of equal treatment of proximate landowners.

The WOGCC is expected to consider comments on the draft rule and decide on proceeding to a formal rulemaking process at a July 16 meeting.

(June 27, 2013)  Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) applauded today Anthony Foxx’s unanimous confirmation as Secretary of Transportation by the U.S. Senate. 

“The United States has an opportunity this year to lead the world in securing a global agreement to reduce emissions from international aviation, which are among the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Nathaniel Keohane, EDF’s vice president for international climate. “Indeed, the President’s Climate Action Plan pledges that the United States will work towards such an agreement in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Under Secretary Foxx’s leadership, the Department of Transportation should heed the call from the aviation industry itself, and put its considerable diplomatic heft into making a strong agreement in ICAO this September a reality.”

“DOT and EPA have established a strong track record of cooperation in establishing rigorous, health-protective pollution standards for light-duty cars and trucks, and for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. We look forward to seeing continued fruitful collaboration between DOT and EPA as they work together to create world-leading second generation pollution standards for large trucks,” said Peter Zalzal, attorney with EDF.

Environmental Defense Fund looks forward to working cooperatively on these and other issues with Secretary Foxx.