epa

Sierra Club Statement on EPA Announcement on Aircraft Emissions Rule

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it won’t revisit a Trump administration rule on emissions standards for new airplanes, which doesn’t actually reduce greenhouse gas pollution. 

Sierra Club Statement: EPA Proposes Major New Curbs on Oil and Gas Methane Emissions, But Must Strengthen Them

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency released critical new draft rules to curb methane emissions and other pollution from the oil and gas industry. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is more than 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Methane emissions are also emitted alongside other harmful pollution that puts communities at risk of serious negative health effects.

Environmental Coalition Urges Further Action After Biden Administration Moves To Close Egregious Polluter Loopholes

Washington, D.C. — The EPA has announced the withdrawal of guidance from the Trump Administration that allowed states to create loopholes that permit industrial facilities, such as coal plants and oil refineries, to release unlimited amounts of dangerous air pollution during startup, showdown, and malfunction (SSM) events without facing legal consequences under the Clean Air Act. The announcement reinstates EPA’s 2015 policy prohibiting those loopholes and requiring 36 states to correct those illegal provisions.

Over 200,000 People From Across the Country Urge the EPA to Finalize a Strong Federal Clean Cars Rule

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Sierra Club President Ramón Cruz will join representatives and supporters from environmental and faith organizations representing millions of people to deliver over 200,000 comments to EPA Administrator Michael Regan urging the Environmental Protection Agency to adopt the strongest rule possible for federal clean car standards.

EPA Must Regulate Aviation Emissions With Strong Enforceable Standards That Meet the Science

WASHINGTON, DC - Yesterday, the Biden administration announced an unenforceable target for reducing emissions from airplanes 20 percent by 2030 by using biofuels, which are neither carbon neutral nor sustainable. 

The announcement includes welcome efforts to spur leadership, research and development,  and innovation in the aviation sector. However, it misses the mark on what is needed for real emissions reductions. This is an area of the transportation sector where pollution is increasing but the federal government has failed to act for years.

Sierra Club Hails Passage of Bold House “Minibus” Funding

WASHINGTON D.C.-- The House has passed an historic “minibus” of seven appropriations bills for funding the U.S. government next year, encompassing a wide range of domestic policy areas with major implications for the environment and communities nationwide.

El Sierra Club Aplaude la Reconsideración del Debilitamiento del Estándar de Ceniza Tóxica de Carbón

El Administrador de la Agencia Federal de Protección Ambiental, Michael Regan, anunció que reconsiderará formalmente uno de los peores debilitamientos de los estándares de toxicidad del agua de la era de Trump.

House Passes Resolution to Reinstate Methane Pollution Safeguards

Washington, DC -- Today, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution that would reinstate the Environmental Protection Agency's 2016 methane pollution safeguards for the oil and gas industry. The Senate passed a similar resolution in April. 

Sierra Club Statement: EPA Hears Testimony on Need to Implement Strong Methane Safeguards

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency will host the first of three listening sessions to engage the public as they begin to craft new rules to tackle methane and associated pollution from new and existing oil and gas operations.

With HFCs Rule, EPA Wasting No Time Taking Bold Climate Action

Washington, DC -- Today, EPA Administrator Michael Regan will announce the first major climate pollution rule under President Biden: an 85% reduction in hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 2036. HFCs are typically used as residential and commercial refrigerants but these superpollutant greenhouse gases are hundreds to thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide. Phasing out HFCs is expected to avert 0.5 °C (0.9 °F) of global warming by the end of the century.

Environmental Coalition Urges Biden Administration to Close Egregious Environmental Justice Loopholes

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, a broad coalition of 95 environmental organizations and local community groups called on the Biden Administration to fix a glaring environmental justice problem by closing the Startup, Shutdown, Malfunction (SSM) loopholes. The groups sent a letter and filed a legal petition to urge EPA to prioritize closing the loopholes. The SSM loopholes allow polluting facilities like coal plants and oil refineries to release unlimited amounts of dangerous air pollution during routine events, without facing legal consequences under the Clean Air Act. This toxic pollution causes severe health consequences in fenceline and nearby communities and has historically had a disproportionate impact on low-income communities and communities of color that live near polluting facilities.

Sierra Club Hails Senate Confirmation of Michael Regan

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a bipartisan vote, the U.S. Senate has confirmed Michael Regan to serve as President Biden’s Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

In response, Sierra Club Legislative Director Melinda Pierce released the following statement: