Complete list of press releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contacts: Sean Crowley, Environmental Defense Fund, 202-572-3331-w, 202-550-6524-c, scrowley@edf.org
Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation, 225-229-1944, moorea@nwf.org

(Washington, DC – August 27, 2009) – On the eve of the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana and national environmental groups today praised the Obama administration for announcing a new interagency working group to restore the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi.

The severity of Katrina’s damage – nearly $90 billion in property damage alone — was caused, in part, by the fact that Louisiana has lost 1/3 of its original wetlands – about 2,000 square miles — an area larger than Delaware. Yet, four years after Katrina, Congress has been unable to fund major coastal restoration projects it authorized in the 2007 Water Resources Development Act because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has not completed the projects’ design and engineering.

“The pace of restoration has not matched the urgency of the situation,” said Steven Peyronnin, executive director of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. “We are hopeful that the Administration will breathe new life into restoration efforts that are crucial to protecting the people of Coastal Louisiana.”

According to the Administration: “The group will enable federal agencies, working with state and local governments and other regional stakeholders, to come together and develop a strategy to increase both the economic and environmental resiliency of the region. This working group will serve as a pilot for addressing the effects of climate change in other coastal regions.”

“Just as it requires a team of doctors with different expertise to perform major surgery, it will require a team of experts with different skills from multiple agencies to restore the coastal wetlands of Louisiana and Mississippi,” said Mary Kelly, senior counsel of the Center for Rivers and Deltas at Environmental Defense Fund. “We applaud the administration for renewing President Obama’s commitment ‘to restore nature’s barriers - the wetlands, marshes and barrier islands that can take the first blows and protect the people of the Gulf Coast.’”

“As things stand, coastal Louisiana is disappearing and faces increasing threats from climate change,” said Susan Kaderka, director of the National Wildlife Federation’s South Central Regional office. “The Obama Administration has signaled that it is keeping its promises to the people of the Gulf Coast.”

Coastal Louisiana is home to critical energy production infrastructure, the busiest port in North America by volume, and huge commercial and recreational fisheries. Disruption of these industries because of storm damage could severely disrupt the national economy. Katrina destroyed infrastructure and damaged critical refineries so severely that some of them were out of service for a year, leading to a spike in the price of gasoline.

“The situation in coastal Louisiana is one of national and international concern,” said Brian Moore, director of Budget and Appropriations for the National Audubon Society. “This new announcement from the Obama administration recognizes the urgency under which we are operating and replaces what has been largely rhetoric with action. We are all very excited to get to work to restore this world class ecosystem.”

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Obama Administration Plan to Restore Coastal Louisiana Wetlands Praised by Conservation GroupsSix local and national environmental groups praised the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) for unveiling the Obama administration’s 18-month plan this afternoon to expedite construction of near-term projects, while creating a long-term vision and governance structure for restoring coastal wetlands in Louisiana. CEQ and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are leading an interagency working group created by President Obama last August to step up the federal response to catastrophic wetland loss in the Gulf Coast region that worsened the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. 

“The working group’s proposals will put this program into gear with strong new leadership, better science and improved coordination among federal and state partners to restore the Mississippi River Delta, as well as to create safe and resilient communities,” said a joint statement from the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Environmental Defense Fund, Gulf Restoration Network, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, National Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation. “Last month, President Obama requested more than $40 million in his budget for multiple agencies to restore wetlands in Louisiana. This workplan will ensure that this funding and all future funding are utilized as effectively and efficiently as possible.”

The Obama administration and Louisiana officials agree that restoring Louisiana’s coastal wetlands is a critical element of an effective strategy for ecosystem restoration, storm protection, and economic growth in coastal Louisiana. Since the 1930s, Louisiana has lost 2,300 square miles of wetlands—an area larger than the state of Delaware—because of erosion and sinking land, much of it caused by mismanagement of the Mississippi River and its delta. These coastal wetlands serve as a buffer against storms and hurricanes, providing protection for two million coastal residents, and the pipelines and refineries that service one-third of our nation’s oil and gas production. They also provide critical habitat for wildlife and play an important role in the region’s economy, including the most valuable fishery in the Gulf of Mexico.

“The interagency work plan released today by CEQ is a remarkable step forward for coastal Louisiana,” added the groups. “The plan correctly identifies some of the most challenging issues plaguing restoration efforts. More importantly, it outlines a strong and coordinated federal response consistent with President Obama’s budget recommendations for the region.”

