Congress

A top Senate Democrat is dropping one of several objections he had threatened to raise when the upper chamber considers Andrew Wheeler's nomination to be EPA chief later this month after the agency renewed its pledge that it “intends” to develop an enforceable drinking water standard for two of the most common perfluorinated substances.

Chemical industry officials are urging Congress to quickly approve legislation renewing EPA’s authority to collect industry fees to support quick pesticide registration reviews, with the agency poised to imminently lose its power because lawmakers did not renew it as part of the broad funding deal to avert another government shutdown.

EPA appears to have halted the long-running and controversial effort by its research office to assess the human health risks of formaldehyde, a move that could bolster efforts by the chemical industry which is preparing for the possibility that EPA's toxics office may select the chemical for evaluation, an approach the industry has long favored.

Five GOP senators say they will have “serious concerns” about acting EPA chief Andrew Wheeler’s nomination to head the agency permanently unless he gives them details on a plan to reform the renewable fuel standard (RFS) that satisfies them, which would be enough GOP votes to reject Wheeler in a floor vote if all Democrats oppose him.