Ap Fact Check: Trump’s empty boasts on aira

It's been a week of bogus boasting by President Donald Trump and members of his administration as they took unearned credit for airline safety, pollution cleanup and major advances in care for veterans. From left, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, President Donald Trump, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, attend a news conference following a Congressional Republican Leadership Retreat at Camp David, Md., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018.

Fact check: Trump’s claims over airline safety, veterans and pollution

US president Donald Trump and members of his administration have taken unearned credit for airline safety, pollution clean-ups and major advances in care for veterans. The president ignored fatality-free years in aviation during the Obama administration when he declared 2017 the safest year on record and suggested that was because he has kept a sharp eye on airlines.

Live Videos | LIVE: Environmentalist Spalding on EPA, Climate Change, Budgets and More

Longtime environmentalist Curtis Spalding, currently a professor of the practice of environment and society at the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society , talked about concerns with the direction of the United States Environmental Protection Agency on GoLocal LIVE. "At a national level, it's a very sad story.

Superfund work touted by Trump EPA was completed years ago

Graphic shows number of sites removed from EPAA a a s National Priorities List of contaminated sites since 2001; 2c x 5 1/2 inches; 96.3 mm x 139 mm; FILE - In this June 2, 2017, file photo, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt speaks to the media during the daily briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. The Environmental Protection Agency is touting cleanups finalized at seven of the nation's most polluted places as a signature accomplishment in its effort to reduce the number of Superfund sites.

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.

Michigan scrambles to address chemical contaminants in water

While the city of Flint still recovers from a lead-tainted water crisis, Michigan is scrambling to combat potential health risks in other tap water that stem from chemicals long used in firefighting, waterproofing, carpeting and other products. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been detected at military bases, water treatment plants and, most recently, an old industrial dump site for footwear company Wolverine World Wide.

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.

Standing Up for Coal Industry Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

Former Vice President Al Gore should have used this month's "24 Hours of Reality" internet broadcast to encourage the Trump administration to withdraw all carbon-dioxide emission rules on future power stations. Then the United States could replace its old, inefficient coal-fired power plants with modern, clean, efficient coal stations, just as they are doing in Europe, India and China.

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.

Trump to meet senators to discuss biofuels policy

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas will lead a delegation of lawmakers in a meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday to argue for changes to the nation's biofuels policy to protect oil refining jobs. U.S. President Donald Trump announces that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will move its embassy there, during an address from the White House in Washington, U.S., December 6, 2017.

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.

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)

Up to the Minute Synopsis of Clean Water Act Jurisdiction Developments

Keeping track of the ongoing administrative and judicial developments on the issue of Clean Water Act jurisdiction has become almost as complex as trying to make a jurisdictional determination itself. Here is a handy synopsis of the key dates and developments .

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.