President Obama has directed EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to drop proposed regulations that would have reduced ozone (smog), handing a victory to Republicans and industry that had opposed them, to the dismay of the environmental community.
Obama made the announcement on the same day that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported "no net growth in jobs in August". House Speaker John Boehner had blamed 'excessive federal regulations' as one of the causes for the dismal economic report, singling out the EPA.
"The Obama administration is caving to big polluters at the expense of protecting the air we breathe," Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, an environmental group, said today in an e-mailed statement. "This is a huge win for corporate polluters and a huge loss for public health."
"The EPA will revisit the ozone standard in 2013 as required by the Clean Air Act, Administrator Lisa Jackson said today (Sept. 2) in a statement."
From WSJ: Obama Asks EPA to Withdraw Proposed Ozone Rule. "In pulling the plug, the White House appears to have judged that it had more to lose from industry and Republican criticism than it had to gain from environmental groups and others who support the rule. It had already become an issue in the 2012 presidential campaign, with Republican challengers citing the proposal in speeches and debates."
Thanks to E&E Publishing - Greenwire Alert
Read the full story: Obama Asks EPA to Withdraw Ozone Rules
California Has 8 of the 10 Most Polluted Cities in the U.S.
Despite ever-stricter air-quality regulations and dropping emissions, the American Lung Association once again finds the state to have some of the worst air in the nation.
Supreme Court to Review EPA's Mercury Standard
The top court's decision on Tuesday to review the first-ever regulation of mercury is a setback for Obama's environmental agenda, in part because it has implications for other EPA initiatives including Wednesday's proposal to tighten the ozone rule.
Decisive Supreme Court Win for Clean Air and Public Health
In a huge and perhaps unexpected win for the EPA, the Supreme Court on April 29 reversed an appellate court panel ruling that had rejected their attempt to regulate interstate air pollution caused by about 1,000 coal-fired power plants in 28 states.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority