Ann Weeks

Today —December 31, 2020— marks the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Clean Air Act. Shepherded by Maine Senator, Edmund Muskie, passed unanimously in the Senate and by a 374-1 margin in the House, and signed by Republican President, Richard Nixon on New Year’s Eve 1970, the Act arguably represents the most successful U.S.

In a blatant effort to cement bad law and policy decisions during what should be a transition period to a new Administration, EPA Administrator Wheeler announced yet another final rule today—this time keeping in place ozone standards that fail to protect public health with an adequate margin of safety. “That failure to meet the Clean […]

It’s the week before Christmas And all through our houses Not a gadget should be stirring, not even our wireless mouses.   We should be settling in for a nice winter’s nap, or even just shopping for toys and a cap, But in fact, we are busy, we haven’t closed shop We’re working so hard […]

CATF Legal Director Ann Weeks testified at an EPA virtual public hearing on the Revised Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Update in support of further reductions of nitrogen oxide emissions from industry that would alleviate localized pollution that disproportionately harms low-income people and persons of color, as well as ozone pollution problems in downwind states. Read […]

Our corner of the environmental legal community has been rolling in wins, this spring and summer, in court cases challenging the Administration’s environmental rollbacks. This is good news in the midst of the pandemic and the movement against systemic racism inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests, and should be celebrated not just by lawyers, […]

This morning, over 20 environmental, public health, and civil rights organizations have taken two legal actions to protect the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (“MATS”). The MATS rule, which was issued in 2012, is fully complied with at this point and has resulted in a 96 percent reduction in these health-harming toxic air pollutants emitted […]

In possibly the most cynical move to date by the Trump Administration in its efforts to revive the flagging coal industry, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler today signed a final rule reversing a twenty-year old finding that it is “appropriate” under the Clean Air Act to regulate mercury and other airborne toxics from coal-fired power plants—the […]

In comments filed late Wednesday, a coalition of Environmental, Public Health, and Civil Rights organizations have strongly opposed EPA’s proposal, 84 Fed. Reg. 2670 (Feb. 7, 2019), that it is not “appropriate” to regulate emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants from coal- and oil-fired electric generating units. The coalition states that EPA’s proposal […]