People hold signs and chant slogans during a protest against the Trump administration, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Miami.
By NICHOLAS RICCARDI, Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — Tucked deep in the thousand-plus pages of the multitrillion-dollar budget bill making its way through the Republican-controlled U.S. House is a paragraph curtailing a court’s greatest tool for forcing the government to obey its rulings: the power to enforce contempt findings.
It’s unclear whether the bill can pass the House in its current form — it failed in a committee vote Friday — whether the U.S. Senate would preserve the contempt provision or whether courts would uphold it. But the fact that GOP lawmakers are including it shows how much those in power in the nation’s capital are thinking about the consequences of defying judges as the battle between the Trump administration and the courts escalates.
Republican President Donald Trump raised the stakes again Friday when he attacked the U.S. Supreme Court for its ruling barring his administration from quickly resuming deportations under an 18th-century wartime law: “THE SUPREME COURT WON’T ALLOW US TO GET CRIMINALS OUT OF OUR COUNTRY!” Trump posted on his social media network, Truth Social.
If you like this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics.It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for a full month
The agency will continue regulating PFOA and PFOS in drinking water, but will extend compliance timelines. It has rescinded rules for four other PFAS chemicals.
The agency announced on Wednesday it will rescind and “reconsider” regulations for PFHxS, PFNA, PFBS and HFPO-DA, commonly known as GenX. EPA says it plans to keep regulations for two other chemicals in the standard: PFOA and PFOS.
The announcement rolls back major parts of the drinking water rule set under the Biden administration last April, which set legally enforceable limits for the six types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water. The EPA has said PFAS exposure can cause numerous health problems.
The drinking water rules have become the default standard for treating a range of wastewater categories. The standards are relevant to waste facility operators because of how the rules might affect leachate management and groundwater monitoring efforts, as well as how these facilities interact with wastewater treatment facilities. The regulations also represent business opportunities for waste companies that service industrial clients.
The EPA now plans to extend compliance deadlines for PFOA and PFOS, saying it would give drinking water system operators more time to develop plans for complying with maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for the two chemicals.
The agency is planning a new rulemaking process to propose extending that compliance date from 2029 to 2031. EPA said it may issue the proposed rule sometime this fall and finalize the rule in spring of 2026.
If you like this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics.It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for a full month
Ferguson called it the “biggest overhaul of our recycling system in decades.” Washington’s law, the seventh in the U.S., drew opposition from the waste and recycling industry.
Gov. Bob Ferguson signed SB 5284 into law on Saturday, the culmination of years of advocacy to get a bill across the finish line. He called it the “biggest overhaul of our recycling system in decades” during the signing.
The Recycling Reform Act creates an extended producer responsibility program for most kinds of paper and packaging. It also establishes a statewide recycling collection list and calls for adding curbside recycling for all homes that already have curbside trash service. Ferguson noted at the bill signing that this could add service for hundreds of thousands of households.
It also calls for the state’s Department of Ecology to conduct and submit a statewide recycling needs assessment, due by Dec. 31, 2026, and update it with any new data by Dec. 31, 2027.
If you like this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics.It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for a full month
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has announced the extension of its Intermodal Cargo Growth Incentive Program (PICGIP) until July 2027, continuing its efforts to boost containerized cargo movement through Pennsylvania ports.
The program, which provides up to $1 million annually to participating ocean carriers, offers $25 per new container unit for carriers establishing new services at Pennsylvania ports. Success of the initiative is evident in the 2024 figures, with PhilaPort handling over 840,000 containers and PSA Penn Terminals processing 357,000 containers.
“Pennsylvania’s ports are critical to our transportation network and to our economy, and growth at the ports means growth in the Commonwealth,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll.
In a strategic move to enhance Asian trade routes, the program has introduced special incentives for carriers establishing new service lines from Southeast or Far East Asia. These carriers can earn $25 per container unit with an increased annual cap of $500,000, double the standard carrier cap of $250,000.
Since its 2015 inception through PennDOT’s Multimodal Fund, the program has facilitated the movement of over 3 million cargo units through Pennsylvania ports, resulting in more than $7 million in incentives awarded across nine ocean carriers.
If you like this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics.It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for a full month
From the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
TRENTON – People and organizations that go above and beyond to advance recycling and sustainability are eligible to be nominated for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s annual recycling awards program, Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette announced today.