“This working group is addressing exactly the right questions: 1) how do we make sure existing wetland restoration projects are built as soon as possible; and 2) how do we plan for an effective, coordinated and comprehensive restoration program moving forward,” concluded the groups. “By including the multiple lines of defense strategy, the CEQ working group has connected-the-dots between coastal restoration and flood protection, which is precisely what is needed. We will continue working closely with the working group to achieve the objectives outlined today.”
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sean Crowley, (202) 572-3331-w or (202) 550-6524-c, scrowley@edf.org  
Sara Hopper, (202) 422-1823, shopper@edf.org  

(Washington, DC – March 2, 2010) A new $320 million, four-year initiative that could significantly improve drinking water quality for tens of millions of Americans in 12 states in the Mississippi River Basin is one step closer to reality, according to Environmental Defense Fund. That’s because the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today issued a request for proposals (RFP) from stakeholders in 12 river basin states to engage farmers in high priority watersheds in those states in cooperative efforts to reduce water pollution.

The states are: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The stakeholders eligible to submit proposals include local and state governments, farm groups, and conservation organizations. Stakeholders have until May 3 to submit proposals to support projects in high priority watersheds in the 12 states.

“The Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative holds tremendous promise for addressing one of the nation’s biggest environmental priorities: improving the health of the Mississippi River,” said Sara Hopper, agricultural policy director for Environmental Defense Fund. “Improving water quality in the river and its tributaries requires a targeted approach that engages farmers and other stakeholders in real solutions. This new initiative is a big step in the right direction.”

Among the most significant challenges facing the Mississippi River is the runoff of excess nutrients from manure and commercial fertilizer, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus. While nitrogen and phosphorus are important for crop production, when these nutrients end up in streams, they contribute to both local water quality problems and thedead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative will leverage funding provided by the 2008 farm bill with resources provided by stakeholders to support projects that will help farmers in the 12 states improve the management of their lands to benefit water quality in the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.

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Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.
 

(Annapolis MD, 2/26/2010) The Maryland Watermen’s Association (MWA) and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) have come together to explore alternative management strategies for the Chesapeake Bay blue crab fishery. This joint commitment, solidified by a formal memorandum of understanding, is intended to improve fishery management and increase benefits to watermen. 

This unique partnership comes at a critical time in the lives of Chesapeake Bay watermen and the iconic blue crab population, which has been the foundation of Chesapeake Bay culture, heritage and livelihoods for more than a century. In an unprecedented partnership in 2008 to help rebuild the shared resource, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley worked with then-Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to enact regulations reducing female blue crab harvest.

To mitigate the economic impact on the industry, U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), a steadfast leader in protecting the watermen’s way of life, worked with Governor O’Malley to secure disaster assistance funding in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) budget for the blue crab fishery. That funding supported a DNR-initiative to investigate and assess alternative management approaches, which could improve the situation for commercial crabbers while helping in the overall restoration of the Bay.

“Blue crabs are part of who we are as Marylanders, part of our heritage and part of our culture. And so are the watermen of the Chesapeake Bay. I am committed to the Bay and the lives and livelihoods that depend on it,” said Senator Mikulski, Chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee that funds NOAA. “When the Maryland’s crab industry dialed 911 during 2008’s Blue Crab disaster, I was on their side fighting for $30 million to provide watermen with work opportunities, while at the same time restoring crab stocks and rebuilding habitats such as oyster reefs. This unique partnership shows Marylanders are looking at the future of the Bay and want a cooperative and coordinated solution for preserving their blue crabs.”

“Maryland’s watermen are ready to lead efforts to protect their livelihood—the Chesapeake blue crab,” says Larry Simns, President of the MWA. “The partnership with EDF is focused on exploring alternative management systems that will protect the heritage of Maryland watermen and the blue crab fishery, and it wouldn’t be possible without the leadership of U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski on behalf of Maryland’s watermen.”

“We’d like to thank Senator Mikulski, the Maryland DNR and the MWA for the opportunity to assist in this effort,” says Tom Grasso, Senior Advisor in the Oceans Program at EDF. “Working together, we believe we can help identify a new economic management structure for the blue crab fishery which will promote a secure and stable livelihood for Maryland’s watermen. This partnership between EDF and MWA is a clear indication of a joint commitment between watermen and environmentalists to being integral partners in an effective solution.”

