Oklahoma U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin says he knows what he’s talking about in calling the EPA’s WOTUS rule “bureaucratic overregulation and red tape.” He experienced it as a small business owner and said the overregulation and red tape can threaten or even destroy a business. Writing in his latest “Mullin it Over” column, the …
Category: EPA
Quick reads of more energy stories
** The Department of Transportation Inspector General will investigate Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s use of government aircraft, a memo shows. DOT Principal Assistant Inspector General for Audits and Evaluations Charles Ward revealed the upcoming investigation in a memo to the assistant secretary for administration, reported Just the News. ** House Oversight Committee lawmakers launched an …
EPA stops rail shipments of Ohio’s contaminated waste to Texas
The federal government has ordered a temporary halt to rail shipments of contaminated waste from the Ohio train derailment site to Texas after officials complained they were not warned about receiving the waste. Federal authorities paused the shipments Saturday out of East Palestine, Ohio reported The Hill. The Associated Press also reported Region 5 administrator …
Energy quick reads
** U.S. power plant emissions of pollutants that harm human health and warm the planet fell last year as the industry continued a switch from coal to natural gas, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday. ** A federal judge has sided again with the Biden administration and a Canadian-based mining company in a high-stakes …
Energy briefs
** House Republicans are launching an investigation into the Department of Transportation’s response to the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, accusing Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg of being too slow to get involved. ** Multiple energy experts blasted Vice President Kamala Harris after she claimed that the Biden administration has successfully reduced home …
Brief energy highlights
** The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a hearing on the East Palestine derailment on an unspecified date in early March. ** Physical attacks on the power grid are likely to increase this year, according to a confidential industry analysis viewed by The Wall Street Journal, as attacks increased by 71% in …
Findings show FERC influenced by climate activists
Maybe the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission isn’t so independent as we’ve been led to believe. Recently released emails, Zoom calls, Zoom chats, text messages and more show how FERC apparently is getting a lot of political input and environmental guidance from climate activists. They came from the Institute for Energy Research reported Real Clear …
Arkansas files suit against EPA over rejection of coal plant rules
Another claim of “federal overreach” is made against the Biden administration. This time, it was made by the state of Arkansas which sued the Environmental Protection Agency and its decision to reject the state’s plan to comply with a rule governing coal-fired power plants. Arkansas filed suit after the EPA rejected plans from Arkansas …
Drummond adds Oklahoma to lawsuit challenging EPA’s WOTUS rule
In a lawsuit against the EPA’s newest WOTUS rule to take effect in March, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and 23 other Republican state attorneys call it a “final rule riddled with problems.” They also contend the rule exceeds the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies that adopted it in the …
Energy briefs
** The Biden administration turned down a request for federal disaster assistance from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in the aftermath of the train derailment in the state earlier this month that led to a large release of toxic chemicals. ** Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg shifted part of the blame for the recent derailment of a train carrying toxic …