Just proving that #Trump's administration is TOXIC!

Trump #EPA withdrawal of #PFAS effluent limits is setback for #PublicHealth, #EWG warns

WASHINGTON – "On Tuesday, the Trump Environmental Protection Agency withdrew a pending Biden administration plan that would have protected public health from the chemical manufacturing sector by setting discharge limits on the toxic '#ForeverChemicals' known as PFAS.

"The Trump administration pulled the proposal from White House review – the last step before the agency could release the plan publicly and seek comment on it. The decision is a significant setback for efforts to address the growing public health crisis caused by industrial PFAS pollution of the water supply.

"Coupled with President Donald Trump’s executive order placing a freeze on any new federal regulations, the withdrawal prompts significant concerns from environmental and public health advocates about the future of PFAS regulation and whether tackling the PFAS contamination crisis will be an administration priority.

The following is a statement from Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs at the #EnvironmentalWorkingGroup:

"Yesterday’s action by the Trump administration to withdraw the long-awaited proposal on PFAS effluent limits is a devastating setback in the fight to protect our communities from toxic 'forever chemicals.'

"This move not only delays establishing critical federal standards but also sends a dangerous message giving polluters a green light to continue poisoning our water and communities without fear of consequence.

"It’s an unconscionable betrayal of the public’s health in favor of corporate interests, and it underscores this administration’s troubling shift in policy which threatens to roll back any progress to protect our #environment and hold #polluters accountable.

"PFAS contamination is already a public health crisis. The science is clear: PFAS are toxic at even the smallest levels, and they have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer, immune suppression and developmental harm. Communities across the country, especially those near PFAS-manufacturing facilities, have lived with the devastating consequences of this pollution for decades.

"State regulators have waited for the federal government to lead on this issue so they can incorporate effective monitoring and treatment requirements into their discharge permits. Without federal limits, those efforts remain stalled.

"The Trump administration’s refusal to act now puts even more lives at risk, leaving American communities to fend for themselves as polluters continue their unchecked discharges of toxic PFAS into our water."

https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/statement/2025/01/trump-epa-withdrawal-pfas-effluent-limits-setback-public-health-ewg
#WaterIsLife #PFASContamination #EnvironmentalDamage #ManMadeDisasters #AFFF #Wildlife #OceansAreLife #PFASPollution
#FirefightingFoam #PFOS
#3M #ForeverChemicals #Environment #BigChemical #CorporateInterests #Corporatocracy #TrumptyDumpty #WhenIdiotsRule #USPol

#California regulators vote to extend #DiabloCanyon nuclear plant operations through 2030

California energy regulators have voted to allow the #DiabloCanyonNuclearPlant to operate for an additional five years, despite calls from #environmental groups to shut it down

AP, December 14, 2023,

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- “California energy regulators voted Thursday to allow the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant to operate for an additional five years, despite calls from environmental groups to shut it down.

“The California Public Utilities Commission agreed to extend the shutdown date for the state's last functioning nuclear power facility through 2030 instead of closing it in 2025 as previously agreed.

“Separately, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission will consider whether to extend the plant’s operating licenses.
“The twin reactors, located midway between #LosAngeles and #SanFrancisco began operating in the mid-1980s. They supply up to 9% of the state’s electricity on any given day.

“The Public Utilities Commission's decision marks the latest development in a long fight over the operation and safety of the plant, which sits on a bluff above the #PacificOcean.

“In August, a state judge rejected a lawsuit filed by #FriendsOfTheEarth that sought to block Pacific Gas & Electric, which operates the plant, from seeking to extend its operating life.

“And in October, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission rejected a request from #environmental groups to immediately shut down one of two reactors.

"PG&E agreed in 2016 to shutter the plant by 2025, but at the direction of the state changed course and now intends to seek a longer operating run for the plant, which doesn't produce greenhouse gases that can contribute to climate change.

“Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who once was a leading voice to close the plant, said last year that Diablo Canyon’s power is needed beyond 2025 to ward off possible blackouts as California transitions to solar and other renewable energy sources.

“#Activists condemned the extension and noted that the projected #costs of continuing to run the aging plant are expected to top $6 billion.

“’This ill-conceived decision will further escalate financial strain on California ratepayers and extend the threat of a catastrophe at Diablo Canyon,' said #KenCook, president of the nonprofit #EnvironmentalWorkingGroup.

'With California’s annual #RenewableEnergy additions exceeding Diablo Canyon’s output, there is zero reason to keep it running,' he added in a statement.”

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/california-regulators-vote-extend-diablo-canyon-nuclear-plant-105678694

#NoNukes #RethinkNotRestart #WaterIsLife #RenewablesNow! #WindPower #TidalPower