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In: Advocacy, AP, biden administration, Climate change, Environmental Justice, Equity and Environmental Justice, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Trump Administration, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments
Environmental justice in spotlight as WH official departs

By Drew Costley, Associated Press

The White House’s top official on environmental justice is stepping down a year after President Joe Biden took office with an ambitious plan to help disadvantaged communities and overhaul policies that have historically hurt them.

The departure Friday of Cecilia Martinez, senior director for environmental justice at the Council for Environmental Quality, puts a spotlight on both the administration’s successes and promises yet to be fulfilled.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/ap-environmental-justice-official/

The Associated Press

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In: AP, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, environmental groups, gas, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Trump Administration
Regulators seek to suspend Trump rule on railway natural gas

By Josh Funk, Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal regulators have proposed suspending a Trump administration rule that would have allowed railroads to haul liquefied natural gas while they take a closer look at the potential safety risks.

The rule, which was backed by both the natural gas and freight rail industries, had already been on hold because several environmental groups and 14 states filed lawsuits challenging it.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/ap-regulators-suspend-trump-rule-railway-gas/

The Associated Press

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In: AP, biden administration, Drinking Water, epa, flint, Groundwater Contamination, infrastructure, Lead, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Trump Administration, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments
Biden EPA to reconsider Trump rule on lead in drinking water

By John Flesher, AP Environmental Writer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The Biden administration said Wednesday it was delaying the effective date of a policy intended to prevent lead pollution of drinking water, continuing a decades-old debate over how to remove a serious health hazard to children.

The Environmental Protection Agency said it was suspending a regulatory rewrite completed by the Trump administration in December, which is being challenged in court by numerous states and advocacy groups.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/ap-biden-epa-trump-rule-lead-drinking-water/

The Associated Press

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In: AP, biden administration, Climate change, epa, Latest News, News, Politics, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Research, Research, Data and Technology, science, Science, Technology, Research, Trump Administration, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments
Biden environmental challenge: Filling vacant scientist jobs

By Tammy Webber and Matthew Brown, Associated Press Writers

Polluting factories go uninspected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Leadership positions sit vacant at the U.S. Geological Survey’s climate science centers. And U.S. Department of Agriculture research into environmental issues important to farmers is unfinished.

The ranks of scientists who carry out environmental research, enforcement and other jobs fell in several agencies — sharply in some — under former President Donald Trump, federal data shows.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/ap-biden-environmental-challenge-vacant-scientist-jobs/

The Associated Press

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In: Drinking Water, Latest News, Mott Foundation Partnership, News, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Trump Administration, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water quality, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
What Has the Trump Administration Meant for Water?

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/11/trump-administration-water-policy/

Circle of Blue

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In: AP, Energy, Groundwater Contamination, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, Mining, Minnesota, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Trump Administration, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Trump pushes mining with order, but effects are uncertain

By Matthew Brown and Steve Karnowski, Associated Press Writers

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Trump administration is seeking to fast-track mining projects and could offer grants and loans to help companies pay for equipment, administration officials said Thursday, as they offered details on a plan that critics said could spoil rivers and lakes in Minnesota, Idaho and elsewhere with mining pollution.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/10/ap-trump-mining-minnesota/

The Associated Press

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In: AP, election, epa, Michigan, News, Pennsylvania, Politics, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Trump Administration, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Wisconsin
Trump Cabinet members look to reassure battleground voters

By Bobby Caina Calvan, Ellen Knickmeyer, and John Flesher, Associated Press Writers

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue tromped through a strawberry festival in central Florida, detailing the government’s new trade pact. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talked about foreign policy at a roundtable in south Florida.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/07/ap-trump-cabinet-members-michigan-wisconsin-voters/

The Associated Press

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In: Freshwater Weekly, Illinois, line 5, Michigan, PFAS, Pipeline, Trump Administration

May 8, 2020

This week: Trump Administration Sued By States Over Rollbacks On Water Protection + Pipeline Permit Stalled + Illinois Sues Hilco After Implosion In Little Village + Transboundary Plants – Emitting Pollution And Causing Cancer + PFAS Virtual Town Hall for Pellston, Michigan

Trump Administration Sued By States Over Rollbacks On Water Protection

In response to the Trump Administration’s disregard of the Clean Water Act, 17 states filed a lawsuit.  States claim the rollbacks of regulations ignore science and pose devastating risks to our waterways and public health.  As a result, regulations default to states to set their own standards, making states with weaker laws more at risk of pollution and water quality degradation.

Pipeline Permit Stalled

Last week, we shared that the Canadian energy company Enbridge was proceeding to repair the Line 5 pipeline that spans the Straits of Mackinac and simultaneously working on plans to construct a tunnel.  State officials denied the utility tunnel permit for incomplete information. Additional details on the exact size of the tunnel and other specifications were requested by the Michigan Department of Energy, Great Lakes, and Environment.

Illinois Sues Hilco After Implosion In Little Village

The Illinois Attorney General is suing Hilco Redevelopment for causing air pollution after the company and its contractors left Little Village residents covered in debris after demolition of a 95-year old smokestack. Residents were exposed to respiratory disease due to compromised air quality.  Local leaders contend that the city of Chicago be accused for allowing the project to occur during a time when residents are urged to stay at home.

Transboundary Plants – Emitting Pollution And Causing Cancer

A proposed ferrochrome plant in Sault Saint Marie, Ontario (commonly referred to as the Soo) has raised concerns about the public health impacts. The plant will make stainless steel from the mineral chromite that is being mined in the region and produces chromium-6 in the smelting process, the toxic chemical of notoriety raised by the environmental activist, Erin Brockovich. This in-depth article investigates the historic industrial pollution from a tannery in the Soo on the US side and the ongoing pollution from the existing steel plant in Ontario.  The Soo area has a high rate of cancer and many residents are concerned that the proposed plant will contribute more harmful pollution.

PFAS Virtual Town Hall for Pellston, Michigan

On May 13th, 2020 a virtual live town hall meeting is scheduled to address the PFAS contamination investigation in Pellston. The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART), will be updating local residents on recent discoveries. Previously, over half of the locations tested for PFAS contamination in the Pellston area indicated elevated PFAS levels. To learn more about MPART’s upcoming virtual meeting, click here.

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-weekly-may-18-2020/

Alexis Smith