“We are pleased to support this new partnership between EDF and MWA, which will contribute to our continued efforts to protect and enhance blue crab populations, while also improving economic opportunities for Maryland watermen, our processing industry and the local communities that depend on these jobs,” says DNR Secretary John Griffin.
 

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Maryland Watermen’s Association is dedicated to the interests of all who derive beauty and benefit from Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay waters and is a Maryland corporation comprised of the various waterman groups on both Maryland’s eastern and western shores, including Smith Island, whose members make a living crabbing, fishing, and harvesting oysters in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
Visit www.marylandwatermen.com

A leading national nonprofit organization, Environmental Defense Fund represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. Visit www.edf.org.
 

BENTONVILLE, Ark.– Walmart today announced a goal to eliminate 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its global supply chain by the end of 2015. This represents one and a half times the company’s estimated global carbon footprint growth over the next five years and is the equivalent of taking more than 3.8 million cars off the road for a year.

“Energy efficiency and carbon reduction are central issues in the world today,” said Mike Duke, Walmart president and CEO. “We’ve been working to make a difference in these areas, both in our own footprint and our supply chain. We know that we have an opportunity to do more and the capacity to do more.”

The footprint of Walmart’s global supply chain is many times larger than its operational footprint and represents a more impactful opportunity to reduce emissions.

“Like everything we do at Walmart, this commitment ends up coming down to our customers,” Duke added. “Reducing carbon in the life cycle of our products will often mean reducing energy use. That will mean greater efficiency and, with the rising cost of energy, lower costs, making our business stronger and more competitive. And, as we help our suppliers reduce their energy use, costs and carbon footprint, we’ll be helping our customers do the same thing.”

Walmart collaborated with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to develop this approach that looks at the supply chain on a global scale. Other external advisers include PricewaterhouseCoopers, ClearCarbon Inc., the Carbon Disclosure Project and the Applied Sustainability Center (ASC) at the University of Arkansas. This team will identify projects, quantify reductions, engage suppliers and ensure proper procedures were followed for each GHG reduction claim.

“Today the world’s largest company begins a global race for carbon pollution cuts,” said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund. “Walmart’s bold move will help companies identify steps to slash pollution and costs. As this story unfolds, it will transform a vast supply chain here at home, and around the world.”

The innovative program to reduce GHGs has three main components:

• Selection — Walmart will focus on the product categories with the highest embedded carbon. This is defined as the amount of life cycle GHG emissions per unit multiplied by the amount the company sells. To find the embedded carbon, the ASC reviewed the GHG emissions associated with all Walmart product categories. This approach ensures the project team focuses on the categories that have the greatest opportunity for reductions. Reductions can come from any part of a product’s life cycle.

• Action — For a project to be included as part of this goal, it must reduce GHGs from a product in either the sourcing of raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, customer use or end-of-life disposal. Walmart must demonstrate it had direct influence on the reduction and show how that reduction would not have occurred without Walmart’s participation.

• Assessment — Suppliers and Walmart will jointly account for the reductions. ClearCarbon will perform a quality assurance review of those claims to ensure methodology, completeness and calculations are correct. When the claims meet the quality assurance check, PricewaterhouseCoopers will assess under consulting standards whether the defined procedures were followed consistently to quantify the reduction claim.

More information on Walmart’s program to reduce GHG emissions is available at walmartstores.com/greenhousegas.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Contacts:
Elgie Holstein, (202) 572-3606, eholstein@edf.org
Jennifer Witherspoon, (415) 378-1985, jwitherspoon@edf.org 

The following statement can be attributed to Elgie Holstein, Vice President of the Center for Rivers and Deltas of the Environmental Defense Fund:

“The historic agreements celebrated in Salem, Oregon this week put the magnificent Klamath River, at long last, on the path toward recovery. The prospect of dam removal, restoration of the basin, and the return of the fish brings the promise of a new day for the river and new economic opportunity for everyone in the region.”

“Revitalized salmon runs will benefit people in the commercial and sport fishing industries, while Native Americans who have depended upon the Klamath salmon runs for millennia, will see their support for the agreements translated into a new day of abundance.”

“As an early participant in the negotiations, I know how hard it was for the parties to reach agreement, and I congratulate them, one and all, for staying at it when many observers were predicting failure. The easy route – giving up – was never an option. The parties’ long collaboration provides a model for how environmental problems can be addressed successfully if all the parties are willing to listen to one another, exchange proposals in good faith, embrace sound science, and, finally, stand proudly together behind the product of their labors. Their achievement is a lesson to us all.”
 

