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White House completes plan to curb bedrock environmental law
Associated Press – January 7
The Trump administration has finalized a plan to roll back regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a landmark environmental law that the White House says needlessly delays federal approvals for energy and infrastructure projects. The action this Wednesday by the White House Council on Environmental Quality rescinds regulations related to NEPA, which requires federal agencies to consider a project's possible environmental impacts before it is approved. The action comes as Congress considers legislation intended to speed up permitting reviews for new energy and infrastructure projects and limit judicial review under that law.
News
EPA says it will propose drinking water limit for perchlorate
Associated Press – January 5
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday said that, only because a court ordered it, EPA would propose a drinking water limit for perchlorate, a chemical used in rockets, fireworks, and other explosives. "Due to infrequent perchlorate levels of health concern, the vast majority of the approximately 66,000 water systems that would be subject to the rule will incur substantial administrative and monitoring costs with limited or no corresponding public health benefits as a whole," EPA wrote in its proposal. Perchlorate is a concern because it affects the function of the thyroid, which can be particularly detrimental for the development of young children.
Verizon Wireless to pay $7.7M to settle environmental violations in California
Inside Towers - January 6
Verizon Wireless has agreed to pay $7.7 million to resolve a civil enforcement action regarding alleged violations of California's environmental laws at its cell sites. The alleged violations relate to hazardous materials storage, reporting, and permitting at cell tower locations throughout the state, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office. Upon notification, Verizon cooperated with authorities, paid outstanding fees, corrected the violations, and implemented new compliance measures.
A study is retracted, renewing concerns about the weedkiller Roundup
The New York Times – January 2
In 2000, a landmark study claimed to set the record straight on glyphosate, a contentious weedkiller used on hundreds of millions of acres of farmland. The paper found that the chemical, the active ingredient in Roundup, was not a human health risk despite evidence of a cancer link. Last month, the study was retracted by the scientific journal that published it a quarter century ago, setting off a crisis of confidence in the science behind a weedkiller that has become the backbone of American food production. EPA faces a deadline in 2026 to re-examine glyphosate's safety after legal action brought by environmental, food-safety, and farmworker advocacy groups.
Newsom's signature water tunnel is set back by California court ruling
Los Angeles Times – January 8
In a decision that could complicate Gov. Gavin Newsom's push to build a giant water tunnel and remake California's water system, the Third District Court of Appeal on December 31 ruled against the state Department of Water Resources' plan to issue billions of dollars in bonds to build the 45-mile tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Supporters of the project have said the tunnel would modernize the state's water system for more severe droughts and deluges with climate change, and would withstand sea level rise and the risks of a major earthquake in the region. Opponents argue the project would harm the Delta's communities and ecosystem, and further threaten native fish that are already in decline.
Sable Offshore wins court battle over oil pipelines
Santa Barbara Independent – January 2
A two-judge panel from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal rejected an emergency appeal filed by the Environmental Defense Center and others to block a restart permit issued by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to Sable Offshore on December 22. The oil and gas plant near Refugio has been dormant for more than 10 years following a 2015 oil spill caused by corroded pipeline. The December 31 court ruling offers no insights as to how the judges arrived at their conclusion or what weight they had given the opposing arguments, but set an expedited date – January 26 – to allow the opposing parties to better present their arguments.
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