NRDC in the News - Weekly Highlights: Week of June 5, 2017

John Walke was quoted in the New York Times after the EPA delayed a requirement for states to comply with an Obama-era regulation on ozone emissions. “The delay is flagrantly illegal as well as a direct assault on our right to breathe safe, clean air,” John said. He was also quoted in ThinkProgress, Charleston Gazette-Mail, and E&E News.

NRDC and other conservation groups filed a lawsuit against the EPA this week after it suspended rules stopping methane leaks from oil and gas operations. Meleah Geertsma was quoted by CNBC as saying, “The Trump administration does not have unlimited power to put people’s health in jeopardy with unchecked, unilateral executive action like this.” Meleah was also quoted by The Hill, Color Lines, Financial Tribune, and the lawsuit was covered by Reuters.

Rhea Suh was quoted in SELF, saying that the next administration “can and should” re-enter the Paris Agreement exactly as we entered it the first time. Alvin Lin was quoted by PRI’s “The World,” saying that Trump’s withdrawal will only boost China’s economic outlook as they invest more heavily in renewable technologies.

“For the folks who have said that water may become more valuable than oil, that’s a forecast that is coming true,” Eric Goldstein told the New York Times, as parties battle for control over the Delaware River in upstate New York.

John Moore said to Marketplace that “the value of working with [the FERC nominees] outweighs whatever benefit we would get from opposing them.” John also disputed Pruitt’s claim that coal losses would make our grid vulnerable, telling E&E News “[c]oal supporters are again returning to playing the reliability card because they don’t have much left.”

After the Trump administration opened the door to oil and gas drilling off the Atlantic coast, Michael Jasny stressed that seismic testing alone could drive the North Atlantic right whale to extinction in New Jersey Spotlight. He was also quoted inE&E News, South Carolina’s The State, and Georgia’s WSAV. Michael and Daniel Hinerfeld were quoted in the Vancouver Sun’s review of Sonic Sea. “We don’t need to develop these additional sources of fossil fuel….and we certainly shouldn’t be developing sources of oil and gas that require us to devastate marine life in the process,” Daniel said.

Anjali Waikar expressed concern after state officials determined there were no “system-wide” problems when tests revealed lead in East Chicago’s water. “We know no amount of lead is safe,” she told Northwest Indiana’s Post-Tribune, in a story that also ran in the Chicago Tribune. Josh Mogerman commended Chicago’s long-time clean energy leadership on WBEZ – Chicago Public Radio noting a new Executive Order affirming the City’s efforts to realize Paris Accord goals are “mak[ing] our city as clean and liveable as we can is something everyone should embrace. In a different interview, Josh also told WBEZ that Illinois’ Future Energy Jobs Act, which became law last week, would reduce the state’s carbon emissions. Josh also joined Chicago’s WGN Radio to discuss the importance of climate action for the Midwest.

David Doniger pointed out the irony of BP’s defense attorney being tapped as top DOJ environment attorney in ThinkProgress, InsideClimate News, and Inhabitat. Doug Obegi spoke to Newsweek about the nomination of lobbyist for deputy interior secretary.

Adrianna Quintero told CBS – San Francisco that withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement is a “lost opportunity” for America and “the cost of not doing something about climate change is significantly higher” than any costs for participating in the pact.

Joel Reynolds spoke to Chinese network CGTN America about California Governor Jerry Brown’s emerging role as a global climate leader. Annie Notthoff was quoted in Truthout on the support for strong climate action within California.

Bobby McEnaney spoke to the Huffington Post about Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s order to review conservation plans for the imperiled sage grouse to give states “greater flexibility.” Despite the many threats the species faces, “Secretary Zinke might just have landed the decisive blow,” Bobby said. He was also quoted in the Denver Post.

Trump’s proposed budget would eliminate funding for a bevy of important government functions, including monitoring greenhouse gases, David Doniger told Bloomberg; addressing toxic algal blooms, Mae Wu noted in Huffington Post; and even securing air conditioning for the elderly Kim Knowlton explained in Mother Nature Network.

Elly Pepper penned a blog for Scientific American urging U.S. zoos to help pangolin conservation efforts by not purchasing the wild-caught animals.

Trump’s EPA is facing pressure from NRDC, other advocacy groups and seven state Attorney Generals, to ban chlorpyrifos—a pesticide linked to learning disabilities in children—this week. NRDC’s advocacy on the issue was mentioned inBloomberg BNA, The Hill, San Francisco Chronicle, CBS – San Francisco, and others.

A Freedom of Information Act request filed by NRDC revealed Pebble Mine’s top lobbyist met with a senior EPA official shortly before the agency lifted its hold on the permitting process. “After years of belly-aching about fairness, it is simply unbelievable that Pebble immediately seized the opportunity to reach a secretive, backroom deal with the Trump EPA,”Taryn Kiekow-Heimer told E&E News.