Complete list of press releases

(SANTA FE, NM) The New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission (OCC) today finalized rules to eliminate the practice of routine venting and flaring at new and existing wells across the state. Routine flaring occurs when operators burn off natural gas produced from oil wells instead of capturing it and selling it, or otherwise putting it to beneficial use.

With this move New Mexico joins Colorado in becoming the first states in the lower 48 to put a stop to the wasteful practice. Other oil and gas producing states, such Texas, are facing increasing pressure from investors and companies to zero out routine flaring. And recent surveys have found flaring to be an outsized source of climate-warming methane emissions.

Venting and flaring contribute significantly to New Mexico’s overall problem with methane waste and pollution. This means efforts to end the wasteful practice – as well as complementary efforts underway from the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) – will be necessary to meet Gov. Lujan Grisham’s goal of nationally leading methane waste and air pollution rules.

“The Lujan Grisham administration deserves praise for enacting strong rules to end routine venting and flaring in New Mexico. This is a first and critical step toward addressing the 1,1 million metric tons of methane pollution from the oil and gas industry. Now, in order to fully protect New Mexico communities from needless waste and pollution, the New Mexico Environment Department must do its job and finalize complementary air pollution rules that address the equipment leaks and malfunctions that constitute the lion’s share of the industry’s methane problem.”

• Jon Goldstein, Director, Regulatory and Legislative Affairs, Energy
   

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

EDF estimates New Mexico’s methane emissions from the oil and gas sector are considerably higher than industry reported data at 1.1 million metric tons per year, according to our most recent scientific analysis. This emissions estimate is in line with the state’s own newly released estimates based in part on a recent series of flyovers with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The loss of methane through venting, flaring and leaks wastes a valuable energy resource that would otherwise help generate as much as $43 million a year for important state needs, such as education. Reducing needless venting and flaring is critical for curbing waste, reducing pollution and protecting public health.

A separate and necessary air pollution rule from the New Mexico Environment Department is still being drafted. That rule will be critical for effectively addressing emissions and meeting the governor’s climate goals, as it targets leaks that constitute 70% of New Mexico’s oil and gas pollution problem.

“As our nation moves to electrify our transportation fleet and cut climate pollution, developing the charging infrastructure to support these vehicles is critical. Senators Carper, Burr, Cortez Masto and Stabenow know we need smart policies to help our environment and our economy. Increasing the investment tax credit for refueling infrastructure, and ensuring it applies to each charging station, will help us meet our goal of providing a seamless transition from the fuels of yesterday to the electric vehicles of tomorrow.”

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

“Reducing heavy metal levels in baby food is key to protecting children’s brain development from the harmful impact of these contaminants in their diet. The bill that will be introduced by Representatives Krishnamoorthi and Cárdenas and Senators Klobuchar and Duckworth is an important step in this effort – providing a framework to significantly drive down levels of lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury in baby food. 

“Among other provisions, the Baby Food Safety Act would amend the Food Safety Modernization Act to require food manufacturers to develop and implement preventive controls to reduce heavy metals in baby food. This effectively treats heavy metals in the same manner as pathogens – an apt comparison as the only ‘safe’ level of either in food is zero.

“We applaud Reps. Krishnamoorthi and Cárdenas and Sens. Klobuchar and Duckworth for introducing this bill and for their leadership on this issue. While the Food and Drug Administration recently announced new steps to reduce heavy metals in food, the agency fell short. Families need the FDA to be held accountable and to make our food supply safer – especially for the youngest among us.”  

Tom Neltner, EDF Chemicals Policy Director

(WASHINGTON — March 25, 2021) A new report from Resources for the Future and Environmental Defense Fund demonstrates how federal lawmakers can deploy a suite of policies to tackle the energy transition challenges facing fossil fuel workers and communities across the country.

The report summarizes lessons from over 100 federal policies into four primary categories of solutions: workforce development and labor standards; economic development; infrastructure and environmental remediation; and public benefits. For fossil fuel workers and communities to thrive in the future, transition planning needs to start now.

“This report helps policymakers identify the key pieces of a comprehensive, multi-agency just transition policy package, and is designed to inform future legislative efforts and executive actions in the United States,” lead author and RFF Senior Research Associate Wesley Look said. “As business leaders, lawmakers, and Americans across the country tackle the urgent threat of climate change, it’s important to do so in ways that build prosperity in working-class communities, especially America’s fossil fuel regions, which could otherwise be hard hit by policies to decarbonize the economy.”

U.S. coal production has decreased by roughly 40% over the past decade as natural gas and clean energy costs have fallen. As a result of this and other market trends, communities reliant on coal have seen unemployment soar, residents leave in search of other opportunities and revenue for critical community services like infrastructure plummet. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these losses and brought new challenges for coal, oil, and gas producing communities.

As the Biden-Harris administration and federal lawmakers focus on economic recovery and longer-term efforts to reduce emissions, a suite of robust policies are needed to support fossil fuel workers and communities in the clean energy transition. This includes programs that provide high-quality jobs in the near term, investing in new economic opportunities that can sustain communities, securing worker protections and benefits, and more.

“Lawmakers need to lay the groundwork for an equitable transition for fossil fuel workers and communities now,” said Jake Higdon, author and Senior Analyst for U.S. Climate Policy at EDF. “The lessons learned from coal regions highlight the urgent need for investment and proactive planning. A comprehensive, cohesive approach that supports workers and communities should be deployed alongside ambitious policies to tackle the climate crisis.”

The report finds that the following four complementary and customizable policy categories are essential for supporting a fair transition:

• Workforce development and labor standards: Programs that protect workers and help them find new jobs, including job training, career services, and supplemental supports such as childcare; as well as protections for workers, such as compensation standards and workplace safety standards.
• Economic development: Policies such as grants to help diversify local economies, loans for small businesses, and technical assistance for local planning efforts, all of which can bolster local economies where jobs and revenue from fossil fuel production have been lost in the past and may be lost in the future.
• Infrastructure and environmental remediation: Programs that can build and update critical infrastructure that enable businesses to thrive. In communities with a legacy of pollution, environmental remediation programs can help create healthier, cleaner communities while creating near-term jobs.
• Public benefits: As these other policy approaches take hold, public benefit programs—such as unemployment insurance, pension, and health care programs—are an essential first line of defense for workers and families and help stabilize local economies.

In addition to outlining the need for these interconnecting policies, the report offers key insights for policy design:

• Effective coordination: Policies must be well coordinated among federal agencies and across local, state, tribal, and federal levels. The Appalachian Regional Commission, which bolsters economic development across 13 states and combines federal, state, and local leadership, is a good example.
• Strategic timing and sequencing: The sequencing of just transition policy implementation will impact efficacy and cost. Early actions should include efforts to convene stakeholders to proactively plan; ensure workers receive pensions and benefits; implement programs to shore up local tax revenues; and boost new family-supporting job opportunities.
• Ensuring equitable and inclusive policymaking: Policies should address a legacy of underinvestment and environmental injustice in low-income communities and communities of color, and transparently engage affected workers and communities.
• Sustaining local government revenue: To support state and local governments reliant on fossil fuel production for revenue, federal lawmakers will need to provide support. These funds could come from investments in additional local tax base opportunities, transfers from general funds, or new federal revenue sources, such as a carbon price. States can help localities by providing them with more autonomy over their financial decisions.

Read the full report here and blog with key takeaways here.

RFF and EDF’s Fairness for Workers and Communities series is designed to help policymakers assess strategies to address social and economic challenges associated with the shift to a clean energy economy. While many of these challenges are not new, they have been brought into focus by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has accelerated job loss in the energy sector, particularly in regions already struggling. The previous four reports and accompanying blogs can be found on RFF’s site and EDF’s site.