The DEP, in partnership with the Association of New Jersey Recyclers (ANJR), is accepting nominations for awards in 11 categories. Those interested in submitting a nomination may view the 2025 Nomination Packet for more information about the awards program, which includes nomination applications. Nomination forms may be emailed to njrecycles@dep.nj.gov through Friday, July 25.
“New Jersey’s longstanding recycling success is due to the hard work of many volunteers, students, stakeholders, businesses and government agencies, who work hard to make our state more sustainable,” Commissioner LaTourette said. “The DEP encourages the public to nominate those whose recycling endeavors not only keep our environment clean, but enhance public health, benefit our economy and create a better New Jersey for all.”
How to Nominate Recycling Leaders
Nominations will be accepted in categories including Institution, Business, Retail Merchant, Government, Leadership, Rising Star, Recycling Industry, Outstanding Educator/Educational Program, Volunteer Citizen, Waste Reduction/Resource Management/Sustainability, and Recycled Products Procurement Star.
A panel of judges from DEP’s Air, Energy & Materials Sustainability Program and the Association of New Jersey Recyclers will review nominations based upon criteria including the nominee’s ability to demonstrate measurable outcomes, commitment to education and outreach, replicability of their efforts, innovation, and going above and beyond compliance requirements. Those chosen for an award will be notified in September and honored at a recognition ceremony this fall.
“We encourage people and organizations throughout New Jersey to nominate those in their communities who make recycling a priority, have helped educate residents and businesses on the importance of reducing waste and keeping our recycling stream free of unacceptable items and are committed to keeping our environment clean and healthy,” said Paul Baldauf, Assistant Commissioner for Air, Energy & Materials Sustainability. “The results of their efforts should be highlighted to demonstrate to others how they are making a difference across the state.”
A History of Recycling Success
The 2024 award winners included a business that recycles or reuses 96% of the waste it generates; a non-profit organization that fights food insecurity and the environmental impacts of food waste by recovering and delivering healthy meals in local communities; a middle school that implemented a highly successful recycling collection program for plastic bags, plastic case and product overwrap and plastic pallet wrap; and a textile recycling and reuse business that has kept millions of pounds of old clothing out of landfills.
New Jersey has long been a national leader in recycling, becoming the first state in 1987 to pass legislation requiring recycling. Since then, recycling has become routine for residents, businesses, and institutions, and has proven over the years to be an environmental and economic success story.
The Association of New Jersey Recyclers is a non-profit, non-partisan network representing the public and private sectors that works to promote recycling, waste reduction and sustainability by encouraging sound resource management and recycling strategies through education, advocacy and enhancing professional standards.
Follow DEP’s Air, Energy & Materials Sustainability program on Facebook @NJDEPAEMS
If you like this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics.It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for a full month
In response to revelations that unauthorized communication devices—potentially linked to foreign adversaries—have been found embedded in Chinese-manufactured solar power inverters, Senator Doug Steinhardt (R-23) issued the following statement:
“The recent discovery of rogue communication devices underscores a chilling reality: our critical infrastructure is vulnerable, and New Jersey’s leadership is asleep at the wheel. Allowing hostile foreign governments like China to potentially penetrate our technology and energy networks is not just an economic issue—it’s a serious and growing national security threat.”
“This is no longer a hypothetical danger. We are now seeing tangible evidence that surveillance tools from adversarial nations are operating undetected in systems that power our homes and communities and in this instance, CCP spy tech is hiding in plain sight.”
“I’ve been sounding the alarm on this for years and Governor Murphy and Trenton Democrats must stop dragging their feet. I am calling on them, again, to immediately pass my legislation to ban foreign adversaries from any access to New Jersey’s infrastructure and technology.”
Senator Steinhardt is the sponsor of several key bills aimed at defending New Jersey from foreign adversaries and protecting the State’s strategic resources:
S728: Prohibits government entities from procuring and using technology products and services from companies owned by, controlled by, or domiciled in certain foreign countries.
S731: Prohibits foreign companies created under the laws of foreign adversaries from participating in critical infrastructure.
S723: Restricts all ownership of agricultural land in the State by foreign governments and foreign persons.
S3591: Prohibits ownership of certain protected land adjacent to military facilities in the State by certain foreign governments and persons.
“We cannot afford to let our energy systems, our food supply, or any strategic assets fall into the hands of those who wish us harm,” Steinhardt concluded. “The time to act is now.”
If you like this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics.It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for a full month
