Biden announced the proclamations during a conservation summit held at the Interior Department, blocking a total of about 514,000 acres of public lands from development.
Avi Kwa Ame is part of the creation story of many tribes and is sacred to many Indigenous groups, while Castner Range, on Fort Bliss in El Paso, was a testing and training site for the Army during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
The president also said he’s issuing a memo to consider additional protections around a marine monument that’s southwest of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.
Those protections would “encompass areas unaddressed by previous administrations so all areas of U.S. jurisdiction around the islands, atolls, and reef of the Pacific Remote Islands will be protected,” according to the White House.
Read more about the monument designations at TheHill.com.
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.
Residents of an area of Louisiana that has become known as “cancer alley” due to the prominence of pollution coming from industry there are alleging that they are the victims of environmental racism in a new lawsuit.
Michigan will pay $600 million to settle lawsuits over the contamination of Flint’s water supply, which combined with settlements from the city and a local hospital will comprise the largest legal settlement in the state’s history.
A fungal disease targeting corn crops is moving across the Midwest and Great Plains. The disease prefers relatively cool temperatures and humidity to develop and spread.
California lawmakers are pushing forward a first-of-its-kind bill that seeks to rid food products of five chemicals linked to cancer and developmental issues in children. The legislation, AB 418, …
News we’ve flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:
North Dakota Senate advances tax breaks for fracking (KFYR)
Amid soaking storms, California turns to farmland to funnel water into depleted aquifers (The Los Angeles Times)
GOP to energy companies: We’re here to help. Industry: Meh. (Politico)
Texas set power prices too high during 2021 storm, court says (E&E News)
On Tap
Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching:
The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing featuring the CEOs of Norfolk Southern and a railroad industry lobbying group, as well as the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan is slated to testify on his agency’s budget in a Senate Environment and Public Works Committeehearing.
The Supreme Court on Monday struck down a federal court ruling upholding the right for a minor to go to court to get permission to undergo an abortion, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson penning a solo dissent in the case. Read more
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Tuesday suggested that the Manhattan district attorney “should be put in jail” amid anticipation that former President Trump could be hit with an indictment today as prosecutors probe payments made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Read more
Opinions in The Hill
Op-eds related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill: