Latest news with #ExecutiveOrder14154
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BLM announces ‘significant policy shift' related to solar, wind leases
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Discounted leases for solar and wind projects would be rescinded under a proposal announced Wednesday by the federal government. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management called it a 'significant policy shift' to eliminate conditions that favored renewable energy projects under the Biden administration. It has wide implications for projects in Nevada, where BLM leases provide the land for solar energy projects planned between Las Vegas and Reno, as well as elsewhere in the state. It's not unexpected, but shows how federal agencies are implementing the sweeping executive orders that came out in the first days of the Trump administration. 'An economic blow to Nevada': Trump's executive order on energy has wide implications 'Eliminating the Biden administration's preferential treatment of unaffordable, unreliable'intermittent' projects and dismantling excessive, one-sided restrictions on traditional energy sources like oil, gas, and critical minerals, will unlock the full potential of America's natural resources,' Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said in the announcement. 'This step will restore balance, strengthens our energy independence, and ensures taxpayers get the maximum return from the responsible use of our public lands,' he said. Nevadans have shouldered the burden of high utility bills in recent years as natural gas prices soared, but prices dropped after a big spike in 2022. Renewable energy has become a bigger part of the electricity that NV Energy sells — rising to 47% in 2024. The BLM news release said the move 'would eliminate rate reductions that biased renewable energy development over other energy sources, while still allowing renewables to play a part in achieving American Energy Dominance. This action would align with the direction of Executive Order 14154 and Secretary's Order 3418, Unleashing American Energy, which will reinvigorate the U.S. energy sector by creating high-paying jobs as well as safe, reliable, and robust domestic energy production on BLM-managed lands.' BLM said it would show a commitment to 'all-of-the-above energy development that serves the national interest.' Specifically, it proposes to rescind a rule issued on May 1, 2024. The announcement follows a Tuesday news release that promised faster reviews of leases, reducing the entire process to six months. The Trump administration had previously ordered environmental reviews to be less cumbersome, reducing the time allowed to complete the process. Oil and gas leases can be competitive in some states, but a recent auction in Nevada brought only the minimum bid for most of the land available. An article posted by the advocacy group Taxpayers for Common Sense said Nevada has little potential for oil and gas development. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Federal government blocks cleanup funds as city officials scramble to contain toxic water crisis: 'There are known health effects'
When companies expose the public to dangerous chemicals, there should be remedies to clean up the toxins and ensure safety. This is not happening for residents of Fayetteville, North Carolina, who are facing a potential utility rate hike and an ongoing threat to public health after an executive order froze funds meant to clean up the city's PFAS exposure, WRAL News reported. Fayetteville's water has been contaminated with PFAS for years. One of the notable causes is the Chemours Fayetteville Works plant, which dumped the chemicals into the Cape Fear River. The Public Works Commission was supposed to receive $60 million in federal funding to install a new filtration system to address the contamination. That funding would have come through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and included a low-interest loan with partial principal forgiveness from the state Division of Water Infrastructure. However, in March, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14154, pausing disbursement of funds from the BIL and Inflation Reduction Act. Now, the Fayetteville PWC has no way to fund the vital infrastructure upgrade except through rate hikes to residents, who are already having their rates raised by almost 11% over the next two years. "These funds are needed to construct the granular activated carbon filtration system that we're working on," said Chris Davis, chair of the PWC board, during a recent city council meeting, per WRAL. "If the federal funding support goes away, it's apparent that PWC's only option is to look at rates." PFAS, also called "forever chemicals," are a class of chemicals used in a variety of products, including many with nonstick, stain-resistant, and water-resistant properties. PFOA and PFOS are two examples of PFAS. They are called forever chemicals because they don't break down, even over a prolonged period of time. "These are a class of compounds that persist," said Ralph Mead, a PFAS researcher from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, per WRAL News. "They don't break down. They build up in your body over time. And the ones we know the most about, there are known health effects." Those effects include cancer, liver damage, immune system damage, and developmental problems. While the funding may be on hold, officials say the PWC operations are not affected. There is some uncertainty about whether the filtration system will be in place to comply with new federal limits that go into effect in 2029, but it appears the project will go forward. Do you worry about having toxic forever chemicals in your home? Majorly Sometimes Not really I don't know enough about them Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Jean Zhuang, a staff attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, questioned the legality of the executive order that halted the funds. It's possible it could be overturned if a legal challenge moves forward. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Environmental reviews protect lakes and forests from political chainsaws
