Happy Easter!
In the news this weekend…
ESA:
- The New York Times reports after three years of planning and navigating the slow bureaucracy of federal rule-making, the Biden administration is restoring a series of protections for imperiled animals and plants that had been loosened under President Donald J. Trump.
- The Hill reports the Biden administration on Thursday announced a finalized update to Endangered Species Act (ESA) rules that advocates say reverses some Trump administration rollbacks but fails to fully restore them.
Safety:
- E&E News PM reports the White House has concluded its review of a long-awaited rule that would impose stricter standards on silica dust, a carcinogen that causes black lung disease among coal miners. The NMA is mentioned.
- Law 360 reports a coalition of six health and environmental organizations has moved to intervene before the D.C. Circuit in response to challenges brought by industry groups and Republican-led states seeking to upend the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recent final rule tightening federal standards for fine particulate matter pollution. The NMA is mentioned.
Coal:
- The New York Times reports the last two coal-fired power plants in New England are set to close by 2025 and 2028, ending the use of a fossil fuel that supplied electricity to the region for more than 50 years.
Energy:
- The Wall Street Journal carries an op-ed in which they argue artificial-intelligence data centers and climate rules are pushing the power grid to what could become a breaking point.