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April 12, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, a broad coalition of 95 environmental organizations and local community groups called on the Biden Administration to fix a glaring environmental justice problem by closing the Startup, Shutdown, Malfunction (SSM) loopholes. The groups sent a letter and filed a legal petition to urge EPA to prioritize closing the loopholes. The SSM loopholes allow polluting facilities like coal plants and oil refineries to release unlimited amounts of dangerous air pollution during routine events, without facing legal consequences under the Clean Air Act. This toxic pollution causes severe health consequences in fenceline and nearby communities and has historically had a disproportionate impact on low-income communities and communities of color that live near polluting facilities.

March 10, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a bipartisan vote, the U.S. Senate has confirmed Michael Regan to serve as President Biden’s Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

In response, Sierra Club Legislative Director Melinda Pierce released the following statement:

February 23, 2021

WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency must take a series of steps to protect public health and the environment from the toxic fluorinated “forever chemicals” known as PFAS from being incinerated or dumped in landfills, wrote more than 30 environmental and public health organizations in comments submitted to the agency this week.

9 de febrero de 2021

La Comisión Senatorial sobre Medio Ambiente y Obras Públicas ha avanzado la nominación de Michael Regan para servir en la administración del Presidente Biden como administrador de la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA) tras una sólida votación bipartidista.

February 9, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Senate Environment and Public Works committee has advanced the nomination of Michael Regan to serve as President Biden’s Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency with a strong bipartisan vote of confidence in his leadership. 

In Response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:

19 de enero de 2021

La Corte Federal de Apelaciones del Distrito de Columbia invalidó la regla conocida como “Energía Limpia Asequible” y la envió de nuevo a la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA).

December 18, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, EPA released new guidance for disposal and destruction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The Agency’s new 107-page “Interim Guidance” document outlines a long list of unknowns about the ultimate fate of PFAS wastes sent to incinerators, landfills, thermal oxidizers or injected into deep wells for disposal.

2 de octubre de 2020

Comunidades de todo el país aplauden una decisión de juez federal que requiere que la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA) cumpla con la ley e investigue quejas de derechos civiles oportunamente.

September 16, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As reported by POLITICO, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has postponed an internal speaker series on environmental injustices faced by people of color and low-income communities after Donald Trump issued a governmentwide memo on September 4th banning diversity and anti-discrimination training within federal agencies.

August 26, 2020

NORTH CAROLINA -- Yesterday, after years of incinerating PFAS waste, the federal government acknowledged the hazards and announced a technical challenge to design a safer way to destroy toxic fire fighting foam. The challenge will reward new technologies that can destroy at least 99 percent of the PFAS in fire fighting foam, despite EPA typically requiring even greater levels of breakdown for other highly toxic wastes. Due to PFAS chemicals’ intense toxicity and persistence, 99 percent destruction is a low bar and wastes would still contain far more PFAS than can be safely emitted into air or waterways.

August 13, 2020

Today, the Trump administration is expected to finalize two rules that eliminate common sense Clean Air Act safeguards against methane and other harmful pollution from the oil and gas industry.

July 31, 2020

AUSTIN, TX - Today, the Sierra Club learned that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requiring the State of Texas to finally submit a plan to address the sulfur pollution from Vistra Energy’s Martin Lake Power Plant in Rusk County, Texas.