Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) News

Hey listeners, welcome to your quick dive into the EPA's biggest moves this week. The top headline? On February 12th, President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history: rescinding the 2009 endangerment finding on greenhouse gases and scrapping all GHG emission standards for light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles from 2012 through 2027 and beyond.

Trump called it a "disastrous Obama-era policy that severely damaged the American auto industry and massively drove up prices for consumers." Zeldin added, "The red tape has been cut. Manufacturers will no longer be burdened by measuring, compiling, or reporting greenhouse gas emissions for vehicles and engines. And the forced transition to electric vehicles is over."

This ties into the FY 2026 budget, which prioritizes energy independence by reevaluating rules like the Clean Power Plan 2.0, methane regs for oil and gas, Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for coal plants, and over 25 hazardous air pollutant rules. They're launching an Office of State Air Partnerships for better coordination on permitting, streamlining state implementation plans, and proposing at least four new source performance standards. Programs like Diesel Emissions Reduction and Radon grants face cuts to eliminate federal overreach, while Superfund shifts to taxes for cleanup and PFAS gets targeted with new methods.

For American citizens, expect lower car prices and cheaper energy—families save big on vehicles without forced EV mandates. Businesses, especially auto, oil, gas, and power sectors, gain flexibility, cutting costs and boosting jobs; one plant already reversed closure. States like California disagree—Governor Newsom slammed it as "pro-pollution," prepping lawsuits and own rules—while the U.S. Climate Alliance calls it a denial of science. Local governments see streamlined air permitting but potential backlash on backlogged plans.

Experts at the World Resources Institute warn of riskier lives: hotter summers hiking bills, extreme weather spiking insurance, lost crops raising food prices. No international angles yet, but it prioritizes U.S. economy over global GHG pacts.

Watch for FY26 rule proposals on power plants and oil wastewater by year-end, plus Class VI well permitting standards. Citizens, comment on epa.gov dockets or contact your reps—public input shapes these.

Next, track state lawsuits and budget congressional fights. For more, hit epa.gov/newsreleases. Tune in next time, subscribe, and thanks for listening. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.

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Welcome back to your weekly EPA update, listeners. This week, the biggest headline from the Environmental Protection Agency is their aggressive push on PFAS forever chemicals, with Administrator Lee Zeldin announcing major year-one wins under President Trump, including advanced drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS, Superfund listings, and treatment systems protecting over 9,500 households in California alone.

EPA's rolling out real action: they've finalized consent orders for PFAS foam removal at Maine's Brunswick Airport, installed 108 water treatment systems in New Jersey, and updated disposal guidance annually. Zeldin says, "Keeping Americans safe from PFAS risks has been a top priority... We're locating it, stopping it from drinking water, cleaning it up, and holding polluters accountable." They're also launching a coordinating group across offices to speed research and enforcement.

On deregulation, EPA's eyeing 2026 rollbacks like rescinding the 2009 climate endangerment finding and delaying Biden-era vehicle emission rules for cars and trucks through 2028, per C&EN reports. Farmers get a win too: strongest-ever dicamba protections for cotton and soy, halving application rates to 1 lb per acre max for two seasons, plus new temperature and buffer rules. And they've proposed Renewable Fuel Standards, setting advanced biofuel at 9.02% for 2026.

For American citizens, cleaner water from PFAS cleanup means safer health for families, but looser emissions could mean more air pollution—watchdogs note enforcement cases dropped 76% last year. Businesses cheer repair rights for farm equipment, saving costs, and dicamba limits balance weed control with drift risks; chemical firms worry repeal shakes investments. States gain from partnerships on Superfund sites, though some face haze program tweaks.

Experts like former EPA deputy Stan Meiburg warn climate science is stronger now, so repeal fights loom. Deadlines: dicamba rules kick in next season; comment on water certification by February 17.

Keep eyes on early 2026 final rules for power plant emissions and endangerment. Dive deeper at epa.gov/newsreleases. If you're near a site, report PFAS tips via their hotline.

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Here's your EPA podcast script:

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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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