U.S. Moving Forward on Climate – Despite Trump’s Backpedalling

UN Climate Change Conference Shows Progress in Implementing the Paris Climate Agreement Marking the next step on the way to international implementation of measures to limit global warming and other climate impacts of increased greenhouse gas emissions, the 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP-23) for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was held … Read more

What Cutting EPA Enforcement Means – and What You Can Do About It.

EPA Logo with "Busted" superimposed

A FORMER EPA ENFORCER SPEAKS OUT Under the platitudes of “budget cuts,” we all lose valuable protections for our health. I know, because I recently retired after spending 27 years as a lawyer at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). I’ve watched high-level policy discussions miss the realities of my work on-the-ground with industrial facilities and … Read more

Former EPA Lawyers Critique “Sue-and-Settle” Directive

Scales of justice and judge's gavel with law books in background

Former EPA career attorneys today sent a letter  to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt “to correct the many mistakes of law and fact” in his October 16 directive and explanation concerning settlement of lawsuits brought against the agency.  The lawyers explain how the directive will harm the American people and the fair and efficient operations of … Read more

Pruitt’s Strategic Plan for EPA – and Why It Matters

  The Trump/Pruitt team has released its roadmap for EPA. What is strategic planning? A systematic process of envisioning a desired future, and translating this vision into broadly defined goals or objectives and a sequence of steps to achieve them. Strategic plans create a framework for accountability between the Agency, Congress and the American people. … Read more

I Am a 30-Year Veteran Scientist from US EPA; I Can’t Afford to Be Discouraged

Two large smokestacks on an industrial plant spewing pollution.

. . . And neither can you. Since January, we have seen a continual assault on our environmental protections. EPA has put a political operative with no scientific experience in charge of vetting EPA grants, and the agency is reconsidering an Obama-era regulation on coal ash. The well-established legal processes for promulgating environmental regulations, and—very … Read more

Western Wildfires and Climate Change

Smoke billowing across the ocean from Mendocino to San Francisco

We’re watching those out-of-control wildfires raging in California with horror, sorrow and a lot of empathy. Our hearts go out of the thousands of people watching their homes go up in flames.  This drone footage posted by the Washington Post yesterday conveys the total devastation that wildfires can bring.    Sadly, Western US wildfires have … Read more

Our best climate program is under attack

Rows of vehicles in traffic spewing emissions.

“Clean car standards are one of the quickest, most effective and easiest ways to help us get on the right track to carbon-free transportation and a safer, healthier climate.” By Garrett Garner-Wells, Paul Guzyk and Luke Walch Boulder Daily Camera  10/03/2017 What if we told you there’s a five-year-old who is on the front lines … Read more

NEPA: Ensuring Transparency and Accountability in Government

Highway bridge elevated above the Colorado River to avoid stream channelization

It has become patently obvious that President Trump does not regard environmental protection as a high priority in his Administration.  One of his stated goals is to cut the so-called regulatory red tape that slows down his agenda for Making America Great Again!  One of the targets of his red-tape cutting is the National Environmental … Read more

It’s “National Preparedness Month”

EPA Phone # to report spills 800-424-8802

President Trump issued another Executive Order today. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 2017 as National Preparedness Month. I encourage all Americans, including Federal, State, and … Read more

Inspiration in Dark Times

Fight like your world depends on it. Because your world depends on it. – An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power If you haven’t yet seen  An Inconvenient Sequel-Truth to Power hustle your buns out to the the movies this weekend. It’s now showing in mainstream theaters across the country.  I found this film to be powerful, … Read more

Save EPA has been an all-volunteer group of former EPA officials who became alarmed about the Trump agenda for EPA and joined together to fight it.

With newly-elected President-Elect Biden and VP-Elect Harris coming in January, the need to "save EPA" is much less urgent. This is not to imply all clear skies ahead - there is much re-building to do, there will be negative pressures on the new administration, and we will likely have policy differences in the future. However, we are hopeful that these differences will be discussed rationally, using science as a basis for moving forward, and keeping EPA's mission of protecting human health and the environment in the forefront.

And so, we are going back to retirement!  We're keeping our website up at http://saveepaalums.info/ , as a resource for those who want to follow and influence the restoration work. Our report on the Trump record at EPA describes the actions that need to be reversed [saveepaalums.info/Trump+era+report], and our guide to participating in the rulemaking process [http://saveepaalums.info/Resistance+Guide] can help you be part of the solution.

Thank you for your support and commitment during the past 3.5 years.  While the Trump assaults were unending, they were also frequently unsuccessful, and that was due in large part to public outrage.  Keep it up!  Although EPA will be in much better hands with a Biden administration, there is always a need for an informed and engaged public.

%d bloggers like this: