Andrew Wheeler, former energy lobbyist, confirmed as nation’s top environmental official

As acting chief at the EPA, Wheeler has advanced the Trump administration’s deregulation agenda. 

Wheeler on climate change: ‘I would not call it the greatest crisis’
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) grilled EPA administrator nominee Andrew Wheeler about climate change on Jan. 15. (Reuters)







By Brady Dennis and Juliet Eilperin of the Washington Post
February 28 at 1:09 PM


The Senate on Thursday approved former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler to head the Environmental Protection Agency by a vote of 52 to 47, elevating a veteran of Washington political and industry circles who has advanced President Trump’s push to rollback Obama-era environmental regulations.
Wheeler, who began his career at EPA during the 1990s but spent years on Capitol Hill before heading to the private sector, has won praise from Republicans for his deregulatory agenda but criticism from Democrats for his refusal to take action on climate change and several public health priorities. 

He has been running the agency since Trump’s first administrator, Scott Pruitt, stepped down in July amid multiple scandals surrounding his management and spending practices. Trump said in November that he intended to nominate Wheeler for the top job, saying he had done a “fantastic job” in his interim role.
At his confirmation hearing in January, Wheeler highlighted dozens of significant rules that the EPA has begun to roll back during the past two years, and he made clear to lawmakers that he intended to continue the Trump administration’s reversal of environmental regulations.
“Through our deregulatory actions, the Trump administration has proven that burdensome federal regulations are not necessary to drive environmental progress,” Wheeler said at the time. “Certainty and the innovation that thrives in a climate of certainty are key to progress.” 

Despite the litany of rollbacks, the EPA under Wheeler also has rolled out initiatives aimed at reducing lead exposures around the country and providing oversight for a class of unregulated, long-lasting chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds, or PFAS, that pose serious health risks to millions of Americans. But the agency has yet to take definitive regulatory action on those proposals.

One Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, voted against Wheeler’s confirmation Thursday on the grounds that he had worked to water down federal rules curbing greenhouse gas pollution from power plants, as well as weaken fuel standards for the nation’s cars and pickup trucks.

“I believe that Mr. Wheeler, unlike Scott Pruitt, understands the mission of the EPA and acts in accordance with ethical standards; however, the policies he has supported as Acting Administrator are not in the best interest of our environment and public health, particularly given the threat of climate change to our nation,” Collins, who supported Wheeler’s confirmation as deputy EPA administrator last year, said in a statement.
While Democrats initially viewed Wheeler as a pragmatic technocrat with whom they could forge a handful of policy compromises, they expressed disappointment over key decisions he has made at the agency.

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After a protracted legal battle, NJ power plant ditches plan to convert to natural gas. Pipeline dead. Enviros rejoice

After nearly a decade of bitter fighting, RC Cape May Holdings raises white flag over proposal to build natural-gas pipeline in Pinelands

BL England

Credit: Wikipedia
BL England power plant
Tom Johnson reports for NJ Spotlight
The plan to convert the BL England power plant to natural gas, one of the most controversial projects proposed in the Pinelands, is dead — at least for now.
RC Cape May Holdings, LLC has decided to withdraw its proposed plan to repower the unit, marking a huge victory for conservation groups that have waged a long battle to block the project, which they say undermines the core protections of the more than 1 million-acre preserve.
The proposed project, to convert a former coal-powered unit in northern Cape May County to natural gas, triggered one of the most contentious fights in recent years. Four former governors opposed building a pipeline to ship natural gas to the facility through 22 miles of the Pinelands.
The company notified the Appellate Division, where the case is under litigation, that it does not plan to repower the BL England facility, which used to include coal-fired plants in Upper Township.
The project, tied up in litigation for nine years, would have traversed 22 miles of the Pinelands, a 1 million-acre preserve set aside more than four decades ago.
“This is a huge victory for the Pinelands,’’ said Carleton Montgomery, executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, which had fought the project in court for years. “It was a terrible idea.’’

Opening the way to more natural gas?

The decision to abandon the repowering of the power plant, however, leaves open the question of whether natural-gas utilities will press regulatory officials to continue to approve pipelines in the state.
There is a movement in New Jersey to place a moratorium on new pipeline projects, as well as proposed natural-gas-fired power projects. Their argument is that such proposals do not fit in with the Murphy administration’s goals to have 100 percent of the state’s power come from clean-energy sources by 2050.
Montgomery argued the decision not to repower the plant will strengthen the Pinelands plan, a blueprint that came under attack during the Christie administration. His administration’s energy master plan promoted rapid expansion of the state’s natural-gas infrastructure, a policy they argued would lead to lower energy costs to consumers.
The Murphy administration is facing an outcry from environmental groups over its push to ban any new fossil-fuel projects. BL England was one of five power plants slated to be fired by natural gas; most other natural-gas pipeline projects have generated significant local opposition.
Environmentalists contend the projects should not move forward if the administration’s stated goals of having 50 percent of the state’s power produced by clean energy by 2030, and 100 percent by 2050, are to be met.