(Washington, D.C. – March 24, 2021) Seventeen business, equity, science, clean energy, faith and environmental groups are publicly calling on the Biden administration to set multi-pollutant climate and clean air standards that will eliminate dangerous particle, nitrogen oxides and climate pollution from new freight trucks and buses – and to adopt these standards in the next 18 months.

The groups sent a letter to the White House yesterday about the vital importance of addressing the health and climate-damaging pollution from the nation’s freight trucks and buses.

“We urge your administration to adopt pollution standards, by Fall of 2022, that eliminate the smog-forming nitrogen oxides, deadly particles, and climate pollution from freight trucks and buses,” the letter states. “Addressing the extensive health and climate burden from diesel trucks and buses is crucial to saving lives, advancing environmental justice and achieving your commitment to climate action … We ask you to make this life-saving action an administration priority.”

Truck pollution standards should ensure we are eliminating pollution from all new freight trucks and buses no later than 2040, and from freight trucks and buses used in urban and community areas no later than 2035. EDF analysis shows that pollution standards that achieve these goals would prevent 57,000 premature deaths and eliminate more than 4.7 billion metric tons of climate pollution by 2050.

Pollution from freight trucks and buses is concentrated in low-income communities and communities of color. The letter points out that protective standards are essential in order to address that disproportionate impact.

The letter also points out that solutions are at hand, with zero-emission public fleet, last-mile-delivery, and garbage trucks, as well as local transit and school buses, primed for deployment now.

The following groups signed onto the letter:

• American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
• California Business Alliance for a Clean Economy
• Center for Biological Diversity
• Ceres
• Defend Our Future
• Ecology Center (Michigan)
• Environmental Defense Fund
• Green For All, a program of Dream Corps
• GreenLatinos
• Interfaith Power & Light
• League of Conservation Voters
• Moms Clean Air Force
• Natural Resources Defense Council
• Our Climate
• Sierra Club
• Southern Environmental Law Center
• Union of Concerned Scientists

You can read the full letter here.

(AUSTIN, TX ) A study accepted this week in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics finds that methane emissions in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico have rebounded to the same levels seen prior to last year’s oil price crash and industry downturn.

The findings are based on data gathered as part of EDF’s ongoing Permian Methane Analysis Project (PermianMAP) to measure and report on emissions across the nation’s largest oil and gas producing basin. Collection methods informing this study included aircraft surveys and readings from a network of remote sensors installed at towers located throughout the Permian.

Scientists found that from March to April in 2020 emissions plunged 60%, as the impacts of COVID-19 and volatile oil prices unfolded and caused a decrease in Permian drilling activity, but have now returned to pre-pandemic levels. This momentary drop in emissions partially resulted from a decline in new wells drilled and reduced flaring of associated gas, which recent research has shown significantly contributes to Permian methane emissions.

The reduction in emissions was much larger than the 10% dip in production observed during this time period. The study authors believe the reason for the disproportionate drop is that operators in the Permian have historically produced more gas than the region’s facilities – including both upstream and midstream – can manage, straining the system and resulting in the highest emissions observed from any U.S. oil and gas basin. A comparatively small drop was enough to relieve that pressure, thereby reducing emissions.

“The fact that Permian methane levels have returned to pre-COVID highs as drilling levels continue to increase confirms we need more state and federal oversight of oil and gas operations to manage this emissions problem,” said EDF scientist and lead author David Lyon. “Emissions from flaring and overloaded midstream sites can no longer fly under the policy radar. This science should put those problems squarely in policymakers’ scopes in Texas, New Mexico and at the federal level.”  

Reducing oil and gas methane emissions remains the fastest, most cost-effective way to slow the rate of global warming today. In a Jan. 20 executive order, President Biden committed to reinstate and expand federal methane regulations for oil and gas facilities.

Meanwhile, regulators under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in New Mexico are also in the process of advancing two sets of regulations to reduce methane waste and associated air pollution from the oil and gas industry. The state’s venting and flaring rule is expected to be finalized this week, but a separate and necessary air pollution rule from the New Mexico Environment Department is still being drafted and will be critical as it addresses leaks which are 70% of the pollution problem in New Mexico.