“I encourage all of the parties to stick with the process they have designed. EDF pledges its support for their efforts and asks for the continued support of political leaders in California, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. in implementing the agreements. Together we can forge ahead on a solution that is scientifically sound and that ensures the economic vitality and sustainability of all Klamath Basin communities.”
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Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.
 

(Austin – Feb.18, 2010) In response to mounting public concern related to shale gas production and the use of hydraulic fracturing, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey are sending letters today to eight oil and gas companies requesting data on the types and quantities of chemicals used in the “fracking” process. 

In response, the following statements are made by Environmental Defense Fund Senior Policy Advisor Scott Anderson:

“We commend Chairman Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Markey for this important step. There is no reason that gas producers need to run roughshod over the environment in order to increase natural gas supplies.

“Because the problem of global warming is so severe and the time for action so short, all low and lower carbon energy options, including natural gas, should be considered as part of the nation’s energy mix, but only if such options can be accomplished without significant adverse health or environmental impacts.”

(Austin – Feb.16, 2010) Today Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Attorney General Greg Abbott and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples announced the filing of a lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 finding that greenhouse gases endanger human health. The following statements are made by Environmental Defense Fund Texas Regional Director Jim Marston:

“The lawsuit filed by Governor Perry is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to ignore the Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. vs. Massachusetts. Their action evokes memories of a sad time in Texas history from the ’50s, when Texas politicians sought to nullify decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. Not only is it legally unsound, it puts Texas on the side of the 1950s economy, against the clean energy economy of the future.”

Endangerment Determination Background:

EPA Responding to the U.S. Supreme Court: In 2007, the high court rejected as contrary to law the Bush Administration’s “laundry list of reasons not to regulate” greenhouse gases under the federal Clean Air Act, found that EPA could not refuse to regulate greenhouse gases due to policy predilections, and held that the “statutory question is whether sufficient information exists to make an endangerment finding.” EPA’s December 2009 endangerment finding is in direct response to the holding of the nation’s highest court.

A Voluminous Response to Public Comments: Some of the challengers have asserted that EPA’s response to public comments was meager. In fact, EPA’s action was accompanied with 11 volumes responding to public comments through more than 650 pages of detailed analysis. See www.epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html

An Extensive Body of Peer Reviewed Science Showing Present and Future Harm: Some of the challengers have claimed that the scientific underpinning for EPA’s action is weak. In fact, EPA’s decision is based on a two hundred page synthesis of major scientific assessments by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Research Council, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aeronautical and Space Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, the National Snow and Ice Data Center, the NOAA National Climatic Data Center, CNA Corporation, and others. The EPA “Technical Support Document for the Findings” is available here: www.epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html

A Familiar Line of Attorneys: The nation has previously seen long lines of attorneys form to challenge implementation of basic clean air protections. When EPA established health-based national air quality standards for particulate pollution and ozone in 1997, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and numerous trade associations filed legal challenges including the national association of manufacturers, farm interests, cement makers, auto manufacturers, the pulp and paper mill industry, petroleum refiners, iron and steel firms, home builders, mining interests, and numerous power companies. In 2001, Justice Scalia wrote for a unanimous Supreme Court in rejecting claims that EPA had acted contrary to law in establishing the controversial clean air standards. Today, millions of Americans have been protected with healthier air and the science is only more compelling in documenting the harm from particulate and ozone pollution.

Decade of Delay, Rising Pollution, High Costs: Since the original citizen petition in 1999 requested EPA action to address greenhouse gases, vital progress has been delayed by previous government officials who declined to carry out the law and to follow the science. Since 1999, the nation has discharged about 70 billion tons of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and global carbon dioxide concentrations have risen to 385 parts per million. Delays in making progress translate into costly climate-related impacts and more expensive, difficult solutions to correct for lost time.

Professing a Preference for New Legislative Solutions? For those who oppose EPA’s action to carry out the law consistent with the science while publicly professing support for new legislation, let’s ask which specific legislation they support and what steps they have taken to help enact protective legislative solutions.

(Washington, DC) – After mudslides swept through California and blizzards continue to pound the East Coast, SmarterSafer.org today said it is lobbying Congress to amend new Home Star legislation that is being considered for inclusion in an upcoming series of jobs legislation to cover disaster resiliency measures. Developed in the Senate under the leadership of Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), the Home Star program in its current form only extends rebates to those who retrofit their homes to make them more energy efficient but does nothing to incentivize measures that would protect homes from major weather events or earthquakes.

