Wallace Could Fill Extended Interior Vacancy
From: Jackson Hole News & Guide “If confirmed, in fact, Wallace would oversee two agencies that have lacked Senate-confirmed leadership dating to when Trump took office. Dan Smith, a deputy director who’s “exercising the authority of director,” now leads the National Park ...
Parents, Schools Await Results of Federal Health Study into Synthetic Turf with Tire Crumbs
From: The Oregonian “This delay was entirely predictable based on the history of this issue particularly and of the current administration’s languid stance on health and safety,” he said. “The approach the regulatory agencies are sticking with is a Trump-era classic: Do nothing ...
Toothless Law Lets White House Keep Jobs Vacant
From: E&E News “More than halfway through President Trump’s first term, the Interior Department remains rife with key vacancies despite a federal law that suggests the agency should be hobbled by the lack of leadership. Instead, Interior hasn’t so much as slowed down ...
PEER Challenges Legality of NPS Operations Deputy Appointment
From: Federal News Network “PEER said David Vela can’t legally serve as the National Park Service’s acting deputy director for operations because he was appointed by another deputy director, not the NPS director, since that position is vacant. PEER is asking the Interior ...
EPA Head Asked to Back up Claim That Climate Change is ’50 to 75 Years Out’
From: The Hill “Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler is being asked to back up recent claims that climate change consequences are still “50 to 75 years out.” In a freedom of information request filed by the Sierra Club late Monday, the conservation ...
Singapore Plans to Regulate 11 Chemicals as Hazardous Substances
From: Chemical Watch “Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) is planning to place controls on 11 chemicals, in accordance with proposed updates by international conventions. The parties to the Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions are considering placing controls on 11 new ...
NGO Seeks ‘Moratorium’ on New PFASs in US
From: Chemical Watch “In a 27 March letter to leaders of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), PEER said this jump has come after industry voluntarily pledged to phase out the use of two long-chain substances – PFOA and PFOS – because of their toxicity and ...
Misleading the Public: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Debate Flared Up Again
From: High North News “After the timeframe for submitting comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement for drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has closed, the organization Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) claims that essential ...
Helicopters Gone Wild
From: Honolulu Civil Beat “Commercial helicopter tours in Hawaii are a bane to grounded residents, but a popular tourist activity that has proven a successful business for a handful of tour companies in the islands. The lack of regulation and lucrative nature of these commercial ...
This Trump Appointee Has a History of Fighting the National Weather Service. Will Scott and Rubio Support Him Anyway?
From: Tampa Bay Times “President Donald Trump’s pick to run the federal agency in charge of weather forecasting and water monitoring hit a snag this month. A federal report alleged widespread sexual harassment at AccuWeather, the former company of his nominee, Barry Myers. It’s ...
Organizations Team up to Produce Survival Guide for Government Whistleblowers
From: Federal News Network “Few federal management challenges are as vexing as how to deal with whistleblowers. For whistleblowers, things can be even tougher. They face retaliation and job loss. To mark the 30th anniversary of the Whistleblower Protection Act, the Project on ...
EPA Administrator Asked to Back Up Climate Claims Made on TV With Science
From: Ars Technica “In an appearance on CBS News in late March, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler told Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett that the threat posed by climate change is “50 to 75 years out.” Now, environmental lobby group ...
Congress Stonewalled on Access to Mining Data
From: The Timberjay “It appears the Trump administration is continuing to stonewall public records requests filed by congressional committees looking into federal decision-making related to two Minnesota copper-nickel mining projects. Congressional committees are examining a number ...
Plan to Drill in Alaskan Wildlife Refuge Downplays Climate Impact, U.S. Agency Argues
From: Science Magazine “Plans to drill Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have underestimated the effects of climate change, one arm of the Interior department is warning another. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) pointed to several aspects of climate change that were ...
Scientists Weigh in on CDC Decision to Exclude Cancer From PFAS Health Study
From: The Intelligencer “PA trio of scientific experts have vouched for the justification used by a federal health agency last month to explain why it plans to exclude cancer from an upcoming health study into toxic firefighting chemicals, which have impacted communities along the ...
Agencies Break Ranks Over ANWR Climate Analysis
From: E&E News “Plans to drill the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have underestimated the effects of climate change, one arm of the Interior Department is warning another. The Fish and Wildlife Service pointed to several aspects of climate change that were minimized or absent in ...
Group Challenges Reassignment of Former Grand Teton Superintendent
From: Casper Star Tribune “A federal government watchdog group is challenging the legality of David Vela’s reassignment to the National Park Service’s acting deputy director of operations role in Washington, D.C. Superintendent of Grand Teton National Park since 2014, Vela was ...
Repercussions for Revealing Corruption
From: Voices for Transparency “Once a whistleblower’s identity has become known, broad public support and public recognition of their courage can serve as a buffer against further retaliation and mistreatment. As Stephanie emphasised, however, the best case scenario is usually to ...
Assembly sends another letter for Tongass timber sale information
From: KFSK “The Petersburg borough assembly will try again to get some answers about timber sale oversight and administration on the Tongass National Forest. The assembly Monday voted unanimously to send a second letter to U.S. Forest Service chief Vicki Christiansen seeking ...
Watchdog Calls for NPS Probe
From: Politico “The watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility filed a complaint with the Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General alleging that the National Park Service illegally named David Vela its acting deputy director of operations. Vela, ...
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