Pollution

"The US Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected EPA “end result” sewage permits issued under the Clean Water Act that focus on water quality instead of outlining specific requirements to prevent pollution.

In a fractured 5-4 ruling written by Justice Samuel Alito, the court blocked the EPA from issuing permits that make a permittee responsible for surface water quality, or “end result” permits—a term the court coined in the ruling. National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits govern pollution from sewer overflows during storms.

"The United Nations Environment Programme on Monday said a new round of negotiations toward a global plastics treaty will take place from August 5 to 14 in Geneva, Switzerland, after countries failed to agree on the parameters of a final agreement last December in Busan, South Korea."

"The Justice Department is preparing to drop a landmark lawsuit alleging that emissions from a Louisiana petrochemical plant poses a danger to nearby communities."

"More than half of the senior executives at a key US government regulatory body responsible for overseeing safety of the US pipeline system will depart the agency in the next three months, according to a memo seen by Bloomberg."

"The Republican-controlled Congress has voted to repeal a federal fee on oil and gas producers who release high levels of methane, undoing a major piece of former President Joe Biden’s climate policy aimed at controlling the planet-warming “super pollutant.” The fee, which had not gone into effect, was expected to bring in billions of dollars."

"President Donald Trump appears to welcome the EPA boss’ plan to cut most of the agency’s workforce."

"The Trump administration has withdrawn a slate of proposed carbon dioxide safety regulations inspired by a pipeline failure that sent nearly 50 people to the hospital with “zombie”-like symptoms, and the new regulator overseeing these matters previously worked as a lobbyist for the pipeline industry."

"The administration is setting the stage for Congress to repeal a longstanding waiver that allows California to set its own pollution standards. State officials say the effort is illegal."

"Lynn Dekleva, who recently took a senior role at the agency, once led an aggressive effort by industry to block regulations on formaldehyde."