“This methane pollution resurgence in the nation’s largest oilfield spotlights the importance of robust federal protections,” said EDF senior attorney Rosalie Winn. “Curbing emissions in the Permian Basin and nationwide is critical to reducing the United States’ climate footprint and achieving the Biden administration’s goals.”

“As an organization with an office and beloved colleagues in Boulder, Colorado, Environmental Defense Fund is anguished by the slaughter of ten people at a local grocery store there.

“While authorities work to determine the gunman’s motive, our hearts go out to the victims and all who lost loved ones yesterday, including the families of Tralona Bartkowiak, Suzanne Fountain, Teri Leiker, Kevin Mahoney, Lynn Murray, Rikki Olds, Neven Stanisic, Denny Stong, Jody Waters, and police officer Eric Talley, the first law enforcement responder on the scene. EDF mourns their loss and grieves with all of those impacted. Gun violence affects not just its direct victims but the entire community.”

“President Biden continues to assemble an all-star climate team with the appointment of Dr. Jane Lubchenco to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, as Deputy Director for Climate and Environment.

“Dr. Lubchenco’s selection is a triumph for evidence-based policymaking. Her scientific expertise and experience, coupled with deep insight into a wide range of environmental issues, will be an enormous asset to the administration’s all-of-government approach to climate solutions. During her exemplary leadership of NOAA from 2009 to 2013 she demonstrated the rare ability to harness the power of science to design practical policies that improve people’s lives.

“In partnership with OSTP Director-designate Dr. Eric Lander and Deputy Director for Science and Society Dr. Alondra Nelson, Dr. Lubchenco will work toward climate and environmental solutions that promote health, economic recovery, equity and sustainability. She understands the intertwined nature of these issues — particularly the connection between the health of our ocean and our planet — and the need to design policies that protect all Americans, particularly those who have long faced a greater burden of pollution.

“I know Jane well from her time on EDF’s board of trustees, and like many at EDF I benefited greatly from her advice and counsel. I know she will be guided by science and the public interest. As a working scientist, she has dedicated her career to the advancement of learning, using it to ensure that both people and nature can thrive. Her many academic appointments and awards — including a MacArthur ‘genius’ award and more than fifteen honorary degrees — are a testament to her vast achievements and her sheer brilliance. Her sound judgment will be invaluable as the Biden-Harris administration focuses on solutions to the climate crisis and our other great environmental challenges.”

• Amada Leland, Executive Vice President, Environmental Defense Fund

(Copenhagen, March 19th 2021) Today, Environmental Defense Fund and Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping formalized their collaboration by signing a Partnership Agreement. With the Agreement, Environmental Defense Fund becomes an official partner to the Center, committing to a long-term strategic collaboration about the reduction of emissions from shipping.

The collaboration will evolve around the development of an industry transition strategy, mapping the strategic pathway to zero carbon shipping in 2050, and the comprehensive policy framework necessary for shipping to meet and exceed its long-term target. In addition to that, the collaboration will also include activities on the sustainability assessment and life cycle analyses of future fuels and technologies as well as their impact potential and potential constraints.

“Environmental Defense Fund brings more than 50 years of experience and pioneering work for a safer and healthier environment. With deep involvement and insights across sectors, EDF will add a broad societal perspective which will be of essence in the development of a sustainable transition strategy for the maritime industry. We look very much forward to the collaboration!” says Bo Cerup-Simonsen, CEO Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping.   

“The Center is well placed to support robust policy pathways towards decarbonization and drive the deployment of zero emissions vessels. Environmental Defense Fund’s work to reduce shipping’s climate impacts can complement the effort in leading the way towards a sustainable, zero-carbon and competitive shipping sector,” says Kelley Kizzier, Vice President for Global Climate at Environmental Defense Fund.

 

Shipping’s road map to decarbonization

With 70,000 ships consuming m300Tons fuel p.a. global shipping accounts for around 3% of global carbon emissions, a share that is likely to increase as other industries tackle climate emissions in the coming decades.