The group said it is urging Congress to expand Home Star to include measures to fortify homes against natural disasters. By expanding the rebates to resiliency measures, the Home Star proposal will both advance efforts to protect people from natural disasters while providing a needed shot in the arm for the economy. For every $1 million spent in the construction industry creates a total of 27 direct and indirect jobs, according to Economic Opportunity Studies. Disaster resiliency retrofits require materials to be purchased and contractors to be hired, just like energy efficiency retrofits. Florida’s mitigation program created 160 construction jobs for every 50 to 75 houses retrofitted.

The specific changes SmarterSafer.org would like to see include extending rebates for measures that reduce risks from tornadoes, fires, hurricanes, blizzards, floods, earthquakes, mudslides and other natural disasters. To get the rebates, homeowners would have to get a certified contractor to confirm that the measures were properly installed and used tested materials.

The rebates would be processed through either a state mitigation program or through a national rebate process and would be funded out of Home Star’s appropriation. Like energy efficiency rebates, homeowners would be eligible for up to $1,000 per mitigation measure, so long as the total rebate does not exceed $3,000. Disaster resiliency measures include strengthening roof attachments, creating water barriers and seals, constructing safe rooms, elevating electrical systems, and adding storm shutters.

“It only makes sense as we seek to improve the efficiency of our buildings also to improve their basic resiliency,” said David Conrad, Senior Water Resources Specialist for the National Wildlife Federation. “This is especially the case as our scientists are documenting that severe weather events are increasing in frequency and intensity as the effects of climate change are manifesting themselves in many areas. The savings in property damage and disaster assistance — often from making modest investments to mitigate vulnerabilities from storm damage — will far outweigh the costs. We hope the Senate will add these measures to the upcoming jobs bill and encourage such wise investments by homeowners and businesses in the months and years ahead.”

“In some parts of the country—like, say, the Washington, D.C. area—snow and cold are the major natural forces that people have to contend with. In other areas hurricanes and earthquakes are the major problems. Insofar as the government helps people reinforce their homes, it should pursue a balanced approach that helps people in cold weather areas deal with the cold through weatherization while simultaneously assisting those in hurricane and earthquake zones with proven mitigation measures.” – Eli Leher, Senior Fellow at The Heartland Institute.

“Congress can kill two birds with one stone by including mitigation in the Home Star program: It can both strengthen federal natural disaster policy by implementing a policy that improves efforts to protect homes before disaster strikes and can create jobs at the same time. Expanding Home Star to include disaster resiliency measures is the kind of smart and sound policy that Americans want Congress to enact into law.” - Andrew Fahlund, Vice Presdent for Conservation at American Rivers.

“It is a great opportunity to help people make themselves safer around the country. In Louisiana, for instance, building ‘green’ means more than just energy efficiency. It means you’ve got to build resiliently and add storm mitigation because the state gets more than 60 inches of rain a year, faces hurricanes and storm surge, and loses a football field of its coast every half hour.” - Brian Jackson Community Resiliency Specialist at the Environmental Defense Fund.

SmarterSafer.org is a national coalition made up of a diverse set of voices united to support environmentally-responsible, fiscally-sound approaches that promote public safety. The Coalition strongly opposes legislative proposals that encourage people to build homes in hurricane-prone, environmentally-sensitive areas by creating new programs that directly or indirectly subsidize their homeowner’s insurance.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lori Sinsley, (415) 293-6097-w, (415) 902-8111-c, lsinsley@edf.org

(Sacramento – February 4, 2010) Environmental Defense Fund testified today that strengthening the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone pollution from 75 to 60 parts per billion (ppb) would reduce premature death rates by 60-fold and reduce asthma cases 50-fold, according to analyses by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The testimony is being given at an EPA public hearing to reconsider the adequacy of a controversial national ozone air quality standard adopted by the Agency in 2008.

“The bottom line is that overwhelming evidence shows that ozone dramatically affects public health, can kill people, has an economic cost to our country, and impairs our environment and quality of life,” testified EDF policy analyst Camille Kustin during the last of three EPA public hearings on the ozone standard. “The current standard of 75 parts per billion is not supported by science and will continue to put tens of millions of Californians and Americans at risk. It is unacceptable.”

