EnviroPolitics Blog

Alina Habba: Will she stay or will she go?

Alina Habba, attorney for former President Donald Trump, addresses members of the media during his civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on Nov. 2, 2023 in New York. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Alina Habba’s status as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey will be up to a Pennsylvania judge, who will look into the claim by a criminal defendant that she should be disqualified from her position, according to a federal filing.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann said in an Aug. 1 filing that he denied Julien Giraud Jr.’s motion to dismiss his drug and murder case but will delay the motion to dismiss while considering Giraud’s seeking to disqualify Habba, whose office is prosecuting his case.

“I conclude that the Girauds are entitled to injunctive relief precluding Ms. Habba from participating in their prosecution if they are correct that she was appointed in violation of statute or the Constitution,” Brann said in the filing.

Giraud and his son were scheduled to go on trial on Aug. 4 in the Middle District of Pennsylvania after Giraud’s attorney, Thomas Mirigliano, got it transferred from New Jersey.

Instead, in a judicial order that accompanied Brann’s filing, the trial will be postponed for a hearing and oral argument on any challenges to Habba’s appointment to be held Aug. 15 at the United States Courthouse and Federal Building in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Giraud challenged Habba’s appointment in a July 27 filing because he claimed that her appointment was unconstitutional. He cites a 2024 ruling by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who dismissed the federal case against President Donald Trump for allegedly taking and concealing classified documents because she found the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith was unconstitutional, as he was supposed to be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

Read the full story here

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NYC Employers Unite to Power Green Workforce Growth

A group of New York City energy efficiency companies, backed by Con Edison, has formed an employer-led coalition to address the growing demand for skilled workers in the green economy and accelerate the development of a green workforce.

The NYC Energy Efficiency Workforce Coalition, created by the New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC) and The Green Launchpad, seeks to support the growth of a skilled workforce to handle the increasing demand for green jobs, particularly in clean energy and energy efficiency fields.

The coalition aims to bridge the gap between job seekers and available opportunities by connecting training providers and registered apprenticeship programs, according to Green Workforce Connect.

Faced with a shortage of trained workers, like skilled electricians and welders, the coalition plans to develop training programs to meet the current and future needs of the green economy, particularly in areas like building decarbonization and electrification.

“This Coalition is about creating the connective tissue between New York City’s clean energy goals and the people who will power them,” said Gregory J. Morris, CEO of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition. “By aligning contractors, workforce providers, and training institutions around a common vision, we’re building a durable ecosystem that equips New Yorkers, especially those from historically excluded communities, with the skills and support to access meaningful, long-term careers. It’s a strategy for inclusive economic development, one that drives decarbonization, strengthens local businesses, and builds wealth in the communities most impacted by climate and economic inequity.”

The Coalition will initially focus on three high-impact occupational tracks: energy auditing and analysis, project management, and technician roles, such as HVAC and installation technicians. These tracks were selected based on direct input from employers who identified them as both high-demand and foundational to decarbonization efforts.

Recognizing that job titles and responsibilities can vary dramatically between large implementation firms and smaller contractors, the Coalition’s working groups will develop customized guides that reflect the nuances of the NYC energy efficiency ecosystem. This includes mapping samples of non-linear career progression, such as technicians moving into program management, and clarifying transferable skills between roles.

DuPont settles with New Jersey over PFAS contamination

DuPont, along with Chemours and Corteva, has agreed to a $2 billion settlement with the state of New Jersey to address PFAS contamination at four industrial sites.

This settlement, announced on Monday, includes an $875 million payment to the state and a commitment to a $1.2 billion remediation fund for cleanup efforts. The settlement is the largest environmental settlement ever achieved by a single US state, according to the Sierra Club.

The settlement resolves claims related to PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” and other pollutants at the following four sites:

Pompton Lakes Works, in Pompton Lakes and Wanaque, Passaic County.
Parlin site, in Sayreville, Middlesex County.
Repauno site, in Greenwich Township, Gloucester County.
Chambers Works, in Pennsville and Carney’s Point, Salem County.

The remediation fund will ensure the companies are responsible for cleaning up the contamination, and a separate $475 million reserve fund is established to protect against potential bankruptcy of the companies. The settlement comes after months of trial and is a result of the state’s efforts to hold companies accountable for environmental damage.

This settlement builds on previous successes, bringing New Jersey’s total recovery from PFAS lawsuits to approximately $3 billion since 2019. It comes amid a national focus on PFAS contamination and ongoing efforts to hold chemical companies accountable for the health and environmental risks associated with these chemicals. New Jersey has been particularly proactive in addressing PFAS contamination, being the first state to set drinking water standards for certain PFAS compounds.

