The Biden Administration has worked very hard to fulfill his promise cut US carbon emissions in half by 2030 to curtail climate change and disasters. They shepherded the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and implemented many pro-environment policies and actions. Unfortunately, President-Elect Trump has promised to undo much of this progress and climate experts are bracing for his policies, looking to states and non-profits to take the lead. So, starting on January 20, we will need to start monitoring a new and probably harmful trajectory for the environment.
But I have read several articles that give me some hope. Presidents don’t decide how much oil companies drill, and the U.S. is already the world’s top oil and natural gas producer. Oil and gas prices are set by the companies based on global supply and demand. One Exxon executive notes that a radical change toward “drill baby drill” policies that Trump is proposing will be tempered by fiscal restraint, because if supply is greater than the demand, prices will go down, which is bad for investors. Trump probably will roll back a lot of regulations and make the permitting process easier, making drilling less expensive and quicker. Trump’s promise of tariff’s could reduce demand worldwide, driving costs down or it could increase the cost of production, driving prices up—in other words, it’s a wild card. Then there is homegrown, cheap green energy which could cut into oil demand. Overall though, oil and gas companies are projecting a growing demand at least though 2030.
Importantly, in early December, Biden awarded over $100 Billion in grants for clean energy projects that will continue the deployment of clean energy even after Trump is in office, putting Biden’s administration on track to encumber over 80% of the funds from the IRA before he leaves office. Once a government contact is signed for a project, the government cannot revoke unspent project funds, even under a new administration. And altering the subsidies the IRA promised for tax incentives, which Trump has promised to do, would likely require congressional approval. This may be hard to do despite the Republican majority, because Republican-led states and some of Trumps close allies are deriving the bulk of the benefits and are already speaking up to congressional leadership.
Now for the numbers and specifics being tracked by The Washington Post about the environmental policies added, proposed, overturned, tracked and untracked from the start of the Biden administration until now.
Added: 116
Proposed: 73
Overturned: 98
Tracked: 77
Untracked: 57
Added between May 7 and December 5, 2024
- Reforming reviews of PFAS under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The EPA finalized amendments to regulations governing its review of new per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
- Ending new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin. The Bureau of Land Management finalized a decision to end new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin, which produces nearly half the coal in the United States. The move sets up a legal fight with Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R), who has promised to challenge it in court. President-elect Donald Trump is also expected to reverse the move upon taking office.
- Pulling from the market a dangerous weedkiller. The EPA issued an emergency order to stop the use of dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, also known as DCPA, a weedkiller linked to serious health risks for fetuses. The agency followed up by announcing on Aug. 28 that the sole manufacturer of DCPA products in the United States had voluntarily canceled those products.
- Replacing lead drinking water pipes. The EPA proposed new restrictions that would compel the replacement of all 9 million lead water pipes within 10 years. The proposal contains the strongest protections against lead in drinking water since the first limits were set 30 years ago.
- Protecting waterways from pollutants discharged by vessels. The EPA finalized standards limiting the release of pollutants and invasive species from roughly 85,000 vessels operating in U.S. waters. The final rule aims to address pollutants such as bacteria, pathogens, oil, grease and metals while preventing the spread of invasive species that can damage ecosystems and infrastructure.
- Reducing leaks of climate super-pollutants. The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a program to reduce leaks of hydrofluorcarbons (HFCs) from equipment such as air conditioners and refrigerators and require the use of reclaimed or recycled HFCs for certain applications.
- Protecting endangered species from herbicides. The EPA finalized a first-of-its-kind herbicide strategy aimed at protecting more than 900 endangered and threatened species from potential impacts of herbicides.
- Conserving 28 million acres of D1 lands in Alaska. The Interior Department protected 28 million acres of public lands in Alaska from oil and gas drilling, mining and other industrial activities that could threaten Alaska Native communities, vulnerable wildlife and pristine ecosystems. These areas are commonly known as D1 lands after a section of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
- Phasing out single-use plastics. The White House released a strategy that calls for phasing out federal purchases “of single-use plastics from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations by 2035.”
- Protecting farmworkers from pesticides. The EPA will assess the risk of a pesticide drifting away from where it is applied earlier in its review process. The assessment will now occur during the initial registration process, rather than during registration review, which happens every 15 years after a pesticide is approved. The change is meant to better protect farmworkers and people who live or work near farms.
- Limiting building in flood plains. The Federal Emergency Management Agency finalized a rule intended to prevent flood damage to taxpayer-funded projects, including schools and hospitals. The rule will require these projects to be elevated above the expected height of a flood. It incorporates both current and future flood risk.
- Protecting the dunes sagebrush lizard. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the dunes sagebrush lizard as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The tiny lizard is found only in the Permian Basin of southeastern New Mexico and West Texas, one of the world’s most lucrative oil- and gas-producing regions.
Proposed between May 7 and December 5, 2024
- Limiting smog from power plants and industrial facilities. The EPA proposed stronger limits on emissions of smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) from new gas-fired power plants and other industrial facilities. NOx contributes to smog formation, and long-term exposure is linked to asthma and other health concerns.
- Protecting salmon from chemicals used in rubber products. The EPA moved to gather information on the potential risks of N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD), a chemical used in vehicle tires and other rubber products. The chemical has run off from tires into Puget Sound and other waterways, posing a major threat to salmon. Three Native American tribes submitted petitions urging the EPA to regulate the chemical under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
- Planning for solar projects on public lands in the West. The Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management proposed an updated Western Solar Plan, which guides where solar development can occur on 31 million acres of public lands in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The plan seeks to encourage solar projects near transmission lines and away from protected landscapes and habitats.
- Banning several uses of cancer-causing 1-Bromopropane. The EPA proposed banning several consumer and workplace uses of 1-Bromopropane, a cancer-causing solvent used in cleaning and degreasing operations, spray adhesives and dry cleaning.
- Evaluating the risks of high-priority toxic chemicals. The EPA will prioritize the risk evaluation of five potentially toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride, which is widely used to create PVC and other consumer goods. Read more »
- Protecting workers from extreme heat. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed a rule outlining steps employers must take to protect workers from the risk of heat illness — the first major federal regulation aimed at preventing heat-related deaths on the job.
Targeted between May 7 and December 5, 2024
- BIDEN SUED. Delaying the chlorpyrifos ban. In December 2024, the EPA proposed to revoke most uses of chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to neurological damage, on food crops. In August 2023, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals had vacated the EPA’s prior ban on chlorpyrifos on food crops.
- Banning N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). Biden officials finished a risk evaluation of NMP, a toxic chemical used in paint strippers, and proposed a rule that would ban some uses that cannot safely continue.
For a deeper dive and to find links to look up specific categories of air pollution and greenhouse gases, chemical safety, drilling and extraction, infrastructure and permitting, accountability, water pollution, and wildlife, click here:
Sources: bloomburg.com – November 26, 2024; NPR – December 6, 2024; Akron Beacon Journal – November 20 and December 4, 2024; The Washington Post, “Tracking Biden’s Environmental Actions”– December 5.2024.