Officials: Del. set to sue EPA over relief for out-of-state air pollution

On Tuesday, Delaware officials announced their plans to sue a United States government agency, after they reportedly filed four petitions in 2016 to request relief from air pollution from upwind states. The State of Delaware says on Tuesday, that it will send four Notice of Intent to Sue letters tot he United Sates Environmental Protection Agency regarding air pollution that comes into the state for other states.

Ninth Circuit Tells EPA To Crack Down On Lead Paint

A panel of three judges from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that the Environmental Protection Agency needs to modernize regulations governing the use of lead paint quickly after new information on its dangers was revealed. Before the decision, the EPA told the panel that updated regulations taking into account the new data would be developed within six years.

Doctors and Scientists Challenge Removal of EPA Science Advisers

Today, a coalition of doctors, scientists, and professional groups are filing a lawsuit challenging EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's attempt to remove highly qualified, independent scientists from advisory committees that ensure the integrity of science at the agency. EPA advisory committees provide crucial scientific and technical information to inform EPA decisions and review the scientific accuracy of EPA findings across a wide range of agency programs.

Trump’s EPA Will Update Decades-Old Regulation To Keep Lead Out Of Water

The Environmental Protection Agency is considering an update to a decades-old regulation that would help prevent lead from leaching into drinking water. EPA Chief Scott Pruitt invited a slew of groups representing states to discuss possible provisions next year to the so-called Lead and Copper Rule.

EPA chemical safety nominee drops out amid strong opposition

President Donald Trump's pick to oversee chemical safety at the Environmental Protection Agency withdrew his nomination Wednesday after bipartisan opposition made his Senate confirmation unlikely. Officials at the White House and the Senate told The Associated Press that Michael Dourson had sent a letter asking his name to be removed from consideration to serve as head of the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.

GAO Confirms ‘Climate of Fear’ Exists in Poultry Processing Plants

The central underlying problem is the pervasive climate of fear inside poultry plants; when workers are afraid to report issues, OSHA and other inspection agencies are unable to detect or investigate problems. Eighteen months after the GAO issued a report confirming that poultry workers face inordinate health and safety hazards and that many of these problems go under-reported, a follow-up investigation calls on all three federal agencies-- the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-- to improve ways for workers to communicate issues without fear of retaliation.

EPA scientists free to speak, chief says

Scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency will be free to publicly discuss their work from now on, Scott Pruitt, the agency's administrator, has assured lawmakers who criticized the EPA for preventing employees from presenting findings about climate change. In a letter Monday to U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Pruitt did not explain why the agency had canceled the presentations of two EPA scientists and one consultant who were scheduled to speak in Providence in October about the health of the Narragansett Bay, nor did he address whether the agency had acted improperly.

Will the EPA give in to state governors on ethanol credit waivers?

The pressure is growing on Scott Pruitt and the Environmental Protection Agency to do something anything about the costs being imposed on consumers and the energy sector by the Renewable Fuel Standard. According to Politico's Morning Energy newsletter , there's a meeting scheduled for Thursday in which President Trump will be talking to Ted Cruz and other interested parties about the subject.

Air emission reporting date delayed to Jan. 22, 2018

The DC Circuit Court of Appeals has extended the deadline for farmers to report air releases of hazardous substances from animal waste at livestock operations until Jan. 22, 2018. The decision postponed the effective date of the Court's April 2017 decision vacating an EPA rule that exempted these farms from certain statutory reporting obligations.

US appeals court orders halt on natural gas pipeline in Ohio

CLEVELAND - A city facing long odds of stopping section of a $2 billion natural gas pipeline from being built there was handed a victory this week when a federal appellate court issued an emergency order that temporarily halts the start of construction.The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision on Wednesday ruled that the city of ... (more)

Tahoe Reno Industrial Park developer lauds Trump’s quest to cut red tape

Lance Gilman, partner-broker of the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, recently returned from Washington, D.C., excited about President Donald Trump's ability to cut federal regulations instead of writing them. He said Trump's focus on deregulating was the emphasis as Gilman met with high-ranking members of the administration along with other state, county and municipal leaders from across the nation.

Scott Pruitt Must Face Down Obama-Era Cuts To EPA’s Investigative Unit

The Obama administration left the Environmental Protection Agency's investigative unit in tatters before giving President Donald Trump the keys to the agency. The number of special agents in the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division cratered from 207 to 154 during the Obama era, which reduced the number of cases by 47 percent.

GOP senators from NC come out against Trump EPA nominee

North Carolina's two Republican senators said Wednesday they oppose President Donald Trump's pick to oversee chemical safety at the Environmental Protection Agency, putting his nomination at serious risk. Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis issued statements saying they will vote against Michael L. Dourson to serve as head of EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.

North Carolina senators oppose Trump’s EPA nominee: reports

North Carolina Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis said they will not support the Trump administration's nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency's chemical safety office, media reports said. If one more Republican votes against Michael Dourson, he likely wouldn't be confirmed to the post, the Hill reported on Wednesday.

Inspectors general in demand during Trump era

From Democrats on Capitol Hill to good-government groups, critics of President Donald Trump and his administration have turned to the federal government's 70-plus inspectors general seeking answers. The requests for IG investigations vary as widely as the headlines: The government's handling of Trump's Washington hotel.

State Rep. from Rye latest to enter race to replace Carol Shea-Porter NEW

State Rep. Mindi Messmer of Rye on Tuesday became the sixth Democrat to officially launch a campaign for New Hampshire's First Congressional District. "I bring a proven track record of being able to get legislation passed in the State House that's helped citizens of New Hampshire," Messmer told the Monitor in an interview conducted hours before she formally kicked off her congressional bid at an event in Portsmouth.

10th Circuit Court rules against Tribes on rehearing of boundary case;

The United States Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals today upheld its original decision that Congress in 1905 did diminish the boundaries of the Wind River Indian Reservation. An appeal for the entire court to hear the appeal of that decision was denied, but the court also ordered that an appeal may proceed on an amended complaint.

Education: Wood County Schools made right call on smoke

Wood County Schools officials had to make some difficult decisions in the wake of a massive industrial fire that spewed strong-smelling smoke into the air for more than a week last month. To their credit, they took heed of both the fears of parents and the possibility that an abundance of caution was necessary and made those difficult decisions quickly.