 Energy & Environment |
Energy & Environment |
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Federal government mulls train regulations after spill |
The Biden administration is ordering Norfolk Southern to clean up after a train derailment spilled chemicals and officials are eyeing new rail reforms after the wreck. |
© AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar |
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a legally binding order requiring the company to identify and clean up contaminated soil and water, reimburse the EPA for the cleaning it is doing and attend public meetings at the agency's request, according to a press release from the agency. "Norfolk Southern will pay for cleaning up the mess that they created and the trauma that they inflicted on this community," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said during a press conference Tuesday. Regan was joined at the conference by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), who indicated there could be additional legal action to come. In particular, Shapiro said the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection made a criminal referral over the derailment to the state's attorney general. DeWine said Ohio's attorney general would take "whatever action that Ohio law allows him to take." Norfolk Southern shared a statement with The Hill saying the company has already been paying for cleanup activities and will continue to do so. Meanwhile, the Transportation Department on Tuesday outlined its own plans for rail safety. The department intends to advance a rule requiring at least two crew members for most railroad operations, start a safety inspection program for trains that carry hazardous materials and pursue "further rulemaking" on brakes and high-hazard trains. |
Welcome to The Hill's Energy & Environment newsletter, we're Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains. |
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How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future: |
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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday called for several freight rail reforms in the aftermath of a train derailment in northeastern Ohio earlier this month that resulted in the release of toxic chemicals and temporarily forced the evacuation of thousands of residents. |
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More than 100 activist groups are calling on California's state legislature to adopt Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) proposal to penalize oil companies for "price gouging." |
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Demand for U.S. offshore wind nearly doubled last year while investments in the sector tripled, a new report has found. |
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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(WHTM) – A quick look at the calendar shows the first day of spring, landing in mid-March, is right around the corner. But, did you know it also starts on March 1? No, you didn't read that wrong. There are two types of spring that start at two different times. There's the astronomical spring and the meteorological spring. |
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Driving the future of EV sustainable transportation |
As the leading EV manufacturer in North America, Panasonic continues to build on decades of battery expertise to help create a greener, more equitable future. Learn about our new EV factory in Kansas. |
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News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: |
- Workers Are Dying in the EV Industry's 'Tainted' City (Wired)
- Power-Grid Attacks Surge and Are Likely to Continue, Study Finds (The Wall Street Journal)
- How Russia's war shattered global energy routes (E&E News)
- Jimmy Carter, the president who tried to save the planet (The Washington Post)
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Race & Justice Imperative — Wednesday, Feb. 22 | 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT 2023 brings the largest class of the Congressional Black Caucus in its history. As Black Americans break new barriers, what can we expect to see in the fight for justice across politics, society and for achieving the American dream? Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Co-Founder of The Black Lives Matter Global Network Alicia Garza, BlackPAC executive director Adrianne Shropshire and more join The Hill to discuss. RSVP now |
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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The Supreme Court grappled with the scope of a liability shield for internet companies on Tuesday, at times expressing confusion about arguments to narrow the industry's protections as they probed how it could impact the internet. Read more |
| House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) slammed Republicans providing Fox News with footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection as an "egregious security beach." Read more |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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