Complete list of press releases

(June 13, 2023 - Washington, D.C.) – Today, EPA published notice of a proposed consent decree requiring the agency to review and, if appropriate, revise Clean Air Act standards that protect people and communities from dangerous pollution emitted by new gas-burning power plants. 

The proposed consent decree is in response to a 2022 citizen suit brought by Environmental Defense Fund and Sierra Club. The lawsuit was designed to enforce EPA’s long overdue obligation under the Clean Air Act to review the adequacy of its new source performance standards for gas plants’ emissions for nitrogen oxides (NOx).

“Gas-burning power plants discharge harmful nitrogen oxides in communities across the country – contaminants that contribute to dangerous particulates and smog,” said EDF Attorney Noha Haggag. “We urge EPA to modernize our nation’s pollution limits on the nitrogen oxides from new gas-burning power plants and provide healthier air for millions of people.”

“For years, EPA has failed to revise its NOx standards for new gas plants, creating a loophole that allows many plant developers to avoid installing the best widely available emission control technology,” said Sierra Club Senior Attorney Andres Restrepo. “We’re pleased the Biden Administration is continuing to demonstrate their commitment to protecting communities and the environment from harmful pollution. Now, EPA must act quickly to set new and appropriately protective safeguards. Nothing less than our lives are at stake.”

If finalized, the consent decree would require EPA to issue a proposed action by November 2024 and then take final action by November 2025. The proposed decree is now undergoing a 30-day public comment period. 

Under the Clean Air Act, EPA must review and, if appropriate, revise its new source performance standards for stationary sources like power plants every 8 years. These national standards provide protections against air pollution from industrial sources including fossil fuel power plants. 

Despite its statutory responsibility, EPA has not updated its NOx standards for new gas plants in over 16 years. The current NOx limits are therefore seriously out of date and do not reflect the best emission limits achievable through the use of available technology. The consent decree enforces these Clean Air Act safeguards to help ensure modern nationwide pollution limits are adopted for new gas-burning power plants.

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) supports the leadership of New Jersey’s Governor Phil Murphy and Department of Environmental Protection and their commitment to protect communities from riverine flood risk and stormwater runoff. Announced recently, the administration will adopt the Inland Flood Protection Rule, which will bring flood hazard and storm regulations up to date with current rainfall maps. Additionally, the rule will ensure future development is built to withstand changing climate conditions. 

“Flooding and extreme storms, like Hurricane Sandy and Ida, have led to the loss of lives and more than $100 billion in total damages regionally. These events not only affect families along the coastline, but also impact inland communities. The Inland Flood Protection Rule and forthcoming coastal rules will help keep communities safer and leverage economic benefits. 

“We encourage the administration to continue supporting meaningful actions that build flood and climate resilience across the state of New Jersey.”  

- Kate Boicourt, Director, Climate Resilient Coasts & Watersheds, New York-New Jersey, Environmental Defense Fund  

NEW DELHI, June 9, 2023 A new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters finds that dense smog associated with winter haze and late-autumn crop burning in northern India has gotten worse over the past four decades. The smog, which causes hazardous air pollution and reduces visibility, is impacting a region of more than 600 million people in the country’s Gangetic Plains, considered a hotspot for air pollution.

“Smog in this region is getting more intense due to a combination of factors,” said Ritesh Gautam, Lead Senior Scientist at Environmental Defense Fund Inc., and the study’s lead author. “Tiny aerosol particles from emissions warm the atmosphere while cooling the ground, then interact with meteorology in a feedback loop over urban and rural areas, fueling this intensity, especially in the late autumn and early winter.”

Meteorological feedbacks intensify smog

The authors studied the links between the intensification of smog and long-term changes in the lower atmosphere, by combining two decades of multi-satellite observations, 40 years of meteorological observations and atmospheric modeling datasets from 1980 until 2019.

They found that aerosol particles such as soot, which can influence how much energy from the sun reaches the earth’s surface, warmed the lower atmosphere while cooling the planet’s surface. Temperatures in the lower troposphere—the lowest layer of the atmosphere—should generally decrease with height, but here, the opposite occurred. This situation is responsible for what is known as “inversion” events when the earth’s surface is cooler than the air above it. A growing number of observed inversion days, coupled with increasing relative humidity and a lowering of boundary layer height helped lead to more intense smog in this area.

Furthermore, the authors found a buildup of aerosol pollution across the region, not just in large, urban areas, where it receives the most attention.

“These aerosol-radiative-meteorological feedbacks, coupled with emissions are driving the long-term smog intensification across the entire region,” Gautam said.

Regional landscape adds to challenges

This area of India lies in a valley-type terrain to the south of the Himalayas and is vulnerable to buildup of excess pollution, due in part to geography. And while emissions alone may not be fully responsible for increasingly poor air quality, they combine with the meteorological feedbacks to drive smog’s intensity in the region.

“The buildup of pollution from crop burning and the winter haze in the shallow boundary layer of the atmosphere, combined with the weather is really a double whammy of factors that feed on one another which has intensified the severity of smog,” Gautam said.

Potential for substantial mitigation in semi-urban, rural areas

The findings pointing to smog from rural areas and small towns suggest that monitoring and mitigation efforts could deliver more substantial and measurable gains if implemented across the region, rather than just major cities. “These findings suggest we may need more robust or different types of mitigation measures to control air pollution in the area.” says Parthaa Bosu, who leads EDF’s air quality work in India.

“We need to reduce pollution levels systematically across urban, semi-urban and rural areas along the Gangetic Plains, from Punjab to West Bengal,” Bosu says. “This has the potential to reduce smog substantially from November through January in northern India.

“Smog is a shared problem across the Gangetic plains,” Bosu said. To create awareness and develop lasting solutions, he suggests developing analytic metrics like a smog-severity index, which could illustrate the challenges in both rural and urban communities, across the region’s various landscapes. “These findings support the need for more vigorous, region-wide air quality monitoring, enforcement and improvement efforts,” Bosu said.  

Alan Salazar is a perfect choice for interim CEO at Denver Water,, given his long and impressive history serving in senior leadership positions at the local, state and federal levels — making Colorado better.  Denver Water has been a leader in protecting public health and the environment under the leadership of Jim Lochhead and we congratulate Jim on his retirement. The agency’s Lead Reduction Program is a national model, which takes an innovative and proactive approach to replacing all lead service lines at no cost to homeowners.  In addition, they are leaders in conserving water in the arid and climate-change impacted West and play a key role in the health of the Colorado River and its tributaries. 

We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Denver Water to help people and nature thrive alongside Alan and his ability to manage complex public organizations while collaborating with diverse stakeholders. He will be critical to Denver Water and continue to be a leader among water agencies in the West and around the nation.

(RICHMOND, Va.. – June 7, 2023) Today, the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board met to approve a final regulation ending Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a proven program with 12 member states that cuts pollution and raises investments for communities.

“The public has spoken and the success of RGGI is well documented,” said Mandy Warner, Virginia Director at Environmental Defense Fund. “Growing jobs in the clean energy economy, reducing pollution that harms human health and the environment, and investing in workers and local communities has substantial benefits. It is time that Governor Youngkin and the Air Pollution Board listens to the will of the people and provides for their future.”

This harmful and unlawful action was taken by Governor Youngkin despite overwhelming public support during a comment period initiated by his administration. The General Assembly ratified Virginia’s RGGI regulation, with certain specified changes, when it enacted the Virginia Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act in 2020. 

Of the more than 6,000 comments delivered at the March public hearing, 88% of Virginians said they opposed leaving RGGI. This opposition builds on strong pushback from the fall comment period, when 95% of Virginians said they opposed the rollback. People across the Commonwealth, including mayors, doctors, parents, faith leaders, young people and many more cited the successes and the increased costs to taxpayers that ending the program would cause.

RGGI has been operational for over a decade, cutting climate pollution from power plants in half in member states. The program uses a market-based approach that sets a total limit on pollution for the region that declines over time. Polluters must then purchase an “allowance” for each ton of pollution they produce. This compels companies to invest and innovate to reduce their pollution by switching to cleaner forms of power generation, advancing energy efficiency, creating programs to manage electricity usage and more.

“The decision to withdraw from RGGI ignores the interests of Virginia's homes and businesses and is inconsistent with clean energy trends and policies coming from the federal government,” said Warner. “Clean, affordable, reliable energy is available today, at scale – and is only accelerated by the historic Inflation Reduction Act.”