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Two Senate moderates come out against Andrew Wheeler as EPA chief but he has enough votes to secure the post

Acting Environmental Protection Agency administrator Andrew Wheeler. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Acting Environmental Protection Agency administrator Andrew Wheeler. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

BY DINO GRANDONI with Paulina Firozi
Writing in the Washington Post’s Power Post

Andrew Wheeler inched closer Wednesday to becoming the official administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

But if or when the acting director is confirmed by the Senate (and it’s almost guaranteed to be “when”), he will do so with less support than he had last year when he was confirmed as the EPA’s No. 2 official.

Susan Collins, the moderate Republican from Maine, said Wednesday that she will not vote to confirm Wheeler to the position atop the agency. Neither will Joe Manchin III, the centrist Democrat from coal-producing West Virginia, after voting Wednesday against advancing Wheeler’s nomination in the Senate.

Both senators had supported Wheeler when he was confirmed to be the EPA’s deputy administrator, but said they have found his record at the agency too lacking to support him again.

While Wheeler remains popular with the vast majority of elected Republicans, and reviled among most Democrats, these two defections are the latest sign the EPA’s rollback of environmental rules is wearing thin among those in the middle of the political spectrum.

Collins praised Wheeler for acting ethically at the agency and understanding its mission “unlike Scott Pruitt,” the former EPA chief who became mired in investigations of his spending and managing conduct. But she faulted Wheeler for halting efforts by President Barack Obama’s administration to curb greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles and power plants.

“While Mr. Wheeler is certainly qualified for this position, I have too many concerns with the actions he has taken during his tenure as Acting Administrator to be able to support his promotion,” she said in a statement.

Manchin, meanwhile, said Wheeler was not making “meaningful progress” on clean water standards, citing the agency’s failure to limit the amount of certain pollutants — called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS — going into the water of some industrial towns in his and other states. The EPA announced this month it plans to place legal limits on PFAS concentrations but has not done so.

“I believe immediate action must be taken, and these efforts lack a sense of urgency,” he said.

Both senators cited the EPA’s attempt to undo rules designed to limit emissions of mercury, which can damage the brains of infants and young children. As Manchin noted, “the industry doesn’t even support” that rollback.

But those no votes probably aren’t enough to stop Wheeler from being confirmed. The rest of the Republicans in the Senate appear to support President Trump’s EPA pick, virtually guaranteeing his confirmation by the GOP-controlled chamber. On Wednesday, the Senate advanced his nomination to lead the agency in a 52-to-46 vote along party lines. (Collins voted yes on that procedural vote while vowing to vote no on Wheeler’s final confirmation.)

Collins is one a handful of Senate Republicans up for reelection in 2020 who has shown a willingness to buck Trump at times on environmental issues. Last year, for example, Thom Tillis of North Carolina helped sink the nomination of Michael Dourson to be the EPA’s top chemical safety official over concerns about his “body of work” for chemical companies.


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Critics: NJ slow to remove lead from school drinking water

State Sen. Linda Greenstein says Department of Education should ‘tighten up its rules on testing’

Tom Johnson reports for NJ Spotlight

water fountain

Despite lead in drinking water supplies having been detected in hundreds of New Jersey’s public school buildings, advocates say there appears to be no rush to figure out how to divvy up $100 million in new money among districts eager to fix the problem.
The advocates are pushing the state to more aggressively come up with plans for how to spend dollars from a bond issue voters approved last November that was geared to replacing lead service lines in schools throughout the state — or fix the problem through less costly alternatives.
The state Department of Education came under repeated criticism from advocates yesterday at an NJ Spotlight Roundtable in Hamilton on Achieving Lead-Free School Water in New Jersey. They questioned why all school districts were not required to do lead testing at their facilities, to report testing results to the department, and to communicate that information to the public.
“It’s incumbent on the Department of Education to tighten up its rules on testing,’’ said Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-Mercer), a longtime advocate for dealing with lead in drinking water.
“When it comes to data, we have a partial story,’’ said Chris Sturm, managing director of policy and water for New Jersey Future, a nonprofit organization that has compiled the most comprehensive analysis of lead testing results in schools. “We know this is a pervasive problem.’’

