TOP STORIES

NPR – Western Wildfires May Take Weeks To Months To Contain

The Guardian – US Senators unveil text of $1tn bipartisan infrastructure bill

Oregon Live – 100 years after US soldiers drove them out, Nez Perce return to bless Oregon homeland

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Indian Country Today – Memo to Biden Administration: Less talk, more action

USA Today – Progress made but western wildfires continue to bring poor air quality across US  

CNN – Lawmakers consider withholding housing funds from tribes that discriminate against descendants of enslaved people 

The Hill – ‘The land is us’ – Tribal activist turns from Keystone XL to Line 3 

ABC News – Air pollution remained higher in minority communities during the pandemic, revealing persistent health disparities

High Country News – How yellowcake shaped the West 

KNOE News – Microplastic air pollution study continues during pandemic

The Hill – EPA announces new members of science board after firing Trump appointees

Law360 – Okla. Gov. Names New AG amid Jurisdiction Fight With Tribes

Law360 – Senator Calls For Better Native American Infrastructure

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Bloomberg News – Infrastructure Deal Includes Billions to Fight Climate Change

New York Times – Climate in the infrastructure bill: A substantial investment in resilience

High Country News – Climate change wreaks havoc on the electricity grid 

The Hill – Five key energy components of the bipartisan infrastructure bill

The Hill – ‘The land is us’ — Tribal activist turns from Keystone XL to Line 3

CPR News – Methane From Abandoned Coal Mines Could Be Key To Fight Climate Change – If Only It Made More Money Energy – DOE Awards $12 Million to Tribal Communities to Maximize Deployment of Energy Technology

Reuters – Two U.S. companies seek extension of trump-era solar tariffs

New York Times – Biden’s Climate Plans Are Stunted After Dejected Experts Fled Trump

NBC News – Earth’s energy imbalance removes almost all doubt from human-made climate change

CNN – Curbing climate change is auto mechanics, not rocket science

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Greenwire – How Biden’s EPA waste office pick could bolster equity goals

Energy News Network – Social cost of methane changes the equation for Colorado utility policy

Reuters – Biden wants U.S. automakers to pledge 40% electric vehicles by 2030 – sources

Indoor Air Quality

The Conversation – Air pollution exposure is shifting from outdoor to indoor – here’s why

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TOP STORIES

Upcoming Oil & Natural Gas Methane Rule

Comment deadline: Friday, July 30, 2021

The NTAA has created a template letter that your Tribe can use to comment on the EPA’s Upcoming Oil and Natural Gas Methane Rule, which is a pre-proposal public outreach effort by the EPA. The template letter can be downloaded here, or found on the PRK page of the NTAA’s website.

PBS News Hour – Wildfires are increasing health risks of already-polluted regions of the U.S., experts warn

AP – EXCLUSIVE: Biden mileage rule to exceed Obama climate goal

Los Angeles Times – Bipartisan infrastructure deal could advance as soon as today after breakthrough in talks

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Political Pro – EPA advisers eye improving air quality equity

National Geographic – Wildfire smoke blowing across the U.S. is more toxic than we thought

Seattle Times – How to prepare for wildfire smoke in your home, car and while outdoors

Taos News – Nonprofit helps Native tribes utilize their natural resources

NPR – Without Enough Water To Go Around, Farmers In California Are Exhausting Aquifers

Vox – The West is burning. Climate change is making it worse.

Yahoo – How wildfires can impact soil and cause it to repel water

Yale Environment 360 – U.S. power sector sees biggest one-year drop in emissions in more than two decades

The Independent – Cutting air pollution levels ‘improves brain function and lowers risk of dementia’, studies suggest

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Science – U.N. climate panel confronts implausibly hot forecasts of future warming

The Hill – Shocking video shows salmon almost boiled alive in heat wave

Lakeland PBS – White Earth Gives 48-Hour Cease-and-Desist Order to Enbridge

The Guardian – The cost of cooling: how air conditioning is heating up the world

Washington Post – How to cool down your home without relying on air conditioning

AP – Landslides, monsoon flooding kill over 100 in western India

Inside Climate News – A Triple Whammy Has Left Many Inner-City Neighborhoods Highly Vulnerable to Soaring Temperatures

Rolling Stone – Want Proof We Need a Civilian Climate Corps? Look No Further Than Louisiana

