frontline communities

December 20, 2023

EPA scores enforcement wins, losses in 2023; announces funding for vulnerable communities

By Shannon Kelleher

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scored both wins and losses in its enforcement of environmental laws for 2023, stepping up fines for polluters and on-site inspections but cleaning up fewer pollutants than it has in a decade, according to the agency’s annual enforcement and compliance report.

The agency said Monday that it had required polluters to pay more than $704 million in fines, penalties, and restitutions this year, a tally significantly higher than in 2022. However, the agency’s enforcement actions only led facilities to reduce, treat or eliminate about 74 million pounds of pollutants – about 450 million pounds less than in 2015, and the smallest amount in at least a decade.

The EPA said a focus of its work was in communities facing environmental justice concerns; the agency conducted 60% of its on-site inspections in 2023 in such communities, surpassing a goal it had set to achieve by 2026.

“While our work is not complete, EPA’s revitalized enforcement program is making a positive difference in communities across America, particularly for people living in underserved and overburdened communities that for too long have borne the brunt of pollution,” David Uhlmann, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said in a press release.

In other high points for the year, the agency said its public water system inspections resulted in 150 cases to correct violations – a more than 300% increase over the average for the last decade, the agency said.

And, after losing about 950 jobs following a decade of budget cuts, the agency is now hiring about 300 new positions to boost its enforcement program, the EPA said.

“We’re pleased to see the Environmental Protection Agency staffing up and ramping up enforcement efforts to hold polluters accountable and protect some of our nation’s most vulnerable communities,” said Coby Dolan, the legislative director of the Access to Justice Program at the nonprofit Earthjustice.

The agency needs to do more, however, to address disparate harms faced by frontline communities burdened by pollution, he said.

September 20, 2023

EPA announces $4.6 billion in grants to combat climate pollution

By Shannon Kelleher

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $4.6 billion in competitive grants on Wednesday to fund state, city, and Tribal programs designed to reduce climate pollution, advance environmental justice, and transition to clean energy.

The announcement came as business leaders, nonprofits, and government officials convene in New York for the annual Climate Week NYC, which takes place alongside the UN General Assembly.

The grants mark the second wave of funding through the agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program, which was developed under the Inflation Reduction Act. The CPRG program is intended to advance the Biden administration’s Justice40 Initiative by helping to ensure that overburdened communities receive federal climate change funding. The newly available grants will fund projects planned using the initial $250 million in CPRG funding announced in March.

“Together, these grants will stimulate economic growth, spur the creation of new industries and jobs, and enable communities, especially low-income and disadvantaged communities, to chart a path towards unprecedented emissions reductions,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said on a press call. “We recognize that it won’t get us all the way, but it’s a significant shot in the arm.”

Screen Shot_Beyond Plastics FB_news conference

July 27, 2023

Petition urges ban on vinyl chloride, citing East Palestine incident

By Shannon Kelleher
Environmental leaders gathered at the steps of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters in Washington, DC, on Thursday to call for a ban on toxic vinyl chloride, a cancer-causing chemical that gained scrutiny after a massive plume spread through East Palestine, Ohio after a train derailment in February.

The groups unveiled a petition signed by more than 27,000 people that calls on the EPA to protect vulnerable communities by banning vinyl chloride, which is used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic for drinking water pipes, packaging, and children’s toys.

The incident in East Palestine led to the spread of more than 100,000 gallons of vinyl chloride after officials instigated a “controlled burn” as a strategy to try to prevent a dangerous explosion following the train derailment, a move that may have been unnecessary. The incident offered a “chilling warning” that the public must act now to keep communities safe from “petrochemical” products made from petroleum or natural gas, Heather McTeer Toney, executive director of the Beyond Petrochemicals campaign, said outside the EPA building.

While the EPA banned vinyl chloride in refrigerants, aerosol propellants, drugs, and cosmetics in 1974, for decades the chemicals have remained in other household plastic items. Short-term exposure to vinyl chloride can cause dizziness, drowsiness, and headaches, according to the EPA’s website– symptoms residents of East Palestine reported.

Breathing in vinyl chloride over long periods of time has been shown to increase the risk of a rare form of liver cancer, the agency reports. Research also suggests infants and young children might be especially susceptible to cancer caused by vinyl chloride exposure