The Environmental Protection Agency has recently proposed rules to ensure fossil fuel-fired power plants operate at cleaner carbon standards nationwide. “Virginia will need to join with states across the nation to address climate change and take action,” said Warner. “Virginia should continue to lead in this area instead of taking costly steps backward.”

RGGI also provides critical funding to build climate and flood resilience in communities across Virginia. With more frequent and intense storms, Virginians are experiencing higher flood risk that threatens infrastructure, businesses and communities. In fact, the Hampton Roads region is experiencing the highest rates of sea level rise along the entire Atlantic seaboard. By 2080, nearly 1 million Virginia residents will be living in homes exposed to major coastal flooding and flood damages across the state are estimated to skyrocket to $5.1 billion annually.

RGGI has already delivered nearly $600 million in proceeds to Virginia, $100 million of which have already been used for flood resilience projects. This includes improving stormwater infrastructure and implementing other flood prevention measures without burdening taxpayers. In addition to flood resilience, RGGI investments also support energy efficiency programs for low-income Virginians, lowering energy costs for those most vulnerable. 

Leaving RGGI would have a detrimental economic impact for Virginia. Over the first ten years of the program, the RGGI states have seen energy prices fall by 5.7%, while they rose by 8.6% in the rest of the country. Clean energy is expected to be a $23 trillion market by the end of this decade and Virginia is currently ranked 10th in the nation for clean energy employment with 88,370 jobs. These industries are all poised for growth as Virginia continues to invest in its clean economy through RGGI and other programs. States that have policies like RGGI in place stand to see greater benefit of tax credits and other incentives in programs like those in the Inflation Reduction Act. Going backwards now, and after a year of high ratepayer bills hikes stemming from the state’s overreliance on natural gas, is the wrong move for Virginia. 

Alan Salazar is a perfect choice for interim CEO at Denver Water, given his long and impressive history serving in senior leadership positions at the local, state and federal levels — making Colorado better. Denver Water has been a leader in protecting public health and the environment under the leadership of Jim Lochhead and we congratulate Jim on his retirement. The agency’s Lead Reduction Program is a national model, which takes an innovative and proactive approach to replacing all lead service lines at no cost to homeowners. In addition, they are leaders in conserving water in the arid and climate-change impacted West and play a key role in the health of the Colorado River and its tributaries.

We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Denver Water to help people and nature thrive alongside Alan and his ability to manage complex public organizations while collaborating with diverse stakeholders. He will be critical to Denver Water and continue to be a leader among water agencies in the West and around the nation.

(Bismarck, ND) A new Synapse Energy Economics analysis commissioned by Environmental Defense Fund and Taxpayers for Common Sense finds oil and gas companies across North Dakota wasted over $680 million worth of natural gas in 2019. That’s enough lost gas to meet the state’s entire residential natural gas demand 16 times over, and totaling $43.3 million in lost potential tax revenue for federal, state and tribal governments. 

This waste occurs when natural gas is either flared, vented or leaked from oil and gas infrastructure and the analysis comes as the U.S. EPA and BLM move to finalize proposed rulemakings to address methane pollution and waste. These national rules provide significant upside for states like North Dakota, where wasted taxpayer resources could be saved with stronger guidelines for oil and gas operators.

"Reducing this pollution is a critical opportunity for North Dakota," said Nini Gu, EDF Regulatory & Legislative Manager, West. “Efforts by the Biden administration  to cut methane waste and pollution will create jobs and increase revenue for state priorities like education conservation, and local governments, while curbing pollution and strengthening climate security.”

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with 84 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a 20-year timeframe and is often accompanied by other local air pollutants. Because methane is the main component of natural gas, it also represents a waste of an energy resource when it is released from the supply chain.

This first-of-its-kind  analysis quantifies the amount of wasted gas and lost revenue from all land types — federal, state, private and tribal lands. This builds off of a January 2023 report that looked solely at federal and tribal lands.

According to the analysis, the 226 billion cubic feet of oil and gas methane wasted from North Dakota’s 17,600 active wells translated into nearly $43.3 million in lost tax and royalty revenue to the state of North Dakota in 2019 alone — including $18.6 million in lost revenue for the Three Affiliated Tribes. That lost funding that would otherwise support North Dakota’s education system, local city and county governments, and the state Legacy Fund. Instead, methane and air pollution is released into the atmosphere to harm our climate and hurt public health.

