Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Low-income and minority communities will now be more protected from toxic chemicals
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Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Chemical plant in La Porte, Texas. Alexander Hatley, Wikimedia Commons ([link removed])
On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized ([link removed]) a rule that will require chemical plants to reduce their emissions of cancer-causing chemicals. As a result, the number of people with elevated cancer risk is expected to decrease by 96 percent. The rule ([link removed]) will bring long-overdue environmental justice to low-income and minority communities that are disproportionately located near such plants.
The rule will apply to about 200 chemical plants, specifically targeting ethylene oxide, which is used to sterilize medical devices, and chloroprene, which is used to make rubber. To comply with the new regulations, chemical manufacturers will need to monitor emissions near the fence lines of their operations and plug any leaks of chemicals from vents and storage tanks.
The final rule advances President Joe Biden’s commitment ([link removed]) to environmental justice, but there is more work to be done ([link removed]) . To bolster President Biden’s conservation legacy, other proposed rules still need to be finalized, like the Bureau of Land Management's proposed Oil and Gas Rule, which would implement much-needed updates to the oil and gas leasing system, and the Public Lands Rule, which would put conservation on equal footing with other uses of public land, including drilling, mining, grazing, and recreation. These rules need to be finalized in the coming weeks in order to protect them from potential repeal under the Congressional Review Act ([link removed].) .
** Quick hits
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EPA limits toxic air pollution from chemical plants
Washington Post ([link removed]) | Axios ([link removed]) | The Guardian ([link removed]) | Grist ([link removed])
Wyoming wind industry dodged new taxes in 2024, but not without raising some eyebrows
Inside Climate News ([link removed])
Reclamation slows flows through Glen Canyon Dam to address damage
E&E News ([link removed])
Is the ailing Great Salt Lake improving? Flyover photos show its current state
Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])
Southern California will hike water rates and taxes to cover rising costs and conservation efforts
Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
Letter to the editor: Ask BLM to close lands to oil and gas leasing
Billings Gazette ([link removed])
Fury over Wyoming wolf torture allegations sparks demands for steeper penalties, reform
WyoFile ([link removed])
Outdoor gear industry facing challenges after “insane” post-pandemic growth
Denver Post ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” We cannot have a healthy society without a healthy environment.”
—Troy Carter, congressman for Louisiana’s second district, The Guardian ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@mypubliclands ([link removed])
We like big buttes and we cannot lie....
Big Southern Butte is one of the largest volcanic domes in the world, but at 300,000 years old, it is also one of the youngest. Hikers who trek to the 7,550-foot-high summit are rewarded with spectacular panoramic views of Idaho.
📸Devin Englestead; Bureau of Land Management - Idaho
#TravelTuesday ([link removed]) #Idaho ([link removed]) #GemState ([link removed]) #VisitIdaho ([link removed]) #BigSouthernButte ([link removed]) #YourPublicLands ([link removed]) #IdahoPublicLands ([link removed])
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