Complete list of press releases

(WASHINGTON – June 27, 2013) Today the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee is meeting to discuss the management of the Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper fishery.  This hearing takes place at a critical time for the fishery. The mismanagement of the recreational share of the fishery has caused serious chaos in the region including a lawsuit, state non-compliance, gridlock in the regional fishery management council and proposed intervention by Congress. 

Below is a statement from the EDF Oceans Program’s Gulf of Mexico Director, Pam Baker:

“Today, members of the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee will hear from fishery managers and fishermen from across the Gulf of Mexico.  The good news is: the red snapper population is recovering from the days when it was in serious decline.  Scientific catch limits and a new commercial management plan have helped end “overfishing” and put the fishery on a rebuilding path – with more fish for all. The commercial fishery and U.S. consumers are enjoying steady supplies of fresh snapper and a stable business environment. But, the mismanagement of the recreational share is robbing anglers from reaping greater fishing opportunities. This year’s 28 day recreational red snapper season is an obvious sign of management failure. 

There are good alternatives that could be matched to simultaneously benefit fishermen, fishing businesses and seafood markets. The commercial management plan operating in offshore federal waters (called individual fishing quotas) is working well – it isn’t perfect, but it is one of the best in the country. This plan is already in place and helps to serve the growing U.S. demand for local, sustainable seafood. On the recreational side, charter boats (who provide fishing opportunities to anglers who do not have their own boats) may benefit from a fleet-specific individual fishing quota design because it would allow longer seasons and more flexibility for their customers. For anglers with their own vessels, a regional management concept may work. State management agencies have experience managing anglers and may do better with more authority under “regional management”. Under this system, states can have a designated sub-quota and the ability to try tools that perform better than short seasons and other existing measures.

Managing popular fish to meet the growing demand from both American consumers and recreationists is a serious challenge. Progress is currently the victim of regulatory and political chaos. If we can focus on real alternatives and less on politics, we can ensure the long-term sustainability of the fishery as well as preserve the business and sport of fishing for future generations.”

To read EDF’s full written testimony to the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, click here.

More background on EDF’s views on the red snapper fishery:

Testimony to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council – June 2013

Op-ed from EDF’s Gulf Director, Pam Baker, in Saving Seafood – March 2013

(New Orleans—June 26, 2013) Recent news reports have confirmed the discovery of a massive 40,000-pound tar mat directly offshore of Grand Terre, a barrier island about 90 miles south of New Orleans. This announcement comes on the heels of a declaration earlier this month by the Coast Guard and BP that cleanup from the 2010 Gulf oil disaster is over in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. Meanwhile in Louisiana, crews are still monitoring more than 80 miles of coastline.

Today, Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation issued the following joint statement:

“A twenty-ton tar mat on Grand Terre is a vivid reminder that the effects of the 2010 Gulf oil disaster are far from over, despite BP’s glossy ad campaigns saying otherwise. It is time for BP to be held accountable for its lasting damages to Gulf ecosystems, economies and communities.  

“Three years after the disaster, which released more than 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf, we are still experiencing BP oil across our Louisiana shorelines and throughout our precious marshes. Many barrier islands bore the brunt of the damage from the oil disaster, and islands like Grand Terre are vitally important to Louisiana and the entire Gulf ecosystem. Barrier islands provide a first line of defense against storm surge, protecting communities and habitats, and they are also nurseries and breeding grounds for many species of Gulf fish, wildlife and migratory birds.

“BP misleads audiences when it declares cleanup victory in the Gulf. It may try to sweep this recent news under the rug, but it’s going to take a pretty big broom to hide a 40,000-pound tar mat. While reports say that the tar mat is ‘only’ 15 percent oil and 85 percent sand, shells and water, the entire 40,000-pound mat is considered hazardous material and must be removed from the area. This tar mat is but the latest reminder of the massive amounts of remaining oil and the ongoing need for restoration. We cannot let BP off the hook when we are continuing to see new evidence of damage to our ecosystem and economy from its oil.

“We may never be able to clean up all of the BP oil that inundated our marshes and wetlands, but we can take on large-scale restoration of our coast — including barrier islands like Grand Terre — to combat the effects of BP’s oil and restore the entire Gulf Coast. Through the RESTORE Act and full BP accountability, still to be settled in court, we have the opportunity for justice and a healthy Gulf future within reach.”