In 2008, the Bush administration EPA selected the 75 ppb standard, sharply departing from the analyses prepared by EPA staff and the expert opinion of an EPA-appointed panel of the nation’s leading experts, the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). The committee unanimously recommended a range of 60-70 ppb for the ozone standard to protect public health. Today, EPA is reconsidering the adequacy of the 2008 standard to protect human health and the environment.

Kustin noted that more than 20 million residents in the heavily polluted South Coast and San Joaquin Valley air basins face significant health risks from poor air quality. The annual cost of asthma nationwide is estimated to be nearly $18 billion, with direct costs (hospitalizations the single largest portion of direct cost) accounting for nearly $10 billion and indirect costs (lost earnings due to illness or death) of $8 billion, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

“The National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone must provide an adequate margin of safety to protect these vulnerable populations,” added Kustin. “We request the EPA establish a national air quality standard for ozone that protects the children, the elderly and the millions of Californians and Americans with asthma that is exacerbated by smog pollution.”

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Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.
 

(Sacramento – February 4, 2010) Environmental Defense Fund testified today that strengthening the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone pollution from 75 to 60 parts per billion (ppb) would reduce premature death rates by 60-fold and reduce asthma cases 50-fold, according to analyses by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“The bottom line is that overwhelming evidence shows that ozone dramatically affects public health, can kill people, has an economic cost to our country, and impairs our environment and quality of life,” testified EDF policy analyst Camille Kustin during the last of three EPA public hearings on the ozone standard. “The current standard of 75 parts per billion is not supported by science and will continue to put tens of millions of Californians and Americans at risk. It is unacceptable.”

In 2008, the Bush administration EPA inexplicably selected the 75 ppb standard, going against the analyses prepared by EPA staff and the expert opinion of an EPA-appointed panel of the nation’s leading experts, the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). The committee unanimously recommended a range of 60-70 ppb for the ozone standard to protect public health.

Kustin noted that tens of millions of residents statewide face significant health risks from poor air quality, especially more than 20 million residents in the heavily polluted South Coast and San Joaquin Valley air basins. The annual cost of asthma is estimated to be nearly $18 billion, with direct costs (hospitalizations the single largest portion of direct cost) accounting for nearly $10 billion and indirect costs (lost earnings due to illness or death) of $8 billion, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

“The National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone must provide an adequate margin of safety to protect these vulnerable populations and 70 parts per billion is not sufficient to achieve this goal,” added Kustin. “We request the EPA set the standard for ozone at 60 parts per billion, the more protective end of the range. We support a secondary standard for ozone to provide increased protection against ozone-related adverse impacts on vegetation and forested ecosystems.”

Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sharyn Stein, sstein@edf.org, 202-572-3396

“EPA today answered Congress’ call to tackle the tough job of calculating greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels. We welcome EPA’s commitment to using the best available science to evaluate emissions, and its effort to keep the rules grounded in current science as our understanding of the issue evolves. We also welcome the news of the Obama administration’s new strategy for supporting development of a range of second- and third-generation biofuels that will bolster our energy security, protect the environment, and create American jobs.”
— EDF Agriculture Policy Specialist Britt Lundgren

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Sean Crowley, 202-572-3331, scrowley@edf.org
Sara Hopper, 202-572-3379, shopper@edf.org

(Washington, DC – February 2, 2010) Environmental Defense Fund urged Congress to reject a proposal in President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget to cut more than half billion dollars from USDA conservation programs below funding levels mandated in the 2008 Farm Bill.

“We recognize that the administration faces tough choices to cut the deficit, but these conservation programs help drive private investment in public benefits – including cleaner water, cleaner air and improved habitat for wildlife – so they are a great deal for taxpayers,” said Sara Hopper, director of agricultural policy for Environmental Defense Fund and a former staff member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “USDA conservation programs assist farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners who offer to spend their own time and money to improve the management of their land to benefit the environment.”

These conservation programs reward producers for improving the management of farms, ranches and private forest land to benefit water resources, air quality and wildlife; restoring and protecting wetlands; preserving and restoring grasslands; and maintaining farmland, ranchland and private forestland in the face of development pressures. The 2008 Farm Bill mandated a $4 billion increase in funding over five years for these programs after a long legislative debate.

“Congress passed the 2008 Farm Bill with broad bipartisan support, and the investment it made in conservation was one reason for that broad support,” Hopper concluded. “We are disappointed that the administration has proposed to reduce that investment so soon after the farm bill was enacted into law.”

