President Trump has asked Congress on Monday to reduce the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget on Superfund. The Administration has created the largest backlog of cleanups in over 15 years, and now plans to reduce the Superfund Program’s budget by 10%. The Superfund is just one of many environmental programs that could receive budget cuts for the fiscal year 2021. Read More.
In 2004, Louisiana passed a bill to criminalize most acts of protest against “critical infrastructure” within the industry sector. Within the last two years, Louisiana has expanded the bill to include the trespassing and protest of pipelines in response to the North Dakota protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Over 15 years later, 10 states have adopted their own versions of the bill to make some of the most basic forms of protest a felony charge. Since the new addition to the Louisiana bill, a total of 15 people have been arrested, 14 organized protesters and 1 journalist reporting on the event. Read More.
Benzene is a federal regulated chemical that when exposed can cause blood disorders and cancer. A report released by the Environment Integrity Project examined the excessive release of Benzene from 10 facilities within the United States. The worst offending facilities were found in Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. All states included one facility with benzene emittance greater than the federal regulations, with the exception of Texas with a total of 6 refineries out of compliance. Read More.
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that the state’s Environmental Facilities Corporation will direct $120 million in grant money towards assisting Long Island and villages’ water plans. Included is the Village of Mineola that currently has three major water system projects underway to help meet 1,4-dioxin and PFAS treatment requirements. 23 total grants have been given out to Long Island and villages to assist in water remediation projects. Read More.
In June of 2019, the proposed construction of a C.J. Miller asphalt plant in Buckeystown, Maryland was denied by the Frederick County Board of Zoning Appeals. The board denied the plant’s plans to build, arguing that it failed too many of the county’s required codes. The company is remaining persistent in its plans, despite a strong atmosphere of opposition from local residents, and is now asking a Frederick county judge to reexamine the board’s decision. Read More.
Frederick County Planning Committee January 2019 decision
Frederick County Board of Zoning Appeals June 2019 decision
On Friday, January 30, a judge ruled that Harris County can proceed with its lawsuit against Exxon Mobil. The lawsuit was filed on August 1, 2019 after a chemical fire in Baytown, Texas. Harris County itself was taken to court by the state’s attorney general’s office over the case that Harris County must first receive “explicit approval from county commissioners” before filing a lawsuit. Read More.
Exxon Mobil chemical plant explosion
Minden, West Virginia has begged for the cleanup of its town from PCB contamination for over thirty years. In 2019, hope was found among community members when the Superfund site was placed on the EPA’s NPL list. Yet, movement for either cleanup or relocation remains stagnant. Read more about the background of contamination in Minden and the current status of its residents as they continue to fight for cleanup. Read More.
In East Liverpool, Ohio, the organization Save Our County Inc. has been fighting the Heritage Thermal Services incinerator for decades. Several months ago, the group met with the city’s Safety and Rules Committee to draft a list of questions to send to the EPA regarding their concerns for the incinerator. The community received a response from the EPA in December and are not satisfied with the answers. More questions were submitted to the EPA for further detail and the committee is awaiting advice on how to proceed. Read More.
The Ohio House Public Utilities Committee approved Senate Bill 33 on Thursday, January 29. The government building was packed with state residents ready to speak in opposition of the bill. SB 33 is aimed at protecting oil and gas production infrastructure, while in turn, making many acts of protest against the industry potentially illegal. After the passing of the bill, residents spoke out in frustration by chanting “This is our house.” The crowds settled after Ohio state troopers arrived on scene; however, it might foreshadow Ohio’s movement towards limiting protesters’ freedom of speech. Read More.
Attorneys general from 14 states filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the Environmental Protection Agency over its rollback of Obama-era chemical plant safety regulations.
“The Trump EPA is gutting critical safeguards against explosions, fires, poisonous gas releases, and other accidents at these facilities, putting New Yorkers in harm’s way,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. Read more.