Author: Kerry L. Jones

Construction site of oil pipeline
Pipeline
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New York and New Jersey Approve $1B Fracked Natural Gas Pipeline

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) last week approved the required permits for the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline project.

The approval paves the way for the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company to build a new, 37-mile addition to the Williams Transco natural fracked gas pipeline system, which runs from Texas through Pennsylvania into parts of Western New York. The new addition will bring gas into New Jersey and downstate New York, including Brooklyn, Queens, …

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sunset over Solar Farm
Clean Power / EPA
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EPA Facing Lawsuits Over Cuts to Solar Energy Funding after Termination of ‘Solar for All’

The Environmental Protection Agency faces a second lawsuit over the cancellation of solar energy grants promised under the now-terminated Biden-era “Solar for All” program with an Oct. 13 suit filed by Harris County, Texas. Both lawsuits filed against the agency accuse the EPA of illegally revoking money promised under the Solar for All program without congressional approval.

Solar for All was established in 2022 with the Inflation Reduction Act, which granted $7 billion in federal funding to help lower-income families access solar panels and battery …

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Industrial Factory Emitting Smoke During Golden Sunset
Emissions / EPA
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EPA Proposes to End Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program for Industrial Facilities

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Sept. 12 a proposed rule to end the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) for most industrial facilities.

Under the GHGRP, over 8,000 energy facilities and suppliers are required to calculate and submit their greenhouse gas emissions annually without risk of penalty. If finalized, the proposal would remove reporting obligations for most large energy facilities, including refineries, power plants, oil wells, landfills, and CO2 injection sites.

Congress authorized funding for the creation of the GHGRP in 2008. The EPA, under the …

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power station
Emissions / New York
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New York Moves Forward with Ban on Fossil Fuels in New Constructions

On July 25, the District Court for the Northern District of New York in Mulhern Gas Co. v. Mosely ruled that New York has the power to enact the All-Electric Building Act (AEBA). The decision clears the way for the AEBA to take effect in 2026, making New York the first state to require (most) new buildings to be all electric.

The AEBA was passed by the New York Legislature and signed into law by Governor Hochul back in 2023. Under the AEBA, new single-family …

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blurred river
PFOA / Settlements
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DuPont Agrees to $27M Settlement in Hoosick Falls PFOA Contamination Lawsuit

Earlier this month, chemical maker DuPont agreed to a $27 million settlement to resolve the Hoosick Falls class action, which involved allegations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) contamination of the upstate New York village’s water supply.

In February 2016, class action, Baker, et al. v. E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., et al, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York regarding a Teflon fabric coating facility in Hoosick Falls. The class, which involves hundreds of plaintiffs, alleged that …

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