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2018 Elections Could Be Game-Changer for Environment, Energy [1]

The 2018 elections may prove highly consequential for environment and energy policy, possibly slowing or even reversing the Trump-GOP deregulatory agenda. The latest Issue Backgrounder helps reporters frame the choices voters face, including environmental justice and offshore drilling.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Backgrounders [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Chemicals [3]
Climate Change [4]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
People & Population [9]
Policy [10]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [11]
Alaska and Hawaii [12]
California [13]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [14]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [15]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [16]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [17]
Northwest (OR WA) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [19]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [20]
Visibility: 
Public [21]

Court Cases with Trump Agencies Will Make News in 2018 [22]

The battle over environment and energy issues may ultimately come down to U.S. courts, where, unlike Congress and White House, the GOP doesn't hold sway ... yet. This week's TipSheet looks at a dozen major legal issues making news in 2018, like wetlands protection, and offers story ideas and resources to cover them.

SEJ Publication Types: 
TipSheet [23]
Topics on the Beat: 
Technology [24]
Transportation [25]
Water & Oceans [26]
Wildlife [27]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [11]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [14]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [28]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [16]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [17]
Northwest (OR WA) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [19]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [20]
Visibility: 
Public [21]

"Hurricane Harvey: A Closer Look At Houston's Biblical Floods" [29]

As Hurricane Harvey dumped record rains on the Houston area, nature ruled and man reacte. Harvey was Houston's reckoning.

Climate Change [4]
Disasters [30]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Politics [7]
Laws & Regulations [31]
Planning & Growth [32]
Water & Oceans [26]
Public [21]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [20]
Source: Houston Chronicle [33], 01/08/2018

In West Texas Where Wind Power Means Jobs, Climate Is Beside the Point [34]

"Wind turbines bring jobs, tax dollars for new schools, income security for farmers and energy independence. To these Texans, climate change has little to do with it."

Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Public [21]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [20]
Source: InsideClimate News [35], 01/03/2018

Energy Remains Big Issue for Public Lands Management [36]

Long-standing disputes over exploitation of public lands bubble over as the Trump administration advances campaign promises to ease restrictions on energy development. A special TipSheet, part of our 2018 Journalists' Guide to Energy & Environment, has resources for covering public lands-related issues as they play out in the coming year.

SEJ Publication Types: 
TipSheet [23]
Topics on the Beat: 
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [30]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Forests [37]
Government [8]
Laws & Regulations [31]
Natural Resources [38]
Policy [10]
Water & Oceans [26]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [11]
Alaska and Hawaii [12]
California [13]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [17]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [19]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [20]
Visibility: 
Public [21]

Trump Appointee To Head Southwest Region Is a Climate Change Doubter [39]

"When the Trump administration announced the appointment of Anne Idsal as the new regional EPA administrator, Adrian Shelley, the director of Public Citizen Texas, had just one thought: Who?"

Climate Change [4]
Environmental Politics [7]
Science [40]
Public [21]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [19]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [20]
Source: Texas Observer [41], 12/29/2017

"The Taking" [42]

"The federal government’s boldest land grab in a generation produced the first border wall — and a trail of abuse, mistakes and unfairness."

Environmental Politics [7]
Laws & Regulations [31]
Natural Resources [38]
People & Population [9]
Public [21]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [20]
Source: ProPublica/Texas Tribune [43], 12/18/2017

Investigations May Bring News in 2018 [44]

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 [23]
Topics on the Beat: 
Climate Change [4]
Consumer [45]
Disasters [30]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Laws & Regulations [31]
Policy [10]
Science [40]
Water & Oceans [26]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [11]
Alaska and Hawaii [12]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [20]
Central America & the Caribbean [46]
Visibility: 
Public [21]

"EPA: Texas Official, Former Hill Aide To Helm Dallas Office" [47]

"U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has picked Anne Idsal, a well-connected Texas state official, to lead the agency's Region 6 office."

Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Public [21]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [20]
Source: Greenwire [48], 12/12/2017

Oklahoma Military Sites Cleanup Will Cost $677 Million, Last Until 2099 [49]

"A government program to clean up 503 contaminated military sites across Oklahoma will have cost an estimated $677 million by the time it concludes at the end of the century, Department of Defense records show."

Military [50]
Pollution [51]
Public [21]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [20]
Source: Oklahoman [52], 12/04/2017

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Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/backgrounders/2018-elections-could-be-game-changer-environment-energy [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/backgrounders [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/policy [11] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [12] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/alaska-and-hawaii [13] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/california [14] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes [15] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic [16] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mountain-west [17] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northeast [18] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northwest [19] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [20] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest [21] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [22] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/court-cases-trump-agencies-will-make-news-2018 [23] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/tipsheet [24] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/technology [25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/transportation [26] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [27] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/wildlife [28] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-plains [29] https://www.sej.org/headlines/hurricane-harvey-closer-look-houstons-biblical-floods [30] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [31] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [32] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/cities-towns [33] http://www.houstonchronicle.com/local/hc-investigations/harvey/ [34] https://www.sej.org/headlines/west-texas-where-wind-power-means-jobs-climate-beside-point [35] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26122017/wind-energy-jobs-booming-texas-clean-renewable-power-climate-change [36] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/energy-remains-big-issue-public-lands-management [37] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/forests [38] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [39] https://www.sej.org/headlines/trump-appointee-head-southwest-region-climate-change-doubter [40] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science [41] https://www.texasobserver.org/latest-texan-join-trumps-epa-still-deciding-believes-climate-change/ [42] https://www.sej.org/headlines/taking [43] https://features.propublica.org/eminent-domain-and-the-wall/the-taking-texas-government-property-seizure/?utm_campaign=sprout&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=1513268091 [44] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/investigations-may-bring-news-2018 [45] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer [46] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/central-america-caribbean [47] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-texas-official-former-hill-aide-helm-dallas-office [48] https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/12/11/stories/1060068669 [49] https://www.sej.org/headlines/oklahoma-military-sites-cleanup-will-cost-677-million-last-until-2099 [50] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/military [51] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [52] http://newsok.com/decontaminating-oklahoma-military-installations-will-require-677-million-and-last-until-2099-federal-records-show/article/5574389 [53] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest?page=74 [54] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest?page=71 [55] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest?page=72 [56] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest?page=73 [57] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest?page=76 [58] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest?page=77 [59] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest?page=78 [60] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest?page=79 [61] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest?page=140