Tag Archives: Back to Basics

Videos from Administrator Pruitt’s Visit to Capitol Hill

Since the Environmental Protection Agency’s founding in 1970, Congress has had a unique and important role to play in EPA policy and funding. Members of Congress and their constituents back home understand the importance of EPA’s work and need the agency to be responsive.  Now, under the new leadership of President Trump and Administrator Pruitt, EPA has developed an agenda that focuses on protecting the environment by engaging, listening to and learning from states and local communities. On Wednesday morning, Administrator Pruitt met individually with U.S. Representatives, both Democrat and Republican, to talk about environmental and economic issues facing our country and the Members’ districts.

Listen to Congressman John Shimkus of Illinois talk about the new leadership at EPA:

Following his meetings in the U.S. House,  Administrator Pruitt met with several Senators, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman John Barrasso.

Watch Senator Barrasso’s response to an EPA that is getting back-to-basics:

Editor's Note: The views expressed here are intended to explain EPA policy. They do not change anyone's rights or obligations. You may share this post. However, please do not change the title or the content, or remove EPA’s identity as the author. If you do make substantive changes, please do not attribute the edited title or content to EPA or the author.

EPA's official web site is www.epa.gov. Some links on this page may redirect users from the EPA website to specific content on a non-EPA, third-party site. In doing so, EPA is directing you only to the specific content referenced at the time of publication, not to any other content that may appear on the same webpage or elsewhere on the third-party site, or be added at a later date.

EPA is providing this link for informational purposes only. EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of non-EPA information provided by any third-party sites or any other linked site. EPA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies, internet applications or any policies or information expressed therein.

EPA Working With States on Real Solutions for Coal Ash Disposal

EPA is working more closely with the states to find real solutions that allow manufacturing, energy production, and other parts of the economy to create jobs while protecting the natural resources on which our lives depend.

One area where coordination with the states is picking up is in how coal ash is managed. States are better equipped to determine how to coal ash in their states should be managed and recycled, but EPA can – and has — set a federal standard. Thanks to a new law by Congress, the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act), states are now authorized to manage coal ash under their own permit programs as long as the EPA determines that the state’s requirements are at least as protective as the federal standards.

Building on his Back-to-Basics agenda for refocusing EPA on its core mission and returning power to the states, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt sent a letter this week informing Governors that EPA is working on guidance for state-led coal ash disposal programs under the WIIN Act.

Administrator Pruitt’s letter urges the swift submission of permit programs by states and cooperation to help states get their programs approved under the WIIN Act in order to place regulation and enforcement in the hands of those who best know the needs of their environment and local communities.

Click here to view Administrator Pruitt’s letter.

Editor's Note: The views expressed here are intended to explain EPA policy. They do not change anyone's rights or obligations. You may share this post. However, please do not change the title or the content, or remove EPA’s identity as the author. If you do make substantive changes, please do not attribute the edited title or content to EPA or the author.

EPA's official web site is www.epa.gov. Some links on this page may redirect users from the EPA website to specific content on a non-EPA, third-party site. In doing so, EPA is directing you only to the specific content referenced at the time of publication, not to any other content that may appear on the same webpage or elsewhere on the third-party site, or be added at a later date.

EPA is providing this link for informational purposes only. EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of non-EPA information provided by any third-party sites or any other linked site. EPA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies, internet applications or any policies or information expressed therein.

Photo Essay: Back to Basics Agenda

The EPA just concluded two weeks of visits to Appalachia and the urban and rural mid-west. Here are some of the things we saw through the lens of our award winning photographer Eric Vance.

Happy to be working in West Virginia.

The tall rolling hills of Western PA.

Deep down in America’s largest underground coal mine.

A coal miner clocks out in Sycamore, PA.

EPA Administrator meets community member in East Chicago, IN.

East Chicago homes.

Contaminated soil removed and fresh soil being laid

Blue skies, fresh water and green farm land in rural Missou

EPA Administrator taking some cell phone photos with some happy power plant workers.

Coal field in Clifton Hill, MO.

Editor's Note: The views expressed here are intended to explain EPA policy. They do not change anyone's rights or obligations. You may share this post. However, please do not change the title or the content, or remove EPA’s identity as the author. If you do make substantive changes, please do not attribute the edited title or content to EPA or the author.

EPA's official web site is www.epa.gov. Some links on this page may redirect users from the EPA website to specific content on a non-EPA, third-party site. In doing so, EPA is directing you only to the specific content referenced at the time of publication, not to any other content that may appear on the same webpage or elsewhere on the third-party site, or be added at a later date.

EPA is providing this link for informational purposes only. EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of non-EPA information provided by any third-party sites or any other linked site. EPA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies, internet applications or any policies or information expressed therein.