CDP: Waterways Clips: March 3, 2023
Biden Set For First Veto On Senate Bill Opposing Climate-Friendly investing. According to the Washington Post, “President Biden is expected to issue the first veto of his presidency after the Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would revoke a Labor Department rule allowing the managers of the agency’s vast retirement funds to use climate-oriented and social criteria when making investments. The Senate passed the measure after Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) crossed party lines and joined the Republicans, providing the key pieces of the 50-46 majority needed. Both senators are up for reelection next year in heavily Republican states. Four senators abstained. The House passed the bill on Tuesday.” [Washington Post, 3/2/23 (=)]
NY Lawmakers Want To Ban Discharging Radioactive Waste. According to Public News Service, “New York lawmakers have introduced a bill to ban radioactive waste from being discharged from the Indian Point Energy Center. This comes as the facility's owner, Holtec International, is considering dumping treated - but still radioactive - waste into the Hudson River. The river has a history of pollutants being dumped into it, and some 200 river miles are classified as a superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency. During a forum about the implications of Holtec's actions, physicist Dr. Helen Caldicott described some of what could end up in the Hudson, such as tritium.” [Public News Service, 3/3/23 (=)]
As EPA Begins Work On East Palestine Cleanup, Some States Feel Blindsided By Waste Disposal. According to The Hill, “One month after the derailment of a train carrying hazardous chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, the Environmental Protection Agency-led cleanup is underway — but officials in other states have questioned the waste disposal plans. A number of hazardous chemicals were spilled in the derailment, most notably vinyl chloride, a carcinogenic compound used in production of plastics. The EPA announced on Feb. 21 it would take over the cleanup process amid pressure on the Biden administration to take more forceful action following the initial Feb. 3 derailment.” [The Hill, 3/2/23 (=)]
Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ About To Get Their First US Limits. According to the AP, “The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose restrictions on harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water after finding they are dangerous in amounts so small as to be undetectable. But experts say removing them will cost billions, a burden that will fall hardest on small communities with few resources. Concerned about the chemicals’ ability to weaken children’s immune systems, the EPA said last year that PFAS could cause harm at levels ‘much lower than previously understood.’ ‘We as a community of scientists and policymakers and regulators really missed the boat early on,’ said Susan Pinney, director of the Center for Environmental Genetics at the University of Cincinnati.” [AP, 3/2/23 (=)]
What Is A ‘Blue Carbon’ Ecosystem? According to Yale Climate Connections, “Salt marshes, mangrove swamps, and sea grass meadows teem with birds and fish. With thick vegetation and rich soils, these habitats also absorb a lot of planet-warming carbon dioxide, helping to reduce climate change. So they’re often referred to as “blue carbon” ecosystems. “Some of these coastal blue carbon ecosystems have been shown to draw down carbon at 10 times the rate per area of tropical forests,” says Zachary Cannizzo of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He says mangrove swamps, salt marshes, and sea grass meadows are important, but they cover less than 1% of Earth’s surface. And many are rapidly disappearing as a result of pollution, development, or agriculture.” [Yale Climate Connections, 3/2/23 (=)]
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