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It’s Time for EPA to Regulate Chemicals by Class

Union of Concerned Scientists

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is charged with the Herculean and crucial task of assessing which chemicals are innocuous and which ones need to be banned or restricted because they pose a threat to our health or the environment. Fortunately, EPA has begun a slow pivot toward assessing multiple chemicals at once.

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Protecting Public Health Is Complicated. But Science Can Help, and the Time Is Now.

Union of Concerned Scientists

When we breathe the air or drink the water, we’re taking in any potential contaminants all at once—with effects that can combine or even compound. Cumulative impact assessments look at health, environmental, and social factors (stressors and burdens) to help officials make better environmental decisions.

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President's Proposed Budget Cuts Will 'Incapacitate’ State Environmental Programs - $120+ Million At Risk In DEP’s Budget; Drinking Water, Wastewater Infrastructure Funding Cut 89%

PA Environment Daily

The Environmental Council of the States and the Environmental Protection Network reported this week the President's Budget Request issued on May 2 would cut over $1 billion going to states to administer federal pollution control and permitting programs, eliminating 16 of the 19 categorial state grants.

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Electric Vehicle Sales Continue to Grow, Despite What Some Automakers Are Saying

Union of Concerned Scientists

Second, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the process of setting regulations for future passenger vehicles—and casting doubt on EV sales is a tactic to push for weaker regulations. Sowing doubt about EVs to influence regulations? Are EV sales actually slowing?

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EPA Strengthens Emissions Controls for Facilities Emitting Cancer-Causing Ethylene Oxide

Union of Concerned Scientists

Last week, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized updated regulations for certain facilities that emit ethylene oxide (EtO), a colorless, cancer-causing gas. For the first time, the government will regulate fugitive or “unintended” emissions and require permanent total enclosure of sterilization operations.

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Supreme Court Sidelines Science, Threatens Public Health: These Rules-in-Progress Show What’s at Stake

Union of Concerned Scientists

To explore a small piece of what is at stake, let’s take a quick look at some of the rules currently under review at the EPA: Air emission reporting requirements If finalized and implemented, this rule will improve the way air pollution emissions are estimated and collected by the EPA.

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Memphis Facility Emitting Cancer-Causing Ethylene Oxide Gas to Close

Union of Concerned Scientists

In a major win for community members in South Memphis, Tennessee, a facility emitting a toxic air pollutant— ethylene oxide (EtO)—announced late last month that it will close its doors. We also estimated that EtO emissions contributed to more than 80 percent of the cancer risk attributable to toxic air pollution around the facility.