Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) News

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The Trump administration's EPA is taking a major swing at air quality regulations this week, and it's shaking up how the government values clean air itself. According to Manufacturing Dive, the EPA is moving to overturn a Biden-era standard that lowered the annual limit for fine particulate matter from twelve micrograms per cubic meter to nine. That rule, which took effect in May 2024, was projected to prevent forty-five hundred premature deaths and deliver between twenty-two and forty-six billion dollars in health benefits. But manufacturers say the stricter standard is unachievable, and the Trump EPA agrees.

Here's what's really significant: the EPA just announced it will no longer calculate a dollar value for health benefits when changing pollution regulations. According to ABC News, the agency says the modeling isn't robust enough, though Administrator Zeldin posted that the EPA will still consider lives saved. Environmental experts worry this fundamentally changes how future rules get evaluated, potentially stacking the deck in favor of more pollution.

But the EPA isn't rolling back everything. The agency is actually cracking down on diesel engine manufacturers. As reported by the EPA directly, Administrator Zeldin is demanding detailed data on diesel exhaust fluid system failures that have plagued farmers and truckers. The EPA already issued guidance last August allowing farmers and independent repair shops to fix their own equipment, addressing years of frustration in agricultural communities.

On water protection, the EPA proposed new rules on January thirteenth that would restrict state and tribal authority under the Clean Water Act. Environmental groups say this weakens a critical safeguard, though the agency says it's streamlining the certification process. The comment deadline is February seventeenth, so listeners interested in water quality should act quickly if they want their voices heard.

The agency is also reassessing vehicle emissions rules and renewable fuel standards, signaling a shift toward balancing environmental goals with industry concerns. For farmers and businesses watching permitting timelines, the coming months will be crucial as these rules reshape.

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Hey listeners, welcome to your weekly EPA update. The biggest headline this week: On February 1, the EPA advanced a proposal to reverse the Biden-era Good Neighbor Plan, scrapping federal emissions limits on industries like steel mills, with trade groups cheering the move for more flexible state-led standards, according to Steel Market Update.

This fits a broader deregulatory push under Administrator Lee Zeldin. The agency is prioritizing rescinding the 2009 endangerment finding that underpins climate rules, delaying Biden vehicle emission standards for 2027 models—like tighter light-duty car rules and the Clean Trucks Plan—and revisiting PM2.5 air quality standards, which Biden tightened to prevent 4,500 premature deaths yearly, per Manufacturing Dive and C&EN reports. EPA press secretary Brigit Hirsch says they're making rules "durable" by focusing on law and costs. They're also dropping monetary estimates of pollution health benefits, like lives saved from cutting fine particles and ozone, shifting emphasis to industry expenses, as noted in Axios.

A bright spot: EPA launched its Environmental Education Grant Program, seeking applicants by March 3 for up to 16 awards of $200,000 to $250,000 each to boost local stewardship—webinar on February 5.

Impacts hit hard. Businesses and steelmakers gain breathing room from streamlined permitting, like the proposed Clean Water Act Section 401 tweaks to speed infrastructure without state overreach, per EPA announcements. States get more power on air plans, approving eight revisions in phase one. But citizens face risks—critics warn rollbacks could spike hospitalizations and deaths, complicating ozone compliance. Some chemical firms even want to keep the endangerment finding, says Bracewell's Frank Maisano, after adapting to it.

Quote from Zeldin: Rules need reworking to "ease costs for businesses and give power back to the states."

Public comment deadlines loom—extended to late March on pesticide registration streamlining via PR Notice 2026-NEW, docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2025-2863. Jump in at regulations.gov.

Watch for final vehicle delays and PM2.5 court fights soon. Dive deeper at epa.gov or grants.gov. Listeners, your voice matters—submit comments now.

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Welcome back to your weekly EPA update, listeners. This week, the Environmental Protection Agency's biggest move is proposing to revoke parts of the Biden-era Good Neighbor Plan, a step to ease air quality rules for upwind states and advance cooperative federalism, as announced on their official site and covered by the Environmental Defense Fund on January 28.

Under Administrator Lee Zeldin, the EPA is pushing deregulation hard in 2026. They're prioritizing repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding on greenhouse gases, which underpins climate rules—public comments closed in September, but lawsuits are slowing it, according to Chemical & Engineering News. Zeldin's team also plans to delay vehicle emission standards for cars, trucks, and heavy-duty engines through 2026, giving two extra years to rethink Biden rules, EPA press secretary Brigit Hirsch confirmed to C&EN. On chemicals, a final TSCA risk evaluation flagged unreasonable health risks from 1,3-butadiene for workers in 11 industries, per EPA's January 5 notice. They proposed a drinking water limit for perchlorate at 20 micrograms per liter to protect families, especially kids.

