A group of Democratic state attorneys general has taken 80 legal actions against the Trump administration over environmental policies, and is promising even more.
Foster Township, PA & The EPA’s National Priorities List
by Spencer Helm
The former site of C & D recycling in Foster Township, PA has been deleted from the EPA’s National Priorities List (NPL). This site was used from 1963 to 1984 to reclaim metallic copper from old copper cables. This process resulted in hazardous waste and the contamination of soil and water. From 1984 until 2016 the site was being restored, requiring the disposal 80,000 tons of soil, along with another 10,000 tons of other contaminated media, and the demolishing of structures and reseeding to prevent soil erosion. Sites can be deleted from the NPL with state concurrence when they have been entirely restored to their natural state, and no further response is necessary. Because all site clean-up goals have been met, the EPA opened for comment on deleting the site from the NPL, and after receiving no resistance from the public, has gone through with this decision.
While the fact that the EPA saw this project through to the end is admirable, it is unfortunate that this situation arose in the first place. The tendency of the US to outsource hazardous refining and recycling processes to developing nations is very much a policy of “shallow ecology”.
Erie, PA & Trump’s False Policy Promises
by Eric Guzy
Donald Trump’s campaign in Erie, Pennsylvania left many wide bright perspectives for the future of the hometown great lake. Promises of economic recovery were stated with strong confidence and passion, but only to be met with the exact opposite come time to take action. Residents of Erie were heart-broken to here that the budget for the great lake’s restoration from $300 million to a mere $30 million. The great lakes restoration project was an Obama administration initiative to provide fresh water to over 40 million people. This funding has allowed for local great lake initiative projects to prevent the pollution and runoff of local creeks and waterways running off into the lakes. The health of the lakes (in Erie specifically) depends on the funding that is allotted to help prevent such forms of pollution from being a problem. Pollution would also be a detriment to Erie’s tourism industry which could be a deficit of up to $1 million. This would take away even more potential funding for the lake and would even further perpetuate the issue of pollution in the lake. Pennsylvania representatives have been working rigorously to ensure that the funding for the great lakes initiative. In the Obama administration as well budget cuts were sought, just not as drastic. This does however show a lack of awareness in the White House for the issue of environmental affairs and should be addressed.
Pennsylvania’s Fight Over the Eastern Hellbender
by Matthew White
Last year Pennsylvania Senator Yaw of Williamsport advocated for the instatement of the eastern hellbender salamander as the state amphibian for Pennsylvania. This bill easily passed through senate, but has been contested in the house. The eastern hellbender is an evasive species to PA so some believe that it is not fit for the job of state amphibian. The eastern hellbender is a freshwater salamander that is very sensitive to the purity of the water it lives in. Some states have already put this salamander on their endangered species list because they have been dying due to unclean waterways. The main reason for the advocacy of this salamander is to cause awareness of the pollution in Pennsylvania’s waterways. Although being evasive, this amphibian has been found all over western PA waterway, but that has been cut in half because of pollution.
New Study on Corporate Sustainability
Here are the results of a new study on corporate sustainability:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180212150736.htm
Meet Philadelphia’s Biggest Source of Pollution
Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ refinery presents an environmental hazard to the state’s largest city.
The American Partnership 