EarthJustice
Reading Between the Lines of Wheeler’s Pro-Polluter Agenda Reading Between the Lines of Wheeler’s Pro-Polluter Agenda The EPA nominee may not give the media a climate denial sound bite, but he clearly has no intention to tackle the problem. As acting EPA administrator, Andrew Wheeler has already pushed forward policies that favor polluters. CLIFF OWEN / AP IMAGES Former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler’s confirmation hearing Wednesday for the EPA’s top role offered the public a glimpse of how he’s likely to run the agency: with a mild-mannered tone that masks a climate denier agenda. Wheeler's testimony confirms that he's going continue to pursue much the same polluter-friendly policies…
The Storm Moved on, But North Carolina’s Hog Waste Didn’tThe Storm Moved on, But North Carolina’s Hog Waste Didn’t Earthjustice and our partners are working to prevent future hog waste floods in the area hit hardest by Hurricane Florence. During Hurricane Florence, concentrated animal feeding operations like this one in Warsaw, North Carolina, flooded the surrounding community with hog waste. Justin Cook for Earthjustice It’s been nearly four months since Hurricane Florence battered the North Carolina coast, dumping 9 trillion gallons of water on the state in the span of four days. In Duplin County, home to the nation’s largest concentration of industrial hog operations, the storm’s deluge laid…
With a Stroke of Red Marker, Zinke Leaves Interior to His DeputyWith a Stroke of Red Marker, Zinke Leaves Interior to His Deputy The new acting Interior Secretary, David Bernhardt, has been described as a "walking conflict of interest." David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist for major polluting projects, is taking over as acting Secretary of Interior. David Zalubowski / AP As 2019 begins, it's out with the old and in with the same old, same old. Scandal-ridden Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke released a brief farewell letter today in red marker. With Zinke's successor not yet named, David Bernhardt becomes acting secretary. The move swaps out one political insider closely…
Orcas are Dying, But a New River Restoration Plan Could Save ThemOrcas are Dying, But a New River Restoration Plan Could Save Them Federal agencies recently took a small step to stem the loss of salmon that are critical to the orcas’ survival, but removing four salmon-killing dams is the giant leap the region must take to revive both imperiled species. The Puget Sound orcas live in three pods named J, K, and L. Members of L pod, Admiralty Inlet, Oct. 10, 2009. Tatiana Ivkovich / Shutterstock Southern Resident orcas are struggling for their lives. Spanning Puget Sound and the waters around the islands and shores of Washington state and British…
The Border I KnowThe Border I Know If members of Congress knew the border I know, they wouldn’t be negotiating over funding for a massive, hateful, unnecessary border wall. Luis Torres and his family in Laredo, Texas, the border town where Torres grew up. Luis Torres / Earthjustice The following are remarks Luis Torres originally prepared for "Voices from the Border: the Social and Environmental Impacts of the Border Wall," a congressional briefing hosted by GreenLatinos, Earthjustice, and United We Dream Action. I was born and raised on the border, in the city of Laredo, Texas, which sits on the Rio Grande River…
Buses Are the Electric Vehicle Everyone Should Be Talking About. Here’s Why.Buses Are the Electric Vehicle Everyone Should Be Talking About. Here’s Why. California could spark a national trend with a visionary new electric bus rule that will transform public transit. Proterra is one of several companies manufacturing electric buses in California. Courtesy of Jeffrey D. Allred Dean Florez is preparing for what he calls "one of the biggest votes I’ve ever taken” as an air regulator at an influential agency with national clout. When he and 13 other members of the California Air Resources Board (the agency responsible for cleaning up California’s air and climate pollution) cast their votes on…
Tired of Losing in Court, Trump Administration Amplifies Attack on ScienceTired of Losing in Court, Trump Administration Amplifies Attack on Science The Trump administration is acutely aware of science’s role in pushing for effective government regulation, so it’s instituted a sneak attack on science. Participants in the 2017 March for Science in Washington, DC., protested the Trump administration's anti-science attacks. Molly Adams/Flickr Several years ago, researchers studying environmental causes of childhood autism found a link to chlorpyrifos, a pesticide widely used across the U.S. on staple crops like corn, wheat, and citrus. That study and others that followed led the EPA to ban the use of chlorpyrifos for most indoor…
A Stench That Sickens, and an EPA That Doesn’t CareA Stench That Sickens, and an EPA That Doesn’t Care The public can comment through Dec. 14 on an EPA rule that would shield thousands of livestock facilities from reporting toxic emissions. A flooded factory farm waste lagoon in Goldsboro, N.C. WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE, INC. / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 This holiday season, the Environmental Protection Agency intends to grant the wish of massive polluters to continue to release toxic emissions without reporting them. Defying recent directives from Congress and the second-highest court in the country, the EPA has proposed a rule that would continue to exempt large-scale factory farms from reporting…
Why the Earth Needs Good Lawyers in Bozeman and HonoluluWhy the Earth Needs Good Lawyers in Bozeman and Honolulu Earthjustice regional offices in Hawai’i and Montana are celebrating important milestones this year. Bison graze in Yellowstone National Park. Earthjustice's Northern Rockies office has fought to protect wildlife in this region for 25 years. National Park Service At Earthjustice, we take our job as the earth’s lawyer seriously. We stand up in court for our planet, and the people, wildlife, and ecosystems that depend on it. Because that work happens all across the nation and the world, we go where the fight is. Beyond our headquarters in the Golden State,…
The FDA Dumps Its Recipe for DisasterThe FDA Dumps Its Recipe for Disaster The agency finally nixed its approval of several cancer-causing food additives after years of advocacy and an Earthjustice lawsuit. The words “artificial flavor” on the ingredient labels of sodas and other processed foods can refer to chemicals that are known to cause cancer in animals. Dundanim's / Shutterstock Ever wonder what “artificial flavor” means when you look at the list of ingredients on a packaged food? In some cases, it means chemicals that are known to cause cancer in animals and could cause cancer in humans. Chemical and food manufacturers often seek to…
Together, We Can Rise to the Challenge of Climate Change — Even If the Trump Administration Won’tTogether, We Can Rise to the Challenge of Climate Change — Even If the Trump Administration Won’t In the absence of common sense in Washington, communities, cities and states are stepping up to take the lead. Wangan and Jagalingou cultural leader Adrian Burragubba visits Doongmabulla Springs in Australia. We’re helping Australian indigenous peoples, including Burragubba, take their fight against a giant coal mine to the United Nations. PHOTO COURTESY OF WANGAN AND JAGALINGOU Twelve years. That’s how much time we have to limit the worst impacts of catastrophic climate change, according to the world’s top climate scientists at the Intergovernmental…
Canada As Ugly Neighbor: Mines in B.C. Would Devastate Alaskan TribesCanada As Ugly Neighbor: Mines in B.C. Would Devastate Alaskan Tribes Southeast Alaskan Tribes have brought a human rights petition against Canada to protect the fish at the center of their cultures. The Stikine River runs through Wrangell, Alaska. Mining operations nearby threaten to poison fish in the Stikine watershed and destroy the traditions and livelihoods of Southeast Alaskan Tribes. Alaska Department of Fish and Game Mining operations in Canada are threatening to destroy the way of life of Southeast Alaskan Tribes who were never consulted about the mines by the governments of Canada or British Columbia. The Tribes have…
Ignored and Infuriated, Pawnee Stop Illegal Fracking Plans on Tribal LandsIgnored and Infuriated, Pawnee Stop Illegal Fracking Plans on Tribal Lands The government admits it failed to follow its own rules when approving new oil and gas leases on Pawnee land, part of a broader pattern of agency misconduct. Walter Echo-Hawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, discovered in 2015 that government agencies had approved oil and gas leases on Pawnee land without telling the tribe. Photo by Stuart Isett It was a typical summer day in 2015 when Walter Echo-Hawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, discovered fracking operations near his home on Pawnee lands…
Listen to the Cosmic Sound of Sandstone Arches in Bears EarsListen to the Cosmic Sound of Sandstone Arches in Bears Ears A scientist’s mission to record the humming arches of Utah’s national monuments Certain sandstone arches in Utah emit a steady hum. The Trump administration's attempt to gut Bears Ears and Grand Staircase could stymie geologists who want to study the phenomenon. Ron Adcock/Getty Images The sound is like a low, steady rumble, soothing yet powerful. Imperceptible to the human ear, the red rock arches in Bears Ears and Grand Staircase National Monuments carry with them the deep patterns of the earth’s plates sparked by events like ocean currents colliding…
