People across the country concerned for their environment and health, including many in Texas, testified at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s public hearing regarding the federal agency’s proposal to “bump up” the ozone pollution nonattainment designations for the current ozone standard from marginal to moderate across the country, which includes the greater Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) areas
As the result of a settlement agreement secured by the Sierra Club and Earthjustice in a Clean Air Act enforcement case, DTE Energy is giving a combined $2.7 million to ten community-based environmental justice projects in River Rouge, Ecorse, and the 48217 zip code aimed at improving public health and reducing environmental impacts. The projects were chosen by a five-member Community Environmental Action Committee of experts and leaders from the three communities including Sierra Club-recommend experts Dr. Dolores Leonard, a retired educator and long-term community advocate in 48217, and Dr. Paul Mohai, a professor and a founder of the environmental justice program at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. The Sierra Club-DTE settlement agreement required that DTE form the committee with three community members residing in Ecorse, River Rouge, or the 48217 to identify projects, and that the projects would seek to maximize public health and environmental benefits in those communities.
20 organizations, led by Sierra Club and Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, submitted comments urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider their proposal to redesignate the Detroit area from ozone nonattainment because it would prematurely halt state planning and actions to improve air quality. The EPA recently announced a proposal to approve Michigan’s maintenance plan and redesignate the seven-county Southeast Michigan area to attainment regarding the 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone. This would end the need for Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to plan for reductions of ozone precursors such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), actions that are crucial because of the severe asthma burden already experienced by environmental justice communities in and around Detroit.
Today, Xcel Energy filed a new proposal for its electric resource plan that will have the 750 megawatt, coal-fired Comanche 3 unit close no later than January 1, 2031. The Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) signed on to this new proposal as part of a settlement agreement, which the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is expected to consider in May. According to this proposal, the precise date on which Comanche 3 will close will be set in 2024 as part of a Just Transition proceeding at the PUC.
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) released a draft Environmental Impact Statement for the retirement and replacement of the 2,470 megawatts Cumberland coal-fired power plant located northwest of Nashville. Cumberland is one of the nation’s largest and most polluting coal plants, releasing over 8 million tons of carbon pollution into the air each year.
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA -- Today, a coalition of environmental groups including the National Parks Conservation Association, Sierra Club, and several other signees, published an open letter addressed to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) asking the agency to strengthen its regional haze plan to protect air quality in the state. The letter, including all signees, can be found here.
Harrisburg, P.A. - This morning, the regulation known as the CO2 Budget Trading Program, which allows Pennsylvania to link to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) went into effect via publication in the online version of the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Under the new rule, carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-fueled power plants in Pennsylvania will be capped at 78 million tons per year initially, and the cap will decrease by over 3% per year. This is the first time that Pennsylvania has limited greenhouse gas emissions in any sector of the economy.
Boston – Today, 11 New England clean energy and consumer advocacy organizations filed a protest urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reject ISO New England’s proposal to delay reforming the Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) and require an immediate fix to this anti-competitive rule.
Denver, CO -- On Monday, April 18, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved a unanimous settlement in Tri-State Generation and Transmission’s Electric Resource Plan that says the company will retire all remaining in-state coal-fired generation by 2030, and aim to cut carbon pollution associated with its Colorado sales by at least 80 percent relative to a 2005 baseline.
Little Rock, AR - Late yesterday, a coalition of environmental organizations filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because it has failed to enforce the Regional Haze Rule as required by the Clean Air Act. Thirty-four states have yet to submit plans to reduce air pollution in our country’s most iconic national parks and wilderness areas, and return natural visibility to these wild places.
Oklahoma City, OK - Late yesterday, a coalition of environmental organizations filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because it has failed to enforce the Regional Haze Rule as required by the Clean Air Act. Thirty-four states have yet to submit plans to reduce air pollution in our country’s most iconic national parks and wilderness areas, and return natural visibility to these wild places.
New Orleans, LA - Late yesterday, a coalition of environmental organizations filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because it has failed to enforce the Regional Haze Rule as required by the Clean Air Act. Thirty-four states have yet to submit plans to reduce air pollution in our country’s most iconic national parks and wilderness areas, and return natural visibility to these wild places.