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Unplugged: Midea Fined Millions For Wasteful Freezers
The Department of Energy on Thursday levied the biggest penalty in the 37-year history of the appliance energy efficiency standards program. It fined China-based Midea Corp. $4.5 million because of hundreds of thousands of inefficient compact freezers the company made. Most of the violations are for products sold under Sears’ Kenmore brand, including chest freezers…
Read MoreCitizens Clean Water Rights At Risk In Court
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a pair of cases that could cut back on the ability of citizens to enforce the Clean Water Act. Although different, at their core, both afford the court opportunities either to preserve or weaken the power of citizens to hold polluters accountable for harming our nation’s waters. The Clean…
Read MoreVictory For Sustainable Fisheries In New England
A recent federal appeals court decision protects the viability of depleted groundfish species like cod and flounder in New England.
Read MoreBoxer Throws Punch At Coal Ash
Some members of the Senate believe it’s acceptable to write up legislation to prevent the EPA from regulating toxic coal ash—and then attach it to a completely unrelated bill. They tried unsuccessfully earlier this summer to put it into must-pass legislation that would help maintain and improve our nation’s highway infrastructure. They’re considering including it…
Read MoreLung Association Poll: Voters Want Soot Protection
They have spoken! Nearly two-thirds of American voters are demanding stronger protections against one of the most dangerous and pervasive pollutants around: soot. Today, the American Lung Association released results from a national survey of 942 registered voters, finding that support for these clean air protections is broad and deep, with strong majority backing even…
Read MoreResident Orcas Attacked By Anti-Environment Group
A far right anti-environmental group based in Sacramento, California is trying to get federal Endangered Species Act protections removed from a small extended west coast family group of killer whales. This group of killer whales, or orcas, is known as the southern residents because they spend much of their time residing in coastal waters between…
Read MoreTr-Ash Talk: Legislating Disaster
In the aftermath of a major catastrophe, lawmakers and regulators should be held accountable to create new safety protocols to avert future disasters. Incidents like the Cuyahoga River catching fire and the Exxon Valdez oil spill prompted changes in how we protect our nation’s waters from industrial chemicals. The Buffalo Creek disaster in West Virginia…
Read MoreThe Shiny Scary Truth About Chromium
Chromium shows up in surprising places in modern society—most notably on car bumpers and furniture to improve how they look. Too often, the facilities that do this kind of plating put the carcinogen hexavalent chromium into the air in local communities where they operate. The highly toxic chemical was made infamous by Erin Brockovich’s work…
Read MoreYour Lungs Will Thank Us
Last Wednesday, a group of clean air advocates intervened to protect crucial air safeguards that will curb pollution emitted during oil and gas drilling. Unfortunately the state of Texas and their allies with the American Petroleum Institute and a variety of other state alliances of oil and gas companies are pushing back against these necessary…
Read MoreClimate Change Re-elected As Political Issue
Life doesn’t hand you many second chances to make good on promises. But that’s what the American public, with an assist from superstorm Sandy, has given President Obama: another 4-year opportunity to tackle climate change—the critical environmental issue of our time. He’s now talking about the issue again, after two years of near-silence, and just…
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