The children at greatest risk

Her organization compiled preliminary results of lead testing by school districts in 2016 and found that at least 300 districts had at least one outlet within their systems that had a problem with lead. There are no safe levels of lead in drinking water, a problem posing a threat to young children, causing learning disorders and behavioral problems.
“We need to take a careful look at kids with the greatest risk who live in communities with the highest levels of lead in their blood with the fewest resources to address the problem,’’ Sturm urged.
The Department of Education was invited to be part of the roundtable event but declined. In a statement, the department said all New Jersey school districts and charter schools have submitted a Statement of Assurance to the DOE, signifying their conformity with the compliance requirements.
Every district must make all test results available to the public at the school facility and at the district’s website, according to the department.

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Why Philly is fighting over a Starbucks next to City Hall

Dilworth Park is getting a new coffee kiosk — and not everyone’s pleased.
Rendering of the incoming coffee kiosk at Dilworth Park

Rendering of the incoming coffee kiosk at Dilworth Park

CENTER CITY DISTRICT

michaelawinberg-square-crop-feb2018

 

Michaela Winberg reports for BillyPenn

Coming soon to the southwest corner of Dilworth Park is something the northwest corner already has: a Starbucks. Construction has begun on a walk-up kiosk that will serve over-the-counter beverages and snacks. The stand will have a green roof and be wrapped with green wall trellises, adding to the landscape surrounding Philadelphia City Hall.
But the park already has a permanent coffee shop — does it really need another?
That’s the question raised by public art activist Conrad Benner. In a widely-read post on his Streets Dept. blog, he called the new kiosk an example of “bad leadership” in Philly.
“This is crossing a line for most Philadelphians,” Benner told Billy Penn. “It’s an absurd abuse of power for a private corporation to open up a Starbucks in a public park.”
View image on Twitter

View image on Twitter

Streets Dept@StreetsDept

Bad Leadership Leads to A Starbucks Being Built in Dilworth Park http://streetsdept.com/2019/02/23/bad-leadership-leads-to-a-starbucks-being-built-in-dilworth-park/ …

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Benner’s argument appears to have hit a nerve. His tweet on the topic has been shared several hundred times, and it landed him an interview on a CBS3 news broadcast. Grub Street even picked up the story.
“You’re kidding right?” wrote one Twitter user. “CCD took ‘public space’ in the new Dilworth Park and leased it to Starbucks?” Similarly, “[t]here is absolutely no need for a #starbucks in Dilworth Park,” tweeted a different Philly resident. “Please reconsider.”
For decades a barren expanse of concrete, the city’s central plaza has undergone a transformation since the Center City District took over management four years ago. Per CCD figures, more than 10.8 million people used the park in 2018. It now sports a kid-friendly fountain that turns into an ice rink and regularly hosts festivals, fairs, art shows, performances, pop-up markets, and other events.
The Center City District maintains that building the walk-up cafe — which was approved after public hearings last year — is a positive move.
“The idea came about as a way both to buffer and activate that part of the park,” said CCD spokesperson JoAnn Loviglio, “making it more pedestrian friendly and bringing additional options to visitors.”
So which is it — egregious misuse or public amenity?
Here’s a look at the main arguments for and against the mini Starbucks.

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Bill offers small business loans for energy audits, upgrades


By Frank Brill, EnviroPolitics Editor


Posted for review in the New Jersey Senate Budget Committee on  March 4, 2019, is S-1606 which provides for Economic Development Authority (EDA) loans to small businesses to cover the costs of energy audits and energy efficiency or conservation improvements.

      
Sponsored by Senators Linda Greenstein (D14) and Troy Singleton (D7), the bill permits the EDA to make one or more low-interest loans available to an eligible small business for 100 percent of any unreimbursed costs to the small business of an energy audit of any of the small business’s buildings that is conducted by a contractor licensed by the state Board of Public U.ilities.

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It also permits the EDA to make low-interest loans available to an eligible small business for 100 percent of any unreimbursed costs for the purchase and installation of all energy efficiency or conservation equipment at any of the small business’s buildings as a result of the energy audit.

The bill defines a “low-interest loan” as a loan for a term not exceeding 10 years at a rate of interest not exceeding the greater of three percent or one-half of the prime interest rate as reported in a financial newspaper published and circulating in New York City.  

The bill defines an “eligible small business” as a business entity that, at the time of application for participation, is independently owned and operated, operates primarily within the State, and satisfies other criteria that may be established by the EDA.

The legislation was released by the Senate  Environment and Energy Committee on May 10, 2018.

An identical bill, A3940. has been introduced by Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo (D-14) and has been referred to the Commerce and Economic Development Committee.    

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