Washington, DC -- Today, the U.S. Senate voted down a vote that would have paved the way for revoking the Bureau of Land Management’s methane waste prevention rule, a standard which would prevent the leaking and flaring of methane from oil and gas operations on public and tribal lands. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto voted against the bill while Senator Dean Heller voted in favor of nullifying the rule.
Washington, DC -- Today, every Senate Democrat and three Senate Republicans voted against a procedural vote that would have paved the way for revoking the Bureau of Land Management’s methane waste prevention rule, a standard which would prevent the leaking and flaring of methane from oil and gas operations on public and tribal lands. The three Senate Republicans voting against the bill were Senators Susan Collins, Lindsay Graham and, John McCain.
HANOVER, N.H.. – The Town of Hanover, New Hampshire last night voted to establish a goal of transitioning to 100 percent clean and renewable energy by 2050. The article approved at Tuesday’s town meeting sets a community-wide goal of transitioning to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030 and a 2050 goal of transitioning heating and transportation to run on clean, renewable sources of energy.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, news broke that the Trump Administration will be delaying a final decision on the Paris Climate Agreement until after the G-7 Summit at the end of May.
Washington, DC -- Late yesterday, Donald Trump announced two nominees for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Neil Chatterjee and Rob Powelson.
In the upcoming months, FERC is expected to consider a number of pipelines, LNG terminals, and proposals from electric grid operators to pay power plant owners more and increase costs to consumers.
In response, Sierra Club Global Climate Policy Director John Coequyt released the following statement:
Washington, DC -- Last night, Senator Rob Portman (OH) announced support for a Resolution of Disapproval under the Congressional Review Act of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) methane waste prevention rule. The rule curbs methane pollution from oil and gas operations on public and tribal lands, preventing waste and reducing the health effects of methane pollution on nearby communities. Senator Portman credited his decision to support nullifying the rule based on concessions from Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to take action on methane.
Ann Arbor, MI -- Today, at a press conference hosted by the American Federation for Government Employees, Representative Debbie Dingell called for federal funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL). Donald Trump’s proposed budget had called for funding for the NVFEL to be paid for by auto companies.
Richmond, VA -- Today, the Sierra Club is filed a petition with the Virginia State Corporation Commission stating that Dominion Virginia Power’s (DVP) deal with the Atlantic Coast Pipeline for capacity to ship fracked gas requires the Commission's prior approval.
MOAB, UTAH -- Interior Secretary Zinke is visiting Utah this week, with a tour of Bears Ears National Monument arranged for today and a stop at Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument planned for later in the week. The visit follows an Executive Order from President Trump directing the Department of the Interior to review national monuments to determine where protections could be rolled back.
Columbus, OH -- Over the weekend, Sierra Club discovered that Energy Transfer’s fracked gas pipeline, Rover, has spilled six times in a two-week period, has had six stormwater violations, and violated the Clean Air Act all before the pipeline even goes into operation.