Complete list of press releases

“President Trump’s decision to suspend aid to the World Health Organization during a global pandemic is foolish and reckless, even for an administration that has repeatedly turned its back on public health and science. WHO is working to limit the spread of the virus and save lives – and choosing this moment to undermine its work will increase the threat to our health and our economy. It is clearly a political choice meant to distract attention from the Trump administration’s slow and inept response to a crisis that is hurting so many Americans. We urge everyone who is concerned about this decision to contact the White House.”       

– Sarah Vogel, EDF Health Vice President

(AUSTIN, TX) As the Texas Railroad Commission debates proration – limiting oil production in response to crashing demand – the agency overseeing the state’s oil and gas industry also has an opportunity to stem the profligate practice known as flaring. EDF’s Scott Anderson testified at the Railroad Commission’s proration hearing today.

Often described as way to raise prices by limiting supply, authority for proration actually comes from the commission’s statutory obligation to prevent the waste of natural resources and protect property rights. Since 2013, operators in Texas have wasted enough natural gas through flaring to meet the yearly needs of every Texas home three times over.

In addition, royalty and mineral owners – a list that includes 600,000 Texas households – often lose out to excess flaring. That’s because most of the state’s oil and gas producers lease their mineral rights, and many of these owners don’t get paid for gas that’s flared before it gets to market.

“The commission has a chance here to save the state’s oil and gas industry from one of its worst habits – setting fire to more than 100 billion cubic feet of natural gas each year, turning a valuable asset into waste and pollution. Last year operators in the Permian alone sent over a million dollars a day worth of Texas gas up in smoke.

“Using a flaring metric in the proration process would provide a valuable incentive for producers to operate more efficiently and with less pollution and provide fair reward to those that already do. Conversely, proration without a flaring metric provides absolutely no guarantee that flaring will fall simply because production does.”

• Scott Anderson, Senior Director, Energy

“The Trump administration is once again abdicating its legal and moral duty to protect the health of American families. The latest science shows clearly that we need stronger, more protective limits on particulate pollution. EPA’s own analysis shows we risk tens of thousands of early deaths from that dangerous air pollution, and we know that particulate matter causes heart and lung diseases that make people more vulnerable to severe COVID-19. But EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced today that he will leave our outdated, inadequate standards in place. Americans deserve better leadership – especially now.”

- Rachel Fullmer, EDF Senior Attorney

(Washington, D.C. – April 10, 2020) EPA should allow the American public to see records that relate to a controversial decision to relax pollution enforcement during the new coronavirus crisis, according to Environmental Defense Fund.

EDF filed a request for those records last night under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

“Air pollution is unhealthy, and granting waivers to allow more pollution will make Americans more unhealthy. That’s always a big concern, but especially now,” said EDF attorney Rosalie Winn. “People have a right to know what EPA is doing to protect public health, and to make sure the new coronavirus is not being used as an excuse to pollute our air. If companies are not complying with health and environmental safeguards, communities need to know.”

EPA recently announced a widespread relaxation of inspections and enforcement of environmental protections because of the pandemic. So far, the agency has refused to disclose the number of requests it has gotten for waivers of environmental protections, and has not said when – or if – it will disclose that information.

EDF requested all correspondence between EPA and outside parties about:

· The impact of the virus on regulated entities’ ability to comply with environmental or health standards

· Requests for enforcement or compliance relief

· Notifications that a regulated entity will fail to comply with environmental compliance obligations

Quickly making these records public would empower communities to hold polluters accountable and protect themselves — including their most vulnerable populations — from increased pollution. EDF’s request covers all records beginning March 1, 2020.

EPA’s decision to grant waivers to polluters is especially concerning because new research shows a possible link between worse air pollution and higher death rates from the new coronavirus. Air pollution can cause or worsen underlying conditions, like asthma and other lung diseases, that may make people especially vulnerable to the virus.

