EnviroPolitics Blog

Pa’s Rep. Fitzpatrick is lone Pa. GOP vote against Trump’s ‘big bill’

Fitzpatrick, a moderate from Bucks County, was one of two Republicans in the House to vote against the measure.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.) speaks during the opening session of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) Legislative Conference at the Hilton Washington DC National Mall The Wharf, Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Washington. Rod Lamkey, Jr. / AP Photo

By Julia Terruso, Philadelphia Inquirer

House Republicans passed President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic spending and tax policy package Thursday — without the help of one member: U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick, a moderate who represents Bucks County, joined one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.) and all Democrats in voting against the bill on final passage. He had also opposed a procedural vote late Wednesday, signaling his opposition to the legislation. The bill, which passed the House 218-214, now heads to Trump’s desk for signing.

In a statement, Fitzpatrick said the Senate’s amendments to Medicaid prompted his change of heart. He had voted for the House version of the bill in May, which passed by just one vote.

“The original House language was written in a way that protected our community; the Senate amendments fell short of our standard,” he said in a statement. “I believe in, and will always fight for, policies that are thoughtful, compassionate, and good for our community.”

Fitzpatrick’s vote against the bill surprised many Republican colleagues, as he hadn’t publicly expressed doubt or concern with it, and wasn’t actively being lobbied by GOP leadership.

Pennsylvania’s nine other Republican members of Congress voted against the bill, which is expected to become a major target of attack in the 2026 midterm elections.

The bill re-ups Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, increases defense, energy production, and border security spending, and reduces federal spending on Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP. It is projected by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to increase the deficit by $3.3 trillion.

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In the nation’s Cradle of Independence, this holiday weekend stinks

Philly residents moving forward with July 4th barbeques despite no trash service

By Shawnette Wilson, FOX 29

WEST PHILADELPHIA – You might have seen it or smelled it. Trash is piling up across the city and as the holiday weekend rapidly approaches, residents are saying they are still planning to celebrate in the birthplace of America, no matter what.

What we know:

July Fourth celebrations in Philly will happen even as residents struggle with trash pickup during a strike of municipal workers.

What they’re saying:

“If anyone is trying to use this strike or work stoppage as a reason to not visit the city of Philadelphia and be with us on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for the 4th of July, they’ve given you an excuse. But we are going to have an amazing time,” said Mayor Cherelle Parker during a news conference Wednesday. She said the show will go on even with the interruption of some city services.

And some residents are saying the same thing about their own celebrations.

“Probably cook and grill a little bit. That is not going to change anything,” said Toni Aikens who says the pause in trash pickup will not stop her from moving the grill from her porch to the street Friday.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer

As the DC 33 worker strike grinds on, residents are being asked to bring their garbage to one of 60 drop-off sites the city had set up across the city. There are also six sanitation convenience centers, which will be open daily from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.

The city says residents can bring up to eight bags of trash on their given collection day to a drop-off site, which will be open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.

As for overflowing dumpsters and bags of trash littering sidewalks, Crystal Jacobs Shipman, the commissioner of the Department of Sanitation, said vendors were attempting to replace full containers with empty ones multiple times per day, but are running into issues causing delays.

Mayor, DC 33 leadership failed to reach deal and talks are not expected to resume today

In the nation’s Cradle of Independence, this holiday weekend stinks Read More »

Weekend suggestion: Go take a hike

Blue Mountain Lake and Hemlock Pond Loop

Blue Mountain Lake surrounded by pink mountain laurel.

Hike a loop to Indian Rocks, Hemlock Pond, and Blue Mountain Lake in the Delaware Water Gap.

5.5 or 2.6 miles, total round trip. Mostly wide woods roads that aren’t that rocky, with minor elevation gain, but are quite grassy.

5.5 miles	This hike guide: Detailed instructions, photos, and video follow below.
Shorter	2.6 – Just to Blue Mountain Lake, skipping Hemlock Pond. Noted below.
Longer	7.8 – Add a loop around Crater Lake. Noted below.
Nearby	Crater Lake and Hemlock Pond Loop; Crater Lake to Blue Mountain; Buttermilk Falls (falls only); Buttermilk Falls, Crater Lake, Hemlock Pond; Silver Spray Falls; Van Campens Glen; Millbrook Village and Van Campens Glen; Catfish Fire Tower; Tillman Ravine.

Our two cents:

This is an enjoyable, not overly-taxing route on woods roads with a viewpoint, scenic pond, and a pretty lake all packed into a manageable length.

Abundant mountain laurel in the area. The trails should be suitable for snowshoeing or cross-country sking. While swimming is allowed at Blue Mountain Lake, there are no lifeguards – so be careful if you choose to do so.

The “Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area” is located in New Jersey. “Blue Mountain Lake” is not to be confused with the “Blue Mountain Loop” in Stokes State Forest: Blue Mountain Loop – Upper or Blue Mountain Loop – Lower (but these are great hikes too!)

This is an alternate trailhead if you planned on hiking from Crater Lake and found that lot closed. In winter, the road is gated just after this parking lot.

Hike Info:

–Trail Map
–Park info/map
–Interactive Map

Map:

Kittatinny Trails. Follow along on your smartphone with our Interactive Map link above.

Parking: N41.09840° W74.93539°

“Blue Mountain Lakes Parking”, 34 Flatbrookville Stillwater Rd, Layton, NJ 07851. Large paved lot on the left side, with an entrance on either end.

If approaching via Rt 80 W, take exit 12 towards Rt. 521 and Blairstown (several quick turns here). Turn L on Rt 94, then soon turn R on Stillwater Rd, then very quick veer L on Bridge St, then sharp R on High St, veer L on Millbrook Rd. At Millbrook Village, turn R on Old Mine Rd, then R Flatbrookville Stillwater Rd, lot on the left.

Restrooms:

Composting toilet in the parking lot.

Read the full post here

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Here’s where new recycling laws are taking effect this month

Multiple states are banning EPS foam food containers, and Oregon’s packaging EPR program begins. Elsewhere, there are bottle bill and hotel product updates.

By Maria Rachal, Waste Dive

Numerous new state packaging policies have taken effect in 2025 already, including bottle bill updates, PFAS bans and restrictions on certain checkout bags. But the halfway point of the year is another common time for provisions to kick in. Multiple states have packaging-related laws taking force in July, including those related to extended producer responsibility and bans on some items.

New Hampshire’s ban on lithium-ion battery disposal goes into effect July 1. Households and businesses alike will need to dispose of the batteries and devices like cell phones, printers, copiers, fax machines and a range of computer accessories at designated drop-off locations.

A new “commingling cooperative” led by brand owners is set to take over deposit collections for Maine’s bottle bill program on July 15. The cooperative will usher in several changes to the program, including looser sorting requirements for redemption centers. The shift was outlined in a bottle bill update the state enacted in 2023.

In Delaware, restaurants and other food service establishments will be prohibited from providing polystyrene foam containers for ready-to-eat food or beverages come July 1. That’s under a 2023 update that also applies to single-service plastic coffee stirrers, cocktail picks or sandwich picks.

Read the full story here

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Anti-Musk boycott shows staying power as Tesla sales re-plunge

FILE – President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speak to reporters as they sit in a red Model S Tesla vehicle on the South Lawn of the White House, March 11, 2025, in Washington. (Pool via AP, File)

By The Associated Press UPDATED: July 2, 2025 at 1:37 PM EDT

By BERNARD CONDON, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Sales of Tesla electric cars fell sharply in the last three months as boycotts over Elon Musk’s political views continue to keep buyers away, a significant development given expectations that anger with the company’s billionaire CEO would have faded by now.

The 13% sales plunge over a year earlier suggests Musk’s embrace of U.S. President Donald Trump and far-right politicians in Europe has had a deep and enduring impact on Tesla’s brand appeal. The new figures reported by Tesla on Wednesday also show rival electric-vehicle makers have wasted no time pouncing on the company’s weakness to steal market share, and signals Tesla’s quarterly earnings report later this month could also disappoint.

Sales fell to 384,122 in April through June, down from 443,956 in the same three months last year. During the latest period, Musk formally left the Trump administration as a cost-cutting czar, and hopes rose that sales would recover. Musk himself recently said that Tesla was in a “major rebound” in sales.

Tesla’s quarterly deliveries fall sharper than analysts’ estimates

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NJ Senate passes bill to spur transmission scale energy storage

News From The NJ Senate Democrats

TRENTON – The Senate approved legislation from Senator Bob Smith and Senator John Burzichelli to require the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to establish a program to procure and incentivize the development of transmission-scale energy storage systems.

In essence, energy storage systems are a technology that stores generated energy for use at a later time. For example, solar panels and wind turbines produce energy when the sun is out or when there is sufficient wind. Absent the correct conditions, they do not produce the amount of energy that may be needed to satisfy the demand for electricity at a given time. Energy storage systems allow surplus energy to be captured and stored for later use, such as when demand is particularly high or when other conditions, like lack of sun, reduce the amount of energy that can be generated. In doing so, they can reduce energy costs, improve grid resilience, and make a variety of different energy types more reliable.

“The benefits of energy storage systems are hard to understate. They enable wider application of clean, renewable energy and they can more broadly reduce energy costs by charging during low-demand, low-cost hours and discharging when demand on the wider electrical grid is higher,” said Senator Smith (D-Middlesex/Somerset). “As projected energy demand rises and electricity costs rise, it is especially important now to invest in these systems and enable the cost savings that they can create.”

The bill, S4289, would define “transmission-scale energy storage systems” to mean an energy storage system capable of at least five MW of storage that is interconnected to the PJM Transmission Network and situated inside a Transmission Zone in New Jersey or is otherwise located within the state and qualified to provide services in the wholesale markets established by PJM. The legislation would authorize the BPU to develop a program to provide a long-term, stable financial incentive to large transmission-scale energy storage projects, with eligibility criteria targeting projects that are further along in the development process and show the most promise for successful deployment.

NJ Senate passes bill to spur transmission scale energy storage Read More »