WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy Tuesday, readers! Daily on Energy will be suspended through the rest of the week starting tomorrow for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will be back in your inbox next Monday to kick off December with a bang.
While things are starting to slow down a bit here in Washington D.C., the administration and agencies are still very much at work. Just this afternoon, the Environmental Protection Agency said it would be releasing long-awaited funds for states to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water.
Plus, we take a closer look at the Interior Department’s five-year offshore oil and gas development plan released last week and whether or not the agency plans to conduct the same environmental analysis it has done for years.
Welcome to Daily on Energy, written by Washington Examiner energy and environment writers Callie Patteson (@CalliePatteson) and Maydeen Merino (@MaydeenMerino). Email cpatteson@washingtonexaminer dot com or mmerino@washingtonexaminer dot com for tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email, and we’ll add you to our list.
EPA RELEASES $3BN TO ADDRESS LEAD IN DRINKING WATER: The Environmental Protection Agency today released $3 billion in long-awaited funding to help states remove lead in their drinking water.
The EPA is providing the funding through the State Revolving Fund programs, to help states reduce exposure to lead in drinking water, which has been linked to illnesses and premature deaths.
The agency said it reviewed previous funding and updated state service line data to accelerate efforts to identify and replace lead pipes. The agency is also launching a dashboard to show the latest state-by-state lead pipe inventories. It would also redistribute an additional $1.1 billion in previously announced funding to address lead in drinking water systems.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement, “With our updated data, we can tackle this challenge more efficiently than ever before, and we’re ensuring every dollar goes directly toward replacing the lead pipes that threaten our communities.”
However, the EPA has delayed distributing this funding for several months, which have stalled lead-pipe replacement projects in some states. For instance, Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey last month said her office paused a grant program to help water systems identify and remove pipes due to the delay in federal funding.
Illinois lawmakers, including Democrat Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi earlier this month called the agency to release the annual funding, warning that “further delays put children and families at risk of easily preventable lead poisoning.”
The funding was authorized under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which set aside $15 billion for lead-pipe replacement across the country through 2026.
Read more by Maydeen here.
INTERIOR TO SKIP NEPA FOR OFFSHORE DRILLING PROPOSALS: In an apparent effort to solidify the administration’s proposal for expanded drilling off the coast of Alaska, California, and the Gulf, the Interior Department is reportedly skipping standard environmental analysis for its five-year offshore drilling management plan.
Quick reminder: Last Thursday, Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released its five-year oil and gas leasing plan, proposing as many as 34 possible offshore lease sales for between 2026 and 2031 off the coast of California, all around Alaska’s coastline, and nearly the entire Gulf of Mexico (aka Gulf of America).
What’s new: E&E News is now reporting that the agency will not be conducting detailed environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act, aligning with the Trump administration’s broader efforts to pull back many environmental and climate related regulations.
In the past – as far back as 1980 – Interior’s offshore drilling plans have referenced these NEPA analyses, according to the outlet. However, the agency is reportedly now calling these analyses “discretionary,” pointing to two appeals court rulings in the District of Columbia which dismissed challenges to NEPA analyses of five-year oil and gas plans.
Citing these rulings, Interior’s BOEM has said the approval of the five-year drilling plan “does not constitute an irreversible and irretrievable commitment of resources, and that, in the context of BOEM’s multiple stage leasing program, the obligation to fully comply with NEPA does not mature until the lease sale stage,” E&E News reported.
Instead, the agency will be preparing an environmental analysis outside NEPA’s framework. The administration is required to consider environmental protection impacts for energy development offshore under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. This includes considering oil spill risk, impact on coastlines, threats to species and more.
IN OTHER INTERIOR NEWS…A FOREIGN TOURIST VISITOR FEE FOR NATIONAL PARKS: Meanwhile, on land, the Interior Department is making major changes to how international tourists can visit our national parks.
The details: The agency announced today what it called the “most significant modernization of national park access in decades,” updating artwork on annual passes, expanding access for motorcycles, and establishing a new fee structure.
Under the current fee structure, annual passes to national parks cost $80 for all visitors. U.S. residents 62 years and older receive a $60 discount, or can purchase a lifetime pass for $80. Meanwhile, U.S. military and their dependents, U.S. citizens and permanent residents with permanent disabilities and federal recreation site volunteers can obtain passes for free.
