Florida's senators are seeking additional assistance from EPA to reduce the risks from exposure to contaminated wastewater after Hurricane Irma harmed water systems.
A federal district court judge is allowing environmentalists' litigation seeking to strengthen Washington state's program to control pollution from stormwater runoff to proceed, rejecting Justice Department (DOJ) efforts to dismiss the suit after finding the plaintiffs have met procedural hurdles to bring their claims against EPA and other agencies.
After years of resisting calls to incorporate workload analysis into its resource allocations, EPA's waste office has agreed to prioritize most Superfund sites and assign personnel according to those priorities, though the agency is suggesting a “more measured approach” than what the agency's Inspector General (IG) originally sought.
Trump administration officials say plans to increase funds for the Energy Department's (DOE) massive cleanup program by almost $500 million next year, as well as eased regulatory requirements, will allow them to speed cleanups, a change from the prior administration which warned of a significant gap between regulatory mandates and available funds.
JACKSON HOLE, WY -- Even as they press EPA and Congress to reverse the Trump administration's proposed cuts to EPA's budget in fiscal year 2018, state environmental regulators are outlining top priorities for the agency's FY19 budget, including consistent funding for core programs, greater flexibility for states to use the funds and increased efficiency.
The groups say delegating responsibility for grants to an official in EPA's public affairs office raises “serious concerns about the integrity of the grantmaking process.”
An array of program cuts and riders in the bill is sparking blowback from environmental groups as well as Democrats who are suggesting the package has little chance of becoming law.
Environmental groups and federal employee unions are ramping up their defense of EPA's budget in fiscal year 2018, readying efforts to shore up support in the Senate by citing recent massive hurricanes to highlight the need for adequate agency resources to address short- and long-term consequences of the cleanup effort.
