Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity and Western Watersheds Project today renewed opposition to President Trump’s illegal proclamation to strip protections from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. The conservation groups, which submitted comments as the first round of public input closes today, also criticized the Interior Department’s disregard for preserving irreplaceable objects of cultural and natural value and its destructive push for dirty fuel development.
The Department of the Interior has withdrawn plans to massively increase fees for visitors to U.S. national parks, instead proposing modest increases. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke had previously proposed to increase fees to as much as $70 at many popular national parks. Polling by the Outdoors Alliance for Kids found that the proposed hikes were highly unpopular and would prevent many families from visiting.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Senate has voted to install coal industry lobbyist Andrew Wheeler as the Deputy Administrator of the EPA. Amid Scott Pruitt’s avalanche of scandals, Wheeler will be in a position to run the Agency if Pruitt resigns or is fired.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- House Republicans today released the FY2019 farm bill. The bill weakens the SNAP anti-hunger program and includes provisions undermining bedrock environmental safeguards for clean water, wildlife and forests.
Donald Trump issued an executive order today ordering the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recklessly cut short review of clean air permits and reconsider important clean air protections against harmful smog pollution.
Washington, DC -- Today, Donald Trump announced that he is ignoring the Clean Air Act to allow the year-round sale of 15-percent ethanol blends in gasoline. The Clean Air Act prevents the sale of ethanol blends above 10-percent in the summer months due to the air pollution caused by its use. According to experts, permitting the proportion of ethanol in gasoline year-round will only lead to more ozone pollution that will cause more smog in our communities.
Today, in a bicameral letter sent to embattled EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, members of Congress detailed meetings between Kevin Chmielewski and congressional investigators. Chmielewski, a Trump loyalist and former campaign staffer Trump has described as “a champ”, had served as the E.P.A.’s deputy chief of staff until he was removed from his post after raising objections to Pruitt’s repeated ethics violations and abuse of taxpayer funds.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Donald Trump instructed his administration to explore re-entering the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). After years of widespread public opposition to the toxic TPP, Donald Trump sought to take credit for its demise by withdrawing from the deal in January 2017. On multiple occasions, Trump has referred to the TPP as a “disaster” and a “horrible deal.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Donald Trump instructed his administration to explore re-entering the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). After years of widespread public opposition to the toxic TPP, Donald Trump sought to take credit for its demise by withdrawing from the deal in January 2017. On multiple occasions, Trump has referred to the TPP as a “disaster” and a “horrible deal.”
Today, 20 environmental and community organizations delivered a letter to Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam urging him to veto legislation approved by the state House that will significantly weaken protections relating to coal mining in Tennessee.