biden administration
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Biden may leave several environmental and health regulations unfinished
Key Biden administration regulations on worker protections, toxic chemicals and climate change remain unfinished, and their future will likely depend on the outcome of the 2024 election.
In short:
- Worker heat protection rules, proposed to safeguard employees during extreme temperatures, are unlikely to be completed before Biden leaves office.
- A key rule to limit gas plant emissions remains incomplete, with further regulations postponed to a future administration.
- Restrictions on PFAS, toxic "forever chemicals," remain in development, though a proposed rule has yet to surface.
Key quote:
"We are talking about a very real danger, and workers are suffering and without any kind of federal protection — that puts a lot of workers in danger."
— Juley Fulcher, worker health and safety advocate at the group Public Citizen
Why this matters:
Unfinished regulations on climate and health protections could be shelved or undone by a future administration. As extreme heat and toxic chemical exposure worsen, delayed actions may lead to greater environmental and public health risks.
Read more: Biden's climate push intensifies as elections near
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EPA shuts down deceptive recycling claims in plastics industry
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has cracked down on the plastics industry’s use of misleading accounting methods to inflate recycled content claims, marking a significant federal move to curb greenwashing in product labeling.
In short:
- The EPA's new policy prohibits the plastics industry from using the mass balance method to falsely advertise recycled content in products.
- Products labeled with the “Safer Choice” endorsement must now contain at least 15% post-consumer recycled content, calculated by weight.
- This decision is part of a broader effort by the Biden administration to tackle plastic pollution and promote truthful labeling.
Key quote:
“This is the turning point” that will allow us to start killing the “hoax” of mass balance.
— Jan Dell, founder of The Last Beach Cleanup
Why this matters:
The EPA’s move means that any products endorsed under its "Safer Choice" label must now meet stricter, more transparent standards. This is a win for consumers who care about making genuinely sustainable choices and a signal that the government won't tolerate such corporate sleight of hand. Read more: Recycling plastics “extremely problematic” due to toxic chemical additives.
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Biden administration's natural gas export pause ends quietly
A policy lauded by climate activists to pause natural gas exports was quickly overturned, revealing the complexity and challenges in shifting U.S. energy policy.
In short:
- In January, the Biden administration paused new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export approvals, hailed as a significant climate win.
- A federal judge recently ruled that the administration must continue considering individual projects, effectively ending the pause.
- This reversal highlights the ongoing struggle within the administration to balance environmental goals with energy and economic interests.
Key quote:
"If this is really over — you have a DOE that’s going to go back to a presumption that LNG exports are in the public interest — this will have been a blip. If this is going to be an opening salvo in an ongoing battle over every step in LNG exports, it’ll be trench warfare."
— Steven Miles, research fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Why this matters:
This swift policy reversal continues the ongoing battle between climate goals and economic pressures, affecting U.S. energy strategies and their global impact on climate change and energy markets. Read more: For environmental groups, Biden’s LNG decision cause for celebration – and caution.
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Credit: FracTracker Alliance/Flickr
The Biden administration is ordered to resume natural gas export permits
A federal judge has mandated the Biden administration to restart issuing permits for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, overturning a pause intended to assess climate and economic impacts.
In short:
- Judge James D. Cain, Jr. ruled that the pause on LNG permits has caused economic harm to states like Texas and Louisiana.
- The decision follows a lawsuit from 16 Republican attorneys general who claimed the pause was damaging to their states' economies.
- Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm expects the analysis on LNG exports to be completed by late this year.
Key quote:
“In every corner of the country and the world, people are suffering the devastating toll of climate change. This pause on new LNG approvals sees the climate crisis for what it is: the existential threat of our time.”
— U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in January when the pause on new LNG approvals was announced
Why this matters:
The ruling impacts national policy on energy exports and climate change mitigation efforts. If the Biden administration appeals this latest decision, the appeal will likely be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Louisiana: Davenport notes that several Trump-appointed Fifth Circuit judges have previously decided for plaintiffs in cases challenging Biden administration environmental policies.
Read EHN's two-part series about LNG expansion on the Gulf Coast (also available in Spanish):
Part 1: LNG production comes with a price, Gulf Coast communities warnLNG production comes with a price, Gulf Coast communities warn
Part 2: Amid LNG’s Gulf Coast expansion, community hopes to stand in its way
See also: For environmental groups, Biden’s LNG decision cause for celebration – and caution
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Biden administration safeguards millions of acres in Alaska from industrial harm
The Biden administration announced protections for 28 million acres in Alaska, blocking industrial activities to preserve Indigenous communities, wildlife and ecosystems.
In short:
- The Interior Department has blocked a 211-mile road essential for a planned copper and zinc mine, citing potential harm to Alaska Native communities and wildlife.
- The protected lands include critical habitats and have been at the center of a long-standing debate over industrial development versus environmental conservation.
- Alaska lawmakers are pushing back, with some introducing legislative measures to counter the administration's decisions.
Key quote:
“D1 lands in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region are vital to our people’s way of life — these protections ensure future generations will be able to live safely with and on the land, carrying our customary and traditional knowledge.”
— Anaan’arar Sophie Swope, executive director of the Mother Kuskokwim Tribal coalition
Why this matters:
Protecting these lands helps protect Alaska Native cultures and ecosystems, addressing long-standing environmental and subsistence concerns while increasing the tension between economic development and conservation efforts in the resource-rich region. Read more: Biden’s Arctic drilling go-ahead illustrates the limits of democratic problem solving.
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Credit: Anton Foltin/Big Stock Photo
Biden administration funds Colorado River basin drought resilience
The Biden administration is dedicating $11.1 million to improve drought resilience in the Colorado River basin through a partnership with the Foundation for America's Public Lands.
In short:
- The Bureau of Land Management and its partner will use Inflation Reduction Act funds for drought-related projects over five years.
- The projects aim to restore and protect water resources critical to 40 million people across multiple states.
- The Foundation for America's Public Lands will collaborate with local communities on these initiatives.
Key quote:
“Westerners rely on clean, cold water for everything from drinking to fishing to running businesses.”
— Tracy Stone-Manning, Director of the Bureau of Land Management
Why this matters:
The Colorado River basin, a lifeline for millions across the southwestern United States, has been severely impacted by prolonged droughts, driven in part by climate change. These funds are intended to support a variety of initiatives, including modernizing irrigation systems, restoring ecosystems, and enhancing groundwater recharge techniques. By implementing these measures, the administration hopes to ensure the long-term sustainability of water resources in the region.
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Credit: Nuclear Regulatory Commission/Flickr
The Biden administration bets big on nuclear power despite past failures
The Biden administration is determined to revive nuclear energy to meet climate goals, despite the industry's history of cost overruns and delays.
In short:
- Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm emphasized the need to triple nuclear energy output by 2050 to meet climate targets.
- The Vogtle plant in Georgia, despite its extensive delays and cost overruns, is now the largest source of zero-emissions energy in the U.S.
- The administration is also pushing for small modular reactors and reactivating decommissioned plants to boost nuclear energy.
Key quote:
“Whether it happens through small modular reactors, or AP1000s, or maybe another design out there worthy of consideration, we want to see nuclear built.”
— Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Energy Secretary
Why this matters:
With increasing power demands and climate change pressures, the U.S. needs reliable, zero-emissions energy sources. Reviving nuclear power could provide an important boost for achieving sustainable energy independence. Read more: Past deadline and over budget, nuclear energy is struggling.
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