For businesses, this means lighter loads—streamlined pesticide registrations via a new PR Notice and delisting 2-BEB as a hazardous air pollutant cut compliance costs. Past Safer Choice Partner of the Year winners eliminated 830 million pounds of hazardous chemicals and saved 21 billion gallons of water. Citizens gain cleaner air potentially, but downwind communities worry about shifted ozone burdens, as Clean Air Task Force notes. States get more flexibility, boosting local control.

Newly confirmed Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall is ramping up enforcement against illegal pesticide imports to protect farms and communities, EPA said December 23. Proposed Renewable Fuel Standards for 2026 set advanced biofuel at 9.02 billion gallons.

Watch for SACC peer reviews on 10 high-priority chemicals in early and mid-2026, plus a January 29 roundtable on water quality certifications. Citizens, nominate for Safer Choice awards or comment on proposals at epa.gov.

Next, track vehicle rule delays and endangerment repeal progress. Dive deeper at epa.gov/newsreleases. Your voice matters—submit input today.

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Welcome to your weekly EPA update, listeners. This week's biggest headline: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin unveiled 500 top environmental wins from President Trump's first year back, according to an EPA news release on January 23. From cutting hazardous chemicals by 830 million pounds to saving 21 billion gallons of water, these wins highlight a shift toward practical results over red tape.

Diving into key developments, the agency is ramping up deregulation in 2026. C&EN reports EPA plans to push forward on rescinding the 2009 endangerment finding—the science backbone for climate rules—despite lawsuits slowing progress after public comments closed in September. They're also delaying Biden-era vehicle emission standards for 2027 models, keeping 2026 levels for two more years to reconsider tighter rules on cars, trucks, and heavy-duty engines. EPA press secretary Brigit Hirsch says this makes rules "durable" under the law.

On enforcement, a new internal memo scraps Biden-era guidance for a "compliance first" approach. Meanwhile, EPA announced draft notices streamlining pesticide registrations and a final risk evaluation for 1,3-butadiene, flagging health risks for workers in 11 industries. They proposed delisting 2-BEB from hazardous air pollutants and a drinking water standard for perchlorate at 20 micrograms per liter.

For citizens, looser rules could mean lower energy costs and fewer mandates, but experts like former deputy Stan Meiburg warn rescinding the endangerment finding lacks strong science amid robust climate data. Businesses cheer relief—chemical firms have adapted to rules and favor stability, per industry analyst Frank Maisano—while states gain flexibility in permitting. No major international ripples yet.

Watch for peer reviews on 10 high-priority chemicals in early 2026 and renewable fuel standard proposals for 2026-2027 volumes.

Stay informed at epa.gov. Comment on proposed rules via regulations.gov—your voice shapes this.

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Welcome to your environmental update. The EPA just announced it delivered five hundred environmental wins during President Trump's first year back in the White House, marking a significant shift in the agency's regulatory direction. But what does that really mean for you, your community, and your wallet?

Over the past year, the EPA has prioritized environmental deregulation, and that momentum is accelerating into 2026. According to recent reporting from Chemical and Engineering News, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced in March that the agency would review thirty-one regulatory actions for possible rollback. The agency is working hard to develop policies they say will make these rules more durable.

Here's where it gets consequential. One of the EPA's biggest targets is rescinding the 2009 endangerment finding, the scientific foundation underlying most federal climate rules. Former acting EPA Deputy Administrator Stan Meiburg warned that the current research supporting climate change is actually even stronger now than when this finding was originally established, and it has already withstood multiple legal challenges. Yet the current administration is moving forward anyway.

The EPA is also delaying vehicle emission standards. The agency plans to keep 2026 standards in place for another two years, giving themselves more time to reconsider two Biden era rules covering light and medium duty vehicles plus the Clean Trucks Plan that required cuts to nitrogen oxide emissions from heavy duty engines.

Here's the interesting twist. While the Trump administration pushes deregulation, the chemical industry actually wants to keep the endangerment finding. According to Bracewell consulting, chemical companies, though originally skeptical of the finding, have already incorporated required changes into their operations and fear the uncertainty of another major shift.

For everyday Americans, vehicle emission delays could mean slower progress on air quality improvements. For businesses, the uncertainty around climate regulations creates planning challenges, though energy and industrial sectors may see reduced compliance costs. States face questions about how to maintain their own environmental standards.

The EPA is also expanding investigations into illegal pesticide and chemical smuggling to protect national security and agricultural integrity, marking one area where enforcement is actually intensifying.

Watch for final rules on greenhouse gas emissions standards likely coming in early 2026. The House may also pass permitting reform bills like the SPEED Act and PERMIT Act, which could reshape how infrastructure projects get approved.

For more details, visit EPA dot gov or check your state environmental agency's website. Your voice matters. Public comment periods on proposed rules are your chance to weigh in.

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