“EPA has a duty to protect public health,” said Winn. “That should mean more swift enforcement of pollution limits during this crisis – not less.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
(Washington, D.C. - April 7, 2020) President Trump has appointed Kayleigh McEnany to be the new White House press secretary, responsible for providing information to the public from the highest levels of government. Unfortunately, Ms. McEnany has a history of denying the reality of climate change, as she explained in this video from the Fox Business Channel.

"In the middle of a national emergency that has been made so much worse by not listening the warnings of scientists, the new White House spokesperson is a climate change denier. How can the public rely on what we're hearing from the White House during this pandemic if the press secretary has a history of denying scientific reality? This is a serious problem."

• Nat Keohane, Senior Vice President, Climate, Environmental Defense Fund

(AUSTIN, TX) New measurements by atmospheric scientists working with Environmental Defense Fund’s PermianMAP initiative found methane escaping from oil and gas operations in the most productive part of the basin at nearly three times the rate reported in the Environmental Protection Agency’s nationwide statistics.

The 3.5% loss rate estimated in the study area is roughly 15 times higher than reduction targets set by leading producers, and much higher than many companies have reported. It represents 1.4 million tonnes of wasted gas each year, enough to meet the annual natural gas needs of every home in Dallas and Houston combined. Some wells were found to be releasing methane through leaks, venting and malfunctioning flares at more than 100 times the national average rate.

Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas causing a quarter of the warming we’re experiencing today.

Oil and gas methane emissions are receiving renewed attention, as the oil and gas industry grapples with severe disruption to energy markets. Last week, the International Energy Agency warned that emissions could increase as companies cut staff and regulators dial back oversight. The report said oil and gas methane emissions could be reduced by a third at no net cost to industry, even with today’s low oil and gas prices.

“Oil and gas companies have a core responsibility to protect health, safety and the environment. This data shows that operators in Permian are failing to meet that basic obligation,” said Matt Watson, EDF Vice President for Energy. “As company staffing and state oversight are stretched thin, it’s all the more crucial to maintain close watch on these emissions so leaks don’t go unnoticed or unrepaired.”

Two states in the forefront

The Permian Basin straddles Texas and New Mexico, two of the largest oil and gas producing states, where methane emissions and unchecked flaring of natural gas have been the subject of increasing attention and concern in recent years. The only backstop has been federal methane safeguards, which the Trump administration is working to eliminate.

Methane lost to venting, flaring and leaks costs New Mexico taxpayers $43 million in foregone revenue a year. But the state has operated for years with virtually no state rules to control oil and gas emissions. Now, under the leadership of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico has embarked on a process to adopt nation-leading methane rules by the end of the year, and a goal of reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030.

Regulators at the Texas Railroad Commission have come under increasing scrutiny for allowing enormous waste and pollution through the flaring of natural gas produced alongside oil. The commission has not denied any of the more than 27,000 requests for flaring permits submitted over the past seven years. Now, in response to falling oil prices, energy companies and others in Texas have begun discussing production limits. EDF has urged that any such policies be crafted to reduce flaring and protect the rights of mineral owners.

“The jaw-dropping emission rates we see across the basin underscore the failure of these two states to protect communities and prevent waste to date.” Watson said. “The data underscores the importance of Gov. Lujan Grisham’s commitment to enact strong methane rules and why Texas needs to get serious and get itself out of the back of the pack. It also shows just how dangerous the Trump administration rollback efforts are.”

Aiming for better performance

The PermianMAP findings are the first from the year-long project launched last October to help both regulators and operators reduce methane emissions in one of the largest oil-producing regions in the world – and to provide policymakers, the public and community groups hard data that can help inform the development of new policies to tackle the ongoing methane problem.

“Our goal is to protect communities, help companies improve field practices and make sure the public knows what’s happening and can engage on critical policy questions,” Watson said. “As we collect more data and are able to draw comparisons in the performance of individual operators, we anticipate this information will also be helpful to investors, who are increasingly focused on what companies are doing to reduce emissions.”