NEWS RELEASE

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

“The President’s action today represents the best kind of leadership – a common sense step that will leave a stronger America for our children and grandchildren.

 “Most Americans have moved past the old debates about climate change and are now dealing with the impacts. This action today will help farmers coping with drought, coastal residents from Florida to Connecticut rebuilding after storms, communities ravaged by wildfire in the the West, children suffering from asthma, and all taxpayers who have to foot the bill for the impacts of climate change.

  “By setting the first standards in history for carbon pollution from U.S. power plants — which produce two billion tons of this pollution each year, or about 40-percent of the U.S. total — the President will help modernize our power system, ensuring that our electricity is reliable, affordable, healthy and clean. He will do so in a way that gives industry the flexibility it needs to contain costs. The President’s decision to focus his administration on addressing the serious problem of methane’s contribution to climate change is an additional, welcome part of his announcement.

“Those who oppose this action apparently want no limits at all on carbon pollution from its largest source. That’s a highly irresponsible position in the face of a scientifically established threat. We expect Members of Congress to strongly support the President’s action today. Failing to act is the most expensive choice, leaving huge costs to our children’s generation. Those who are concerned about saddling our kids with fiscal deficits should also worry about the enormous costs of climate change.

 “This important step marks the beginning of a new era in Washington. The time of climate silence is over. The time of climate action is here. The President deserves great credit for this. It is only one of the steps needed to address climate change, but this common sense plan to limit a dangerous form of pollution will be a major part of the President’s legacy.”

-          Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Joaquin McPeek, 916-492-7173, jmcpeek@edf.org
Anneka Wisker, 202-572-3308, awisker@momsccleanairforce.org

(Los Angeles – June 24, 2013) – Today Moms Clean Air Force (MCAF) launched an initiative to engage Latino parents and families on the issue of climate change and community resiliency in Southern and Central California.  MCAF has tapped José Sigala, a well-respected community organizer in the Los Angeles area with over 20 years of advocacy and political experience, to lead the effort. Sigala joins a vibrant, rapidly growing national organization that to date has over 140,000 members.

Los Angeles and the Central Valley are home to the dirtiest air in the country, according to the American Lung Association. Rising temperature from global warming only exacerbates this already poor air quality.  These regions are home to an overwhelmingly large Latino population, in some cities reaching as high as 75 percent of all residents.

Sigala will reach out to Latino parents—in English and in Spanish—about the connection between global warming and the health and safety of their families. He will also be developing conversations about how to make our communities more resilient. His work will be focused on issues affecting the greater Los Angeles area and the Central Valley.

“I am proud to be working with Moms Clean Air Force.  I am eager to join with them in their efforts to educate and empower communities across California on climate change and healthy communities,” Sigala said. “As the father of 2 beautiful daughters, I want to do my part in leaving them and future generations a better planet and working with Moms Clean Air Force will help me achieve that goal.”

Sigala comes to MCAF with a proven background as a community leader and organizer, having served as President of the Echo Park Neighborhood Council, as well as a Senior Community Organizer and Legislative Deputy for Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon and District Director for Assembly member Rudy Bermudez.

In uniting with Hispanic parents—and voters—Sigala brings a critically important dimension to our work. He joins us in supporting the many excellent activists already working on this issue. Global warming is a problem of great urgency, and no one cares more about the future of California’s children than their parents.

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Vickie Patton, 720-837-6239, vpatton@edf.org
Sharyn Stein, 202-572-3396, sstein@edf.org

(Washington, D.C. – June 24, 2013) The Supreme Court of the United States announced today that it would review the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision involving EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule. 

The D.C. Circuit overturned the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule last August in EME Homer City Generation v. EPA.“This is welcome news for the millions of Americans afflicted by harmful air pollution from power plants,” said EDF general counsel Vickie Patton.

“The Cross State Rule is firmly anchored in science and law, and will ensure healthier and longer lives for 240 million Americans. We look forward to presenting this compelling case for clean air to the high court.”   

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule under the “good neighbor” provision of the Clean Air Act, which is intended to ensure that the emissions from one state’s power plants do not cause harmful pollution levels in neighboring states.

The rule would 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.

The federal government asked the Supreme Court to review the EME Homer City decision, as did Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the American Lung Association, the Clean Air Council, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Sierra Club. Other parties filed briefs in support of EPA’s request, including numerous states and cities that are adversely affected by interstate pollution, and two major power companies.

Today the Supreme Court granted the request to review the lower court’s decision on the merits. That means the Court will hear an appeal of the lower court’s decision during its next term, which begins in the fall.

NEWS RELEASE 

Contact:
Keith Gaby, 703-625-8218, kgaby@edf.org
Sharyn Stein, 202-905-5718, sstein@edf.org

“President Obama has confirmed that on Tuesday he will share his vision for climate action — a national plan to reduce carbon pollution, prepare our country for the impacts of climate change, and lead global efforts to fight it.

“This is very big news, and we are eager to hear what the President has to say.  He knows that addressing climate change is not only an obligation we have to the next generation, but something we owe ourselves — because it means modernizing our energy system in order to generate electricity that is reliable, affordable, healthy and clean.  As the President said Saturday, ‘This is a serious challenge — but it’s one uniquely suited to America’s strengths.’ I agree — and can’t wait to hear more.”

  —  Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund

(Washington, D.C. – June 20, 2013) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) strongly supports a new proposal from Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) to improve America’s overall energy efficiency through a competitive grant program for states.

The two introduced their State Energy Race to the Top Initiative today.

Under the measure, states could apply to the Department of Energy for funding for their most innovative ideas in energy efficiency, clean energy development and smart grid technologies. The goal of the measure is to double the productivity of U.S. electricity use by 2030.

“Reducing the amount of energy we waste is the fastest and easiest way to reduce both our energy costs and the amount of harmful pollution we put into our air,” said EDF’s Elgie Holstein.“The State Energy Race to the Top Initiative will encourage states to develop innovative new ways to use their power wisely, and will provide funding for the best of those ideas.”

Much of the innovation in American energy policy is already occurring at the state level. The

State Energy Race to the Top Initiative recognizes the leadership that states have shown, and aims to harness that innovation through a voluntary energy productivity challenge.

States, public power utilities, rural electric cooperatives and tribes would be eligible to participate. They could submit proposals for energy efficiency programs that are tailored to their own unique energy needs and profiles – including policies related to building efficiency, combined heat and power, demand response, and smart grid. The programs will be judged based on improvements made over the states’ own energy profiles today – not compared to each other.

“The State Energy Race to the Top Initiative will reward the best American ideas, while also helping states to save money and provide their citizens with cleaner air,” said Holstein. “We thank Senators Warner and Manchin for championing this bill to protect our health, our environment – and our wallets, and we urge the Senate to pass this bill as quickly as possible.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A coalition of public health and environmental groups filed a lawsuit today asking the federal court to set a deadline for the Obama Administration to take action on overdue standards for ozone (or “smog”) pollution.

The lawsuit – filed on behalf of the American Lung Association, Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Sierra Club – comes after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) missed the legal deadline to complete the review of these standards mandated by the federal Clean Air Act.

“Millions of Americans are being denied the health protection that doctors say is needed, and that the law requires EPA to provide,” said Paul Cort, an attorney with Earthjustice, the public interest group handling the case.  “When the administration fails to follow the laws set out by Congress, it is left to those injured by inaction to ask a court to enforce the law.”

“Ozone is a harmful air pollutant that can inflame the lungs and leave people gasping for breath, and these health effects are especially harmful for children and seniors,” said Elena Craft, PhD, health scientist at EDF. “It is crucial that we move forward with a science-based standard that reduces smog and protects public health.”

The EPA’s science advisors and the nation’s leading medical organizations agree that stronger ozone standards are needed to save lives and prevent sickness. Ozone air pollution causes premature death, asthma attacks and other breathing problems, often sending people to emergency rooms and hospitals due to lung distress. Research now links ozone to increased risk of low birth weight in babies and cardiovascular harm. Children and senior citizens are at special risk, as are people with respiratory and cardiovascular disease. According to EPA estimates, more protective ozone standards could annually save up to 12,000 lives, prevent tens of thousands of asthma attacks and hospital visits, and prevent hundreds of thousands of lost school and work days.

“Congress told EPA to finish these reviews every five years for a reason—to keep up with the science,” said Janice Nolen, Assistant Vice President, National Policy, of the American Lung Association.  “Americans want public health protections based on up-to-date science. Given the growing evidence that ozone can kill, delays can be deadly.”

