EPA, Threatened Species Take Hits In Amendment Blitz. According to E&E News, “EPA once again bore the brunt of Republican amendments, which targeted a host of enforcement areas and Obama-era regulations: … Lawmakers voted 215-194 to adopt an amendment by Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) that would bar enforcement of the Obama-era EPA methane rule.” [E&E News, 7/19/18 (=)]

 

Former Coal Lobbyist Visits Major Fracking Company In Pennsylvania On First Trip As EPA Chief. According to Think Progress, “On Monday, Andrew Wheeler made his first visit out of Washington as acting EPA administrator. He traveled to the Pittsburgh suburbs to visit the regional headquarters of Range Resources, the largest natural gas producer in Pennsylvania but one with a poor environmental record. Pruitt used a photo op at the Harvey coal mine in Sycamore, Pennsylvania in April 2017 — in the early stages of his tenure as EPA administrator — to emphasize his commitment to rolling back environmental regulations on the coal industry. The Harvey mine, owned by Consol Energy, is part of the Bailey Mine Complex. In 2016, Consol Energy was fined $3 million, as part of a settlement agreement with the EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice, for violating the Clean Water Act by discharging contaminated mine wastewater from the Bailey Mine Complex into tributaries of the Ohio River. Wheeler, however, did not use his visit to western Pennsylvania to make any grand announcements about policy changes at the EPA. On the trip, though, he did meet with a company that has a history of confrontational relations with landowners and environmental groups.” [Think Progress, 7/18/18 (+)]