Focus
EPA to rollback PFAS rule, extend timelines
Reuters – May 14
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will rescind much of the Biden administration’s first nationwide drinking water standard aimed at protecting people from PFAS, which are found in hundreds of consumer and commercial products. The rule finalized last year by EPA set limits for five individual PFAS chemicals: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA. Under the new proposal, EPA would allow public drinking water systems more time to develop plans for addressing PFOA and PFOS and extend the compliance date for those two PFAS chemicals to 2031. It would also rescind the regulations and reconsider the regulatory determinations for three other PFAS chemicals.
News
Newsom seeks to short-cut process to build $20-billion Delta water tunnel
Los Angeles Times - May 14
Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a plan on Wednesday to accelerate a proposed $20-billion water tunnel project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta by simplifying permitting and limiting legal challenges. Supporters of the plan, including water agencies in Southern California and Silicon Valley, say the state needs to build new infrastructure in the Delta to protect the water supply in the face of climate change and earthquake risks. Opponents, including agencies in the Delta and environmental advocates, say the project is an expensive boondoggle that would harm the environment and communities, and that the state should pursue other alternatives.
What’s the cost to society of pollution? Trump administration says zero
The New York Times – May 10
The White House has ordered federal agencies to stop considering the economic damage caused by climate change when writing regulations, except in cases where it is “plainly required” by law. The directive is based upon new Guidance (Guidance Implementing Section 6 of Executive Order 14154, Entitled ‘Unleashing American Energy’) announced on May 5, which effectively shelves a powerful tool that has been used for more than two decades by the federal government to weigh the costs and benefits of a particular policy or regulation. Known as the “social cost of carbon,” the metric reflects the estimated damage from global warming, including wildfires, floods, and droughts.
Gallo Winery practices threaten Fresno drinking water, regulators say
The Fresno Bee – May 15
The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a tentative Cease and Desist Order to E. & J. Gallo Winery in March for allegedly violating 2015 waste discharge requirements. The stipulated order targets Gallo’s practice of applying untreated wastewater from the company’s grape crush and press process directly to 400 acres of local cropland, alleging that it has resulted in concentrations of nitrate and other contaminants above allowable levels. The city of Fresno is directly impacted by the winery’s wastewater practices because it relies on groundwater downgradient of the winery for its municipal drinking water. By June 30, 2030, Gallo must either comply with the discharge limits outlined in its existing 2015 wastewater order or cease disposing of its wastewater to water hundreds of acres of cropland.
Researchers call on Newsom to pay for post-fire soil testing in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles Times – May 15
Nearly a dozen university professors on Wednesday wrote a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom and California EPA Secretary Yana Garcia, imploring state officials not to abandon California’s wildfire-recovery protocols, namely the long-standing policy to conduct soil sampling at destroyed homes after cleanup crews finish removing toxic ash and a layer of topsoil. Because federal disaster agencies have refused to conduct soil sampling, the researchers argue it is imperative for the state to intervene. The letter was signed by faculty members from nine universities, including USC and UCLA.
15 states sue over Trump’s move to fast-track oil and gas projects via his 'energy emergency' order
ABC News – May 9
A coalition of 15 states, including California, last Friday filed a lawsuit to challenge President Donald Trump's efforts to fast-track energy-related projects, saying the administration is bypassing environmental protection laws and threatening endangered species, critical habitat, and cultural resources. On January 20, the first day of his presidency, Trump issued an executive order declaring a “national energy emergency,” urging oil and gas expansion through federal use of eminent domain and the Defense Production Act. The states allege that agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Interior, are bypassing required reviews under federal laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.
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