Achieving the long-term target of decarbonization requires new fuel types and a systemic change within the industry. Shipping is a globally regulated industry, which provides an opportunity to secure broad-based industry adoption of new technology and fuels.

To accelerate the development of viable technologies a coordinated effort within applied research is needed across the entire supply chain. Industry leaders play a critical role in ensuring that laboratory research is successfully matured to scalable solutions matching the needs of industry. At the same time, new legislation will be required to enable the transition towards decarbonization.

“The heinous murder of eight innocent people in Atlanta, including six women of Asian descent, cannot be separated from the onslaught of hatred and violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities that began to ramp up in the first days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nor can it be separated from the centuries of xenophobia and racism that Asian American communities have faced to date. For the last year, these communities have lived in a heightened and continuous state of fear.

“Though the white man charged with these murders has reportedly denied racial motivation, Asian American communities have already made clear that they see them for what they are: hate crimes. The advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate recorded nearly 3,800 hate incidents against Asian Americans from March 2020 through February 2021. Women were more than twice as likely as men to report an attack. Environmental Defense Fund stands with Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and condemns racist violence in all of its forms.

“Like so many other nonprofits, we are on a journey to integrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice into our organizational values in a way that matters deeply for our work and our staff. We want our colleagues of Asian descent to know that we recognize and empathize with the pain caused by this horrific act and by all of the senseless violence directed against Asian Americans throughout our history. We will do our part to build a society free from racism and racist violence.”

- Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

“Today Rep. McEachin, Rep. Grijalva and Senator Duckworth re-introduced one of the most innovative and inclusive environmental justice bills Congress has seen— the Environmental Justice for All Act. This landmark legislation addresses vital social and environmental justice issues, including health equity and a fair and just transition to a clean energy economy. The bill was informed by extensive input from environmental justice stakeholders. EDF commends this collaborative effort, which resulted in a bold new approach to these longstanding challenges.”
 

• Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President, Political Affairs

“Communities of color, low-income communities, and Tribal and indigenous communities have historically and consistently been disproportionately impacted by air and water pollution and are on the front lines of climate change impacts. By prioritizing robust community input in government decision making, centering policy around the devastating effects of cumulative pollution impacts and linking environmental harms to broader social injustices, this bill can contribute to safer, healthier and stronger communities across the country.”

• Margot Brown, Associate Vice President, Environmental Justice and Equity Initiatives

This legislation takes important steps to codify Executive Order 12898, which was first enacted under President Clinton to advance environmental justice at the federal level, increase community input under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and authorize grant funding to support research, education and implementation of projects to address environmental injustices. It also contains an important policy approach to increase consideration and use of cumulative pollution impacts — the combined effects of environmental hazards, pollution sources and other health and socioeconomic factors — in federal decision making.

• Parent activists ‘Mums for Lungs’ demand London mayoral candidates tackle toxic air pollution from diesel buses
• New analysis shows how NO_x pollution from diesel buses in London is 62% higher in the most deprived areas compared to the least
• Only 3% of current bus routes in London are electric but none of £3bn PM pledged this week to clean buses will go to London
• Call for London mayoral candidates to commit to zero emissions buses across capital by 2030
• Hard-hitting nursery rhyme campaign highlights health dangers to children using #Mayor4CleanAir 

(LONDON, UK) Campaign groups representing parents, health workers and young people have joined forces today to call for the next Mayor of London to tackle air pollution from diesel buses on the capital’s roads and commit to a zero-emission bus fleet.

The campaigners have launched a hard-hitting playground nursery stencil campaign to highlight the dangers of diesel pollution to public health, particularly for young children. They are installing adapted nursery rhymes in a graffiti art campaign aimed at raising awareness amongst parents and children of the dangers of air pollution. 

In one adapted rhyme, the wheels on the diesel-powered bus don’t just go round and round, they also make “toxic air.” The graphic is being installed in a special Covid-secure playground in Kingston, South London. Another stencil states “Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall because Humpty Dumpty had an asthma attack”. 