“We are losing a valuable energy resource day after day, month after month, year after year. This is true in North Dakota and across the country. Outdated policies keep billions of dollars’ worth of natural gas from getting to market at a time when budgets are tight and energy security is important as ever,” said Michael Surrusco, Director of Development at Taxpayers for Common Sense.

This analysis also highlights that flaring is a leading cause of waste, responsible for roughly 95% of all methane wasted in North Dakota. That directly translates into nearly $648 million worth of lost gas — enough waste from flaring in 2019 alone to meet the needs of every household in North Dakota for 15 years — and underscores the importance of the the EPA and BLM improving their proposals to end waste and pollution from routine flaring to keep this resource out of the atmosphere and in the pipeline.

Colorado and New Mexico have already implemented strong rules to stop pollution and waste from routine flaring, creating an important foundation for federal agencies to build upon in developing standards that serve the needs of North Dakotans.

“Methane waste and pollution is bad for the environment, bad for the state economy, and bad for the state budget," said Liz Anderson, lead organizer of Dakota Resource Council. “When the industry is allowed to waste natural gas, it robs the future of North Dakotans and revenue that would have been invested in education, conservation, and our local communities."

Reducing methane waste and pollution also creates jobs in the fast-growing methane mitigation industry. According to Datu Research, the sector already has 16 employee locations across North Dakota, manufacturing products and providing services to help operators address emissions. The methane mitigation industry provides family-sustaining jobs that typically pay 10% more than the federal average and can’t be offshored. Over 75% of methane mitigation companies say they would create more jobs with strengthened methane emission standards in place.

Additionally, reducing the needless waste of gas resources lost through methane waste is an important solution for addressing the joint energy and climate security challenges of the U.S. and its allies as we transition away from fossil fuels to a clean energy future. A recent EDF analysis revealed that reducing waste of natural gas from leaks and flaring in the U.S. could provide over half of the yearly supply of natural gas the country has pledged to European allies.

(Washington, D.C. – May 25, 2023) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit today rejected attempts to undermine the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding, the basis for protections limiting the climate pollution that threatens people’s health and safety.

A three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit dismissed lawsuits brought by the Concerned Household Electricity Consumers Council and the FAIR Energy Foundation for lack of standing. The cases were decided by judges Henderson, Katsas and Pan.

“Today’s ruling dismisses climate obstructionists’ lawsuits attacking EPA’s fundamental responsibility to protect people from climate pollution,” said Vickie Patton, General Counsel for EDF which was a party to the case. “EPA’s determination that climate pollution harms people’s health and well-being is solidly anchored in science and the law, which EPA and the courts have found numerous times in the face of repeated and flimsy attacks against it. We must keep working to protect all people from extreme weather and other pollution-fueled harms of the climate crisis, and we have no time to waste.”

EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding determined that six greenhouse gases that cause climate change are a threat to public health and safety, and thus by law must be regulated. The Endangerment Finding was unanimously upheld in a 2011 D.C. Circuit decision that observed it was supported by “an ocean of evidence.” The finding has since been relied on in numerous agency and court decisions, and the scientific foundation on which it was based has become even stronger.

In spite of that, the Concerned Household Electricity Consumers Council and the FAIR Energy Foundation unsuccessfully petitioned EPA to reconsider the Endangerment Finding. After EPA under both the Trump and Biden administrations rejected their petitions, the two groups filed lawsuits last year seeking to compel EPA to reverse the Endangerment Finding.

Environmental Defense Fund joined the American Lung Association, American Public Health Association, Appalachian Mountain Club, Clean Air Council, Clean Air Task Force, Clean Wisconsin, National Parks Conservation Association, and the Natural Resources Council of Maine to file a brief with the D.C. Circuit in support of the Endangerment Finding. A group of leading climate scientists also filed an amicus brief in support of the finding.

Today the D.C. Circuit noted that, “In the face of numerous challenges from states and industry groups, we [previously] upheld the Endangerment Finding and the EPA’s denials of various petitions for reconsideration of that Finding,” and noted that EPA denied the groups’ petitions after determining their evidence and arguments were “inadequate, erroneous, and deficient.”

