All articles tagged with #epa
President Trump signed an executive order mandating a 90% reduction in invasive mosquito populations and a 50% cut in ticks in Washington, D.C., by 2028. The directive tasks the EPA with fast-tracking approvals for bioengineered control methods, including genetic modification and sterilization techniques, while HHS is authorized to launch prize competitions for disease treatments.
The US faces a resurgence of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and malaria, yet effective eradication technologies remain stalled by outdated regulatory frameworks. While genetic engineering and Wolbachia bacteria have proven successful in reducing mosquito populations and disease transmission globally, US approval processes have lagged by over a decade. The FDA and EPA have struggled to categorize these biopesticides, leading to prolonged delays in commercial deployment despite urgent public health needs.
A new analysis of federal records indicates that the herbicide atrazine contaminates approximately 25% of continental US rivers, affecting 860,000 miles of waterways. This pollution impacts over 20% of surface drinking water intakes and 675,000 wells. The chemical, classified as a probable carcinogen and endocrine disruptor, is linked to reproductive harm in humans and wildlife. Despite being banned in 60 countries, it remains the second most used pesticide in the US, with 70 million pounds sprayed annually. Advocates blame the EPA for inaction due to industry lobbying, while litigation continues over its approval.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is preparing a major legal confrontation with the Trump administration over the revocation of the EPA’s endangerment finding, which underpins federal climate rules. Bonta argues that the current Supreme Court composition, now dominated by justices who previously dissented against climate regulations, poses a significant risk, but he remains confident in the legal merits of his case. The dispute centers on the administration’s efforts to dismantle greenhouse gas regulations and undermine California’s authority to set stricter vehicle emission standards. While Bonta asserts that climate policies are essential for long-term economic stability, public opinion remains divided, with a majority of likely voters opposing California’s 2035 ban on new gas-powered car sales.
A new peer-reviewed study in Environmental Health Perspectives identifies 485 chemicals in US pesticide products linked to breast cancer. The research, led by the Silent Spring Institute, highlights that many of these substances are classified as 'inert' ingredients, which bypass rigorous safety reviews. While the EPA evaluates pesticides individually, the study argues that cumulative exposure to multiple chemicals, including those in consumer goods and drinking water, creates significant health risks. Breast cancer incidence is rising, particularly among women under 50, and the authors suggest that current regulatory frameworks fail to account for the combined effects of these widespread exposures.
A Rhode Island federal judge vacated the EPA’s termination of the $7 billion Solar for All program, ruling the agency acted beyond its statutory authority and that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act did not convert the funding into a discretionary lump sum. The Solar for All funding, part of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, was obligated for five years; Congress later repealed the fund via the OBBBA. The court ordered the EPA to reinstate the program, a decision praised by climate and environmental-justice groups; the EPA did not immediately comment.
A fresh fire broke out at Moss Landing Power Plant on California's Central Coast, the same facility that had a major lithium‑battery blaze in January 2025, triggering evacuations for about 1,200 residents and a state of emergency. Fire crews evacuated plant workers as smoke and flames appeared on the north side; shelter-in-place orders were later lifted. The EPA is coordinating with responders and overseeing removal of damaged battery modules; air monitoring showed no hydrogen fluoride or PM2.5 exceedances. The 300‑MW system houses roughly 100,000 lithium‑ion batteries, about 55% damaged in the 2025 fire, and safety concerns for ongoing storage remain.
NAM CEO Jay Timmons says the Trump administration’s rollback of Biden-era power-plant emissions standards will be a major boost for manufacturers, but he argues lasting change requires Congress and significant permitting reform; NAM polling shows 80% of manufacturers say permitting is harmful to investment, and up to 87% would expand operations or hire if permitting were streamlined.
The Trump administration rescinded EPA carbon rules for power plants, the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas pollution, a move officials say follows the law but that critics fear undermines the DOJ’s core argument that EPA regulates climate so state lawsuits should be preempted. DOJ maintains no contradiction with its Supreme Court strategy, even as an October oral argument looms on blocking dozens of state suits against oil majors for climate damages.
The EPA announced a rollback of the 2024 rule requiring carbon capture at coal- and gas-fired plants and proposed repealing other greenhouse-gas emissions standards, arguing the Clean Air Act doesn’t authorize climate regulations; industry groups praise the move for lower costs and reliability, while environmentalists vow lawsuits. If upheld, the rollbacks could limit future administrations’ ability to impose stricter limits on fossil-fuel power, even as climate risks and heat waves intensify.
The EPA, under the Trump administration, will eliminate limits on greenhouse gas emissions from coal and gas-fired power plants, undoing Biden-era standards and potentially allowing about 123 million metric tons more CO2 over the next decade, while arguing it lowers electricity costs; environmental groups vow to challenge the rollback in court as the long-running battle over US power-sector emissions continues.
The EPA announced it is scrapping the Biden-era 2024 standards that would require coal and some gas plants to capture most carbon emissions, and it proposed blocking future power-plant carbon regulations. The move, announced at a G20 energy gathering, marks a major shift away from climate rules targeting power generation in favor of prioritizing affordable, reliable energy.
The US Environmental Protection Agency announced it will scrap most Biden-era rules limiting emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants, saying the rules exceeded the agency’s authority and will seek to remove other greenhouse-gas rules for the sector. Officials say the move could save about $310bn and lower energy prices while maintaining safeguards, but environmental groups warn it could worsen public health and climate and expect immediate legal challenges.
The Environmental Protection Agency repealed Biden-era limits on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, with Administrator Lee Zeldin arguing the rollback will lower electricity costs for consumers, while environmentalists warn it could raise pollution and public health risks by loosening climate protections.
The Trump-era EPA is rolling back Biden-era limits on carbon dioxide and other pollutants from fossil-fuel power plants, arguing deregulation will improve grid reliability and lower costs; critics warn of higher pollution and health harms, and past AP analyses suggested the rules could have saved tens of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars annually if kept in place.