Today’s action seeks a court-ordered deadline for EPA to complete its review of the outdated standards. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA was required to complete its review of the ozone standards last March. Legal action is considered a last resort, but without such a court-ordered deadline, history has demonstrated that delay in the necessary review is likely to continue.

“Once updated and implemented, the EPA’s smog standards will save thousands of lives and prevent tens of thousands of asthma attacks,” said Mary Anne Hitt, director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign. “But clean air can’t wait. The EPA must stop its dangerous delays and move swiftly to finalize this critical protection.”

“The benefits to our economic and physical health from a more protective smog standard are without question,” said John Walke, Clean Air Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “While polluters continue to rail against health standards with false and disproven arguments, the American people know better. It is past time to adopt stronger health standards that the overwhelming scientific evidence demands.” 

(SHENZHEN, China – June 18, 2013)  China’s first carbon trading pilot program formally launched today in Shenzhen, a city in southern China known for being a leader in market innovation. Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) welcomed the launch of the system, which covers 635 companies and 40% of the city’s total emissions, and is set to reduce the carbon intensity of Shenzhen’s economy by 21% by 2015.

“This is further proof that China recognizes the need to address climate change. Shenzhen’s emissions trading system is another in a long string of firsts for a city that has established itself as a leader in market innovation in China. It was only natural that carbon be the next chapter,” said EDF vice president Dan Dudek, who runs EDF’s China Program and attended the announcement ceremony in Shenzhen. “Coming on the heels of an agreement between the U.S. and Chinese presidents to work together to control other powerful greenhouse gases, Shenzhen’s system shows China’s commitment to changing the current climate trajectory.”

Shenzhen’s system was launched in a ceremony today by National Development and Reform Commission Vice Chairman, Minister Xie Zhenhua, who was joined by the Commission’s Climate Department’s Director General Su Wei; the two oversee China’s domestic and international climate strategy. Chair of California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) Mary Nichols also participated in the launch and signed an agreement between California and Shenzhen to enhance technical cooperation between their emissions trading systems.

“California, the first state in the U.S. to have launched a statewide emissions trading system, has been an extraordinary example for Shenzhen, providing inspiration and support in development of its program,” said Dudek.

Shenzhen’s system is the first of seven carbon trading pilot programs to launch in China. Participating firms in Shenzhen will limit their total emissions over the next three years to 100 million tons; when the program ends in 2015, China’s national government will review the seven pilots’ outcomes and decide on the next phase for a national program.

EDF, a U.S.-based non-profit organization whose China Program is based in Beijing, began a formal collaboration on Shenzhen’s emissions trading system last November after working with the municipal government on a low-carbon transportation initiative over the past several years.

Shenzhen Vice Mayor Tang Jie, responsible for development of the emissions trading system, offered “special thanks to EDF for its support in advancing carbon trading in Shenzhen.”

Yesterday, Governor Matt Mead unveiled draft regulations that would establish a groundwater testing program for oil and gas operations in Wyoming. These draft rules would require oil and gas operators to conduct tests establishing the quality of groundwater around sites before drilling begins and to follow up later with tests to monitor for potential impacts.

“We are still reviewing these rules, but they appear to establish a solid, scientifically valid approach to establishing groundwater conditions in areas where oil and gas drilling will occur,” said EDF Senior Energy Policy Manager Jon Goldstein.

A scientifically valid testing program can 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 may arise.

The Wyoming proposal is similar to an industry-supported groundwater testing program adopted in Colorado early this year but appears to address several key flaws in the Colorado rule.

“It’s clear Wyoming has made an effort to learn from the experience of others,” Goldstein said.  “Wyoming regulators have proposed a program that wouldn’t cost companies a dollar more than the programs they’ve supported in other states.  The difference here is Wyoming has come up with a scientifically valid approach where others failed.”

“The Wyoming Outdoor Council thanks Governor Mead and his staff for hearing our concerns on these issues,” said Chris Merrill, associate director of the Wyoming Outdoor Council. “We will remain involved in this process as these rules are finalized.  The proposed language serves as a good foundation for a strong, scientifically valid program.”

The state has begun a 30-day public comment period on the draft rule and has set a public hearing on the proposed rule for June 25.    

