Environmental Protection Agency

At the G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Italy’s Deputy Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Vannia Gava signed a three‑year Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen environmental protection at large‑scale events. The pact builds on Italy’s successful Milano‑Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and will help the United States better safeguard human health and the environment for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics. It establishes a framework for cooperation and information sharing on reducing food loss and waste, expanding recycling and water reuse, and advancing circular‑economy strategies. The U. S. will share its Feed It Onward Initiative, while Italy will contribute lessons from its recent Olympic hosting. The next step is a joint workplan to implement the MOU’s objectives.

The Trump administration announced plans to repeal the Endangerment Finding that underpins the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to curb greenhouse‑gas emissions from coal and gas power plants. The proposed repeal would permanently strip the EPA of its Clean Air Act mandate to limit carbon pollution from these facilities. The move follows the administration’s broader agenda to roll back federal climate regulations. If enacted, power plants would no longer be required to meet EPA‑issued emission limits, potentially allowing higher levels of CO₂ and other pollutants to enter the atmosphere. The proposal is currently in the planning stage and will be presented to lawmakers for consideration. The outcome will determine whether the EPA retains its regulatory role over the nation’s largest fossil‑fuel emitters.

A coalition of environmental and public health organizations has filed a federal lawsuit against the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its decision to exempt Cleveland from cleaning up its smog-choked air. The groups argue that the EPA's decision flouts the law and gives polluters a free pass. The lawsuit aims to block the EPA's decision and force the city to address its air quality issues.

A coalition of almost 200 environmental, health, and community organizations submitted comments to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday, urging the agency to retract a proposal that would eliminate the minimum public participation requirements for air pollution permits. The permits in question are commonly used for data centers, power plant expansions, and other industrial projects. The coalition argues that maintaining public input is essential for ensuring community concerns and environmental safeguards are considered in the permitting process. The EPA’s proposal, if adopted, would reduce the level of public engagement required for these permits.

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a new guidance document to help state partners ensure public water systems meet drinking water standards. The checklist is designed to help state agencies identify, track, and address systemic issues that could lead to disruptions in water services. These issues can include demand in source water nearing capacity, malfunctioning treatment equipment, or frequent water main breaks. The EPA encourages state agencies to track and resolve issues identified during routine public water system assessments, known as sanitary surveys, to prevent systemic issues from becoming a threat to public health. The agency's voluntary guidance provides a series of checklists to supplement existing sanitary survey programs and recommends long-term resolutions for systemic issues. This resource is part of the EPA's efforts to support state and local efforts to upgrade and maintain water infrastructure, including funding opportunities through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan program.