** A decade since Deepwater Horizon
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Monday, April 20, 2020
Deepwater Horizon oil spill, USGS ([link removed])

Today marks ten years since the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which killed eleven people and spilled 210 million gallons ([link removed]) of oil into the ocean. The effects were widespread, from workers and wildlife to coastal communities, and some of those impacts continue today ([link removed]) . The spill was a wakeup call, leading to stricter regulations and safety procedures, as well as the creation of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). However, the Trump administration has systematically weakened ([link removed]) the rules put in place in response to the disaster. For instance, BSEE recently
issued 1,700 waivers ([link removed]) to companies for safety regulations, most commonly allowing companies to avoid tighter rules on blowout preventers, the cause of the Deepwater Horizon explosion.

Reflecting on the Deepwater Horizon spill further reveals the Trump administration's prioritization of oil and gas companies over the health of land, wildlife, and communities. As the country deals with the coronavirus pandemic, top officials in environmental agencies have been particularly active ([link removed]) in rolling back regulations that protect land and public health. The Interior Department has taken more than 65 actions ([link removed]) since the pandemic began, moving ahead with oil and gas leasing, removing protections for endangered wildlife, and expanding mining operations.
Quick hits


** EPA and Interior ease rules amid pandemic as repeal window nears
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Roll Call ([link removed])


** A decade after Deepwater Horizon
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Washington Post ([link removed]) | NPR ([link removed]) | HuffPost ([link removed]) | The Guardian ([link removed]) | New York Times (editorial) ([link removed])


** Forest Service finishes work on rule to weaken environmental reviews
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S&P Global ([link removed])


** Coronavirus accelerates decline of slumping coal industry
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Associated Press ([link removed])


** Trump ramps up border wall land grabs amid pandemic lockdowns
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OZY ([link removed])


** Tribes sue over Interior plan to divert coronavirus funds to oil companies
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Associated Press ([link removed])


** The rise of the coronavirus nature genre
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New York Times ([link removed])


** Opinion: Parks have unequal closure costs
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High Country News ([link removed])
Quote of the day
How could we be so unprepared to develop tests to deal with a pandemic? Partly it’s a result of years and years of campaigning against government. But undermining government has consequences, as covid-19 shows us. Deepwater Horizon was a reminder that consequences could be pretty significant when we hollow out environmental regulations as well.”
—Jason Bordoff, head of Columbia University’s global energy center, Washington Post ([link removed])
Picture this


** @Interior ([link removed])
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Sometimes a #VirtualVisit ([link removed]) is the best way to see a place. Deep in the backcountry of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Reflection Canyon is a secluded wonder that requires experience & preparation to reach #Utah ([link removed])

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