Latest news with #VickiePatton
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Deeply concerning': Climate scientists sound alarm over Trump plans to remove limits on power plant emissions
Climate scientists are slamming plans from Donald Trump's administration to end limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The Environmental Protection Agency is drafting a plan to end all limits on greenhouse gases emitted by coal and gas-fired power plants, The New York Times reports. The agency argues that the greenhouse gases emitted by these plants 'do not contribute significantly to dangerous pollution,' according to a draft plan reviewed by the newspaper. However, fossil fuels are the 'single largest industrial source of climate destabilizing carbon dioxide in the U.S.,' according to Vickie Patton, general counsel for the Environmental Defense Fund. The United States is one of the world's top greenhouse gas producers —second only to China. The new rule is 'an abuse of the E.P.A.'s responsibility under the law,' Patton said. The agency sent the draft to the White House on May 2, and it's expected to be released in June, according to The Times. Climate scientists say the potential move is 'deeply concerning.' 'If true, this is a deeply concerning move from the Trump EPA,' according to Dr. Gretchen Goldman, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists. 'There is no meaningful path to reducing U.S. carbon emissions without limiting greenhouse gas emissions from coal and gas-fired power plants — the largest domestic stationary source of [greenhouse gases],' she wrote. 'This is an agency with 'environmental protection' in its name and it is trying to slow down phasing out of these plants and disincentivize renewables,' added environmental researcher Dr. Diren Kocakuşak. Patrick Drupp, director of climate policy at the Sierra Club, told The Washington Post the move is 'reprehensible' and designed to 'curry favor and earn some brownie points with the fossil-fuel industry.' The rule comes after a 2022 Supreme Court decision that said the EPA can't force utilities to shut down coal plants and switch to renewable energy sources. The Trump administration's new rule will also overturn rules introduced in President Joe Biden's final year in office, which sought to limit U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. 'Many have voiced concerns that the last administration's replacement for that rule is similarly overreaching and an attempt to shut down affordable and reliable electricity generation in the United States, raising prices for American families, and increasing the country's reliance on foreign forms of energy,' an EPA spokesperson said in a statement to The Independent. The proposal will be published after an interagency review and approval from EPA chief Lee Zeldin, the spokesperson said. 'In reconsidering the Biden-Harris rule that ran afoul of Supreme Court case law, we are seeking to ensure that the agency follows the rule of law while providing all Americans with access to reliable and affordable energy,' Zeldin said in a statement. The rule will likely face legal challenges once it's official, but some say it could open the door for further deregulation. 'If the administration is going to do this, it is the strategically smartest way,' Jonathan Adler, a law professor at Case Western University, told the Times. 'If they're successful with regard to power plants, they're pretty much going to be successful with everything else,' he added.
The Independent
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
‘Deeply concerning': Climate scientists sound alarm over Trump plans to remove limits on power plant emissions
Climate scientists are slamming plans from Donald Trump 's administration to end limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The Environmental Protection Agency is drafting a plan to end all limits on greenhouse gases emitted by coal and gas-fired power plants, The New York Times reports. The agency argues that the greenhouse gases emitted by these plants 'do not contribute significantly to dangerous pollution,' according to a draft plan reviewed by the newspaper. However, fossil fuels are the 'single largest industrial source of climate destabilizing carbon dioxide in the U.S.,' according to Vickie Patton, general counsel for the Environmental Defense Fund. The United States is one of the world's top greenhouse gas producers —second only to China. The new rule is 'an abuse of the E.P.A.'s responsibility under the law,' Patton said. The agency sent the draft to the White House on May 2, and it's expected to be released in June, according to The Times. Climate scientists say the potential move is 'deeply concerning.' 'If true, this is a deeply concerning move from the Trump EPA,' according to Dr. Gretchen Goldman, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists. 'There is no meaningful path to reducing U.S. carbon emissions without limiting greenhouse gas emissions from coal and gas-fired power plants — the largest domestic stationary source of [ greenhouse gases ],' she wrote. 'This is an agency with 'environmental protection' in its name and it is trying to slow down phasing out of these plants and disincentivize renewables,' added environmental researcher Dr. Diren Kocakuşak. Patrick Drupp, director of climate policy at the Sierra Club, told The Washington Post the move is 'reprehensible' and designed to 'curry favor and earn some brownie points with the fossil-fuel industry.' The rule comes after a 2022 Supreme Court decision that said the EPA can't force utilities to shut down coal plants and switch to renewable energy sources. The Trump administration's new rule will also overturn rules introduced in President Joe Biden 's final year in office, which sought to limit U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. 'Many have voiced concerns that the last administration's replacement for that rule is similarly overreaching and an attempt to shut down affordable and reliable electricity generation in the United States, raising prices for American families, and increasing the country's reliance on foreign forms of energy,' an EPA spokesperson said in a statement to The Independent. The proposal will be published after an interagency review and approval from EPA chief Lee Zeldin, the spokesperson said. 'In reconsidering the Biden-Harris rule that ran afoul of Supreme Court case law, we are seeking to ensure that the agency follows the rule of law while providing all Americans with access to reliable and affordable energy,' Zeldin said in a statement. The rule will likely face legal challenges once it's official, but some say it could open the door for further deregulation. 'If the administration is going to do this, it is the strategically smartest way,' Jonathan Adler, a law professor at Case Western University, told the Times. 'If they're successful with regard to power plants, they're pretty much going to be successful with everything else,' he added.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Officials push forward on controversial plan that could have widespread health impact: 'The public has a right to know'