There are currently no electric bus routes in Kingston despite there being illegal levels of air pollution and the asthma-related hospital admissions rate for young children is 47% higher than the rate for England.¹ 

The call for action coincides with new data modelling conducted by Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants as part of the Breathe London Pilot Project² and analysis by Environmental Defense Fund Europe (EDF Europe) that finds harmful NO_x pollution from Transport for London (TfL) diesel buses is on average 62% higher in London’s most deprived areas than the least.³ NO_x pollution is especially harmful to children and can contribute to reduced lung function. 

Concerned parents Mums for Lungs and Black and brown teen activists Choked Up, along with health workers Medact and scientists at EDF Europe, are calling on London’s mayoral candidates to protect children’s health and address health inequities by speeding up the rollout of electric buses and delivering a zero-emission bus fleet this decade. Cities such as Los Angeles, Copenhagen and Amsterdam have already set targets to remove diesel buses by 2030 or sooner.

Earlier this week, the Prime Minister promised £3bn to fund new, cleaner bus services. However, none of the money will be allocated to London, despite having some of the worst pollution levels in the country.⁴

Only 3% of London’s bus routes are currently electric or hydrogen, with TfL aiming to reach 7% by 2022.⁵ Under existing plans, it will take more than 15 years for the city’s fleet to be diesel-free.⁶ This follows research showing that only 6% of newly-registered urban buses in the UK were electric or hydrogen in 2019, compared to 66% in the Netherlands.⁷

The campaign is supported by a letter from more than 100 health workers to London Mayoral candidates stressing the need for accessible and affordable zero-emission public transport.⁸ It mirrors a call from the Prime Minister for “better buses” to protect the environment and town centre economies as we build back from the pandemic.⁹

Marilyn Mason, a parent and member of the Kingston Environment Forum, said, “As things go back to ‘normal’, traffic and air pollution is rising again. Eden Street and Cromwell Road in Kingston are two of the most polluted streets and amongst the busiest bus routes in London. Kingston’s one-way system takes all that bus traffic past several schools causing harm to children’s development.

Changing to a zero-emission bus fleet is a TfL responsibility, but it seems to be all too easy to neglect the outer suburbs and our health needs when making London-wide transport policies. This is no longer tolerable, and we hope that all London Assembly candidates will commit to transport policies that will lead to clean air across the whole of London.”

Jemima Hartshorn, a parent who lives in south London and is part of the Mums for Lungs group, said, “For families who live close to a busy bus route which is a large percentage of Londoners there is the constant anxiety of the impact it is having on your child. We need the next Mayor of London to commit to all buses becoming zero emissions, whilst ensuring they are the most affordable and accessible way to get around.”

An inquest in late 2020 confirmed air pollution, especially from diesel vehicles, was a direct cause of the death of the nine-year old Ella Kissi-Debrah, who lived near the South Circular. The founders of Choked Up, a youth organisation of Black and brown teenagers, including friends of Ella who live along highly polluted roads in South London, want to make sure that never happens again.

Destiny Boka Batesa, from Choked Up said, “As young people we have to take the bus to get to school or to meet our friends. We don’t want to be risking our lives to make essential journeys. We need the next Mayor of London to rid our city of diesel and prioritise clean air so we can grow up in a safe, healthy environment.”

New air quality modelling from the Breathe London pilot project at select kerbside locations outside central London shows a zero-emission bus fleet in London could reduce levels of the toxic gas nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) by up to 13%.¹⁰ This is critical to helping Londoners breathe safer levels of air pollution, and should form part of a comprehensive plan to address harmful pollution from major roads and diesel cars and vans. The Government has started a consultation to end sales of diesel buses in the UK but it is unclear whether any of the 4,000 zero-emission buses they have committed to deliver from next year will be earmarked for London.¹¹

Oliver Lord, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the Environmental Defense Fund Europe, said, “Buses are already one of the most efficient and affordable ways for people to get around, and they are critical to helping people be less reliant on cars. Currently just 3% of London’s bus routes are electric, meaning there is a huge opportunity to put a cleaner fleet at the heart of a green recovery that benefits marginalised communities the most. By prioritising electric buses in the most deprived areas and delivering a zero-emission bus fleet this decade, London Mayoral candidates can help to tackle health inequities, create jobs and keep the city moving.”

 

Health impacts

NO₂ pollution forms when fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gas or diesel are burned at high temperatures. It can cause reduced lung function in children, trigger asthma attacks and hospital admissions for children. Recent studies have linked the pollutant to lung cancer, cardiovascular harm, lower birth weight in newborns and increased risk of premature death.¹² NO₂ also forms chemically in the atmosphere from nitric oxide (NO) which is also produced by fossil fuel combustion. NO₂ and NO are collectively known as NO_x.

PM_2.5 pollution refers to very fine particulates - with a size generally less than 2.5 micrometres (µm). It is contained in pollution from petrol and diesel vehicles as well as woodsmoke and industry. This microscopic material when breathed in can penetrate deep into the lungs and can then be absorbed into the bloodstream. This form of pollution is associated with health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, lung cancer as well as diabetes and dementia. High levels of PM_2.5 pollution can trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks and other serious medical emergencies, and has a long term impact on lung function particularly in children.¹³

 (AUSTIN, TX) Today Environmental Defense Fund filed comments urging the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to adopt stronger pollution safeguards for existing oil and gas facilities in the Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) and Houston-Brazoria-Galveston (HBG) metro regions, which currently fail to meet federal ozone standards.

The reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from oil and gas facilities is necessary for DFW and HBG to meet federal ozone standards and protect public health. These wells also emit large quantities of methane pollution, and TCEQ’s current proposal would leave well over half of wellsites unregulated and emitting upwards of 17,000 tons of methane pollution.

EDF recommends TCEQ strengthen its proposal by requiring oil and gas operators to inspect their facilities for leaks on a quarterly basis, paring back gaping exemptions for low-producing wells, and jettisoning less stringent requirement for inspection of wellsite connectors – a provision that fails to meet even baseline federal guidance.

“Methane and ozone pollution from oil and gas operations across the state are harming the health of Texans and damaging the climate. Instead of stepping up and implementing reasonable, cost-effective controls at the thousands of well sites outside of Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston, TCEQ is choosing to leave nearly 18,000 tons of methane pollution unchecked. Texans deserve more from the agency charged with protecting their communities and the air they breathe from the impacts of oil and gas operations.”

• Colin Leyden, Director, Regulatory and Legislative Affairs

(Washington, D.C. – March 16, 2021) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency just took a valuable step toward protecting millions of people in downwind states from the dangerous air pollution that blows across their boundaries from upwind coal-fired power plants. EPA’s action requires reductions in that pollution for this summer’s smog season.

EPA just issued an update to the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule that will require coal plants in 12 states to reduce their oxides of nitrogen (NOx) pollution by improving the operation of NOx pollution controls that are already in place and by upgrading NOx pollution controls. NOx is a major component of ground-level ozone, commonly known as smog, and contributes heavily to downwind states’ inability to meet an EPA health-based smog standard set in 2008. Smog exacerbates lung conditions like asthma and is linked to a wide array of serious heart and lung diseases as well as to premature deaths. It’s especially dangerous for children, the elderly, people who work outdoors, and low-income communities or communities of color.

“Millions of people across the Eastern U.S. suffer because of the coal plant pollution that blows into their communities from neighboring states. The update to the Cross State Air Pollution Rule is a common sense step to help them,” said EDF senior attorney Graham McCahan. “We can do much more, though. We urge EPA to build on this foundation and strengthen smog protections for all Americans who live near coal plants or in downwind states.”

The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule was created under the “Good Neighbor” provision of the Clean Air Act. It reduces sulfur dioxide and NOx pollution emitted from coal-fired power plants across the Eastern U.S. That pollution, and the resulting soot and smog, drift across state borders and contribute to dangerous, sometimes lethal, levels of pollution in 22 downwind states.

EPA issued the update in response to a court order requiring the agency to strengthen protections for the downwind states. The update will require that coal units in 12 states – Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia – use the modern, effective pollution controls that they have already installed, as well as update their pollution controls. Coal-fired power plants that have pollution controls sometimes don’t operate them, or don’t use them to full capacity.

The update will require those plants to begin reducing pollution immediately after the rule becomes legally effective – 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. That means downwind states will see less pollution during this year’s summer smog season. It is ultimately expected to reduce NOx pollution from those plants by 19 percent over 2019 levels, and is expected to provide an estimated $2.8 billion in health and environmental benefits.

However, more than one-third of all coal plants in the Eastern U.S. have not yet installed modern pollution controls for NOx, and will not be covered by the update. EPA will need to take further action to protect Americans from the more than 250,000 tons of NOx, and more than 300 million tons of climate pollution, those plants emitted in 2018.

The update will help meet the Clean Air Act’s 2008 national ozone standard. However our nation’s health-based standard for ozone was updated and made more protective in 2015. EPA will need to swiftly require additional pollution reductions for NOx from coal plants so we can ensure our air quality meets the vital 2015 health standard.

(WASHINGTON — March 16, 2021) Workforce development policies and labor standards could help displaced fossil fuel workers succeed in a low-carbon economy, a report released today by Resources for the Future and Environmental Defense Fund finds.

By reviewing a range of federal and state policies such as those involving job training, career services, income supports, and workplace safety standards, the report shares valuable insights into how federal policymakers can help fossil fuel workers—particularly in the coal industry—secure fair, stable, and safe jobs. As the Biden-Harris administration accelerates efforts to address climate change and invest in clean energy, this new research gives policymakers the tools they need to ensure that this transition is fair and equitable.

“Strong labor policies have a role to play in building a strong economy and supporting workers in transition,” said Wesley Look, a senior research associate at RFF. “The economic devastation wrought by the pandemic compounds existing trends of unemployment in coal country and other communities, and workforce development policies are an important piece of turning the tide towards greater prosperity and equity.”

“Strong federal labor policies are necessary to make America’s shift to a clean economy fair to energy workers,” added Jake Higdon, senior analyst for U.S. climate policy at EDF. “But this is only one part of the picture. We’ll need a comprehensive, cohesive approach to do right by workers and communities affected by the energy transition.”

RFF and EDF’s review of existing policies and their effectiveness resulted in the following key conclusions:

Workforce Development:

• Strong interagency/government coordination and an accessible, central hub of resources are essential to delivering workforce development services effectively.
• Creating programs that target specific demographics and are tailored to local circumstances can help identify distinct groups and meet their unique needs.
• Wrap-around supports for workers like child care and substance abuse therapy may be especially important in creating conditions for success in workforce development programs.
• Close collaboration with industry groups and employers can help design effective policies relevant to local labor market demands.
   

Labor Standards

• Labor standards can create basic protections for workers in transition, including by requiring advance warning before termination and providing bridge benefits like employer-sponsored health care.
• Labor standards can help bolster unionization, which is connected to a range of positive outcomes for workers and the economy. This includes more equitable compensation, reduced job turnover, and incentives to invest in job training.

To learn more about these findings, read the report, Labor Policies to Enable Fairness for Workers and Communities in Transition, by Wesley Look (RFF), Molly Robertson (RFF), Jake Higdon (EDF), and Daniel Propp (RFF). Read the EDF blog post about the findings here.

RFF and EDF’s Fairness for Workers and Communities series is designed to help policymakers assess strategies to address social and economic challenges associated with a shift to a clean energy economy. Many of these challenges are being brought into focus by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has accelerated job loss in the energy sector, especially in regions already struggling. The final installment in the series will be an overarching synthesis summarizing the findings of previous reports.