Clean Air Act

View of George Washington Bridge between New York and New Jersey again sunrise or sunset sky

NJ v. U.S. DOT: Cordon Pricing in Manhattan

The State of New Jersey filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday to halt the Manhattan cordon pricing project approved in June by the FHWA, charging that they violated the National Environmental Protection Act.

July 24, 2023 - NJBIZ Journal

Electric big rig truck plugged into charging station

Can Federal Emissions Standards Hasten the Transition to EVs?

The EPA unveiled two far-reaching rules to tighten emission standards for light, medium and heavy duty vehicles that can only be met by transitioning to zero-emission vehicles. The proposal is certain to be challenged in court as an agency overreach.

April 17, 2023 - The New York Times

Electric Cars

Will California's EV Rule Spread to Other States?

Last month California banned the sale of new light duty vehicles powered by internal combustion engines by 2035. Over a dozen other states have the ability to adopt the same rule, but will they? The Associated Press investigates nine of them.

September 7, 2022 - The Associated Press

Navajo Generating Station, a coal-fired steam plant near Page, Arizona.

The Inflation Reduction Act's Secret Climate Weapon

While the impact on inflation of the questionably-titled Inflation Reduction Act remains to be seen, the law will mitigate the damage done by a landmark Supreme Court case in June that gutted the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

September 1, 2022 - The New York Times

Close-up of car tailpipe emitting smoke

Federal Rule Would Require Regional Emissions Reduction Targets

A rule shelved during the Trump administration would require states and metropolitan areas to set targets for reducing tailpipe emissions, but advocates say it doesn’t go far enough to mandate results.

August 18, 2022 - Governing

Madison Bike

Wisconsin Republicans Block Congestion, Pollution Funds From Bike and Ped Projects

It was always a risk that states would use funding from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to double down on the transportation systems that create congestion and air pollution.

May 1, 2022 - Wisconsin Examiner

Ohio River Power Plant

Court's Rejection of Trump EPA Rule Clears Slate for Emissions Regulation

A D.C. circuit court struck down a rule that limited the agency's regulatory reach to emissions "at the source" in the power sector.

January 28, 2021 - Bloomberg Law

Air Pollution

Report Quantifies the Effects of Trump's Environmental Policy Changes

With the signs of climate change all around, the effects of the Trump administration's environmental regulation rollbacks look increasingly dire.

September 23, 2020 - The New York Times

Pollution

The Trump Administration's Environmental Policies Have Consequences for Black Lives

A Trump administration decision not to tighten Clean Air Act restrictions on soot pollution will have more consequences for Black Americans.

June 21, 2020 - Vox

Boston, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Converts HOV Lane to General Purpose Lane

Road planners looking to increase capacity without adding lanes are focusing on managing existing lanes more effectively. Massachusetts has gone the opposite direction. The Conservation Law Foundation plans to hold them accountable.

October 12, 2019 - Boston.com

Muni Bus Market Street

Trump Administration Suddenly Holding California to Higher Environmental Standards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants to force the state of California to spend highway money on public transit, because of the environment.

October 3, 2019 - Eno Center for Transportation

California

California's Ability to Set Auto Emissions Standards to Be Revoked

The announcement was made Wednesday morning in a series of tweets by President Trump while raising cash from willing donors at several fundraisers in California. The formal announcement from EPA and DOT is set for Thursday.

September 19, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

COTA Bus

Columbus Makes Big Strides in Air Quality

Columbus achieved something no other U.S. city has managed: moving out of non-compliance with federal air quality standards for ground-level ozone.

August 30, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

Air Travel

Air Quality Slips After Decades of Progress

Southern California has long been leader in air quality management, but lately the news has not been good.

July 3, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Power Plant

It's Official: Obama's Clean Power Plan Has Been Replaced by the Trump Administration

It took less than a year for the EPA to finalize the Affordable Clean Energy rule, which will allow older coal-burning plants to continue operating, in the Trump administration's most consequential environmental rollback accomplished to date.

June 21, 2019 - The New York Times

corn field in polk county iowa

Summertime Ethanol Restriction Lifted to Help Corn Farmers—But at What Cost?

President Trump made good on his promise last October to lift the E15 ban in time for the summer driving season. Not mentioned by the Des Moines Register are the downsides to allowing the higher ethanol blend to be sold during the summer, e.g., smog.

June 14, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Pumping Gas

Trump Announcement Unites Big Oil and Environmentalists

President Trump announced at a campaign rally in Iowa that he would lift the ban on summertime sales of a 15 percent blend of ethanol, expected to increase smog levels. Both environmentalists and the oil industry oppose the action.

October 14, 2018 - PBS NewsHour

The Far-Reaching Consequences of Remaking the Mercury Emissions Rule

The EPA intends to review the rulemaking process behind the mercury rule, the subject of a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2015, to place more value on a rule's compliance cost to industry and less to its beneficial impact on human health.

September 9, 2018 - The New York Times

Coal Ash Waste

Making Older Coal Power Plants More Efficient Without Making Them Cleaner

At the center of the EPA's newly proposed Affordable Clean Energy rule is doing away with a permitting process known as New Source Review that requires coal power plants to add scrubbers and other expensive pollution control equipment when upgraded.

August 27, 2018 - The New York Times

Trump Administration Proposes to Freeze Fuel Economy Standards at 2020 Level

On Thursday, the U.S. DOT and U.S. EPA announced one of the Trump administration's most consequential rollbacks of environmental and efficiency regulations that will have a detrimental effect on climate change, air pollution, and oil consumption.

August 5, 2018 - The Washington Post

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

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