Hill Heat: Tag EPA

League of Women Voters Launches 'People Not Polluters' Campaign

Brad Johnson — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:20:00 -0400

The League of Women Voters has launched a major, nationwide campaign in defense of the EPA’s work to give Americans clean air. The People Not Polluters campaign asks Americans and their elected officials to join the Clean Air Promise:

I promise to protect America’s children and families from dangerous air pollution. Because toxics and pollutants such as mercury, smog, carbon, and soot, cause thousands of hospital visits, asthma attacks, and even deaths, I will support clean air policies and other protections that scientists and public health experts have recommended to the EPA to safeguard our air quality.

Watch the campaign spot:

LWV is mobilizing its members to tell personal stories of the cost of asthma for children and families, including outreach to vulnerable populations like seniors, Latinos, and African Americans.

Richard Burr Introduces Bill To Abolish The EPA

Brad Johnson — Fri, 06 May 2011 15:46:00 -0400

Senate Republicans have introduced legislation to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency. The bill, introduced by Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), would merge the EPA, which enforces environmental laws, with the Department of Energy, which manages nuclear energy and energy research, into one department.

In January, Newt Gingrich proposed abolishing the EPA, and several House Republicans have supported that goal. Burr’s statement announcing his bill to eliminate the EPA argues that “duplicative functions” can be eliminated:

U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-North Carolina) introduced a bill that would consolidate the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency into a single, new agency called the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). The bill would provide cost savings by combining duplicative functions while improving the administration of energy and environmental policies by ensuring a coordinated approach.

Burr’s bill has fifteen co-sponsors, all of them deniers of the threat of global warming pollution, a top EPA priority: Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), John Thune (R-S.D.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), David Vitter (R-La.), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), Mike Lee (R-Utah).

Public Opposition To Dismantling The EPA

Brad Johnson — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:00:00 -0500

The Natural Resources Defense Council holds a conference call briefing, beginning at 11 a.m., to discuss and release a survey on data that show strong public opposition to “dismantling the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) updates to clean-up standards for carbon, smog and other pollution” proposed by House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich.

Patricipants

Peter Altman, climate campaign director of the Natural Resources Defense Council
Tom Jensen, director of Public Policy Polling

Contact: Leslie Anderson, 703-276-3256, landerson@hastingsgroup.com

Call-in, 800-860-2442; ask for the “EPA/Energy and Commerce Committee member surveys” news event. A streaming audio replay of the news event will be available at 4 p.m. February 10 online: http://www.nrdc.org

Clean Air Act Advisory Committee

Brad Johnson — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:30:00 -0500

8:00 Registration

8:30 Welcome/Opening Comments U.S. EPA Office of Air And Radiation Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy

9:20 Subcommittee Report Outs Economic Incentives and Regulatory Innovation Permits/NSR/Toxics

10:00 “OAR update on Environmental Justice related Activities” Panel Discussion

BREAK

11:15 “Meet the Members” (Two new members will discuss Air Quality Issues related to their work) A Carrier’s Perspective -Dr. Lee Kindberg, Maersk Tribal Air Quality -Joy Wiecks

12:40-1:45 LUNCH

1:45 – 2:30 Mobile Sources Technical Review Subcommittee Move Model Report

2:30- 3:00 CAAAC Operation/Future Topics

3:00 – 3:15 Public Comments

3:15– 3:30 Next Meeting/Close Pat Childers

Crowne Plaza National Airport
1489 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, VA 22202

The EPA's Ambitious Regulatory Agenda

Brad Johnson — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 08:30:00 -0500

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is engaged in a series of rule-making proceedings of extraordinary scope and ambition—going well beyond its efforts to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. All major EPA decisions are contentious, but the current flurry of regulatory initiatives raises unusually serious issues of costs and benefits, feasibility, methodology, and agency discretion. This event will begin with a presentation on air-quality trends followed by panel presentations and discussions on current rule-making proceedings and underlying issues of science, economics, and risk assessment.

Agenda

8:15 a.m.

Registration and Breakfast

8:30

Introduction:

CHRISTOPHER DEMUTH, AEI

8:40

Presentation: Trends in Air Quality—1970, Today, and Tomorrow

STEVEN F. HAYWARD, AEI

9:00

Panel I: EPA’s Rule-Making Surge

Panelists:

PAUL R. NOE, American Forest & Paper Association “The Challenge of Boiler MACT and the Cumulative Air Regulatory Burden”
ARTHUR FRAAS, Resources for the Future “Banking on Permits: A Risky Business”
JEFFREY R. HOLMSTEAD, Bracewell & Giuliani “The Clean Air Act and the Rule of Law”

Moderator: *KENNETH P. GREEN, AEI

10:30

Break

10:40

Panel II: Science and Economics in EPA Rule-Making

Panelists:

RICHARD A. BECKER, American Chemistry Council “The Blurred Lines between Science and Policy”
RICHARD B. BELZER, Regulatory Checkbook and Neutral Source “Empirical Analysis of EPA Compliance with the Information Quality Act”
JANE LUXTON, Pepper Hamilton LLP “Polarization on Science Issues in EPA Risk Assessment”
BRIAN F. MANNIX, Buckland Mill Associates “Whose Telescope is Defective? The Role of Discount-Rate Arbitrage in Energy and Climate Policy”

Moderator:

SUSAN E. DUDLEY, The George Washington University

Wohlstetter Conference Center, Twelfth Floor, AEI 1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036

Time to Act? Next Steps for a Climate Bill - A Planet Forward Conversation

Brad Johnson — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:00:00 -0400

Be at GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs for an insider’s guide to America’s next great legislative challenge. We’ll have a one-on-one discussion with top Obama official, Lisa Jackson, and a panel discussion with representatives from media, business and policy to get a picture of what the next stages of the climate debate will be. Will the upcoming Kerry-Lieberman-Graham bill get us on the right path? Or will it happen in the scientific or business sectors? Find out. And find out who really wins and loses when the stakes are this high?

Joining SMPA Director and Planet Forward Host Frank Sesno will be Lisa Jackson (US EPA), Ana Unruh-Cohen (House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming), Andrew Revkin (New York Times), Jim Connaughton (Constellation Energy Group), Dr. Dan Lashof (Natural Resources Defense Council) and Kate Sheppard (Mother Jones). We’ll also feature some of the best videos recently submitted to PlanetForward.org…including films from GW’s very own Planet Forward class!

A Co-presentation of GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs, The George Washington University School of Business and GW’s Environmental Studies program.

RSVP

Jack Morton Auditorium
School of Media and Public Affairs
805 21st Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

WonkLine: February 2, 2010

Wonk Room — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:36:00 -0500

From the Wonk Room.

“Strong earnings from Exxon Mobil and bullish comments from coal analysts boosted the energy sector Monday” as climate negotiators say a global deal on climate change in 2010 is “all but impossible.”

“At a time when our country is struggling with a deep economic recession, the last thing I want the EPA to do is start regulating greenhouse gases without specific direction from Congress,” Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) said about the EPA budget plan that allocates $56 million for global warming regulation.

Indiana officials will not require insurance companies to complete a nationally approved climate risk survey, because it seems to advance a “politically driven agenda,” said Doug Webber, the state’s acting insurance commissioner.

Public Hearing on Proposed Greenhouse Gas Tailoring Rule

Brad Johnson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0500

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold two public hearings on the proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions thresholds defining when Clean Air Act permits would apply to new or existing industrial facilities. This program would cover nearly 70 percent of the nation’s total GHG emissions from stationary sources. The nation’s largest facilities, including power plants, refineries, and cement production facilities, that emit at least 25,000 tons of GHGs a year would be required to obtain operating and construction permits.

The hearings will be held on November 18 in Arlington, Va. and November 19 in Rosemont, Ill. Both hearings will begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at 7:00 p.m. local time.

Arlington, Va.
Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
2799 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, VA 22202
Note: Anyone attending the Arlington hearing will need to bring photo identification.

EPA Investigating Legality of Coal River Mountain Destruction

Brad Johnson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:53:00 -0500

West Virginia residents have spent years battling the loss of Coal River Mountain to mountaintop removal mining. At the end of October, Massey Energy began dynamiting at the site. Opponents of the mountain’s destruction say the Environmental Protection Agency has the full authority and legal and moral obligation under the Clean Water Act to preserve the ecosystem and clean waters of the mountain, the last untouched peak in Coal River Valley. When asked for comment by Hill Heat, EPA spokesman Brendan Gilfillan responded:

EPA is closely examining the company’s compliance with all legal requirements.

As the EPA conducts its legal investigation, the blasting continues.

An Incomplete List of Senate Holds on Obama Administration Nominees

Brad Johnson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:02:00 -0500

Active holds are bolded.

White House

Nancy Sutley, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairwoman – John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
Cass Sunstein, OIRA director – Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.)
John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy – Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), anonymous

Department of Energy

Richard Newell, administrator of the Energy Information Administration – John McCain (R-Ariz.)
Ines Triay, assistant secretary of environmental management – Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.)
Kristina Johnson, undersecretary for energy – Kyl
Steven Koonin, undersecretary for science – Kyl
Scott Blake Harris, general counsel – Kyl

Environmental Protection Agency

Lisa Jackson, administrator – Barrasso
Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for air and radiation – Barrasso
Robert Perciasepe, deputy administrator – George Voinovich (R-Ohio)

Interior

David Hayes, deputy secretary – Robert Bennett (R-Utah), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
Hilary Tompkins, solicitor – Bennett, Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), and other anonymous Rs
Jon Jarvis, National Park Service director – Coburn
Wilma Lewis, assistant secretary for land and mineral management – McCain
Robert Abbey, Bureau of Land Management administrator – McCain
Joseph Pizarchik, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement – anonymous D

State

Harold Koh, legal adviser to the State Department – Jim DeMint (R-S.C.)
Susan Burk, Special Representative for Non-Proliferation – DeMint
Thomas Shannon Jr., ambassador to Brazil – DeMint, Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
Ellen Tauscher, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security – Kyl, released June 25
Arturo Valenzuela, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs – DeMint

Labor

Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor – anonymous R
Craig Becker, National Labor Relations Board – McCain

Commerce

Jane Lubchenco, director of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Menendez, anonymous

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Craig Fugate, director – David Vitter (R-La.), released May 12

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Gary Gensler, chairman – Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), released May 14