Oversight
Still concerned about the Dakota Access pipeline? The feds are asking for comment, 7 years later.
The controversial pipeline near Standing Rock united the climate movement. Now regulators want the public to weigh in on the project’s environmental impact.
Management
GSA plans $2 billion in cleaner construction projects
The agency is utilizing funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to support 150 construction projects using “low-embodied carbon” materials.
Management
House proposes slashing $4B from the EPA
The GOP funding cuts, passed along party lines, would significantly impact state and local efforts to improve drinking water and reduce water pollution. Additional cuts would severely hamper environmental justice projects.
Oversight
GAO: Army Corps’ cleanup of Manhattan Project-era sites suffers from management, cost uncertainties
Although the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ cost estimate of contaminated sites associated with the early decades of nuclear weapons manufacturing sat at $2.6 billion at the end of fiscal 2022, that number could easily grow substantially over time.
Management
Are the White House's zero-emission goals for federal buildings unrealistic? Yes, say some Biden administration officials
Funding concerns and renewable energy supply could hamper Biden's ambitious goals for federal agencies, though the White House maintains it is on track to meet them.
Oversight
This little-known federal regulator could crack down on fraudulent carbon offsets
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is "uniquely situated" to stop carbon market manipulation.
Management
Federal agencies plan to spend $770M ramping up their electric vehicle usage this year
The Biden administration has ambitious goals to electrify the federal fleet, but many obstacles remain.
Management
Federal Agencies Could Save $6B by Electrifying Their Fleets, Report Finds
President Biden has ordered agencies to take swift action to stop buying polluting vehicles.
Oversight
EPA Sued Over Failure To Set, Update Pollution Limits
The lawsuit, filed last week, centers on the Clean Water Act.
Oversight
Environmental Groups Sue EPA Over Water Pollution Standards
A coalition of environmental groups claims the EPA has failed for decades to update limits on the discharge of some dangerous chemicals into waterways. Most of the worst polluters are in Texas.
Oversight
The EPA Faces Questions About Its Approval of a Plastic-Based Fuel With an Astronomical Cancer Risk
A senator questioned the EPA chief and a group sued the agency after ProPublica and the Guardian revealed that the EPA gave a Chevron refinery approval to make a fuel that could leave people nearby with a 1-in-4 lifetime risk of cancer.
Workforce
Hiring With Temporary Cash Infusions Won't Force Future Layoffs, Agency Leaders Say
As agencies look to grow their workforces, House Republicans warn they will not be able to support the increased staffing levels in the future.
Management
Biden Administration Opens a $250M Fund for Agencies to Make Their Buildings More Efficient
Agencies will be able to tap into infrastructure law funds as they try to meet Biden's ambitious government sustainability plan.
Defense
Pentagon To Halt Use Of Firefighting Foam That Contains PFAS As Cleanup Costs Mount
The Department of Defense will stop purchasing PFAS-containing firefighting foam later this year and phase it out entirely in 2024.
Oversight
EPA Proposes First-Ever Limits on PFAs in Drinking Water
The standards would force states to begin the arduous process of cleaning out 'forever chemicals' from their water supplies.
Management
Why the White House’s Environmental Justice Tool Is Still Disappointing Advocates
New changes “ended up making the program less focused on people of color than it originally was,” one advocate said.
Oversight
In Preview of Debt Limit Fight, House Republicans Target Climate Funds
A House Environment subcommittee voted to claw back $27 billion from President Biden’s climate law, signaling what the GOP may demand in future budget negotiations.
Management
‘This Is Absurd’: Train Cars that Derailed in Ohio Were Labeled Non-Hazardous
Ohio governor calls on Congress to investigate how that could happen.
Management
At EPA, Staffing Crisis Clashes with Expanded Mission
“The future of the EPA and our planet are at stake.”
Management