Congress

EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) has completed its long-pending advice to EPA on calculating biomass carbon dioxide emissions from smokestacks after accounting for forest regrowth, reaching conclusions at odds with agency policy and unable to endorse a cohesive framework for how to assess the emissions.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D), who is running a climate-focused 2020 presidential campaign, is criticizing Republicans for simultaneously highlighting the need for greater global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially in developing countries, while also backing President Donald Trump's decision to leave the Paris Agreement.

Key Democrats in both chambers are re-introducing “cap-and-dividend” legislation that would create a greenhouse gas permit program for “first sellers” of carbon-based fuels while rebating all revenues directly to the public, arguing their approach could be the most politically viable route to passing carbon pricing legislation.

EPA is planning an annual review of its program office priorities for Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessments, a top official told lawmakers, despite controversy that the first such review stalled IRIS' work for months and led to charges that a top political appointee interfered in the review to drop the formaldehyde assessment.