This settlement is seen as a major victory for environmental protection and accountability, setting a strong precedent for future litigation and remediation efforts related to PFAS contamination across the country.

NJSpotlight News interview with NJDEP Commissioner LaTourette
New Jersey reaches PFAS settlement with DuPont (WHYY)
Chemical Makers to Pay N.J. $875 Million to Settle ‘Forever Chemicals’ Claims (NY Times)

Amid Federal PFAS Rollbacks, New Jersey Scores Record $2 Billion DuPont Settlement

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ReMa’s new specs aims to boost paper cup recyling acceptance

Three white paper cups with blue lettering that says Cold&Go. — Graphic Packaging International developed its Cold&Go paper cups for food service customers, such as Chick-fil-A, to use as an alternative to plastic cold cups.

By Katie Pyzyk, Senior Reporter, Waste Dive

Paper cups are for the first time part of the Recycled Materials Association’s materials specifications list, the newest fiber spec since pizza boxes were added in 2020. Graphic Packaging International praised the cups update, calling it “a major milestone in a broader movement to increase awareness and drive greater collection of paper cups in recycling systems,” according to a Monday news release.

ReMa’s ISRI specifications set standards for the quality of recycled materials and serve as a guide for scrap material buyers’ and sellers’ transactions. However, they do not mandate that recyclers must accept certain materials.

“The association’s guidelines are highly influential with waste collectors and with thousands of material recovery facilities in deciding what does and doesn’t get collected in municipal recycling and collection systems,” explained Graphic Packaging International CEO Mike Doss on Tuesday’s earnings call. “This update has particular significance to us,” considering GPI is a major user of recovered fiber and says it’s the largest producer of paper cups in North America.

The company has helped customers develop various paper cup solutions as a plastic alternative, including at food service giants Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s. In the CPG space, GPI helped Nissin Cup Noodles switch from its long-standing foam cup to a fiber version.

Read the full story here

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Nature Note: How to Help Our Turtles

From “Trails & Tales of Wharton,”a new monthly publication of nature and history-related articles written by Wharton State Forest’s nature and history interpretive staff.

If you’ve explored any of our parks, forests, or historic sites, you may have encountered turtles basking on rocks and logs, crawling through fields, or trying to cross our roads! We want to remind our visitors that the best way to help an uninjured turtle cross the road is to place it on the side of the road to which it was heading. When you pick up a turtle, make sure you grab the rear end of its shell with both hands. If you can’t figure out which side of the road the turtle was walking towards, move it to the side with the most suitable habitat.

DO NOT move a turtle away from where you found it. Turtles often live their lives in a small area. When you move them to a new location, they will try to make their way back to their home and will likely need to cross more roads and be harmed in the process. Please note that baby turtles are not raised by their parents and should also not be moved from their habitat.

If you find an injured turtle, please call your nearest New Jersey Wildlife Rehabilitator. You can check this list for New Jersey Wildlife Rehabilitators. If you think you have encountered a rare or endangered turtle species, you can report the wildlife siting to NJ Fish and Wildlife here.

Visit the NJ Fish and Wildlife website to find out more about our wildlife and other ways you can help!

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EPA out to kill a bedrock scienific finding supporting climate action

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin

By Maxine Joselow and Lisa Friedman, The New York Times

July 29, 2025–Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, said on Tuesday that the Trump administration would revoke the scientific determination that underpins the government’s legal authority to combat climate change.

Speaking at a truck dealership in Indianapolis, Mr. Zeldin said the E.P.A. planned to rescind the 2009 declaration, known as the endangerment finding, which concluded that planet-warming greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health. The Obama and Biden administrations used that determination to set strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars, power plants, and other industrial sources of pollution.

“The proposal would, if finalized, amount to the largest deregulatory action in the history of the United States,” Mr. Zeldin said. He said the proposal would also erase limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks on the nation’s roads.

Without the endangerment finding, the E.P.A. would be left with no authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate the greenhouse gas emissions that are accumulating in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels.

The proposal is President Trump’s most consequential step yet to derail federal climate efforts. It marks a notable shift in the administration’s position from one that had downplayed the threat of global warming to one that essentially flatly denies the overwhelming scientific evidence of climate change.

It would not only reverse current regulations, but, if the move is upheld in court, it could make it significantly harder for future administrations to rein in climate pollution from the burning of coal, oil and gas.

Read the full story here

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