EarthJustice
Raising Shasta Dam Would Harm Many to Benefit a FewRaising Shasta Dam Would Harm Many to Benefit a Few The Trump administration is working with Westlands Water District to undermine California's environmental goals. We're fighting back. Raising Shasta Dam would flood critical parts of the protected McCloud River. JUNAIDRAO / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 When the federal government erected Shasta Dam back in 1945, the 602-foot dam created the largest water reservoir in California, but at a steep price. The project flooded the surrounding watershed, decimating tribal lands. The dam also blocked the path Chinook salmon followed for centuries to swim from the Pacific Ocean up to the McCloud River…
La EPA Debe Proteger Nuestras Comunidades de la Exposición Al Cianuro de HidrógenoLa EPA Debe Proteger Nuestras Comunidades de la Exposición Al Cianuro de Hidrógeno Todas las comunidades tienen derecho a un aire puro, y compartir una cerca con una refinería no menoscaba este derecho. El abogado de Earthjustice Joel Minor (izquierda) habla con Drew Dutcher, un residente de Denver que tiene que compartir su comunidad con la refinería Suncor. Matt Nager para Earthjustice Earthjustice escribió este blog en colaboración con el Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services y el Colorado Latino Forum. El cianuro de hidrógeno (también conocido como ácido cianhídrico, o HCN) es un contaminante tóxico emitido por las refinerías de…
Cómo Trump Puede Empeorar La Crisis de la ExtinciónCómo Trump Puede Empeorar La Crisis de la Extinción Un millón de especies están en riesgo de desaparecer debido a la actividad humana, de acuerdo con un reporte de la ONU, y aun así la administración propone debilitar las protecciones de especies nativas. La contaminación se posa sobre una garza gris que se encuentra cerca de una central eléctrica. Un reporte de la ONU encontró que más de 500 mil especies terrestres no tienen suficiente hábitat natural para garantizar su supervivencia a largo plazo. ALTA OOSTHUIZEN / GETTY IMAGES A pesar de un alarmante reporte de la ONU que advierte…
EPA Must Protect Communities from Hydrogen Cyanide ExposureEPA Must Protect Communities from Hydrogen Cyanide Exposure All communities have a right to healthy air, and sharing a fenceline with a refinery does not lessen this right. Earthjustice attorney Joel Minor, left, speaks with Drew Dutcher, a Denver resident who must share his community with the Suncor refinery. Matt Nager for Earthjustice Earthjustice co-authored this blog with Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services and the Colorado Latino Forum. Hydrogen cyanide, or HCN, is a toxic air pollutant emitted by petroleum refineries. HCN is a colorless gas that may smell like bitter almonds, old sneakers, or nothing at all. The U.S.…
EPA Worked with Mining Industry to Abandon Rule Protecting Taxpayers from Toxic Cleanup CostsEPA Worked with Mining Industry to Abandon Rule Protecting Taxpayers from Toxic Cleanup Costs Email records reveal industry’s heavy hand in eliminating an EPA rule requiring financial accountability. Toxic waste stains water yellow-orange near abandoned mines in Colorado. supitchamcsdam / Getty The mining industry played a key role in persuading the Environmental Protection Agency to reject a proposed rule that would have protected the public from toxic mining disasters, an Earthjustice review of thousands of agency records and emails has revealed. Under federal Superfund law, the EPA must establish rules requiring industries with a track record of hazardous pollution to…
State by State, Clean Energy Is Sweeping the NationState by State, Clean Energy Is Sweeping the Nation Washington is the fifth state to pass a 100% clean energy target, defying the Trump administration’s attempts to prop up fossil fuels. Gov. Jay Inslee signs a bill that establishes a 100% clean energy target for Washington state. Image Courtesy of the Office of the Governor Sporting a ball cap that proclaimed “100%” in big yellow numbers, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill into law earlier this month that gives his state what many are calling the strongest clean energy standard in the nation. The law requires that 100% of Washington’s electricity…
How Community Solar Empowers All of Us to Participate in the Clean Energy RevolutionHow Community Solar Empowers All of Us to Participate in the Clean Energy Revolution A growing trend aims to give anyone who pays a utility bill access to solar electricity. Pastor Marcus Harris of the Dupont Park Seventh Day Adventist Church speaks at an event to celebrate solar panels being installed on the church. Photo Courtesy of Groundswell Just east of the Anacostia River in southeast Washington, D.C., the Dupont Park Seventh-Day Adventist Church recently began attaching 168 kilowatts worth of solar panels to its sun-dappled roof. The electricity generated by this new solar array will not only power the…
Court Victories Signal Hope for Communities Threatened by Coal AshCourt Victories Signal Hope for Communities Threatened by Coal Ash Recent rulings are welcome news for communities like Danville, Illinois, which are stuck living next to toxic coal ash ponds that threaten their lives and livelihoods. Andrew Rehn looks at toxic coal ash waste seepage on the shore of the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River. Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune / TNS via Getty Images Danville, Illinois, a small industrial Midwest city, wants to transform its image from “the cheapest place to live in America” to a popular recreational tourism destination. The centerpiece of that plan is the Vermilion…
How Trump Could Make the Extinction Crisis Even WorseHow Trump Could Make the Extinction Crisis Even Worse One million species are at risk of extinction due to human activity, UN report says, yet the administration proposes weakening protections for native species. Pollution looms over a grey heron near a power station. A recent UN report found that more than 500,000 land species do not have enough natural habitat left to ensure their long-term survival. Alta Oosthuizen / Getty Images Leer en español Despite an alarming UN report that warns one million plant and animal species face extinction due to human activity, the Trump administration is poised to hasten…
Want People to Drive Electric? Give Them Workplace ChargersWant People to Drive Electric? Give Them Workplace Chargers The California Public Utilities Commission should approve a proposal to deploy more charging infrastructure at workplaces, apartment buildings, and public places. Electric car drivers Stephanie Tiffany, Shanying Cui, and Ari Weinstein (from left to right) purchased their vehicles after their workplace installed charging stations. Sara Gersen / Earthjustice When I was in the market for a new car two years ago, I was committed to buying an electric vehicle because I work every day as an attorney with Earthjustice’s Right to Zero campaign to fight pollution from vehicles and energy generation.…
Montana Judge Stops Mining at Yellowstone’s DoorstepMontana Judge Stops Mining at Yellowstone’s Doorstep Thanks to Earthjustice litigation, a proposal for a giant gold mining project near Yellowstone National Park is now entirely off the table. Emigrant Peak rises above the Paradise Valley and the Yellowstone River. Matthew Brown / AP Sleeping bag, check. Tent, check. Backpack, check. As people across the country prep for their summer vacations, residents and businesses in Paradise Valley, the northern gateway to Yellowstone National Park, are gearing up to greet them. A destination in and of itself, Paradise Valley offers the full array of the Yellowstone region’s iconic wildlife and magnificent…
Judge Rules Trump Administration Violated Law By Opening Public Lands to Coal LeasingJudge Rules Trump Administration Violated Law By Opening Public Lands to Coal Leasing Earthjustice attorney Jenny Harbine just stopped the Trump's administration's efforts to open up dirty coal leasing on public lands. Earthjustice attorney Jenny Harbine in Livingston, Montana. Harbine is working to stop fossil fuel development in the western United States, including fighting fracking, coal mining, and coal burning. Eric Ian for Earthjustice [Breaking News: A judge ruled on Friday that the Trump administration violated the law when it opened up America's public lands to coal leasing in 2017. Says Earthjustice attorney Jenny Harbine, who argued the case, “This…
It’s a New Day in Colorado as the State Finally Passes Meaningful Oil and Gas RegulationIt’s a New Day in Colorado as the State Finally Passes Meaningful Oil and Gas Regulation With SB 181, Colorado begins the hard work of regulating the health impacts of oil and gas extraction for local communities Earthjustice attorney Joel Minor works to protect communities from the harmful impacts of energy development Matt Nager for Earthjustice A version of this piece originally ran in the Colorado Sun. When the Legislature created the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in 1951, the state’s population was 1.3 million, and hydraulic fracturing was just an entertaining side project for a few swashbuckling geological…
Montanans Fight to Keep a Mining Executive from Polluting AgainMontanans Fight to Keep a Mining Executive from Polluting Again Tired of dealing with mining messes, state regulators are heeding citizen calls to crack down on serial polluters. Lifelong Montana resident Tim Flynn encourages his neighbors to rethink the assumption that Montanans must mine at any cost. He supports a state law that holds mining executives accountable for cleaning up their pollution. Eric Ian for Earthjustice [Editor's note: Recently, a district court judge struck down the state of Montana's decision to grant a water use permit for the Rock Creek Mine, dealing a second critical blow to Hecla's plans to…
Dusky Sharks Snatch Victory as Courts Tire of Trump AnticsDusky Sharks Snatch Victory as Courts Tire of Trump Antics Recent court rulings are the latest sign that Trump’s efforts to weaken critical environmental regulations are no match for the law. The dusky shark is one of the largest U.S. Atlantic shark species, and it is also one of the most imperiled. COPYRIGHT (C) 2004 ROBERT HEIL - WWW.ROBERTHEIL.COM Dusky sharks may be one of the lesser-known shark species. What they lack in name recognition, however, they make up for in all-around astonishing behavior. When they’re not busy eating other sharks, these 400-pound silver behemoths are known to migrate thousands…
What a Real Coal Ash Cleanup Looks LikeWhat a Real Coal Ash Cleanup Looks Like North Carolina has ordered Duke Energy to excavate and close all its coal ash ponds. A couple in Dukeville, N.C., looks across a coal ash pond full of dead trees. North Carolina has ordered Duke Energy to close all its coal ash ponds in the state. Chuck Burton / AP The toxic mess left behind from burning coal is a growing, nationwide problem. But we’re seeing that state governments can be convinced to do the right thing and clean it up. Recently, North Carolina joined its neighboring state to become a trendsetter…
Trump Chips Away At The Shield Against Environmental RacismTrump Chips Away At The Shield Against Environmental Racism To understand just how devastating such a rollback to core environmental law would be, we need only consider what the world was like before NEPA existed. President Trump seems willing to inflict pain to get his border wall. What is equally clear but far less visible is his attempt to tear down a very functional and important wall built to protect the health of local communities from environmental threats — the National Environmental Policy Act. In 2017, the Department of Homeland Security waived portions of the act to build sections of…
As EPA Drags Feet on Toxic Pesticide Ban, Parents and Teachers Take ActionAs EPA Drags Feet on Toxic Pesticide Ban, Parents and Teachers Take Action As we take the EPA to court to force it to ban chlorpyrifos, communities are organizing to protect their kids. Third-grade teacher Oscar Ramos believes pesticide exposure is causing a spike in learning disorders among his students. Martin do Nascimento / Earthjustice Bonnie Wirtz nearly died when chlorpyrifos drifted from a nearby field into her rural Minnesota home. Her son, also exposed, was recently diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder. Ackerman + Gruber for Earthjustice That night, the crop dusting plane flew so close that for a moment…
‘It Is the Largest National Forest, and I’m Going to Keep It That Way’‘It Is the Largest National Forest, and I’m Going to Keep It That Way’ Indigenous women from Southeast Alaska traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the Tongass National Forest and the Roadless Rule. Tlingit tribal member Wanda Culp traveled to Washington to ask government officials to protect her home, Alaska's Tongass National Forest. Melissa Lyttle for Earthjustice Courtesy of WECAN In Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, old-growth trees stand tall on remote islands surrounded by glacial waters. Recently, a delegation of Indigenous Alaskan women traveled 3,700 miles to the U.S. Capitol to keep them standing. The women came to…