The court then ruled:

“Petitioners fail to meet their burden to establish standing because they provide no evidence that they or any of their members have been injured by the Endangerment Finding … we dismiss the petitions for review for lack of jurisdiction.”

(Washington DC—May 23, 2023) Methane’s influence on global warming—and the potential to mitigate it by cutting emissions—are vastly underestimated using current accounting methods, new research from Environmental Defense Fund finds.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Climate this month, demonstrates how reliance on the 100-year-timescale in common CO₂ equivalency (CO2e) metrics dilutes the influence of methane, a short-lived climate forcer that is far more potent than CO₂ but mostly influences the climate for a decade or two after its release.

“This 100-year calculation spreads the impact of methane across an entire century, obscuring both the problems it causes in the coming decades and masking the immediate benefits of existing solutions,” said Ilissa Ocko, Senior Climate Scientist at EDF and one of the study’s co-authors. “This could cause us to misalign our emissions targets with desired temperature outcomes.” 

Mainstream metrics miss the mark

Ocko and her colleagues examined the warming impacts of greenhouse gas emissions—carbon dioxide, (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂0)—from nine economic sectors, six that are dominated by CO₂ emissions, three that are dominated by methane. Using a simple climate model as a benchmark for more accurate representation, they compared it to results from those using standard metrics to examine two future scenarios, one with no further climate action and one with strong mitigation consistent with a 1.5 °C target.

The researchers found that: methane-dominated sectors (fossil fuel production and distribution, agriculture and waste) account for more than half of warming—or avoided warming—in the coming decades from greenhouse gas emissions and their realistic mitigation. Their research also demonstrates that the standard CO2e/Global Warming Potential 100 approach (GWP1000) undervalues the role of methane-dominated sectors in warming by half.

Actionable solutions exist

While there is no one-size-fits all solution to replacing CO2e/GWP100 as the standard metric, scientists and policymakers can make use of additional tools to create a more accurate picture of warming and mitigation scenarios.

By reporting on greenhouse gas emissions individually in units of mass, practitioners can use the most appropriate metrics or models for their specific purposes. They can also use multiple metrics and/or time horizons—such the 20-year timescale in GWP20—that the authors also show can more accurately represent sectoral contributions for several decades. “We need to be explicit about the metrics and time horizons underlying GHG statistics, rather than just reporting on a number, especially for shares of emissions,” Ocko says. “To ensure future policies are as effective as possible at curbing climate change, we must do better.”

“Senator Tom Carper has put forward a balanced proposal that should be central to the conversation about modernizing the path for clean energy and transmission. His proposal will expedite approvals of clean energy projects by ensuring that federal agencies do their work in a coordinated and collaborative way. It also will prioritize permitting reviews for the large-scale projects needed for our clean energy transition.

“This work will be done by engaging early with states, tribes and local communities to ensure meaningful public involvement and consideration of alternatives that avoid harms to people’s health and the environment. The proposal, for example, will provide funding to support technical assistance, job creation and other community benefits.

“We urge Congress to give serious consideration to this proposal with an open debate on the permitting process – separate from negotiations on the debt limit – that results in improved community input and more resilient projects. EDF looks forward to working with Senator Carper and his colleagues to make necessary progress toward a just and rapid transition to a cleaner, healthier and safer future for everyone.”

            - Amanda Leland, Executive Director, Environmental Defense Fund

(MIAMA. FL – May 15, 2023) A new Environmental Defense Fund study illustrates the impacts climate change will have on the $400 million Florida strawberry industry by modeling the mid-century changes in Florida strawberry fields. This report describes and defines four climate and crop models developed by researchers at the University of Florida. Climate adaptation strategies can ensure U.S. farms stay productive in the face of climate change, continuing to support global food needs and rural economies.

“Agriculture has been hard hit by extreme weather in Florida especially, sustaining over one billion in losses from Hurricane Ian in 2022 alone,” said Dawn Shirreffs, Environmental Defense Fund Florida director. “Mid-century climate change will have a big impact on farmers who are growing these delicious red fruits. In Hillsborough County, Florida, where most of the state’s strawberries are grown, growers can anticipate an 11% decline in the crop by 2050, and a 17% decline in early yields by 2050.”