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Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contacts: Sean Crowley, Environmental Defense Fund. 202.550.6524, scrowley@edf.org  
Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, guidrye@nwf.org  
David J. Ringer, National Audubon Society, 601.642-7058, dringer@audubon.org  

(Washington, DC—February 1, 2010) Three national environmental groups praised President Obama today for crafting the first presidential budget to provide funding to restore the Gulf Coast along Louisiana and Mississippi.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 presidential budget for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provides $35.6 million for Gulf Coast restoration, including $19 million for wetlands construction projects and $16.6 million for wetlands pre-construction studies. The FY 2011 presidential budget for the U.S. Department of Interior’s (DOI) Fish and Wildlife Service provides $5 million for Gulf Coast restoration.

These proposed investments of more than $40 million are part of a larger effort that focuses the expertise and resources of a broad spectrum of federal agencies — including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Geological Survey — on the critical restoration needs on the Gulf Coast.

“By prioritizing the restoration of our disappearing coastal ecosystem, President Obama is recognizing the significance of coastal Louisiana to our national economy and landscape,” a joint statement from Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation said. “The president’s proposed funding to restore this ecological treasure is a wake-up call for the nation that we are rapidly losing a region that is home to critical energy production infrastructure, the busiest port in North America, and the most valuable fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. Our nation cannot continue to ignore these vital interests.”

The presidential budget proposal creates a Gulf Coast ecosystem restoration effort that ranks the area with similar wetland ecosystems in the United States that have received greater attention and funding support, including the Florida Everglades and the Chesapeake Bay area.

Considering the rate at which Louisiana’s coastal wetlands are vanishing, the funding called for in the president’s budget is a critical first step toward coastal restoration. Louisiana loses a football field of land every 48 minutes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Since The Great Depression, Louisiana has lost 2,300 square miles of land, an area equivalent to the state of Delaware.

“Our coastal wetlands serve as a buffer that protects two million people in New Orleans and the surrounding communities,” the groups concluded. “They also provide protection for pipelines, navigation channels and refineries that service one-third of our nation’s oil and gas production. We look forward to working with the Obama administration and Congress to ensure that the funding is used on the best projects for restoration.”

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Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.

Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and the environment that supports us all. Our national network of community-based nature centers, chapters, scientific, education, and advocacy programs engages millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world. For more information, visit www.audubon.org.

National Wildlife Federation is America’s conservation organization inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future. For more information, visit www.nwf.org.  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington (Feb. 1)—The United States, China, India and 52 other nations have submitted national climate pledges to the United Nations, sending a clear signal of political will for action on climate change, U.S. non-profit group Environmental Defense Fund said Monday.

“We have all the world’s biggest polluters saying they want to work together,” said Jennifer Haverkamp, EDF’s International Climate Policy Director.” This sends a clear signal that countries intend to stay at the negotiating table. The challenge now is to translate this will into measurable action and a strong global climate treaty.”

The national pledges will be inscribed in the Copenhagen Accord – a non-binding political agreement to curb global warming brokered at the U.N. climate talks in December. The U.N. set a soft deadline of Jan. 31 for submitting pledges, but nations missing the deadline can sign up later.

“The really key countries all honored the January 31 deadline,” said Haverkamp. “The United States, China, India, Brazil, the European Union – these are the world’s biggest economies and biggest polluters. We’re looking at the leaders of the 21st century clean energy economy, and no one wants to walk away.”

The Copenhagen Accord, reached after an especially difficult session of U.N. climate talks, captured for the first time the political will of all major emitting nations to work together to halt global warming. However, as a non-binding political document, it was criticized for lacking the necessary rigor.

Despite these concerns, the accord was recognized by almost 190 nations in an overwhelming show of determination to take action on global warming. Nations were asked to join the accord by Jan. 31 by submitting voluntary pledges to curb their global warming pollution.

In a statement, the United Nations said 55 countries representing 78 percent of global energy emissions have so far submitted pledges. Pledges came from the United States, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Costa Rica, Maldives, Marshall Islands and Indonesia, among others.

The next high-level meeting is slated for December in Mexico following several interim negotiating sessions in 2010.

U.N. statement

Jennifer Haverkamp / 202-572-3392 / jhaverkamp@edf.org
Andrea Welsh/ 202-297-7723 / awelsh@edf.org