Anthony Lacey

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday to significantly limit the power of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate power plant greenhouse gases, a decision that environmental advocates fear will not only contribute to more harmful climate change, but also restrict other environmental regulation needed to protect health.

In its opinion in West Virginia v. EPA, the court’s 6-3 conservative majority said the EPA erred in claiming “unheralded” authority from an EPA rule finalized during President Barack Obama’s administration. That rule sought to shift the energy sector from coal-fired power plants to lower-emitting sources such as natural gas or other more environmentally friendly options, such as solar. Although the agency finalized the rule, it was prevented from going into effect.

Countering its critics, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is defending the release of much stricter drinking water health advisories for two notorious “forever chemicals” known as PFAS before a key science advisory panel finishes reviewing studies of the chemicals.

The agency on June 15 issued updated interim lifetime health advisories (LHAs) for the forever chemicals PFOA and PFOS, alongside final LHAs for PFBS and GenX. The PFOS advisory is 0.02 parts per trillion (ppt) and the PFOA advisory is 0.004 ppt, both dramatically lower than the prior EPA advisory, set in 2016, established at 70 ppt for combined PFOA and PFOS.

Clean energy advocates are urging sweeping reform of California’s monopoly utility Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and claiming decades of misguided power investments that hiked ratepayers’ energy bills, and they are looking to a state Senate nomination fight to advance their call.

During a Thursday press briefing, representatives from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), former California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) President Loretta Lynch, and energy expert Bill Powers said PG&E has wasted billions on old, centralized power systems, tried to stymie clean energy like rooftop solar, and passed the costs of destructive wildfires it caused on to ratepayers via higher bills.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement of four strict advisories for when levels of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in drinking water can harm human health are welcome, but also justify calls for the agency to move faster on regulating PFAS, environmentalists say.

The non-binding, non-regulatory advisory levels, announced Wednesday, provide information to state agencies and others on drinking water contamination. The advisories identify levels of PFAS in drinking water to protect people from harm after a lifetime of exposure to the chemicals.

Warning that some of their budgets are at a breaking point, state environmental agencies are urging Congress to provide more than $636 million in fiscal year 2023 funding to ensure the viability of key programs to protect air and water, handle waste, and fight the climate crisis.

Congress has not increased the amount it provides in dedicated grants to assist states’ work in 20 years, and the limited funding is having adverse impacts, states say. For example, some states are unable to adequately monitor air pollution from increased wildfires, says the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), which represents all state environmental agencies. Wildfires are expected to grow in size and severity due to the climate crisis.

The Environmental Protection Agency is offering up to $6.5 billion in funding to support water infrastructure projects around the United States, prioritizing work that tackles the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS and promotes environmental justice.

The targeted funding, announced Monday, highlights two of the Biden administration’s policy goals. A total of $5.5 billion will be available through the EPA’s Water Infrastructure and Innovation Act fund and a further $1 billion provided by the agency’s State Infrastructure Financing Authority program.