Data was collected between October 2019 and March 2020 across a 10,000 square-kilometer study area responsible for 40%of the basin’s production, using tower-based monitors, ground-based mobile sensors, fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. New data will made available on a periodic basis as researchers continue to measure emissions over the course of the year. 

In recent weeks, researchers have been operating under strict protocols to protect against the coronavirus and will continue to operate in accordance with all local, state and federal guidelines, including suspending operations as necessary.

Filling the data gap

Until now, there’s been only limited data showing where methane is coming from, or which companies are managing their methane well and which still need to improve performance. The methane data developed by EDF’s PermianMAP effort will be regularly updated to give users a current emissions snapshot. By integrating new data at regular intervals, we will generate a never-before-seen view of the region’s emissions that can help inform mitigation efforts.

The report covers methane emissions associated with both oil and natural gas production. To achieve a total leak rate for the study area, figures are normalized to gas production to allow apples-to-apples comparison.

Details, maps and complete methodology are available at the PermianMAP site. The site also includes links to operator response forms, which give them an opportunity to let us know what they are doing with the data – whether they send out a crew, fix a leak, change maintenance protocols or take other steps.

(New York, NY – April 1, 2020) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit today ruled that the Trump administration had unlawfully concealed information relating to its rollback of America’s popular and successful Clean Car Standards – one day after that rollback was finalized without making the key information public.

“The Trump administration concealed facts in its desperate effort to push through the rollback of the Clean Car Standards – the most damaging rollback of climate protections in American history. This rollback will add more pollution to our air, making Americans sicker and causing thousands of premature deaths,” said EDF attorney Ben Levitan. “Today the court said unanimously that the administration has no legitimate reason to keep this vital information hidden, and that the American public must have access to it.”

“The Trump administration has been trying to hide the real impacts of its plan to gut clean car standards,” said Pete Huffman, a lawyer at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “With this decision, it will be even more clear to the public how dangerous and harmful to the economy this rollback really is.”

Since 2018, Trump’s EPA has refused to let the public see the latest version of its OMEGA model – a computer program long used to assess clean car protections. EPA made previous versions of the OMEGA model public as a matter of course, but it refused to release the latest version, which is likely to show the Clean Car Standards can be achieved by automakers at reasonable costs that are similar to or lower than those projected by EPA when it originally affirmed the appropriateness of the standards in 2017.

EDF and NRDC filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act after EPA refused to release the OMEGA model. In August of 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York declined to require EPA to disclose the model. EDF and NRDC appealed to the Second Circuit. Today a three-judge panel unanimously reversed the lower court and rejected EPA’s basis for concealing the model.

The popular and successful Clean Car Standards reduced pollution while saving Americans hard-earned money at the gas pump. Just yesterday, the Trump administration severely weakened the standards and replaced them with a weak substitute that will add more unhealthy pollution to our air. Analysis from EDF shows the rollback will cause an estimated 18,500 more premature deaths and 250,000 more asthma attacks.

The Trump administration’s harmful rollback will also force families to spend more for gas – $244 billion in fuel costs by 2040 – and will cost American jobs.

The administration pushed through its rollback while the rest of America was focused on stopping the spread of the new coronavirus and keeping people safe.

Ford, Honda, BMW, and Volkswagen have each already announced separate voluntary frameworks with California for continued nationwide pollution reductions from their vehicles. Volvo announced yesterday, hours after the rollback was finalized, that it is in discussions with California about a similar voluntary pollution reduction agreement.

A bipartisan coalition of 24 governors urged the Trump administration not to destroy the Clean Car Standards. Several state leaders and others, including EDF and NRDC, have said they are prepared to go to court to fight the rollback.

(AUSTIN, TX) As the Texas Railroad Commission contemplates whether and how to limit production in the Permian Basin in response to collapsing oil prices, Environmental Defense Fund urges that waste from excessive flaring be used as a metric for allocating production (a process called proration).

“Any method the Railroad Commission might choose to reduce production will require a fair way to allocate cuts. The RRC has a legal duty to prorate in a way that prevents waste, protects mineral rights, and considers the environmental implications of its actions. One way to do this is to look at which companies have demonstrated they can produce oil without wasting gas.

“The RRC should limit allocation in fields in which operators are routinely flaring associated gas. Flaring is a longstanding problem in the Permian, and it’s an issue the commission, industry, and the public agree must be addressed.”

• Colin Leyden, Senior Manager, Regulatory and Legislative Affairs

“While the rest of America remains focused on staying safe from the new coronavirus, the Trump administration is weakening our nation’s life-saving clean car protections for our health and safety, our economy and our environment. The administration’s imminent rollback of our successful Clean Car Standards will add more dangerous pollution to our air, making Americans sicker and ultimately causing thousands of premature deaths. Its own analysis shows it will cost tens of thousands of jobs, and it will significantly increase the cost of driving at a time when Americans cannot afford to spend more on gas. There would never be a good time for an idea this harmful, but it is breathtakingly opportunistic to impose health and economic burdens on the American people while we are battling a pandemic. EDF is prepared to take legal action to protect better, cleaner cars that help the American people.”

- Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

See our fact sheet for more information about the effects of rolling back the Clean Car Standards.

Today, the U.S. Senate reached a deal on a stimulus package that includes $50 billion in loans and grants to airlines, but leaves out language that would have required airlines — which emit as much climate pollution as the entire German economy annually — to limit harmful emissions from domestic flights.

“As our country faces the onslaught of the coronavirus, we need quick action to protect our health and economy. But Congress must ensure that federal assistance to companies does not make the climate crisis worse for our children by increasing pollution. Unfortunately, big businesses and their defenders in Congress defeated an effort to invest in a cleaner, safer world by reducing pollution from airlines.

“Taxpayers, many of whom are now struggling financially, have the right to expect responsible behavior by companies in exchange for these bailouts. Instead, taxpayers will pay twice — once now to the airline companies, and later in the form of tens of billions of dollars in additional damages from climate change. 

“If there’s a bright spot, it’s that while the requirements to reduce climate pollution ultimately did not make it into the bill, they were a top priority of leading Members of Congress. That is a testament to the growing chorus of concerned citizens and voters who have made clear that the climate crisis must be a top priority for our government.

“Despite rising public awareness and the warning of scientists, our government has failed to take strong action on climate change. It is a repeat of the mistakes that led to the worsening coronavirus pandemic. It’s time our leaders followed facts, listened to scientists, and took action on the dangers that confront our economy and society. In the coming weeks, as Congress continues to respond to the current health crisis, it must do so in a way that also protects the next generation from the unfolding climate crisis.”  

• Elizabeth Gore is Senior Vice President of Environmental Defense Fund

(WASHINGTON – March 20, 2020) As American consumers and fishermen both grapple with impacts from the spread of the new coronavirus, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today urged U.S. consumers to look for new ways to add more healthy American-caught fresh fish to their diets.

 EDF noted that in addition to being a healthy option, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other public health experts, seafood remains a safe option at grocery stores and for takeout at restaurants, since there is no evidence that food or food packaging have been associated with transmission of the virus.

 “During this time of uncertainty, we can be certain that choosing healthy and fresh seafood caught in the United States for our next meal is a smart decision,” said Eric Schwaab, senior vice president for EDF Oceans program. “The U.S. has some of the healthiest and most sustainable seafood in the world. By seeking out domestically caught fish, Americans can support fishermen and the ocean during this difficult time.”

 EDF and partners like the Monterey Bay Aquarium have developed tools consumers can use to choose healthy and sustainable seafood. The EDF Seafood Selector guides choices about which seafood to buy at stores or order as takeout. The Monterey Bay Aquarium also offers recommendations to help consumers choose ocean-friendly fish. According to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, we should be eating about 2-3 servings of seafood per week. 

 Many fisheries have been facing financial challenges due to climate change impacts and other headwinds. The new coronavirus is adding tremendous economic disruptions to the U.S. fishing industry as foreign markets close and supply chains are disrupted. This crisis comes at a particularly troubling time as many fishermen are preparing for the start of their seasons when they earn the bulk of their annual income.  

 As disruptions continue to occur, EDF encouraged consumers to seek out opportunities to purchase directly from fishermen and local seafood markets. In many fisheries around the country, fishermen, NGOs and supply chain actors are innovating to help increase fishermen’s market opportunities. Even the use of social media has proven extremely helpful for fishermen to keep in touch with consumers. For example, direct-to-consumer sales from boats landing at docks has proven to be an effective means in places like San Francisco and elsewhere around the country.

 But the single most effective way for consumers to help fishermen through this crisis is by adding more domestic seafood to their diets. By doing so, consumers can not only help fishermen and coastal communities, but also contribute to healthier oceans, EDF said.

 “By embracing smarter and more sustainable fishing, our fishermen have helped many of our fisheries go from federal disasters to thriving comeback stories in a short period of time,” Schwaab said. “Over the past 20 years, American fisheries have become some of the best managed and most sustainable in the world thanks to policy reforms and the hard work of fishermen. But now fishermen need our help. By incorporating more seafood into our diets, we can support fishermen and coastal communities that depend on seafood harvesting as a way of life.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 
(Washington, D.C.- March 18, 2020) Today EDF sent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Wheeler a letter asking him to immediately halt a new proposed rule advancing the Trump administration's efforts to censor public health science.

The Trump administration proposal would severely limit EPA's ability to rely on the best available science when making decisions about the protection of public health and the environment – decisions that affect the lives, health and well-being of all Americans. Published this morning amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, this sweeping and dangerous "supplemental notice" comes nearly two years after the agency published a related proposal to restrict EPA's use of science.

The agency is currently giving the public only 30 days to weigh in on this new rushed proposal, even as communities across the country – including public health experts and scientists whose input on this proposal will be crucial – face severe and unprecedented hardship and demands in responding to the ongoing national health emergency. EPA has not given any justification for why this rushed timeframe may be warranted.Today's action fails to correct the fundamental threat to public health and the environment posed by the original proposal. As EDF has maintained since former Administrator Scott Pruitt issued the original proposal, EPA's Censored Science scheme must immediately be withdrawn altogether.

If the Trump EPA moves forward with this dangerous action, EDF urges that EPA provide at least 90 days for public comment following the end of this health crisis.

In opposition to today's action, EDF released the following statement:

"We are in an unprecedented national and global health crisis. From day one, Environmental Defense Fund has forcefully opposed the Trump administration's dangerous and unlawful attack on the health science that has ensured life-saving protections for all Americans. We reiterate our unwavering call for the Trump administration to stop its efforts to censor the health science that saves lives.

"This attack on health science is dangerous and unlawful at any time in American life and unconscionable as our nation faces an urgent and serious health crisis. To suggest that the public, and especially top public health experts, abruptly divert their attention in order to meet the agency's ill-timed and arbitrary comment deadline is unlawful and downright dangerous. Moving forward with an attack on life-saving health science without fair and meaningful public input is a serious threat to the American people, who need evidence-based decision making at EPA and across our government now more than ever."

· Vickie Patton, General Counsel, Environmental Defense Fund

Background

EPA's original "Censored Science" proposal, released in April 2018 by former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, would effectively bar the agency from considering critical research when making decisions about protecting human health and the environment. A draft report by members of EPA's Science Advisory Board, released by the agency on New Year's Eve, warned that the original proposal "could easily undercut the integrity of environmental laws" and "is not consistent with sound scientific practice." Today's supplemental notice would apply these restrictions to an even wider array of scientific studies, further imperiling the government's ability to protect human health from environmental harms including climate change, air pollution, water pollution and other toxic chemical exposures.

Proposed under the misleading guise of transparency, the Censored Science rule would bar EPA from relying on peer-reviewed scientific studies when underlying data are not publicly available, notwithstanding the privacy imperatives that limit the disclosure of personal information and the fact that there are well-established protocols for testing and ensuring the replicability of study results. As with the original proposal, the supplemental notice ignores legitimate legal, ethical, and practical reasons such data may not be publicly available; ignores well-established, existing procedures for vetting scientific research; and fundamentally fails to identify a problem needing to be solved. The net effect is to put public health and our environment at risk.

The International Civil Aviation Organization’s governing Council today took a key step to stand up its emission offsetting program to help airlines reduce climate pollution, even as the aviation sector reels from the economic fallout of the coronavirus. The Council’s decision on the program, known as CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reductions Scheme for International Aviation), was based on recommendations from its Technical Advisory Body, which sought to weed out old emission credits that had questionable accounting and environmental provisions.
 
“We applaud the ICAO Council for listening to its experts and focusing on science in its decision to adopt robust environmental provisions in its market-based system to reduce climate pollution from airlines.

“At a time of extreme stress for the industry, aviation has stood by its commitment to grapple with the climate crisis even as it deals with the immediate tragedy of COVID-19. That is a demonstration of real leadership.

“The Council’s decision today sends a signal that when we get to the other side of the gut-punch that COVID-19 is delivering to families, communities and the whole travel sector, nations will move forward to meet the climate challenge.  

Much more work remains to be done, but today’s Council decision provides one hopeful step in the right direction – and shows a path forward for the global climate talks, too.”

• Annie Petsonk, International Counsel
   

Today, a federal district court issued an order granting California’s motion for summary judgment and rejecting the U.S. motion on two constitutional claims that California’s coordination with Quebec to reduce climate pollution is unlawful. The order by Judge William B. Shubb in the Eastern District of California was issued after a multi-hour hearing in Sacramento on Monday, March 9th. Two Constitutional claims remain outstanding and will be briefed and argued at a future date.

Environmental Defense Fund and the Natural Resources Defense Council are both parties to the case – defending California’s life-saving climate protections. 

The hearing on March 9th considered two legal claims brought by the U.S. Department of Justice arguing that California’s work with Quebec is either a treaty that must be adopted by Congress or a “compact” that must be approved by Congress. EDF and the NRDC joined the California Attorney General’s office to vigorously oppose these claims in our opposition brief filed in February and in presenting oral argument at Monday’s hearing.

Erica Morehouse, Senior Attorney for U.S. Climate at EDF, said:

“This is a tremendous legal victory for the protection of human health and the environment for all Californians. It is unconscionable that the Trump administration is actively litigating to tear down California’s life-saving climate and health protections. California faces the clear and present danger of climate change, and is innovating and leading with solutions that protect lives, create jobs and strengthen its economy. 

“As the legal fight to protect California’s coordination with Quebec to reduce climate pollution moves on, Environmental Defense Fund will continue to stand up for Californians’ leadership in protecting human health and the environment from harmful pollution.”

David Pettit, senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said:

“The Trump Administration continues to have its shaky legal positions rejected in court. The judge clearly saw this as a lawsuit filed in anger and not based on a valid legal theory.”
 

(WASHINGTON, DC) The Cover Crop Flexibility Act, introduced today by Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), would remove a disincentive in federal crop insurance that discourages farmers from planting cover crops.

“A strong crop insurance safety net is even more important as climate change makes extreme and variable weather events like the record-setting rainfall in 2019 more frequent.

“The Cover Crop Flexibility Act would allow farmers to recoup some economic losses in devastating weather years and increase their climate resilience for future planting seasons. It would lay the groundwork for federal crop insurance to reward farmers for conservation actions, such as planting cover crops, that are proven to reduce risk, as well as improve soil health and water quality.

“We welcome this bipartisan effort to update and strengthen a critical risk management tool by incentivizing climate-smart farming practices.” 

• Callie Eideberg, Director, Agricultural Policy and Special Projects