Climate change is having a real impact on U.S. agriculture. Increasing temperatures, water stress, and changes in solar radiation are impacting yields, farming practices, and supply security. This report takes a qualitative scenario planning approach to describe four plausible scenarios with varying levels of overall production and winter yield.

“While there has been a lot of work on the impacts of climate on row crops at global scales, our study focused on something more useful to Florida farmers – the impact of climate change on specialty crops, especially strawberries, at the county scale” added Eileen McLellan, lead senior scientist and report co-author at Environmental Defense Fund.

Florida needs adaptation strategies to mitigate the future effects of volatile weather events and conditions on the state’s agricultural production such as strawberries which are sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation. Other adaptation strategies include effective shading, diversifying geographic production areas, shifting planting dates, and developing new hybrids – that enable Florida growers to meet these challenges and remain commercially viable.

For more information, see our new report: https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/%5BFinal%5D%20EDF_Florida-Fruits-Veg-2023.pdf.

SACRAMENTO, CA — Today Gov. Gavin Newsom released his revised budget proposal, the “May Revise,” along with a proposed climate bond and commitment to work with the legislature on permitting reform for clean energy infrastructure. While this proposed budget attempts to limit additional cuts to environmental priorities beyond those significant reductions made in the governor’s January 10 proposal, it does shift critically important priorities, including the Multi-Benefit Land Repurposing Program, to a future bond. Other investment priorities for decarbonizing heavy-duty transportation are delayed to future years or moved to special funds. The administration has yet to ensure it can deliver on meaningful climate action for Californians even in the face of challenging fiscal circumstances.  

Statement from Katelyn Roedner Sutter, California State Director, Environmental Defense Fund: 

“We appreciate that Gov. Newsom is striving to avoid additional cuts to climate priorities, especially as California continues to face difficult financial circumstances. But unlike the governor’s investment proposal, the impacts of climate cannot be delayed to future years. Both urban and rural communities across California are facing drought, floods and degraded air quality due to everything from trucks to ports to wildfire right now. While the bond is an important opportunity to fund critical priorities, it cannot replace the immediate need for state support. We cannot delay essential investments in key clean energy, zero-emission transportation, forest resilience and groundwater sustainability that will benefit all Californians. 

“We also appreciate the governor’s commitment to address recommendations made by EDF and Clean Air Task Force to accelerate the permitting process for clean energy projects while maintaining robust environmental protections. We look forward to working with his administration and the legislature to ensure California remains a conservation leader while building the necessary infrastructure to meet our clean energy goals.  

“We are eager to hone the details of this solution set with the governor and legislature toward a responsible funding package. Simply put, we must meet the moment and maintain California’s leadership in preserving a vital earth for all in the face of an escalating climate crisis.” 

(Washington, D.C. – May 11, 2023) Experts from Environmental Defense Fund testified in support of critically important climate and health safeguards at two EPA public hearings this week.  

Andy Su testified on EDF’s behalf during EPA’s three-day-long public hearing about its proposed multipollutant tailpipe pollution standards for passenger cars and trucks and medium-duty vehicles. EPA’s proposal would slash billions of tons of climate pollution, would significantly reduce other deadly pollution from the U.S. transportation sector, and would help ensure that an estimated two-thirds of all new cars and passenger trucks sold in America in 2032 would be zero-emission. Hundreds of people packed the agency’s public hearing to weigh in on the proposal.

“EPA’s proposal is feasible, cost-effective and a vital step forward,” said Su in his testimony today. “Standards at this level are eminently achievable thanks to manufacturer and fleet investments and commitments, historic federal investments, rapidly declining ZEV costs, and state policies like the Advanced Clean Cars II and Advanced Clean Trucks rules, which have already been adopted by half a dozen other states … We urge the agency to finalize the most protective multipollutant standards possible that are consistent with and build from the proposals.”

Su also noted that historic investments in the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have been driving momentum for protective national safeguards. Rapidly declining costs for zero-emission vehicles, accelerated by the Inflation Reduction Act’s consumer and commercial vehicle credits, will save families and fleets thousands of dollars in avoided fuel costs. In addition, a new report by EDF and WSP found that more than $120 billion in electric vehicle manufacturing investments have already been announced in the last eight years, along with 143,000 new U.S. jobs in the sector – with more than 40% of those announcements happening since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The analysis also found that already announced U.S. production facilities will be capable of manufacturing 4.3 million new zero-emission vehicles annually by 2026, which is about one-third of all new vehicles sold last year.