The International Energy Agency today announced policy recommendations to limit increases in global temperatures below two degrees Celsius at no net cost to the world economy. The package of measures analyzed by the IEA, a global authority on energy issues, uses existing technologies to keep warming below the level many believe would trigger the worst impacts of climate change.

“The IEA’s report provides a road map to a cleaner, more secure future,” said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund. “It also adds to the mountain of analysis showing that smart, practical measures are readily available to cut carbon pollution – in ways that do not harm the economy. Indeed, as the report makes clear, delaying action on climate change is the most expensive path.”

“It’s especially noteworthy to have such a report coming from the International Energy Agency, which was founded forty years ago to facilitate international coordination among oil-consuming countries,” said Krupp. “The fact that the IEA is issuing this report is a clear reminder that the real energy-related threat to economic prosperity is no longer an oil shock, but a climate shock.”

Krupp added, “We are already seeing the early-warning signs of climate change in extreme weather events around the world. This report, coming from the world’s leading experts on energy, sends a very clear message: We have the tools we need to make the turn toward climate safety. What is needed is the political will to act. This report should be required reading for next week’s G8 Summit.”

President Obama and Chinese President Xi today announced their intention to cooperate in advancing efforts to limit the potent greenhouse gases known as HFCs.

“This is a significant step forward for the two nations that are the largest emitters of greenhouses gases. It’s the kind of international cooperation we’ll need to drive a comprehensive solution,” said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund. “Climate change will have huge economic costs on both sides of the Pacific, and the solutions to climate change – like leadership on clean energy technologies – offer enormous economic benefits. These two leaders know it is in their national interests to move forward.”

The two presidents met in in California, home of the most ambitious climate law in the United States. They agreed to “work together and with other countries to use the expertise and institutions of the Montreal Protocol to phase down the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons” (HFCs), potent man-made greenhouse gases used in air conditioning and refrigeration. A recent report from the World Resources Institute concluded that, “[e]liminating HFCs represents the biggest opportunity for GHG emissions reductions” other than power plants in the United States.

“The U.S. and China are the two biggest players in the international climate arena, and the fact that they’re talking about cooperation is a pretty big deal,” said Krupp. “It’s only one step forward, but a very positive one.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                              

Contact:
Joaquin McPeek, 916-492-7173 jmcpeek@edf.org

(SACRAMENTO – June 3, 2013) “Today’s ruling is further support for the state’s momentum towards a lower carbon, more sustainable transportation fuel system.  The Court clearly recognized the importance of the standard and the need to reduce carbon pollution, while protecting investments in alternative fuels that have already been made.”

• Tim O’Connor, Director, California Climate and Energy Initiative

“We at EDF join in mourning today’s death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg.

“Over his long career, Frank Lautenberg was a tireless advocate for protecting America’s health and environment. As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, he helped pass laws that have made our air and water cleaner, promoted clean energy and made our families healthier.

“EDF had the honor of working with him many times over the years, most recently on one of his top priorities — a bipartisan effort to protect Americans from the toxic chemicals they encounter every day.

“Sen. Lautenberg will be remembered as a passionate and principled statesmen who inspired all who worked with him. We will miss him dearly.”

- Fred Krupp, president of EDF

Leading U.S. NGOs today echoed the new call by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade body comprising 240 airlines worldwide, for governments to agree this September on a single global cap on emissions of international flights to take effect in 2020. NGOs issued their call in response to a resolution, adopted today at IATA’s annual general meeting in Cape Town, urging its member airlines to “strongly encourage governments” to adopt such a single global measure at this year’s International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Assembly.

Not all the ingredients offered in IATA’s resolution will fully address aviation’s contribution to climate change, the NGOs cautioned. But Annie Petsonk, International Counsel at Environmental Defense Fund, said: “IATA has opened the door, now it is time for governments to walk through it this September. This is the signal that governments have been seeking.”

Jake Schmidt, International Climate Policy Director at Natural Resources Defense Council, said: “It is time for governments to heed the call and act decisively this year to control aviation’s carbon pollution.”

In advance of IATA’s general meeting in Cape Town, global NGOs sent a letter to IATA Director General Tony Tyler calling on IATA to act on market-based measures. The 11 environment, development, community and science groups said in the letter, “To be credible, such measures must include targets compatible with climate science, strong provisions to ensure the environmental credibility of the traded units, limited access to offsets and strict provisions to ensure compliance.”