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Investigations May Bring News in 2018 [1]

Almost a dozen investigations are underway at the U.S. EPA and the Interior Department, including of unusual travel, private sector connections and staff/advisory panel moves. This week's TipSheet runs down the probes in detail, and offers resources for coverage of developments in 2018.

SEJ Publication Types: 
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [4]
Disasters [5]
Economy & Business [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Policy [11]
Science [12]
Water & Oceans [13]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [14]
Alaska and Hawaii [15]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [16]
Central America & the Caribbean [17]
Visibility: 
Public [18]

"Build, Flood, Rebuild: Flood Insurance’s Expensive Cycle" [19]

"The National Flood Insurance Program, designed to protect Americans from catastrophic floods, has failed in almost every way, encouraging people to buy and build in flood-prone areas while increasing the cost and magnitude of disasters."

Disasters [5]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Planning & Growth [20]
Water & Oceans [13]
Public [18]
National (U.S.) [14]
Source: Houston Chronicle [21], 12/11/2017

Trump CPSC Scuttles Rule To Save People From Dying of Carbon Monoxide [22]

"It took 16 years and more than 1,000 deaths for the Consumer Products Safety Commission to crack down on deadly portable generators. Trump’s appointees could undo that in a matter of months."

Consumer [4]
Disasters [5]
Environmental Health [23]
Environmental Politics [8]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Public [18]
National (U.S.) [14]
Source: ProPublica [24], 12/11/2017

FERC Seeks Delay In Considering Trump Coal, Nuclear Bailout [25]

"The head of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is seeking a 30-day extension in the agency’s timeline to consider a proposal to prop up coal and nuclear power plants."

Climate Change [3]
Consumer [4]
Disasters [5]
Economy & Business [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [23]
Environmental Politics [8]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Natural Resources [26]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [27]
Pollution [28]
Waste [29]
Public [18]
National (U.S.) [14]
Source: The Hill [30], 12/11/2017

Over 400 Structures Destroyed In 115,000-Acre Ventura County Wildfire [31]

"Gusty Santa Ana winds and bone-dry conditions continued to stoke major wildfires in Southern California on Thursday as Ventura County fire officials said the battle there could last well over a week."

Climate Change [3]
Disasters [5]
Forests [32]
People & Population [33]
Public [18]
California [34]
Source: LA Times [35], 12/08/2017

"Oil Train Safety Rules Getting Rolled Back By Trump Adminstration" [36]

"The Trump administration is rolling back a requirement for trains carrying highly explosive liquids — like the oil trains that run through the Columbia River Gorge en route to Northwest refineries."

Disasters [5]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Transportation [37]
Public [18]
National (U.S.) [14]
Source: OPB/EarthFix [38], 12/07/2017

"U.S. Disbands Group That Prepared Cities for Climate Shocks" [39]

"The Trump administration has terminated a cross-agency group created to help local officials protect their residents against extreme weather and natural disasters."

Climate Change [3]
Disasters [5]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [9]
Public [18]
National (U.S.) [14]
Source: Bloomberg [40], 12/06/2017

Santa Ana Winds Roar Through S. Calif., Whip Fires On Destructive Path [41]

"A series of Santa Ana wind-driven wildfires burned out of control in Southern California on Tuesday, destroying at least 180 structures, forcing thousands to flee and smothering the region with smoke in what officials predicted would be a pitched battle for days."

Disasters [5]
Forests [32]
Public [18]
California [34]
Source: LA Times [42], 12/06/2017

"Builders Said Their Homes Were Out of a Flood Zone. Then Harvey Came." [43]

"Leslie Martinez heard the floodwaters before she saw them. ...  After all, Ms. Martinez recalled, the home builder had assured her that 'flooding was not even a possibility' when she and her husband purchased the house in this suburban enclave north of Houston in 2011. They would never have bought here otherwise. Flood insurance, of course, was neither required nor needed."

Climate Change [3]
Disasters [5]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Planning & Growth [20]
Water & Oceans [13]
Public [18]
National (U.S.) [14]
Source: NY Times [44], 12/05/2017

"Wildfire Forces Thousands To Flee Homes North Of Los Angeles" [45]

"A rapidly growing wildfire in the foothills north of Los Angeles threatened thousands of homes on Tuesday, forcing nearby residents to evacuate after causing at least one death and power outages throughout the area, officials said."

Disasters [5]
Forests [32]
Public [18]
California [34]
Source: Reuters [46], 12/05/2017

Pages

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Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/investigations-may-bring-news-2018 [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/tipsheet [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/policy [12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science [13] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [14] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [15] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/alaska-and-hawaii [16] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest [17] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/central-america-caribbean [18] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [19] https://www.sej.org/headlines/build-flood-rebuild-flood-insurance%E2%80%99s-expensive-cycle [20] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/cities-towns [21] http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Build-flood-rebuild-flood-insurance-s-12413056.php [22] https://www.sej.org/headlines/trump-cpsc-scuttles-rule-save-people-dying-carbon-monoxide [23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [24] https://www.propublica.org/article/the-trump-administration-is-scuttling-a-rule-that-would-save-people-from-dying-of-carbon-monoxide-poisoning [25] https://www.sej.org/headlines/ferc-seeks-delay-considering-trump-coal-nuclear-bailout [26] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [27] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/nuclear-power/radiation [28] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [29] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste [30] http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/363922-energy-regulator-seeks-delay-in-considering-plan-to-boost-coal-nuclear [31] https://www.sej.org/headlines/over-400-structures-destroyed-115000-acre-ventura-county-wildfire [32] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/forests [33] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [34] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/california [35] http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-fires-20171207-story.html [36] https://www.sej.org/headlines/oil-train-safety-rules-getting-rolled-back-trump-adminstration [37] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/transportation [38] https://www.opb.org/news/article/oil-train-safety-rule-rollback-by-trump/ [39] https://www.sej.org/headlines/us-disbands-group-prepared-cities-climate-shocks [40] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-04/trump-disbands-group-meant-to-prepare-cities-for-climate-shocks [41] https://www.sej.org/headlines/santa-ana-winds-roar-through-s-calif-whip-fires-destructive-path [42] http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-socal-wildfires-main-20171206-story.html [43] https://www.sej.org/headlines/builders-said-their-homes-were-out-flood-zone-then-harvey-came [44] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/02/us/houston-flood-zone-hurricane-harvey.html?rref=collection/sectioncollection/climate [45] https://www.sej.org/headlines/wildfire-forces-thousands-flee-homes-north-los-angeles [46] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-wildfires/wildfire-forces-thousands-to-flee-homes-north-of-los-angeles-idUSKBN1DZ0I0 [47] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=380 [48] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=377 [49] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=378 [50] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=379 [51] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=382 [52] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=383 [53] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=384 [54] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=385 [55] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster?page=749