From Ashland in the north to Zenda in the south, the voices of Wisconsin farmers, native people, homeowners and other landowners are critical in safeguarding public lands. But their voices aimed at protecting our health, air, water and wild places are diminished through President Trump's Executive Order 14154. I'm not a billionaire or politician. I'm a recently retired USDA Forest Service and National Park Service employee who believes in protecting our public land. For decades, the National Environmental Policy Act, has provided a democratic process for public input when the federal government analyzes environmental and other consequences of federally funded projects – like replacing a bridge, creating bike pathways or installing a petroleum pipeline. When a proposed highway project impacts your town, you can suggest an alternative route. A good example in Wisconsin is the Highway 26 bypass. The proposed route would have crossed dairy farms, but based on public input the route was moved to minimize the impact to farmland. Without the act, the needs of the community would not have been heard. The act requires that analyses adequately consider the consequences of any project on air and water quality, rivers and lakes, wildlife and their habitats, and historic sites. Letters: I've seen firsthand how wake-enhanced boating makes small Wisconsin lakes unsafe It also requires that the federal government give the public time to read about a proposed project and the environmental analyses on the plan as well as to allow comments or questions on any part of the project or analyses. During my career I experienced several examples where local people had more information than the government, and their suggestions made the projects better, such as: In the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest, adjacent landowners had better information about a forest stand than the Forest Service, and we changed the proposed treatment. The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians recommended spreading logging treatments over time and space to reduce local impacts. We accepted their suggestion, and it made the plan better. The act is the public's opportunity to influence federal projects, ensuring that environmental impacts are thoughtfully evaluated and all reasonable alternatives considered. The Trump administration would like to shorten the review process and potentially short-cut the more in-depth reviews for projects that have high environmental consequences. The government could improve the efficiency of these environmental studies by hiring more experts whose sole function is these reviews, but the target of the Executive Order is less review and fewer public comments. And with the recent reductions in federal agencies like the National Park Service or Forest Service, there will be fewer people to analyze these projects. Opinion: Campaigns have always been rough. I'm sick of politics of personal destruction. Speeding up the approval process risks reducing environmental protection and public participation. If you didn't already know about this new rule, it's because the review and comment period were shortened to limit your input. See, it's already working! Tell your representatives that you support NEPA so we can have input on federal projects that impact our environment. Gus Smith is a recently retired USDA Forest Service and National Park Service employee, former Northland College professor and longtime Wisconsin resident. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Democracy suffers when public not allowed input on projects | Opinion
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump admin's first oil and gas-lease sales nets nearly $40 million for U.S. coffers
The Interior Department announced Thursday that in the first three months of 2025, the federal government brought in nearly $40 million in revenue from oil and gas lease sales on public land. The development proves the worth of President Donald Trump's vision to unleash American energy dominance, a top official said. "This quarter's lease sales demonstrate Interior's unwavering commitment to fostering American Energy Dominance, and we are grateful to those who produce energy on federal lands," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. "By building on the commonsense, pro-growth policies of the Trump administration, we're ensuring public lands are being used to their fullest potential to support national security, economic strength and livelihood of the American people." Az Senate Leader Urges Burgum To End Biden-obama Land Grabs Of Uranium Sites The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which falls under Burgum's auspices, leased 34 land parcels for fossil fuel development since January. Read On The Fox News App Those 25,038 acres brought in $39,007,609 in total receipts. The revenues will be divided between the feds and each particular state where the leases were sold. Rfk Jr Backs Wv Push For Snap Waivers, Work Mandates Under 'Maha' States receiving the windfalls include Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Wyoming and Nevada. The Interior Department said in a statement that the sales were in concert with Trump's Executive Order 14154: "Unleashing American Energy." The department assured that the various parcels will be developed in alignment with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 – an environmental quality and impact law spearheaded by former Sen. Scoop Jackson, D-Wash. The leases have a one-decade lifespan and "as long thereafter as there is production of oil and gas in paying quantities." The feds will are also entitled to a 16.67% article source: Trump admin's first oil and gas-lease sales nets nearly $40 million for U.S. coffers
Fox News
28-03-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Trump admin's first oil and gas-lease sales nets nearly $40 million for U.S. coffers
The Interior Department announced Thursday that in the first three months of 2025, the federal government brought in nearly $40 million in revenue from oil and gas lease sales on public land. The development proves the worth of President Donald Trump's vision to unleash American energy dominance, a top official said. "This quarter's lease sales demonstrate Interior's unwavering commitment to fostering American Energy Dominance, and we are grateful to those who produce energy on federal lands," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. "By building on the commonsense, pro-growth policies of the Trump administration, we're ensuring public lands are being used to their fullest potential to support national security, economic strength and livelihood of the American people." The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which falls under Burgum's auspices, leased 34 land parcels for fossil fuel development since January. Those 25,038 acres brought in $39,007,609 in total receipts. The revenues will be divided between the feds and each particular state where the leases were sold. States receiving the windfalls include Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Wyoming and Nevada. The Interior Department said in a statement that the sales were in concert with Trump's Executive Order 14154: "Unleashing American Energy." The department assured that the various parcels will be developed in alignment with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 – an environmental quality and impact law spearheaded by former Sen. Scoop Jackson, D-Wash. The leases have a one-decade lifespan and "as long thereafter as there is production of oil and gas in paying quantities." The feds will are also entitled to a 16.67% royalty.