New Head of Earthjustice’s Hawai‘i Office Takes on Environmental ChallengesNew Head of Earthjustice’s Hawai‘i Office Takes on Environmental Challenges Isaac Moriwake spoke with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser about climate change, water rights, and how you can lose the battle but win the war Earthjustice managing attorney Isaac Moriwake stands on his O‘ahu rooftop, which has been retrofitted with solar panels. MATT MALLAMS FOR EARTHJUSTICE This article originally appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser as “Name in the News: Isaac Moriwake.” The Hawai‘i office of Earthjustice, the environmental law organization, has been in the middle of some of the most contentious environmental issues in recent years — water rights, renewable energy, endangered…
Trump’s ‘Emergency’ Border Wall Threatens My HomeTrump’s ‘Emergency’ Border Wall Threatens My Home We’re suing the Trump administration over its attempt to manufacture a crisis and build a massive, hateful, unnecessary border wall. Descendants of Eli Jackson stand in a 145-year-old Texan church that bears his name. Construction on Trump's border wall may desecrate a cemetery next to the church. Image Courtesy of Sylvia Ramirez For some people who live along the U.S.-Mexico border, President Trump’s attempt to declare a national emergency and extend the border wall is worse than a wasteful, unconstitutional stunt. It’s an attack on their way of life that threatens to desecrate…- Earthjustice Attorney Draws on Tradition to Revive Hawai‘i’s StreamsEarthjustice Attorney Draws on Tradition to Revive Hawai‘i’s Streams Recently promoted to lead Earthjustice’s Mid-Pacific Office, Isaac Moriwake fights to ensure that Hawaiʻi’s cultural and environmental values are reflected in the law. Earthjustice managing attorney Isaac Moriwake stands on his O‘ahu rooftop, which has been retrofitted with solar panels. MATT MALLAMS FOR EARTHJUSTICE For Isaac Moriwake, the path to practicing environmental law was part of a personal journey of rediscovering his home in Hawaiʻi. Like many people born and raised in the islands, Moriwake grew up with a deep connection to the land and the ocean. In traditional Native Hawaiian culture,…
Trump Regulators Gave Oil Industry a Pass to Injure Whales, and We’re Fighting BackTrump Regulators Gave Oil Industry a Pass to Injure Whales, and We’re Fighting Back 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 Courtesy of The Guardian Recently, Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-SC) blasted a Trump official with an air horn. During a House committee hearing on the environmental impact of…
Trump Administration Waives Safety Rules Meant to Prevent Another BP Deepwater Horizon DisasterTrump Administration Waives Safety Rules Meant to Prevent Another BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Waivers and planned rollback of Well Control Rule put lives at risk. Fire boat response crews battle the blazing remnants of the offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon. Photo Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard President Donald Trump and members of his administration who hold deep ties to the fossil fuel industry have set forth to plunder America’s offshore and onshore public lands and waters, even at the cost of endangering human lives. As Politico recently revealed, the Trump administration’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has issued 1,700 waivers that…
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 Update, 3/6/19: The Trump administration has announced a plan to strip Endangered Species Act protections from wolves across almost all of the lower 48. Urge your governor to oppose this attack! Original post,…
The EPA Won’t Do Its Air-Protection Job, So We’re Putting It on NoticeThe EPA Won’t Do Its Air-Protection Job, So We’re Putting It on Notice We just notified the EPA that we will sue it in 60 days if it doesn't comply with the law. A haze of smog covers the Port of Houston. James Dillard Sometimes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s job can be complicated. Sometimes it has to explore questions on the cutting edge of science. But sometimes its job is really simple. This is one of those times — and yet the EPA still hasn’t done what the law requires. So, we just sent the EPA a notice of…