Trump Regulators Just Gave Oil Industry a Pass to Injure Whales, Other Marine LifeTrump Regulators Just Gave Oil Industry a Pass to Injure Whales, Other Marine Life In its attempt to open up U.S. waters to the fossil fuel industry, the Trump administration gave a green light to conduct harmful seismic surveys. We're taking them to court. The Trump administration has authorized seismic surveying that will harm North Atlantic right whales like the ones shown here. Only about 400 whales of this species remain. NOAA photo The low, guttural bellows and high-pitched calls of the North Atlantic right whale may soon be drowned out—or altogether silenced—by the continuous blasts of seismic airguns used…
Trophy Hunter Kills a Famous Yellowstone WolfTrophy Hunter Kills a Famous Yellowstone Wolf The fate of Spitfire is a warning of what could happen to wolves elsewhere in the U.S. if Congress and the Trump administration proceed with plans to strip protections from these imperiled creatures. Lamar Canyon wolves in Yellowstone. In November 2018 a trophy hunter killed the Lamar Canyon pack's alpha female, a wolf nicknamed "Spitfire." Image Courtesy of Tom Murphy This week, a famous Yellowstone wolf nicknamed “Spitfire” was shot dead by a trophy hunter outside the park. Though the shooting was legal in Wyoming, the fate of Spitfire (who’s also known as…
We’re Fighting a Corporate Scheme to Sell the Mojave Desert’s WaterWe’re Fighting a Corporate Scheme to Sell the Mojave Desert’s Water Earthjustice is challenging Cadiz, Inc.’s plans to sell contaminated groundwater from a fragile ecosystem in southern California. Cadiz, Inc., wants to extract 16 billion gallons of water a year from beneath the Mojave Desert. Bob Wick / Bureau of Land Management At Earthjustice, we’re skeptical any time a company announces plans to convert public resources into private profits. Whether it’s natural gas extraction in national parks or logging in a national forest that would displace endangered species, we’re prepared to step in to protect our nation’s natural resources whenever…
A Just Way to Put Food on the TableA Just Way to Put Food on the Table From banning toxic nerve agent pesticides to protecting our farmworkers, Earthjustice remains committed to remaking our food system into one that nourishes and sustains life for all of us. Do you know where your Thanksgiving turkey came from? Jason Doiy / Getty Images For many people in America, Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the blessings of life — and to stuff ourselves silly with plate after plate of comfort food. This Thanksgiving, as the luckiest among us sit down to a bountiful feast, it’s also a time to…
A Polluter Lies to New Orleans City Council, Still Gets to Build Gas PlantA Polluter Lies to New Orleans City Council, Still Gets to Build Gas Plant Entergy Corporation faked public support for its proposed gas-fired power plant. The city council gave it a mere slap on the wrist. A protest against the proposed Entergy gas power plant in New Orleans East on March 3, 2018. COURTESY OF A COMMUNITY VOICE LOUISIANA An independent investigation revealed this week that Entergy Corporation was complicit in faking public support for a proposed gas-fired power plant in New Orleans. Despite the company undermining the approval process through deceit, the government is still allowing Entergy to construct…
Florida Voters Pass Offshore Drilling BanFlorida Voters Pass Offshore Drilling Ban Amendment 9 will help protect Florida's fragile coastlines from drilling regardless of which politicians run the state. A "vessel of opportunity" skims oil spilled after the Deepwater Horizon well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010. A measure on Florida's ballot this fall could help to prevent future spills. Image courtesy of NOAA Update, November 7, 2018: In a win for environmental health and clean energy, Florida residents voted yesterday to protect the state's coastlines from offshore drilling. The constitutional amendment, which also bans vaping in enclosed workplaces, passed by more than…
The Lessons We Didn’t Learn from the Largest Gas Leak in U.S. HistoryThe Lessons We Didn’t Learn from the Largest Gas Leak in U.S. History Three years after the Aliso Canyon leak, agencies and underground gas storage operators are still failing to regulate and share information about the toxic pollutants in stored gas. Three years after a massive leak at the Aliso Canyon underground gas storage facility in Southern California, residents of nearby Porter Ranch, shown here, continue to experience severe health conditions. Edward Clynes for Earthjustice Almost 15,000 residents of Los Angeles’ Porter Ranch neighborhood evacuated their homes in the fall of 2015, many of them suffering from headaches, breathing problems,…
