Focus
EPA’s power to curb greenhouse gases faces Supreme Court scrutiny
Courthouse News Service – October 29
The Supreme Court announced last Friday that it will hear challenges brought by the states of West Virginia and North Dakota, and by North American Coal Corporation and Westmoreland Mining Holdings, to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The four cases will be consolidated for purposes of resolving questions regarding the way in which the EPA regulates greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.
|
News
Judge declines to validate water deal for California farm supplier
Associated Press – October 28
A California judge has declined to validate a contract granting permanent access to federally controlled water for Westlands Water District, the nation’s largest agricultural water supplier. Environmental groups had argued that the contract between the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Westlands negotiated during the Trump administration was designed to benefit corporate agricultural interests at the expense of taxpayers and the environment, and that the water district owes significantly more money for projects designed to mitigate damage and restore habitats for fish and wildfire through the water system, including the chinook salmon. Because the court refused to validate the contract, the federal government is not bound by its terms. Westlands is evaluating the court’s ruling and may appeal if the case is dismissed, a district spokesperson said.
White House announces new methane regulations, kicking off global pledge
CNBC – November 1
The Biden administration on Tuesday announced plans to introduce some of the nation's strongest regulations controlling methane emissions from oil and gas drilling, thereby reducing a significant source of greenhouse gases. The proposed regulations, which are part of a broader push to tackle climate change that White House officials are unveiling at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, target methane leaks and instances when methane gas is purposefully vented, or flared, during the production process.
EPA unveils strategy for reducing lead exposure
The Hill – October 28
The EPA on Thursday announced a revised strategy for reducing lead exposure, focused on identifying communities with especially high levels of both lead exposure and blood lead levels. The agency would next develop national standards and guidance to address those exposures and enforce existing regulations. Among other provisions, the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention is currently revisiting dust-lead clearance levels used by building inspectors and risk assessors. The agency also intends to review the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for lead to develop a new Integrated Science Assessment for the metal.
State moves toward higher flows on Tuolumne and nearby rivers
The Modesto Bee – October 28
California is moving ahead with its proposal to boost flows on the Tuolumne and nearby rivers, to the dismay of irrigation districts and the City and County of San Francisco. The reservoir releases are needed to help fish and other wildlife in or near tributaries to the San Joaquin River, two cabinet secretaries said in a letter sent last Thursday. The water users contend that the releases would take too much from farms and cities supplied by the Tuolumne, Stanislaus, and Merced rivers. They have instead sought “voluntary agreements” that would increase reservoir releases to some extent while enhancing fish habitat in other ways. The dispute centers on a 2018 vote by the State Water Resources Control Board in favor of ensuring at least 40% of natural flows in these waterbodies from February to May, when young salmon are heading out to sea. The new flow regime could start late next year if the five-member board gives final approval.
|