Over the past few weeks, there has been a noticeable rise in news coverage regarding changes the Trump Administration is making to various government sectors, particularly environmental policy. So far, Trump's strategy has been to foster chaos making it difficult for the public to keep track of ongoing damage. To counter this, it is vital to stay informed about the major changes made to the EPA that have been led by Lee Zeldin and Trump.
- Exemptions and Deregulation: The EPA is allowing power plants and industries to request exemptions from clean-air regulations simply by sending an email, with the president deciding whether to grant temporary exemptions. This move uses a provision of the Clean Air Act to justify exemptions if preferred technology is unavailable or if it is deemed necessary for national security. This system is an unfortunately perfect example of the shift the EPA's mission under Zeldin who prefers reducing costs for business rather than protecting the environment.
- Massive Budget and Research Cuts: Under the new administration, the EPA's budget is set to be cut by 65%, severely limiting its ability to enforce Enviromental laws and conduct scientific research. This includes the elimination of the EPA's scientiific research division which has been instrumental in studying air quality, climate change, and pollution control.
- Rollback of Environmental Justice Efforts: Zeldin has voiced that the EPA will no longer prioritize pollution's impact on low-impact or minority communities when deciding enforcement actions. This reverses the Biden administration's emphasis on Enviromental justice which aimed to address pollution in vulnerable communities such as Louisiana's "Cancer Alley" where industrial emissions contribute to elevated cancer rates.
- Weakening of Pollution and Environmental Protections: The administration has announced plans to repeal key environmental regulations, including those on tailpipe emissions, industrial smokestack pollutants, and wetlands protections. The rollback of methane regulations will particularly benefit the oil and gas industry, weakening efforts to combat climate change. Additionally, regulations on coal ash, a hazardous byproduct of burning coal, will be loosened. Lastly, efforts to regulate PFAS or forever chemicals will also be scaled back.
Dropped Lawsuits and Settlements: Several significant lawsuits and settlements have been sopped, including a federal case against Senka Performance Elastomer for releasing carcinogenic chemicals in Louisiana and a $35 million settlement against HF Sinclair for high benzene emissions.
Weakening of the Clean Water Act: The EPA will rewrite water regulations to lower permitting costs for developers easing restrictions on building near protected wetlands and small waterways. This follows a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that limited the federal government's ability to regulate smaller bodied of water.
These changes signal a prioritization of economic growth over environmental protection and can results in high pollution levels, especially in vulnerable communities, and increased health risks such as cancer, respiratory diseases and contaminated drinking water.
It is really unfortunate that companies are trying to get around these clean air regulations, and that they care more about their profit than helping the world. With all of the anti-climate change organizations losing their funding I am worried how these next couple of years are gonna look.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! Hearing about how Greenpeace was sued was shocking and set a horrible precedent.
DeleteIt is sad to see that right now it feels like a hopeless attempt to stop climate change. For the next four years it feels like we are just in for the ride
ReplyDeleteI agree that it can feel hopeless right now, I find that focusing my energy into what I can do to reduce my personal impact and advocate in my community has been very helpful to combat that feeling.
DeleteIt is so disheartening seeing how these intuitions can be gutted from the inside out. It is almost completely unfathomable how the exact same institution can be weaponized rather than utilized to fulfill its purpose. Especially with the lawsuits, that is so wild how they can just be completely dropped like that.
ReplyDeleteWhile these supposedly professionals ignore the facts and data and tear through our communities with pollutants, we are left to suffer. This administration continues to support the companies that donate to their political campaigns, and ignore the cries of their constituents who rely on the government to protect them. There is no ethical reason to allow previously regulated emissions to run rampant. This is especially true since they operated just fine with tighter restrictions.
ReplyDeleteThe EPA's deregulation under Zeldin prioritizes economic growth over environmental protection, leading to weaker pollution controls, reduced research, and increased health risks, particularly in vulnerable communities.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this, Arbor. It’s worrying to see the EPA moving away from protecting people and the planet. These changes hit hardest in places already struggling with pollution. I understand the need for economic growth, but it shouldn’t come before our health or environment. We need to think about the long-term impact and talk more about the kind of future we really want.
ReplyDeleteHey, I know there are 2 pictures of Zeldin up right now, I accidently uploaded him twice and the blog platform is being a bit difficult on editing it. I'll fix it as soon as I am able! Apologies for making you all look at him more than you have to.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a sad post. Thank you for sharing this information. I am terrified to hear the strides that they are taking against the environment to help support the rich business people. There is no one to put a wall to stop these people and it is only going to get worse.
ReplyDeleteWhat a crime! So much public struggle went into creating the EPA. It is easier to break things than fix them. A major concern about the Trump administration is removing CO2 from regulation as a greenhouse gas. This failure to think about the future is monstrous.
ReplyDeletePS. The EPA was created by a Republican, Richard Nixon. He was not an environmental champion, but he did respond to the environmental movement and consolidated various government agencies in the EPA. Republicans, remember your past and focus on conserving things - is that part of what it means to be conservative!?
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly certain that Zeldin has explicitly stated that the new purpose of the EPA was to promote business and remove regulations that stand in the way of economic growth. We all know that what that really means is cutting back regulations for health and safety measures. Nobody other than the one percent will benefit from any of this.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad how often companies and factories try to find loopholes and cheat the system just to be able to pollute the environment and release these harmful emissions into the atmosphere. If the EPA doesn't want to regulate and control these businesses that contribute to climate change, then we need to find other ways to demand action and justice.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard an update on Zeldin for a while so this was a good blog for that. It follows the common pattern of choosing money over the environment. Certainly a trend with new leaders.
ReplyDeleteThis post is honestly alarming, but incredibly important. It's devastating to see the EPA (an agency meant to protect the environment) being gutted like this. These decisions have real consequences for health, safety, and the future of our planet.
ReplyDeleteThis is sad to see the EPA going away and that most world leaders are willing to put money over the environment, the air we breathe, things we need to live just for a little bit of money. I just can't believe what the world has turned to.
ReplyDeleteIf the powers that be want the people to understand them and back them up, them shit like this must stop. Gotta stop manipulating and braking up movements and groups meant to heal the Enviromint
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ReplyDeleteIt is so important to be taking note of all these environmental policy changes! As terrifying as it is to know that so many of these things are being reversed, I am grateful to have an opportunity to learn and talk about them, especially because we all have a right to clean air and water and these policy changes might dismantle protections that are already in place.
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