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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# EPA Under New Direction: What You Need to Know

Welcome to this week's environmental update. If you've been paying attention to what's happening at the EPA, things are shifting dramatically, and these changes could affect everything from the air you breathe to the infrastructure projects being built in your community.

The biggest story this week centers on the EPA's fundamental approach to how it evaluates pollution rules. The agency announced it will no longer assign a dollar value to the health benefits of clean air. According to reporting from ABC News, the EPA previously calculated how many lives would be saved and illnesses prevented by reducing pollution, but that calculation is now being stripped away. Administrator Lee Zeldin says the agency will still consider health impacts, but critics worry this change makes it far easier to roll back protections. Environmental experts argue this is reckless given mountains of medical science linking air pollution to asthma, heart disease, and other serious health problems.

This move is just one piece of a larger puzzle. The EPA is also proposing to repeal the 2009 endangerment finding, the scientific determination that greenhouse gas emissions threaten public health and welfare. That single finding underpins virtually every federal climate regulation. According to the Chemical Heritage Foundation's reporting, even some in the chemical industry have expressed concern about this potential repeal, as many companies have already restructured their operations around current climate rules.

On the water front, the EPA just proposed changes to Clean Water Act Section 401 that would significantly limit states' and tribes' ability to block projects that threaten water quality. The agency says this streamlines permitting for critical infrastructure, but the Environmental Protection Network argues it strips away state rights and empowers polluters instead.

The EPA also received an 8.8 billion dollar budget from the Senate, though that represents a 47 percent cut from the previous year. According to Waste Dive, funding will support Superfund cleanups and some PFAS research, but the reduced budget signals tighter constraints ahead.

What does this mean for you? Low-income and minority communities typically face higher exposure to air pollution and could see their health risks increase. Businesses may see fewer regulatory hurdles, but environmental groups warn about potential liability issues down the road. State and local governments are losing tools to protect their own waterways.

The next critical moment arrives when these proposed rules move into formal comment periods. If you want your voice heard, now is the time to engage with these proposals.

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Welcome to your weekly EPA update, listeners. This week, the biggest headline is EPA's proposed rule to overhaul Clean Water Act Section 401, aiming to slash permitting delays for energy and infrastructure projects by curbing states' ability to block them over non-water issues. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said, "Today's proposal restores the Clean Water Act to its intended purpose, protecting America's water quality and ending the weaponization of the law that has been obstructing infrastructure and energy projects vital to our nation's economy."

Key moves include a $1.1 million settlement with Home Market Foods over a deadly 2022 ammonia leak in Massachusetts, holding polluters accountable. EPA also proposed limiting states' power to veto oil and gas pipelines, proposed delisting 2-BEB from hazardous air pollutants, and set a strict 20 micrograms per liter goal for perchlorate in drinking water. They're pushing to delay Biden-era vehicle emission rules for 2027 models, giving more review time, while advancing pesticide fee deadlines—due January 15—and expanding imports enforcement against illegal chemicals.

For Americans, this means faster jobs from projects but potential risks if safeguards weaken—think cleaner water targets versus looser air rules. Businesses cheer streamlined permits unleashing growth, as Zeldin notes, though chemical firms worry about repealing the 2009 climate endangerment finding they've adapted to. States lose some veto power, shifting balance to feds. No big international ripples yet.

Experts like former EPA deputy Stan Meiburg warn rescinding climate findings ignores stronger science. Watch early 2026 peer reviews on ten toxic chemicals and public comments on Section 401.

Citizens, submit comments via EPA.gov on the 401 rule—your voice shapes it. For details, hit epa.gov/newsreleases.

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Good morning listeners, welcome to our environmental policy briefing. We're starting with a major development that could reshape how the EPA regulates chemicals across America. The Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency is moving forward with sweeping deregulatory actions in 2026, and they're just getting started.

The most significant headline this week involves the EPA's push to rescind the 2009 endangerment finding, which is the scientific foundation underlying federal climate regulations. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced in March that the agency would review thirty-one regulatory actions for possible rollback. According to recent reporting, the agency is finalizing a rule expected in early 2026 that would overturn this endangerment finding, along with rolling back vehicle emission standards that the Biden administration put in place.

Here's what this means for listeners. The EPA is planning to delay stricter emission rules for light and medium duty vehicles and reconsider the Clean Trucks Plan that required cuts to nitrogen oxide emissions from heavy duty engines. The agency will keep current 2026 standards in place for another two years, buying time to reconsider those existing standards.

Interestingly, not everyone in industry supports this move. According to environmental law experts, the chemical industry generally wants to keep the endangerment finding intact. Many chemical companies disagreed with the original finding but have already incorporated required changes into their processes, so repealing it would create uncertainty and cost them additional compliance headaches.

Beyond climate rules, the EPA is tackling other major regulatory changes. The agency proposed broad PFAS reporting exemptions under the Toxic Substances Control Act, introducing industry-requested exemptions while narrowing who must report. There's a catch though—the reporting window is being compressed from six months to just three months beginning sixty days after the final rule takes effect. This means companies with complex supply chains need to prepare immediately.

On the chemical front, the EPA announced final risk evaluations for five phthalate chemicals. The agency found unreasonable risks primarily to workers through inhalation during spray applications and manufacturing, but determined that consumer exposure levels do not pose unreasonable risks. This means regulation will focus on workplace protections rather than consumer product restrictions.

Additionally, listeners should know that confidential business information claims made under the Toxic Substances Control Act are expiring this year. If your company filed a CBI claim in 2016, it will expire in 2026 unless you reassert and substantiate it. The EPA will begin notifying companies of expiring claims beginning in spring 2026.

