From: Outside Online “Nearly two years into the Trump administration, the DOI, for instance, has nearly as many of these vacant positions that must be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate (eight), as it has filled (nine). And there is currently no nominee for seven of ...

From: Outside “Erosions of public input about decisions on public lands aren’t new. They also occurred under the Obama administration, says Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). But Ruch and other watchdogs say the trend has been ...

From: Bloomberg Environment “Investigators at a small federal agency that examine major industrial disasters are focusing on the most relevant safety recommendations—a change from past practice, an agency official said Oct. 23. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, ...

From: KFSK “The timber sale problems were highlighted by the group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, or PEER, a nationwide watchdog group based in Silver Spring, Maryland. PEER published the 2016 Forest Service review of the sales and sued the agency for documents ...

From: S&P Global “Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, or PEER, found that the statements “stand in contrast to published research and conclusions of the EPA” and therefore submitted a request under the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, for the EPA to ...

From: Inside NoVa “In 2013, the EPA retracted its prior safety assurances about of rubber tire turf fields, according to PEER. PEER became involved in the issue after an EPA toxicologist enlisted the nonprofit’s help in urging the agency to perform a risk assessment, Jeff Ruch, ...

From: Ocala Star Banner “On the environment, Scott says “look over there,” stating that Nelson has not done enough at the federal level to solve Florida’s environmental problems. But what did “Red Tide” Rick do? He has presided over major repeals of environmental protections ...

From: AZ Family “Before recruits are given a badge, they must pass both law enforcement training, as well as certain survival skills. Should a particularly dangerous call come in, dispatchers are required to check-in with a ranger every few minutes. For their part, Rangers are also ...

From: Government Executive “Nineteen months after it received a nonprofit’s Freedom of Information Act request, the Environmental Protection Agency has responded with a small batch documents that seem to undercut former Administrator Scott Pruitt’s hint of internal agency studies ...

From: Wall Street Journal “Industry groups say the work of the chemical safety board is essential. The American Chemistry Council said its members “find considerable value in the CSB’s work—especially the reports and materials generated by the board as part of its investigations ...

From: Mother Jones “Late last year, associate deputy secretary Jim Cason, a Bernhardt lieutenant, reassigned at least 27 executives without much explanation or a paper trail, including several high-level staffers with portfolios in climate change and conservation. Clement, a climate ...

From: NM Political Report “The administration’s attack on public lands—from rolling back monuments which are sacred to pueblos and tribes in New Mexico, to leasing oil and gas near Chaco Canyon without public input or tribal consultation—will do irreparable damage to our most ...

From: Government Executive “After the dual function employees are decommissioned, FWS will have 230 full-time officers. PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch called that insufficient, noting there are 562 refuges in the national system. “Refuge law enforcement is already critically ...

From: BisNow San Francisco “San Francisco’s largest redevelopment in over 100 years is becoming one of its most controversial developments. Hunters Point, also known as San Francisco Shipyard, and the nearby Candlestick Point, the site of the former 49ers stadium, have been lauded as a ...

From: Yale Environment 360 “Elizabeth Southerland had a distinguished, 30-year career at the the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during which she held numerous senior positions, including director of science and technology in the Office of Water. So she had a front-row seat early ...

From: Courthouse News Service “Wildlife refuge managers, the people who police illegal hunting, fishing, trapping and pollution, among other stewardship duties, are being phased out, according to an internal memo obtained by a federal watchdog. Public Employees for Environmental ...

From: The Missoula Current “The American ideal of the friendly public-land ranger still persists, complete with Smoky Bear hat and horse companion. But by the end of this year, the reality will forever change on national wildlife refuges, leaving those lands with a little less protection ...

From: The Hill “The nation has 562 national wildlife refuges spread across 20.6 million acres of public land. Unlike national parks, mining, drilling, hunting and farming are all regulated activities on certain refuges. “Our dual-function officers were an integral aspect of refuge ...

From: West Hawaii Today “The lawsuit seeks an injunction for the FAA to implement the Air Tour Management Plan over Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, something both the FAA and the National Park Service has failed to do for 18 years despite Congressional legislature, said Bob Ernst, ...

From: ABCNews “”Children’s health is a top priority at EPA, and we have made tremendous progress improving air and water quality and helping kids and families lead healthier lives,” Wheeler said in a statement Monday. Advocacy groups, however, say they have doubts about the ...