Statement: Weatherization funding takes advantage of the ‘cleanest energy’
President Joe Biden and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Wednesday $3.16 billion in new funding through the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) for residential energy upgrades.
Statement: Biden continues to protect public lands, proposing drilling ban for New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon
In conjunction with the White House Tribal National Summit, President Joe Biden is expected Monday to announce a 20-year ban on drilling in areas surrounding Chaco Canyon. This follows the president’s actions in October when he signed proclamations to restore full protections to Grand Staircase Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments.
Statement: EPA acts responsibly by relaunching climate science and policy website
WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency reinstated its website centered on climate science and policy on Thursday. This information was removed from the EPA website by the previous administration. This relaunch is a strong signal that the Biden administration will restore the role of science in protecting our communities and public health.
Statement: U.S. officially rejoins the international Paris Agreement
WASHINGTON -- The United States officially rejoined the international Paris Agreement on Friday. The act brings America back into a key accord aimed at reducing planet-warming emissions.
Environment America had called on Biden to prioritize rejoining the Paris Agreement on his first day in office in the "First Things to Fix" report. The report presented 20 actions for the Biden administration to undertake in early days of office to undo the Trump administration’s rollbacks of environmental laws and protections.
Statement: Biden administration will make historic commitments to protecting America’s natural heritage
WASHINGTON -- As part of an executive order, President Joe Biden is expected to announce Wednesday a stop on all new drilling in public lands and waters. The president will also set a goal of protecting 30 percent of U.S. lands and oceans by the year 2030.
Statement: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service punts on decision to list monarch butterflies under the Endangered Species Act
"It’s horrifying that the monarch’s population has fallen so low; it’s great to hear that the Fish and Wildlife Service, after conducting an ‘intensive, thorough review,’ agrees that the monarch deserves new protections. And it’s absurd that the agency is punting on any sort of plan to protect this important species."
Statement: Dual EPA rollbacks weaken clean water protections against toxic coal waste
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released two proposals today to roll back clean water protections against waste from coal-fired power plants. The first proposal would overhaul wastewater rules, drastically weakening safeguards that prevent utilities from discharging toxic pollutants like arsenic, lead and mercury into America’s waterways. The second proposal would significantly extend closure dates for coal ash disposal sites, allowing utilities to continue storing toxic coal debris in ponds that can leak or overflow, for decades.