What should you watch for next? The final rules on the endangerment finding and vehicle emissions standards should arrive in early 2026. If you work in in

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The headline this week from the Environmental Protection Agency is its continued push to roll back major climate and air pollution protections, while Congress moves to cut the agency’s budget back to roughly 2012 levels when you factor in inflation, according to reporting from the Center for Biological Diversity and Chemical and Engineering News.

Chemical and Engineering News reports that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is prioritizing repealing the 2009 “endangerment finding” that says greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare, the scientific backbone for many federal climate rules. EPA officials say they are reviewing public comments now and aim to move forward in 2026 with a rule that could gut EPA’s authority to regulate climate pollution from cars, trucks, and power plants. A senior EPA air official, Aaron Szabo, has already signaled plans to delay tougher Biden-era vehicle emission standards for cars and heavy-duty trucks, keeping 2026 standards in place longer and giving industry more time.

At the same time, an EPA budget bill just passed by Congress would trim the agency’s funding by about 4 percent compared with last year, which environmental advocates say effectively returns EPA to 2012 funding levels once inflation is counted. That means fewer resources for inspections, enforcement, and community protection at exactly the moment when the agency is being asked to reconsider major safeguards on power plants, oil and gas operations, and toxic pollution.

For everyday Americans, these moves could mean more soot and smog in the air they breathe and slower action on climate-fueled heatwaves, floods, and wildfires. Businesses that invested early in cleaner technologies may now be competing with companies that can pollute more cheaply if rules are weakened, while heavily regulated industries see short-term cost relief but face long-term legal and policy uncertainty. State and local governments, many of which have set their own climate and air quality goals, may find themselves filling gaps if federal protections retreat, or tangled in court fights over whose rules control. Internationally, efforts to unwind climate regulations and the core endangerment finding risk undercutting U.S. credibility in global climate negotiations.

Looking ahead, listeners should watch for EPA’s final decisions on the endangerment finding, vehicle standards, and power plant rules, all expected to move in early to mid-2026, along with how the new budget shapes enforcement on the ground. To engage, listeners can submit comments on EPA proposals through regulations.gov when dockets open, attend local EPA listening sessions and Superfund open houses, and press their elected officials about how these shifts will affect health and climate resilience in their communities.

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Welcome to your weekly EPA update, where we cut through the noise to spotlight what's changing our air, water, and world. This week’s top headline: The EPA just postponed its perchlorate drinking water proposal deadline to January 2, 2026, after the longest federal shutdown in history delayed things from November 21, 2025. Perchlorate, that sneaky chemical in rocket fuel, fireworks, and airbags, contaminates water in arid spots like the Southwest—think potential thyroid risks for kids and pregnant women.

On regulatory fronts, EPA's tweaking HFC rules under the AIM Act to ease transitions. Higher-GWP equipment made before January 1, 2026, can now install until 2027 for variable refrigerant flow systems, and until 2026 for residential AC—buying time so builders aren't stuck with stranded inventory. Meanwhile, the proposed Renewable Fuel Standards for 2026-2027 slash RIN credits for imported biofuels to half, boosting U.S. energy independence and rural jobs. Total renewable volumes? Aiming for 24.02 billion gallons in 2026, up to 24.46 in 2027. Public comments close August 8, 2025, with final rule by October.

These moves hit home differently. Citizens get safer tap water timelines and lower climate pollution from cleaner fuels and refrigerants—EPA's strategic plan eyes GHG cuts through 2026 models. Businesses face adaptation costs but gain domestic biofuel edges; importers take a hit. States and locals prep for WOTUS comment deadlines through January 5, 2026, shaping wetland protections. Globally, HFC phase-downs align with international pacts.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan notes, "We're balancing innovation with safeguards." Experts at NRDC pushed the perchlorate delay, stressing the May 2027 final rule.

Watch for RFS finalization this fall and WOTUS comments now. Dive deeper at epa.gov, submit input on regulations.gov. Your voice matters—comment today!

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Welcome to your weekly EPA update, listeners. The biggest headline this week: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin just announced a major rollback of the Reactivation Policy, letting idled factories restart without full new permits unless emissions spike, as detailed in his September 18, 2025 memo. This clears decades of red tape for businesses eyeing comebacks.

On the regulatory front, EPA proposed tweaking hydrofluorocarbon rules under the 2020 American Innovation Act, raising the global warming potential threshold for cold storage warehouses to 700 starting January 1, 2026, then tightening it again by 2032. They also extended deadlines for lab equipment to 2028 and eased installs for pre-2025 AC systems. Meanwhile, the perchlorate drinking water proposal deadline slipped to today, January 2, 2026, after a government shutdown delay, with final rules due by May 2027. And watch for the WOTUS definition narrowing—public comments close January 5—dropping interstate qualifiers to empower states, per Zeldin's statement: "EPA is delivering on President Trump’s promise... advancing cooperative federalism."

These shifts hit hard. American citizens get cleaner air options without stranding fridges, but critics like Sierra Club's Erin Carey warn of weakened water protections risking pollution. Businesses win big—faster restarts and permitting reforms cut timelines, boosting jobs in manufacturing and energy. States gain flexibility on wetlands and haze rules, though local enforcers might tighten up. No big international ripples yet, but HFC changes align with global phase-downs.

Key data: Renewable Fuel Standards propose 9.46 billion gallons of advanced biofuel for 2027. PFAS reporting deadline? Pushed to January 11, 2026, for most firms.

Citizens, submit WOTUS comments by Monday via epa.gov. Upcoming: NSR preconstruction rule proposal in 2026, power plant GHG repeals early next year.

Stay tuned for final rules and budget details at epa.gov. Engage now—your voice shapes this.

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