Vox – Our bodies can adapt to hotter conditions – but there’s a limit

The Guardian – Marijuana farmers blames for water theft as drought grips American west

Toxics/Mobile Sources

U.S. Department of Justice – Justice Department and EPA Reach Clean Air Act Settlement with Advanced Flow Engineering for Selling Defeat Devices

Houston Chronicle – U.S. natural gas exports to Mexico established a new monthly record in June 2021

Wall Street Journal – gas engines, and the people behind them, are cast aside for electric vehicles

Fast Company – This new study debunks one of the biggest criticisms of electric vehicles

Indoor Air Quality

NPR – Masks Will Return To The U.S. House And White House After The CDC Changes Guidance

USA Today – CDC and doctors call for masks in school. Will states, schools follow guidelines?

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TOP STORIES

On Thursday, July 15, 2021, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis held a hearing titled “Advancing Environmental Justice Through Climate Action.” The hearing reviewed opportunities to advance environmental justice through climate action, including targeting infrastructure investments to environmental justice communities, understanding the impact of extreme heat on low-income workers and students, and supporting tribal investments in clean energy and climate resilience. Nikki Cooley, Co-Manager of the ITEP Tribes and Climate Change Program, gave testimony during the call, representing herself as a Diné woman and a climate change researcher. Click here to see the recording!

Please join NTAA in welcoming Maxine Paul of the Pueblo of Santa Ana as the latest NTAA Executive Committee member representing Region 6 Tribes! Maxine joins current R6 primary representative Craig Kreman of the Quapaw Nation as the alternate representative recently selected by the Region 6 RTOC. Visit NTAA’s website to learn more about Maxine and the rest of the NTAA Executive Committee. Congratulations to Maxine for joining the NTAA team!

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

AP – Study: Wildfire smoke may add to COVID-19 risk

Indian Country Today – Monster wildfire tests years of forest management efforts

CNN – The Bootleg Fire in Oregon is so large, it’s creating its own weather

The Hill – White House details environmental benefits plan for disadvantaged communities

Indianz.com – ‘We are home now’ – Lakota youth return home after more than a century away at Indian boarding schools

Indianz.com – Morongo Band makes history with green energy project

High Country News – The Upper Skagit Indian Tribe calls on Seattle to remove the Gorge Dam

EPA – EPA, Forest Service Release Improved Tools to Equip the Public with Information and Resources on Wildfire Smoke

Greenwire – Inside the campaign to be an EPA regional administrator

LA Times – Vaccine ‘obstinance’ is fueling Delta variant’s spread across America

E&E – EPA faces environmental justice test with coal ash

High Country News – A broken system: The number of Indigenous people who died from coronavirus may never be known

Alaska Public Media – Treasury changes ARPA rules, grants all tribes $1 million

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

The Hill – CO2 emissions on track for record in 2023, energy agency says

NY Times – ‘It Is All Connected’: Extreme Weather in the Age of Climate Change

Politico – Could the voting rights fight hinder climate and energy policies?

The Washington Post – ‘Hawkpocalypse’: Baby birds of prey have leaped from their nests to escape West’s extreme heat

The Guardian – Flagstaff declares state of emergency as Arizona hit by devastating floods

Axios – Democrats unveil carbon border tax plan

NY Times – How the Moon ‘Wobble’ Affects Rising Tides

CNN – Athletes could face the warmest Olympic Games in decades

NY Times – Deadly Flooding ‘Shows the Urgency,’ of Climate Change, Official Says

Yale Climate Connections – Environmentalist drag queen says the outdoors belongs to everyone

The Guardian – How data could save Earth from climate change

Toxics/Mobile Sources

The NM Political Report – Report documents PFAS use in fracking in New Mexico

Indian Country Today – PolyMet air permit case sent back to agency

The Guardian – ‘Lightbulb moment’: the battery technology invented in a Brisbane garage that is going global 

Utility Dive – California approves expedited pathway for near-term utility EV investments, despite cost concerns

Bloomberg – Chevron’s carbon capture struggle shows big oil’s climate hurdle

Cronkite News – Transitioning from coal is the goal – how to get there is the question

High Country News – Mining for lithium, at a cost to Indigenous religions

Indoor Air Quality

Facility Executive – Four Ways To Improve Indoor Air Quality In K-12 Schools

Fox 31 News – How to choose an air purifier for wildfire smoke

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TOP STORIES

NPR – Wildfires In The West Are Putting Parched Tribal Lands In Growing Danger

NPR – Senate Budget Has Funds To Ensure Infrastructure Works As The Climate Changes: NPR’s Steve Inskeep talks to EPA Administrator Michael Regan about his agency’s current priorities: including water infrastructure, environmental justice and clean transportation.