EPA has also proposed protective new standards for heavy-duty vehicles like freight trucks, delivery vans and buses. EDF experts also testified at the agency’s multi-day public hearing about that proposal earlier this month.

And yesterday, Richard Yates testified for EDF at a public hearing about EPA’s proposal to modernize the landmark U.S. Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. The proposal would strengthen pollution limits and increase monitoring for toxic air pollution released by coal-fired power plants – some of the most hazardous and persistent air pollutants afflicting Americans.

“In the Clean Air Act, Congress required EPA to set standards reflecting the maximum achievable emissions reductions for hazardous air pollution because Congress understood the importance of protecting the public from this especially dangerous class of pollutants,” said Yates in his testimony. “EDF strongly supports the proposed rule’s advancements, which will protect the health of all Americans, but especially the sensitive populations impacted by EGU hazardous pollution who are disproportionately communities of color, Indigenous communities, and low-income communities.”

Mercury emissions from power plants are linked to deadly heart attacks and hypertension in adults and to neurological effects in children – including lost IQ points and delayed development of memory, language, and motor skills. Other toxic pollutants from power plants include nickel, arsenic, and hexavalent chromium, which cause cancer, lead, and arsenic. The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards have slashed levels of these pollutants since EPA first adopted them in 2012 and did it for less than one-quarter of what EPA originally estimated it would cost, but many coal plants in the U.S. are still emitting high levels of toxic pollution. It has been more than a decade since EPA last updated the standards.

“EPA’s proposal to limit climate pollution from power plants is an urgently needed step toward protecting people from the devastating harms of climate change, from increasingly severe flooding, hurricanes and drought to worsening wildfires. Coal and gas-fired power plants are one of the largest sources of climate pollution in the U.S. They are responsible for about one-quarter of U.S. greenhouse gases as well as other smog-forming and toxic pollutants.

“The good news is that we have pollution-free, affordable and reliable energy solutions available now and at the ready – turbocharged by the clean energy investments in the Inflation Reduction Act. Clean low-cost energy is the leading source of electricity generation being deployed in America right now, and it is creating jobs across the country and saving families money at the same time that it is providing healthier air for millions of people. Last year electricity generation from renewable energy surpassed coal-fired generation for the first time, and the Energy Information Administration finds increases in U.S. electricity generation are expected to come ‘almost entirely from solar and wind.’ Clean power is now the most affordable option, and funding from the Inflation Reduction Act is accelerating its adoption.

“Today’s proposal, along with EPA’s earlier proposals to limit methane pollution from oil and gas industrial facilities and reduce tailpipe pollution from new cars and trucks, means that America will be taking important actions to address our nation’s three largest sources of climate pollution. These steps are solidly grounded in science and the law. Congress reinforced EPA’s legal responsibility to address climate pollution from power plants when it adopted the Inflation Reduction Act, responding to last year’s Supreme Court ruling.

“We welcome today’s vitally important proposal, which will bring us closer to a clean energy future with healthier air, a safer climate, good jobs, and affordable, reliable electricity.”

             - Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

“Meeting the challenge of climate change requires rapidly building a clean energy economy – installing wind, solar, and a modernized grid at speed and scale. That means we need a process for approving projects that is inclusive and efficient. We applaud the White House for its vision for modernizing the path for clean energy and transmission, and the remarks made by presidential advisor John Podesta on modernizing approval of needed projects.

“Early engagement with communities is not only critical to public health, but necessary for faster progress towards a just transition to clean energy. Listening and acting on local needs must be a top priority in any modernization. Permitting policies must also preserve rigorous environmental protections and avoid encouraging the large-scale build-out for infrastructure for polluting sources of energy. This work will require funding to support technical assistance, job creation, and other benefits for states, tribes, and local communities.

“There remain important questions about the potential role of hydrogen fuel and carbon capture and storage. Both could have a role to play in reducing climate pollution but any initiatives aimed at deploying them must provide public health and climate benefits and be underpinned by investments in tools to ensure that communities are protected.”

• Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President, Political Affairs, Environmental Defense Fund