ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The clock is now ticking in Maryland as regulators wait out the required 60 days before filing a lawsuit against the federal government over polluted air coming in from other states.
Last week, Maryland's Secretary of the Environment notified Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt of the potential legal action. Vickie Patton, general counsel with the Environmental Defense Fund, said coal-fired power plants from other states are discharging dangerous air pollution that travels into Maryland.
That's frustrating, Patton said, because Maryland has taken steps to clean up its own air. She said the EPA has failed to address Maryland's request to crack down on upwind air pollution, so the state has no other option but to go to court to force Pruitt's hand.
"It's EPA's Scott Pruitt's fundamental responsibility to act here,” Patton said. "The nation's clean air laws put those responsibilities squarely on his shoulders. He's dragging his feet, he hasn't acted."
The 2016 petition claims that power plants in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are emitting nitrogen oxide at levels that violate a “good neighbor provision" in U.S. clean air law.
Patton said because the EPA hasn't acted, Maryland can't meet federal air quality standards.
"The EPA step in and ensure that those coal plants do their fair share to protect breathers downwind,” she explained. "Unfortunately, the EPA is not doing its job, and Maryland is suffering. "
Congress anticipated that bad air from some states would pollute others and enacted “good neighbor" protections. Patton said there's an interesting twist to the story when it comes to who was the first to invoke the law.
"(It) was a gentleman named Mitch McConnell, who is now the majority leader in the Senate and at the time was the county administrator in Jefferson County, Ky., that was suffering from upwind smokestack pollution,” she said.
Patton said coal plants have pollution-control measures in place but aren't using them.
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By Claire Carlson for The Daily Yonder.
Broadcast version by Trimmel Gomes for Florida News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collaboration
A newly updated wildfire risk map could help level the playing field for rural communities who don't have the resources to conduct their own wildfire risk assessments, according to the independent research group Headwaters Economics.
The map, first created by the U.S. Forest Service under the direction of Congress in 2018, shows wildfire risks at the county level and ways to mitigate those risks. Every U.S. county and tribal area is included in the map.
"With this tool, the data is available for everyone to use, no matter whether you have your own staffing and expertise to produce these kinds of resources or not," said Kelly Pohl, associate director of Headwaters Economics, in a Daily Yonder interview.
Headwaters Economics was brought on as a partner in the mapping project in 2020. The group made the map's new updates by incorporating the latest vegetation and climate data, advancements in wildfire hazard simulation modeling, and the most recent building and housing unit information from the Census Bureau.
Wildfire Risk Is Increasing
Better understanding local wildfire risk could be more important for communities than ever because of the map's recent findings, which shows that about one-third of all Americans live in counties with high wildfire risk.
"There are a lot of states in the East, especially in the Southeast, that have wildfire risk," Pohl said. "And we do see parts of the country have higher wildfire risk than we previously understood." Oregon and Washington are two such states, according to Pohl.
In many parts of the country, climate change has caused hotter temperatures and drier conditions. This exacerbates wildfire risk.
Grant Opportunities
The Biden administration has implemented several grant programs to better equip communities with wildfire resilience tools in light of this increasing risk.
In February 2024, the administration launched a $5 million pilot program for rural emergency response agencies to convert vehicles to wildland fire engines using slip-on water tank units.
In May 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) allocated another $250 million to the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program that supports communities to develop wildfire protection plans and remove vegetation.
The wildfire risk map's new data underscores the need for the federal government to "continue these efforts through Community Wildfire Defense Grants and our work to increase the pace and scale of hazardous fuels reduction on federal and non-federal lands," according to USDA's Forest Service Chief Randy Moore, who was quoted in a press release.
Information about the grant programs and other funding opportunities can be found on the wildfire risk map's website.
Claire Carlson wrote this article for The Daily Yonder.
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Advocates for North Carolina's coastal waters are raising concerns about the risks of deep-sea mining and suggesting alternatives.
The latest report from multiple advocacy groups makes the case there are better ways to meet our critical mineral needs and support clean energy without mining.
Emily Mason, advocate for the group Environment North Carolina, said the report points to reducing electronic waste as a more promising and sustainable way to meet mineral needs.
"The obvious solution is to do what we should be doing anyway and don't make disposable electronics, make good things that last, fix them when they break, and recycle them when we can't fix them," Mason outlined. "Instead of mining the deep sea, which is unnecessary and destructive."
She pointed out the report comes as leaders with the International Seabed Authority prepare to meet in Jamaica this month to discuss the topic and for the first time, possibly propose a moratorium on mining. In 2023, the authority missed the deadline to finalize and adopt deep seabed mining regulations.
The report also explained how deep-sea mining operations could irreparably damage vulnerable ecosystems off the coasts. Mason emphasized it underscores the importance of adopting a circular economy reducing the demand for new mineral extraction.
"We can dramatically reduce the amount of mineral extraction both in the short run and over the long haul," Mason contended. "We just need to adopt common sense strategies such as the 'five R's.' And those five R's aren't just your traditional reduce, reuse, and recycle. It's also repairing and reimagining products."
To minimize e-waste, the report calls on state and federal governments to adopt "right to repair" legislation. Research shows extending the lifetime of a product by 50% can reduce material needs by as much as a third; doubling a product's lifetime can reduce material needs by as much as 50%.
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Pennsylvania's landscape is being transformed through billions of dollars in federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which support numerous large-scale projects.
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., emphasized the multifaceted benefits Pennsylvania has reaped from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. He pointed to record-breaking investments in roads, bridges, water systems and transportation across the state.
Casey pointed out $13 billion was allocated to Pennsylvania for roads and bridges.
"For example, in Pittsburgh, raising the flood wall that protects the Parkway East and in downtown Pittsburgh, including the so-called bathtub section of interstate 376," Casey outlined. "That often floods during heavy storms. That's a $6.6 million project that will help ensure that it can stay open and allow for traffic to flow through."
According to Casey's website, progress has been made on key provisions in the Senate's initial fiscal year 2024 funding bills. The provisions cover a range of issues, from anti-drug efforts to economic development, and include more than $172 million for Pennsylvania community projects.
Casey noted a significant investment in the infrastructure bill provides funding for removing and replacing aging lead service lines in the water system in Pennsylvania.
"In Pittsburgh, that amounts to, in terms of the current funding, amounts to 4,900 homes and businesses in the city or surrounding communities," Casey explained. "That funding level is over $30 million."
Casey emphasized the infrastructure bill allocates significant funding to improve internet connectivity across Pennsylvania, particularly in rural areas where up to 30% of residents lack access. He added the investment in high-speed internet will also address urban dead spots and is expected to be one of the most transformative aspects of the legislation.
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