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The Latest by Raviya Ismail

Press Secretary

Raviya was a press secretary at Earthjustice in the Washington, D.C. office from 2008 to 2014, working on issues including federal rulemakings, energy efficiency laws and coal ash pollution.

November 23, 2011

Tr-Ash Talk: Thank You!

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

It’s been a hard year for those of us who dream of our drinking water being free from coal ash contamination.  We waited for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to release standards for regulating toxic coal ash and were dismayed to find out they would be delayed until the end of 2012 or even 2013. …

November 17, 2011

Why Our President Pulled the Plug on Ozone Rule

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

A few months ago when the Obama Administration abruptly scrapped a stronger ozone standard, we were blindsided. Turns out, we weren’t the only ones. This New York Times article gives an illuminating look at the political wrangling behind the scenes of the decision, and indicates that EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson herself was blindsided. So much …

November 15, 2011

Tr-Ash Talk: Calling On All Skeptics

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

This week, the House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Energy and Environment will investigate how the Environmental Protection Agency incorporates science into its rulemaking process. Given that the EPA has been Public Enemy Number 1 for the GOP-controlled House, this is likely to be another opportunity for Republicans and their comrades to target the …

November 10, 2011

Sure, Inhaling Mercury Is Fine for Your Health

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

As part of the Poisoned Places: Toxic Air, Neglected Communities series, NPR investigated the toxic air pollution being pumped out of the Ash Grove cement plant in Chanute, Kansas, a town of roughly 9,000 people. The Ash Grove facility, which emits some 500 pounds of mercury a year when operating full blast, is not violating …

November 1, 2011

Tr-Ash Talk: Yet Another Coal Ash Spill

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

We’re closing in on the 3-year anniversary of the TVA coal ash disaster and there are still no federal regulations in place protecting us from coal ash. And now, another spill: in Oak Creek, Wisconsin a bluff collapsed, sending coal ash and debris from We Energies Oak Creek Power Plant into Lake Michigan. Writing this …

October 25, 2011

Science and the Law: Leave EPA To Do Its Job

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

In the back and forth between climate skeptics and conservationists, we’ve clearly got two things on our side (although many of our foes would argue this): science and the law. This point was clearly delineated during a panel discussing the congressional attacks on the Environmental Protection Agency (and the Clean Air Act and Clean Water …

October 11, 2011

Yes, We're Suing the EPA

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

Yes, we did it. For the past month several reporters have been asking us about our litigation plans following the EPA’s scrapping of a stronger ozone standard Sept. 2  as directed by the White House. Today we represent the American Lung Association, Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council and Appalachian Mountain Club in a …

September 21, 2011

Tr-Ash Talk: TVA Victims Want Justice

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

As a federal trial on the TVA Kingston coal ash disaster continues in Knoxville, some of our elected leaders in Congress are including the coal ash rule (already delayed due to heavy industry opposition) in a list of rules that will be analyzed – and likely even more delayed. But more on that later. The …

September 7, 2011

Tr-Ash Talk: Arsenic, Mercury and Lead Non-Hazardous?

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

Last month, Missouri had the dubious distinction of being one of the 12 worst states when it comes to coal ash regulations. In a front-page article that has generated a lot of buzz, residents of Labadie, Missouri have justifiably come together to oppose a new 400-acre coal ash landfill at a site where an existing …

September 2, 2011

President Bush — er, Obama — Keeps Weak Ozone Standards

By Raviya Ismail  /  Washington, D.C. Office

In July, we were mighty disappointed when the Obama administration announced a fourth delay of the ozone rule. That disappointment is tenfold today after the Obama administration announced that it would not strengthen weak Bush-era ozone health standards. Instead the administration is going to maintain the status quo until at least 2013, which means thousands …