WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Today, Sierra Club joined Congressional and Gwich’in tribal leaders to decry the current attempt to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling as part of the tax scheme. The effort would attempt to offsets tax cuts for the wealthy and corporate polluters with revenue from drilling in one of the country’s last wild places -- a move that the Senate Parliamentarian has said violates Senate rules.
Little Rock, Arkansas - The Arkansas Public Service Commission is currently considering recommendations regarding Arkansas's "net metering" rules and regulations (Docket 16-027-R). Net-metering customers refer to Arkansans who generate their own electricity via renewable energy systems like solar power.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission ordered Citizen Energy to cut pressure and volume at an oil well near Yukon, OK on Monday following a series of earthquakes believed to be caused by Citizen’s fracking operations.
Boston, MA—Boston is on its way to becoming the largest city on the East Coast to pass plastic bag regulations today. Similar to that of Cambridge’s, which went into effect in March of 2016, Boston’s comprehensive law requires recycled content in paper bags, and that reusable bags be durable by having a minimum thickness. The Boston regulations also include a modest 5¢ fee on all single-use bags to encourage shoppers to bring their own bags. The retailer keeps the fee making this a minimum price not a tax.
WASHINGTON D.C.-- Today, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee voted to advance the nominations of Kathleen Hartnett-White for Director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and Andrew Wheeler for Deputy Administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) along party lines.
50 cities and towns across the United States have now committed to transition to 100 percent clean, renewable sources of energy like wind and solar. On Tuesday, the Truckee, California Town Council adopted a resolution to move to 100 percent clean electricity town-wide by 2030, as well as all energy sources by 2050.
WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. House of Representatives tonight passed a bill ordering public forest lands turned over to a private mining company. The bill, HR 3115, would expedite the exchange of National Forest land with PolyMet Mining Corporation for an open pit copper-nickel sulfide ore mine -- bypassing issues with the environmental analysis, value of the land appraisal, and ongoing public challenges.
In response Lena Moffitt, senior director of Sierra Club’s Our Wild America campaign issued the following statement.
CHARLESTON, WV - As hundreds of clean air and climate advocates turned out to the EPA’s public hearing on rescinding the Clean Power Plan Tuesday, Appalachian community leaders, elected officials, faith leaders, and public health experts from West Virginia and adjacent communities held a press conference, panel discussion, and transcribed “Hearing for Healthy Communities” in support of the plan across the river at the University of Charleston.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Senate Republicans in the Budget Committee advanced a scheme to slash taxes for corporate polluters and billionaires, opening the door for drilling in the Arctic Refuge and massive cuts to life-saving programs across the federal government.
In response, Sierra Club Resist Campaign Director Maura Cowley released the following statement:
Today, WEC Energy Group, the parent company to We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, announced that it will be retiring Pleasant Prairie coal fired power plant as early as next year. The coal plant retirement marks the 266th nationally, and continues a shift away from coal that has kept pace under the Trump Administration. Advocates are calling on WEC to invest in community conversations around a plan that addresses on-site pollution concerns, continues investment in clean energy, and ensures an equitable transition for the workforce.