With the new structure, annual passes will continue to cost $80 for U.S. residents, however, nonresidents will see a big spike:
- $250 fee for an annual pass for non residents
- If no annual pass, non residents will be subject to a $100 fee to enter 11 of the most visited national parks in addition to the standard entrance fee
Plus, non-residents are now exempt from several of the agency’s “fee-free” days for access to the parks, which occur on President’s Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Weekend, 110th Birthday of the National Park Service, Constitution Day, Theodore Roosvelt’s Birthday, and Veteran’s Day.
Revenue generated from the foreign visitor fees are expected to be used to upgrade visitor facilities, complete essential maintenance and improve parks service nationwide.
“President Trump’s leadership always puts American families first,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said. “These policies ensure that U.S. taxpayers, who already support the National Park System, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations.”
JOHN KERRY ‘SHOCKED’ BY US CEOS’ SUBMISSION TO TRUMP ON CLIMATE ROLLBACKS: Former secretary of state John Kerry is now saying that he has been surprised by how many top executives in the U.S. feared retribution from President Donald Trump, opting to walk back many green and climate related commitments.
The details: Kerry, who served as former President Joe Biden’s climate envoy, told the Financial Times that he still believes many chief executives in the U.S. believe in climate change and efforts to mitigate its effects, but said he views them as “scared.”
“It’s not that they don’t believe [in climate change] or they don’t want to move forward. They’re just scared. I’m shocked by how frightened CEOs are,” Kerry told the outlet.
“The process of Donald Trump in the last months, coupled with the justice department, coupled with his vengeance programmes, has scared the crap out of a lot of people,” he continued.
Kerry explained that many CEOs and investors in the U.S. had been mostly “bullish” about accelerating the phase out of fossil fuels and deploying greener solutions, but are now “afraid” that those alternatives are no longer strong enough for their businesses given the current political climate.
Quick reminder: Trump has long dismissed concerns about climate change as well as the effects of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. In recent months, he and his Cabinet have urged European leaders to also abandon their green crusade. You can read more about the four main EU climate and environmental regulations that the administration is targeting here.
CHINESE EV AUTOMAKER BYD SALES CONTINUE TO RISE IN EUROPE: The Chinese automaker BYD continues to experience a rise in sales in Europe as it expands beyond China.
BYD’s new car registrations in Europe increased to 17,470 vehicles in October, compared to the same time last year, when it was at 5,695 cars, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
The association said that in the first ten months of the year, 1,473,447 new battery-electric cars were registered, capturing 16.4% of the EU market share. It added that by the end of October, petrol car registrations declined by 18.3% with all major markets, including Germany, Italy, and Spain, experiencing declines.
Although BYD has seen sales increase, it still falls behind domestic automakers like Germany’s Volkswagen and Stellatis, which sold 308,508 and 157,350 vehicles in Europe last month.
BYD has continued to expand beyond China as it is one of the largest EV companies in the world, surpassing United States companies like Tesla. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has rolled back initiatives that would help promote American EVs.
ICYMI – TRUMP EXEMPTS COAL USED IN STEELMAKING FROM CLEAN AIR ACT: The Trump administration on Friday announced it would exempt metallurgical coal, or met coal, which is used in steelmaking, from the Biden administration’s Clean Air Act rule for two years.
The Trump administration issued a proclamation that would exempt facilities known as coke ovens from a regulation that would limit the release of pollutants such as mercury and soot. The Biden administration would have required the facilities to install technology to detect emissions, but the White House said those technologies are “not practically available.”
The Trump administration said the rule risks the closure of these coke oven facilities, which would undermine national security. The administration has not only supported the coal industry but also sought to bolster the steel industry.
The White House said, “Currently, approximately 70 percent of all steel is made using metallurgical coke, a high-quality fuel and reductant used in blast furnaces to reduce iron ore to pig iron. A strong coke industry is therefore vital to building and maintaining critical infrastructure and military readiness.”
RUNDOWN
Inside Climate News How China Silences Environmental Reporters Beyond Its Borders
Latitude Media Where can green hydrogen reach parity with fossil fuels?
E&E News Electricity prices jump after Trump rejects disaster aid for Michigan utilities
