Sierra Membership Releases Almost 1,000 New Emails from Trump’s EPA

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Washington, DC — Because the Trump administration continues to undo federal rules that defend our air and water, together with proposals to eradicate requirements for car emissions and revoke the 2009 endangerment discovering, the Sierra Membership right this moment launched 952 pages of emails between EPA officers and exterior organizations offered in response to the environmental group’s Freedom of Data Act request.

VIEW THE EMAILS HERE 

That is the newest launch of information from the EPA in response to the Sierra Membership’s FOIA request on February 27, which sought communications between varied leaders on the EPA and exterior organizations and lobbyists. The newly launched emails focus on points from car emission waivers, trade makes an attempt to defeat Sierra Membership initiatives to guard the setting and shoppers, and issues relating to PFAS and PFOA protections, amongst others.

“These information present a glance behind the scenes of the Trump and Zeldin EPA, and in them you see company polluters, trade coalitions, and their lobbyists—from car corporations to chemical producers—lining as much as urge the company to roll again protections that save lives, defend our air and water, and save shoppers cash,” stated Andrea Issod, senior legal professional with the Sierra Membership’s Environmental Legislation Program. “Since its creation, the EPA’s cost has been to guard public well being and the setting. The extra we see from this company—from its public bulletins to inner issues—the extra our concern for the well being of our individuals and planet grows. We’ll proceed to do all we are able to to uncover these communications and hold the general public knowledgeable on who has the ear of the EPA and the way they’re influencing the selections being made.”

The information embody correspondences with automakers and trade teams particularly looking for motion to undo California’s waiver coverage which sought to cut back car emissions—shortly earlier than Congress nullified the waivers by means of the Congressional Evaluation Act in June.

Specifically, Toyota sought a gathering with Administrator Lee Zeldin in early February (pp. 230-231) particularly to debate the California waivers and tailpipe air pollution requirements set by the Biden Administration. A senior govt with Ford additionally met with officers on the EPA, with a senior official on the company saying that, “Though I’m recused from Ford points, you all the time have a buddy right here.” (pp. 750-752)

Elsewhere, the American Petroleum Institute and the American Gasoline and Petrochemical Producers coordinated a sign-on letter in assist of the nullification of the waivers, shared instantly with the pinnacle of the EPA’s Workplace of Public Engagement (pp. 104-111). Likewise, the emails reveal assembly requests submitted by the American Gasoline Affiliation to “focus on important power priorities with the brand new Administration” in early February (pp. 25-27).

The e-mail information additionally embody a number of communications relating to PFAS and PFOA points and suggestions to roll again or rethink protections applied by the Biden administration, together with emails from chemical firm Chemours looking for decision of a difficulty with harmful discharges on the firm’s Washington Works plant in West Virginia (pp. 137-198), correspondence from the US Chamber of Commerce on behalf of a number of trade associations and companies (pp. 678-684), emails from trade commerce teams and members of the paper and pulp trade (pp. 756-787), and paperwork from the American Chemistry Council (pp. 841, 874-877).

The Sierra Membership requested these communications shortly after Administrator Zeldin was confirmed to guide the Environmental Safety Company in anticipation that he would use the company to learn polluters. Certain sufficient, since then, Trump’s Environmental Safety Company has proposed rolling again the 2009 endangerment discovering, eradicated its Workplace of Analysis and Improvement, and cancelled greater than $20 billion in awards for clear power tasks. These Freedom of Data Act requests are serving to to convey transparency and accountability to the work that the Trump administration is doing on behalf of the nation’s most harmful polluters.

The Sierra Membership additionally expects to obtain further batches of emails and information from different businesses, together with the Division of Vitality and Division of the Division of Vitality and Division of Inside, within the days and weeks forward.

Further Data

The Sierra Membership has additionally filed lawsuits in opposition to the Division of Transportation for withholding information on their illegal funding freeze and exterior communications information; the Division of Vitality for failing to answer FOIA requests for exterior communications information; the Workplace of Administration and Funds for failing to answer three Freedom of Data Act requests which search OMB’s information and communications associated to freezing Congressionally appropriated funding and communications between key OMB and DOGE workers with exterior events; and the Division of the Inside for failing to answer requests on exterior communications for key Inside workers, together with Secretary Doug Burgum, appearing assistant secretaries, and designated DOGE workers.

The Sierra Membership’s Environmental Legislation Program has filed quite a few FOIA requests all through the present Trump Administration, receiving paperwork about funding freezes, company terminations and vacancies of important workers, in addition to corporations requesting presidential exemptions to keep away from air air pollution rules.

Concerning the Sierra Membership

The Sierra Membership is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental group, with thousands and thousands of members and supporters. Along with defending each individual’s proper to get outdoor and entry the therapeutic energy of nature, the Sierra Membership works to advertise clear power, safeguard the well being of our communities, defend wildlife, and protect our remaining wild locations by means of grassroots activism, public training, lobbying, and authorized motion. For extra info, go to www.sierraclub.org.

Press launch from the Sierra Membership.