Washington Post – Wildfire smoke is clogging skies in the Western U.S., Canada

NY Times – Climate Change Drove Western Heat Wave’s Extreme Records, Analysis Finds

Seattle Times – Crushing heat wave in Pacific Northwest and Canada cooked shellfish alive by the millions

USA Today – Record setting ‘heat dome’ could keep West sizzling all week as wildfires burn

CNBC – The West Coast is suffering from some of the worst air in the world — these apps show how bad it is

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

Politico – Democrats unveil $3.5T go-it-alone plan to fulfill Biden’s agenda

NPR – Your Trash Is Emitting Methane In The Landfill. Here’s Why It Matters For The Climate

Indian Country Today – More unmarked graves found in Canada

Navajo-Hopi Observer – Colorado River Indian Tribes become key water player with drought aid to Arizona

The Sun – Fighting wildfires requires even more tribal, local and state coordination

The Black Wall Street Times – Congresswoman Maxine Waters warns Tribes to stop discriminating against Freedmen descendants

The Washington Post – New Virginia state park honors Native American tribes that lived on the land for centuries

The Seattle Times – Historic summit of tribes across Pacific Northwest presses dam removal on Inslee, Biden, Congress

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Indian Country Today – Paradigm Shift: Tribe is now an owner of the power grid

The Hill – White House announces new head of climate assessment after ousting Trump-era pick

ABC News – How will the West solve a water crisis if climate change continues to get worse?

The Guardian – Biden’s clean energy plan would cut emissions and save 317,000 lives

The Hill – Energy Dept. seeks to cut cost of energy storage, boost renewables

Marketplace – Benefits of clean energy far outweigh costs, report shows

Indian Country Today – Ongoing threat: Thawing permafrost has damaged Trans-Alaska pipeline

Forbes – Highlights From The BP Statistical Review Of World Energy 2021

Carlsbad Current Argus – How Big Oil keeps a grip on New Mexico – with the help of a major lobbyist

Toxics/Mobile Sources

CNN – Volkswagen and BMW fined $1 billion for running emissions cartel

Global Banking & Finance Review – Exclusive-Shell plans to exit California joint venture with Exxon Mobil -sources

Traffic Technology Today – VIDEO: Will this car – that actually cleans the air – mean an end to inner city pollution?

ABC 11 – More reporting and resources about environmental justice

Market Watch – Just 25 mega cities produce more than half the world’s urban greenhouse gas emissions

The Hill – EPA approved toxic ‘forever’ chemicals for fracking in 2011: report

The Sacramento Bee – As wildfires intensify, California gets a grim reminder about far-reaching toxic smoke

Car and Driver – Volkswagen Reportedly Seeking Co-Investor in Electrify America

Indoor Air Quality

USA Today – The CDC has updated its mask guidelines for schools. Some states will listen, some won’t.

The Hill – EPA bans sale of COVID-19 disinfectant authorized under Trump

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

Special Announcement: EPA will be hosting Tribal listening sessions on today’s release of $50 Million in American Rescue Plan to help fund Tribal air quality monitoring. NTAA will be providing more information on this breaking story!

U.S. EPA – EPA Announces an Additional $50 Million Under the American Rescue Plan to Enhance Air Pollution Monitoring

CNN – First on CNN: Biden administration ramps up investment in environmental justice

U.S. House Appropriations Committee – Appropriations Committee Releases Fiscal Year 2022 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Funding Bill

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

U.S. EPA – EPA Announces Renewed Consultation and Coordination with Oklahoma Tribal Nations

WEKU – Another KY Coal Plant To Retire, But The Pollution Remains

Daily Sun – At Greyhills Academy in Tuba City, STEM students help chart their own course

NY Times – How G.O.P. Laws in Montana Could Complicate Voting for Native Americans

MSNBC – Former Obama EPA official: Biden infrastructure plan ‘strips out’ Black and Brown communities

MIT News – New approach could change how we track extreme air pollution events

The Hill – Focus shifts to EPA on methane regulation after Biden action

The Hill – NASA’s Mars helicopter breaks records in challenging, nerve-wracking flight

Tulsa World – Cherokee Nation becomes first tribe to self-govern tribal transportation

Science Daily – Air pollution during pregnancy may affect growth of newborn babies

Indian Country Today – Evon Peter: Seeking Indigenous success

Desert News – How religious freedom law fails Native Americans

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

NY Times – Dispossessed, Again: Climate Change Hits Native Americans Especially Hard

The Guardian – ‘We thought it wouldn’t affect us’: heatwave forces climate reckoning in Pacific north-west

The Washington Post – Climate Change has gotten deadly. It will get worse.

The Hill – ‘Eye of fire,’ Exxon lobbyist’s comments fuel renewed attacks on oil industry

Toxics/Mobile Sources

The Washington Post – Capping methane-spewing oil wells, one hole at a time

LA Illuminator – Science catches up to what residents of Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’ have been saying about pollution

Energy News Network – As car-centric Cape Cod tries to cut emissions, transportation is a challenge

NY Times – Here’s How Biden Aims to Increase Electric Car Sales

Reuters – Factbox: Lifetime carbon emissions of electric vehicles vs gasoline cars

KRQE – Auto dealers weigh in on NM’s proposed clean car rules

Indoor Air Quality

Gizmodo – Heat Pumps Are Ready to Have a Moment

NY Times – Masks Again? Delta Variant’s Spread Prompts Reconsideration of Precautions.

Wired Magazine – The 60-Year-Old Scientific Screwup That Helped Covid Kill

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TOP STORIES

The Guardian – IPCC steps up warning on climate tipping points in leaked draft report

CNN – House passes resolution that would repeal a Trump-era EPA rule on methane emissions

CNN – ‘We have to act and act fast:’ Biden says climate change is driving wildfires and historic heat wave

NEW! ITEP’s Native Voices Newsletter – June 2021

This issue provides highlights of the 2021 National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (NTFAQ), including recognition of the Virgil Masayesva Award recipients and a fond farewell to EPA’s Laura McKelvey. Also noted is information on the 2021 Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR). Past issues can be found here!

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NY Times – Air Pollution’s Invisible Toll on Your Health

EPA – EPA Announces $50 Million to Fund Environmental Justice Initiatives Under the American Rescue Plan

NPR – How 165 Words Could Make Mass Environmental Destruction An International Crime

LA Times – California’s drought and wildfire dangers rising at stunning pace

Washington Post – Trump appointees allowed terminated EPA staffers to keep receiving salaries, watchdog report says

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

AP – Blackouts in US Northwest due to heat wave, deaths reported

Mother Jones – Why the Northwest’s “Heat Dome” Is So Dangerous

Indian Country Today – California tribe declares climate emergency

Yahoo Finance – Nunavut communities tackle climate change using Indigenous knowledge and science

Vox – 6 crucial climate actions the Senate left out of its infrastructure deal

The Washington Post – Before condo collapse, rising seas long pressured Miami coastal properties

Retuers – Climate change threatens age-old indigenous food systems, says UN

Mother Jones – Climate Change Puts Homeowners of Color at Greater Economic Risk

Grist – California just committed itself to “an unprecedented amount” of clean energy

Politico – Northwest heat wave wilts new GOP climate resolve

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Reuters – U.S. biofuel groups urge EPA to curb oil refinery waivers despite ruling

Climate Home News – Mega oil project in Russia’s far north threatens Arctic Indigenous communities

New Republic – How Tax Breaks for Fossil Fuel Companies Inflated Profits for Oil and Gas Drilling

AP – Senate OKs bill to certify farm practices limiting emissions

Desert Sun – Oil bankruptcies leave environmental cleanup bill to California taxpayers

Diesel Technology Forum – 46.4% of Commercial Trucks Operating in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska now Powered by Newest-Generation Near-Zero Emissions Diesel Technology

Indoor Air Quality

NY Times – Masks Again? Delta Variant’s Spread Prompts Reconsideration of Precautions.

Wired Magazine – The 60-Year-Old Scientific Screwup That Helped Covid Kill

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

NTAA has published a template letter for Tribes to use to respond to EPA’s request for comment on EPA’s reconsideration of the previous administration’s Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule. The EPA has broken this reconsideration into two parts:

1. SAFE-1, which includes interpretations that led to the withdrawal of the California waiver, and
2. SAFE-2, which will address the fuel efficiency standards (and is expected to be proposed in July 2021).

The deadline for commenting on SAFE-1 is July 6, 2021. The NTAA has developed a Policy Resource Kit that includes a Fact Sheet and Tribal Template Letter for Tribes to utilize when commenting.

Be sure to check out this month’s NTAA EC Update Video posted on NTAA’s website under latest news here! This month’s update is provided by both Brandy Toft of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and Joy Wiecks of the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. If you don’t have time to dive deep into the NTAA Weekly Update, watch this quick video update to help give you the latest news from NTAA and learn more about the Tribes in Region 5! Watch the video here.

Please join a free webinar to learn about and provide input into EPA’s Tribal Indoor Air Quality Training and Resource Directory The Directory was created to consolidate helpful resources for tribes who are interested in starting or expanding Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) programs in their communities. The purpose of this webinar is to share this new resource and obtain feedback from future and potential users of this Directory. The Directory is being created by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) and the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA). Register here and if you have questions, contact [email protected].

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NPR – The Record Temperatures Enveloping The West Are Not Your Average Heat Waves

Atmos – The Land is Liminal

Native Sun News – Secretary Haaland to Make Announcement Regarding Legacy of Federal Boarding School Policies in Remarks to National Congress of American Indians

Broadband USA – NTIA Creates First Interactive Map to Help Public See the Digital Divide across the Country

Tucson.com – Arizona Legislature approves $100 million wildfire relief plan

Democracy Now – Arizona to Pay Prisoners $1.50/Hour to Fight Wildfires as Record Heat Scorches Western U.S.

The Hill – EPA announces new clean air advisors after firing Trump appointees

The Hill – Haaland announces program to review impact of Native American boarding schools

Indian Country Today – Tribe sues over hunting rights

EurekAlert – Exposure to air pollution increases risk for neurodegeneration

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

The Washington Post – Climate Change made Arizona’s heat wave worse. And it won’t be the last one.

AP – Western heat wave threatens health in vulnerable communities

NY Times – Tropical Storm Claudette Expected to Weaken After Causing Deaths and Damge

The Hill – California hydroelectric plant expected to shut down for the first time in 50 years

Reuters – U.N. warns drought may be ‘the next pandemic’

Texas Tribune – Grid operator says Texans can return to regular electricity use

Inside Climate News – Requiem for a Pipeline: Keystone XL Transformed the Environmental Movement and Shifted the Debate over Energy and Climate

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Bloomberg – Huge Methane Leak Spotted by Satellite Came From Gazprom Pipeline

The Guardian – A US oil company cut nearly 2,000 jobs – and reaped $2.1bn in pandemic benefits

NM Political Report – New Mexicans weigh in on methane as EPA considers new rules

NY Times – Big Oil Takes a Beating, but Its Investors Are Riding High

Reveal – Life in the drill zone

Indoor Air Quality

REMI Network – Scientists find lack of focus on air quality

Verywell Health – How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality to Protect Against Pollutants

Builder Magazine – A Builder’s Guide to Breathable Indoor Air

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

If you missed Monday’s NTAA’s national webinar and release party for the 2021 Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR) on June 14^th, you can view the recorded webinar and download the STAR on NTAA’s website here!

To help readers navigate the 130-page report, this webinar provided an overview of the STAR, shared the stories within the STAR, and provided the specific recommendations for national leadership to advance air quality on and around Tribal lands.

NY Times – G7 Nations Take Aggressive Climate Action but Hold Back on Coal

Earther – 7 Shocking Satellite Images Reveal the West’s Megadrought

Axios – Dangerous heat wave underway in West, will shatter records

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

The Hill – EPA to reinstate air pollution panel disbanded under Trump

NPR – Tackling ‘Energy Justice’ Requires Better Data. These Researchers Are On It

CBS – 90% of Utah in extreme drought as governor declares emergency, asks locals to conserve water

The Hill – Haaland recommends full restoration of monuments Trump altered: report

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Axios – Climate reality collides with rhetoric at the G7 summit

Gizmodo – Joe Biden Is Already Failing on Climate Policy

NPR – Tackling ‘Energy Justice’ Requires Better Data. These Researchers Are on It

NPR – Warming Climate Amplifies The Risks Of Wildfire Season

AP – Report: California encourages rebuilding in fire-prone areas

NY Times – G7 Nations Take Aggressive Climate Action but Hold Back on Coal

The Hill – State appeals court upholds approval of Minnesota pipeline

Reuters – Biden Administration proposes offshore wind energy sales near NY, NJ

Gizmodo – A Bizarre Coal Industry Propaganda Program Is Infiltrating K-12 Classrooms

Axios – Study: Key Antarctic ice shelf is speeding up its collapse

The Washington Post – Lake Mead reaches lowest level on record amid exceptional drought

Reuters – California tells public to prepare for heatwave; power prices soar

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Axios – G7 leaders to announce plan to phase out gasoline cars

Inside Climate News – 13 Refineries Emit Dangerous Benzene Emissions That Exceed the EPA’s ‘Action Level,’ a Study Finds

The Guardian – World oil demand ‘will rebound to pre-Covid levels by end of 2022

AP – NTSB releases report on Washington oil-train derailment

The Guardian – Half of clothes sold by online fashion brands ‘made from virgin plastic’

Axios – Study: Take-out food, drink litter make up vast majority of plastics in oceans

Indoor Air Quality

The Regulatory Review – The Urgent Need for Indoor Air Quality Regulation

Verywell Health – How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality to Protect Against Pollutants

Wyoming Public Media – Something In The (Indoor Air): A Paradigm Shift

Vox.com – Covid-19 proved bad indoor air quality makes us sick. We can fix that.

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

Washington Post – Alaska Native corporation to protect its land, dealing blow to massive gold mine project

E&E News – Acting air chief plots course for tackling Trump rollbacks

EPA – Air Pollution Trends Continue to Link Clean Air and Strong Economy

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NY Times – WAs Warming Fuels Disasters, Relief Often Favors White People

NY Times – Offshore Wind Farms Show What Biden’s Climate Plan Is Up Against

Bloomberg ­– CO₂ Reaches Its Highest Level in More Than 4 Million Years

Reuters – U.S. regulator tells pipeline operators to prepare methane curbs

Phys.org – Establishing a link between air pollution and dementia

The Hill – CO2 concentration levels hit record high, show no impact from pandemic

Indian Country Today – Native professionals embrace virtual policy work

Indian Country Today ­– The modern treaty: protecting Alaska Native land, values

Native Sun News Today – White Plume inspires ‘New Green Revolution’

Colorado Sun – Some of the worst ozone pollution in the U.S. settles along the Front Range. New rules to fix it are ahead.

Legal Reader – Research Confirms Air Quality Affects Student Test Performance

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

Indian Country Today – Protesters maintain blockade at oil pipeline site

Axios – The huge gap between today’s policies and Paris goals

The Hill – OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden administration moves to reverse Trump endangered species rollbacks | Putin says Nord Stream 2 pipeline nearing completion | Climate a sticking point after Biden-Capito infrastructure talk

Yahoo! News – California and much of the American West face mega-drought brought on by climate change

The Conversation – As more climate migrants cross borders seeking refuge, laws will need to adapt

The Guardian – Climate crisis to shrink G7 economies twice as much as Covid-19, says research

Live Science – ‘Glacier blood’ could be key to understanding impacts of climate change

Reuters – G7 leaders urged to show solidarity on climate change and COVID-19 at summit

Nature – More than one-third of heat deaths blamed on climate change

Forbes – This Is Why Climate Change Should Be Part Of Your Retirement Plan

National Law Review – Washington Adopts Economy-Wide Climate Legislation: “Cap-and-Invest” Approach Sets a Price For Carbon Emissions And Allows Washington To Join Existing Emissions Credit Markets

The Hill – Granholm launches ‘Earthshot’ goal of reducing hydrogen energy cost to $1

Toxics/Mobile Sources

BioMass Magazine – EPA seeks nominations for technical review committee

Axios – EVs are surging, but not enough to meet climate goals

NY Times – Climate Activists Defeat Exxon in Push for Clean Energy

MPR News – EPA alerts Wisconsin, Fond du Lac Band that PolyMet mine ‘may affect’ their waters

American Progress – Using Performance Management to Eliminate Greenhouse Gas Emissions From the Surface Transportation Sector

JD Supra – Air Regulators Tackle Trucking at Southern California Warehouses

Environmental Defense Fund – California Accelerates Toward Zero-Emission Vehicle Standards That Will Save Lives, Save Money, Create Jobs

NY Times – Crackdown on Emissions ‘Defeat Devices’ Has Amateur Racers Up in Arms

School Transportation News ­– Student Transportation of America Creates Electric Vehicle Program

Indoor Air Quality

Derby Informer – Home Upgrades for Better Indoor Air Quality

VeryWell Health – How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality to Protect Against Pollutants

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins

TOP STORIES

• The 2021 Status of Tribal Air Report (STAR) National Presentation will be held on June 14^th at 12pm PT / 3pm ET
  • The NTAA will host a national presentation to provide an overview of the STAR, share the stories within the STAR, and provide specific recommendations for national leadership to advance air quality on and around Tribal lands. Presenters include NTAA’s Executive Committee (EC) Chairwoman & Region 10’s EC Primary Representative Carol Kriebs, Region 4’s EC Alternate Representative Tiffany Lozada, Region 5’s EC Alternate Representative Joy Wiecks, Region 6’s EC Primary Representative Craig Kreman, Dana Adkins of the Chickahominy Tribe, the TAMS Steering Committee’s Chairwoman Tennille Denetdeel, and NTAA staff members Andy Bessler, Mariah Ashley, and Dara Marks Marino. To register for the presentation, follow this link.

• NTAA is producing a Policy Resource Kit to help Tribes respond to EPA on its reconsideration of the 2019 action titled, the “Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Rule,” for the purposes of rescinding the action taken by the prior administration.
  • NTAA commented on the full SAFE proposal, which included both the waiver withdrawal and the freezing of fuel efficiency standards, on October 26, 2018. This Reconsideration seeks comment on:
    • Appropriateness of EPA’s interpretations that led to the withdrawal of CA’s CAA waiver to set GHG standards and a ZEV sales mandate
    • Appropriateness of EPA’s interpretation that disallowed other states to adopt CA GHG emission standards
  • NTAA’s PRK includes a fact sheet and NTAA will be preparing a template letter for Tribes to use in submitting their own comments. The comment deadline is July 6, 2021. You can find more information and to comment, visit the Federal Register website.

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

NY Times – A Look at What’s Inside Biden’s $6 Trillion Budget Request

EPA – Statement by Administrator Regan on the President’s FY 2022 Budget

Bloomberg Law – Biden Budget Seeks Boost for EPA Core Programs and Research

EPA – Air Pollution Trends Continue to Link Clean Air and Strong Economy

The Hill – EPA officially nixes Trump ‘secret science’ rule

Indian Country Today – Unanimous: Supreme Court rules for Tribes as Tribal jurisdiction upheld in United States v. Cooley case

Native Sun News – Water protectors continue to disrupt Line 3 construction

School Transportation News – Cleaning the air starts with education on school bus role

High Country News – Will a Native-led Initiative spur an agricultural revolution in rural Alaska?

National Association of Clean Air Agencies – Washington Update

Climate Change/Energy

The Hill – Biden administration to suspend Arctic oil leases issued under Trump: reports

The Verge – A company wants to build a massive solar project in Montana—of course it’s for crypto

Nature – The burden of heat-related mortality attributable to recent human-induced climate change

Reuters – Hydrogen ‘a huge opportunity’ to replace fossil fuels, says U.S. energy secretary

Energy News Network – Cranberry farmers look to sweeten income by pairing crop with solar panels

Canary Media – Why roofop solar and home batteries make a clean grid vastly more affordable

Reuters – Digital divide: How to unmute climate voices in poorer nations

The Hill – EPA to revise Trump rule limiting state authority to block pipelines

Architect.com – The Butterfly Effect: Retrofitting Low-Income Housing

Toxics/Mobile Sources

NPR – The Week That Shook Big Oil

The Guardian – ‘Black Wednesday’ for big oil as courtrooms and boardrooms turn on industry

NY Times – Fixing What Highways Destroyed

NY Times – Can Removing Highways Fix America’s Cities?

NY Times – How do animals safely cross a highway? Take a look.

AP – Enbridge’s Line 3 oil pipeline enters critical month in June

The Guardian – Guyanese citizens challenge ExxonMobil offshore drilling on climate grounds

Reuters – Three Exxon refineries top the list of U.S. polluters

Washington Examiner – Greener cryptocurrencies in focus as Bitcoin faces environmental criticism

Gizmodo – Iran bans crypto mining after months of blackouts

Indoor Air Quality

Charkoosta – Arlee High School students win statewide award for radon testing

Be sure to subscribe to EPA’s IAQ Bulletins