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate a 15-year-old program that requires businesses to report the amount of harmful carbon pollution they emit each year, according to The New York Times. The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program became effective in 2010. The program requires more than 8,000 U.S. companies and vendors to report how much heat-trapping pollution they produce annually, allowing the EPA to track this data over time. In March, the EPA announced it was considering stopping the program. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that the program costs businesses "millions of dollars" and makes it more difficult for small businesses to operate. ProPublica recently reported that the agency may be even closer to getting rid of — or at least downsizing — the GHGRP after an EPA meeting in April. At the meeting, officials instructed staff to rescind reporting requirements for 40 of the 41 industries currently required to submit data. The GHGRP was created to shed light on pollution from major industries so that the public could understand the risks. This is especially important for communities close to power plants, refineries, and manufacturing hubs. Scaling back these requirements makes it more difficult to track air pollution and for families to know what they breathe. Without this data, local leaders won't have the information they need to advocate for cleaner air or hold polluters accountable. "The public has a right to know how much climate pollution is being emitted," said Vickie Patton, general counsel for the Environmental Defense Fund, per the Times. Patton also called it an "irresponsible" move. Despite the potential rollback of the GHGRP, many companies are still committed to reducing pollution and their carbon footprint. Major corporations like Microsoft and Unilever have pledged to invest in carbon offset projects while lowering their harmful pollution. LanzaTech is also working on technology to turn carbon pollution into usable products. There are also numerous other policies in place around the country to make the planet cleaner. New York's Climate Superfund will collect $75 billion from oil companies over two decades to address climate-related damages. Wisconsin lawmakers proposed the Climate Accountability Act, aiming to cut heat-trapping pollution in half by 2030. These efforts show that states and companies are stepping up to push for a cleaner future, even as federal oversight shifts. Explore critical climate issues and become part of the solution. Do you think your city has good air quality? Definitely Somewhat Depends on the time of year Not at all Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. 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
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EPA to process controversial Clean Air Act pollution exemptions
March 27 (UPI) -- The Environmental Protection Agency is allowing entities subject to the Clean Air Act to seek exemptions via email through Monday while the agency reconsiders relevant rules. Representatives of prominent environmental groups say the exemptions might harm local communities. Environmental Defense Fund general counsel Vickie Patton told The Hill the potential exemptions are a "reckless invitation to hundreds of industrial emitters of toxic pollution to discharge hazardous contaminants into our communities and neighborhoods." As a way "to advance President [Donald] Trump's executive orders and power the great American comeback, EPA has set up and electronic mailbox to allow the regulated community to request a presidential exemption," the EPA announced. The Clean Air Act allows the president to exempt from compliance stationary sources of air pollution for up to two years if the technology to implement the standard is unavailable and national security interests support the need for exemption, according to the EPA. The exemptions also might be eligible for an additional two years. Entities seeking Clean Air Act exemptions can do so by emailing the EPA at airaction@ by Monday. Exemption requests must include information about why the requesting entity meets the requirements for a Clean Air Act exemption. The EPA on March 12 requested reconsideration of several Clean Air Act rules affecting coal- and oil-fired electric power generation, synthetic organic chemical manufacturing, ethylene oxide emissions for sterilization facilities and rubber tire manufacturing. The EPA also is reconsidering Clean Air Act rules regarding copper smelting, iron and steel manufacturing, lime manufacturing, coke ovens and iron ore processing. Entities whose activities are subject to those Clean Air Act rules can seek two-year exemptions while the EPA reconsiders those rules. The EPA notice includes an email template to standardize exemption requests. The Clean Air Act exemptions considerations first were made available by the Biden administration, which offered an ethylene oxide rule exemption for makers of medical devices to prevent a supply chain disruption, The Hill reported. Trump expanded the potential exemptions to include industrial activities that support domestic manufacturing and energy production, among other economic areas. The president a week ago announced his administration is supporting coal-fired power plants to help make the United States achieve energy independence. Potential air pollution from arsenic and mercury are especially concerning, the Environmental Defense Fund's Patton told Politico's E&E News. "Mercury can have devastating impacts to babies' brains," she said. "Arsenic is a known toxic [sic]." She said the EPA website invites "hundreds of industrial sources of cancer-causing pollution and other toxics [sic] to evade science-based clean air standards that are designed to keep our families safe." Earthjustice director of clean air practice James Pew called the exemptions offer a "free pass to powerful interests while people in places like Houston, Chicago and West Virginia continue breathing toxic air," E&E News reported. "Delaying compliance deadlines to EPA's own regulations means more people with be diagnosed with cancer and other diseases that [the] EPA knows it can prevent," Pew said. "It's hard to see how these sweeping exemptions are even legal," he added.
