Washington, D.C. July 21, 2022— Greenhouse gases are driving profound changes to the Earth’s climate, contributing to record-breaking heat waves and droughts, millions of acres of wildfires, and widespread flooding from sea-level rise, among many other problems. In the face of this crisis, some industry advocates have tried to position natural gas as a “bridge fuel” […]
Environmental Integrity
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Two Former Top EPA Officials Support Lawsuit Against Trump EPA’s Relaxed Enforcement Policy During Coronavirus Crisis
Washington, D.C. May 6, 2020— The Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) today filed a court brief on behalf of two former high-ranking EPA officials in support of an April 1 lawsuit by environmental groups against the Trump Administration EPA over its relaxed environmental enforcement policy during the coronavirus pandemic. EIP filed the “friend of the court” (or amici curiae) brief […]
Posted inEnviro
New EPA Data Shows 10 Oil Refineries Releasing Excessive Amounts of Cancer-Causing Benzene
Washington, D.C. February 6, 2020 – EPA air monitoring data at the fencelines of oil refineries, available for the first time in 2019, showed that 10 refineries across the U.S. were releasing cancer-causing benzene into nearby communities at concentrations above federal action levels. These refineries with excessive levels of benzene detected at their perimeters are […]
Posted inCalifornia
Groups File Federal Lawsuit against Chemical Plant for Violating Hazardous Waste Laws
San Francisco, Dec. 19, 2019 – Three environmental groups today filed a federal lawsuit against a chemical plant northeast of San Francisco for serious violations of federal hazardous waste laws meant to control air pollution and protect workers and nearby residents from dangerous chemicals. The 1,000-acre Corteva Inc. plant (formerly owned by Dow Chemical Company), […]
Posted inEnviro
Public Interest Groups Sue EPA to Curb Slaughterhouse Pollution
Washington, D.C. December 18, 2019 – Twelve conservation and community groups, representing millions of people, today sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its decision not to update national standards restricting water pollution from slaughterhouses. EPA’s decision allows thousands of meat and poultry processing plants to continue using outdated pollution-control technology, leading to the contamination […]
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During a Time of Cutbacks at EPA, 30 States Also Slashed Funding for State Environmental Agencies
Washington D.C. December 5, 2019 – During a decade of cuts at EPA fueled by rhetoric that environmental responsibility should be shifted from the federal to state level, 30 states cut funding for their own environmental agencies and 40 reduced their staffing, according to a new study of state budget records. The nonpartisan Environmental Integrity […]
Posted inUS
Trump EPA Proposal to Restrict Use of Medical Research in Regulation Will Harm Public Health
Washington, D.C. Nov. 12, 2019 – The Trump Administration has drafted a new EPA proposal that requires all confidential medical information related to health studies used as the basis of federal pollution regulations be made public for industry groups and others to scrutinize, or the regulations will not be implemented. The draft of the rule, […]
Posted inEnviro
Almost 600 EPA Veterans Call for Investigation into Trump’s Political Abuse of Agency Authority
Washington, D.C. October 10, 2019 – Almost 600 former EPA officials sent a letter today to the U.S. House demanding an investigation into President Trump’s abuse of EPA authority by threatening California with enforcement actions while ignoring worse violations in other states. At least six states – Ohio, New York, Iowa, Missouri, Texas and Indiana […]
Posted inEnviro
EPA Refuses to Update Safeguards to Protect Public from Oil and Gas Wastes
WASHINGTON, D.C. April 23, 2019– In response to a lawsuit from environmental groups, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released a decision saying that it will not update rules for the disposal and handling of dangerous oil and gas wastes, such as those that result from drilling and fracking. EPA determined that revisions were “not […]
Posted inEnviro
Industry’s Delay in Plant Shutdowns Worsened Air Pollution During Hurricane Harvey
Houston, Aug. 16, 2018 — While petrochemical plants farther south on the Texas coast minimized their pollution by shutting down pre-emptively as Hurricane Harvey approached a year ago, industries in the Houston region waited more than three days after the governor’s August 23 disaster declaration before shutting down for safety reasons. Then, after the heavy […]
Posted inUS
Scott Pruitt’s Departure Triggers “A Real Climate Change at EPA”
Washington, D.C. July 5, 2018 – Eric Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Environmental Integrity Project and former Director of Civil Enforcement at EPA, issued the following statement about the resignation of Scott Pruitt from his job as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: “Good riddance – we’d be happy to pay for his first […]
Posted inEnviro
Environmental Integrity Project Calls on Scott Pruitt to Immediately Resign
Washington, D.C. April 3, 2018 – In light of multiple, growing scandals over EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s mismanagement and misspending at the agency, Environmental Integrity Project Executive Director Eric Schaeffer called on Pruitt to step down or be fired. “Mr. Pruitt, please, give us a break and go home to Oklahoma. You’ll save the taxpayers […]
Posted inUS
EPA’s Pruitt Lived in Apartment Co-Owned by Wife of Energy Lobbyist with Clients Regulated by EPA, including OK Gas & Electric
Washington, D.C. March 29, 2018 – EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt had been living in an apartment in Washington DC co-owned by the wife of an energy industry lobbyist whose firm represents clients regulated by EPA, including Oklahoma Gas & Electric, presenting a possible conflict of interest. ABC News reported today that Pruitt, the former Oklahoma […]
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New Report Shows Rollback of Federal Air Pollution Control Rule Will Multiply Toxic Emissions
Washington, D.C. March 26, 2018 – On the day that seven environmental groups filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s rollback of an air pollution control rule, a new report concludes that the rollback will allow many industrial plants across the U.S. to switch off their pollution control systems and release as much as four […]
Posted inEnviro
EPA Releases Proposed Rule Requiring Natural Gas Processing Plants to Start Reporting Toxic Pollution
WASHINGTON, DC, Jan. 6, 2017 – In response to a petition by nineteen environmental and open-government groups, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released proposed regulations that will require natural gas processing plants to start publicly reporting the toxic chemicals they release. “Today’s proposal by EPA marks significant progress for public health, the environment, and […]
Posted inUS
Expired Permits, Poor Monitoring Undermine Rules for Toxic Water Pollution from Coal Plants
WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 11, 2016 – New federal regulations to reduce toxic water pollution from coal-fired power plants will be undermined by power plants that are badly behind in installing pollution control equipment, a staggering backlog of expired state permits, and weak monitoring, warns a report by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP). Coal plants are […]