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In this week’s update, (1) The Trump EPA Delivers Massive MAHA Win on Phthalates Using Gold Standard Science, (2) The One Year Anniversary of the Los Angeles Wildfires, and (3) Fixing the Technology Transitions Rule to Ensure Access to Affordable Refrigerants.
The Trump EPA Delivers Massive MAHA Win on Phthalates Using Gold Standard Science
The Trump EPA recently completed our Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) risk evaluation of phthalates; the most comprehensive assessment of phthalates ever conducted by EPA. We announced that, following gold standard science, promoting radical transparency of the research and data, and to Make America Healthy Again, we will regulate dozens of phthalate chemical uses after finding unreasonable risks to workers and the environment.
We used the most rigorous scientific methods, including independent expert peer review, extensive public input, and cutting-edge cumulative exposure analysis.
MAHA activists were right, and the Trump EPA strongly agrees, that exposures in certain settings exceed safe levels and could cause endocrine disruption and reproductive health impacts.
Read the full news release.
The One Year Anniversary of the Los Angeles Wildfires
One year ago this week, deadly wildfires consumed Los Angeles, destroying just about everything in its path. Homes, businesses, community centers, schools, and entire city blocks were decimated, leaving thousands of residents displaced. The wake of the fires was catastrophic, and we pray to never see anything like this ever again anywhere in America.
Thanks to President Trump's leadership, EPA led the largest wildfire cleanup in agency history. In just 28 days, we completed our Phase 1 hazardous material removal so that the Army Corps could complete its Phase 2 debris removal. President Trump’s executive order required EPA to finish our work in just one month. Operating at Trump speed, we successfully worked the entire process to greenlight over 13,000 properties for debris removal, disposed of over 1,000 electric vehicles and bulk energy storage systems with lithium-ion batteries, and deployed over 1,600 employees to complete this robust tasking.
The Trump Administration continues to stand with local residents who anxiously await local approvals to rebuild their homes, lives, businesses, and futures. Read more from Administrator Zeldin in our one-year LA wildfires update.
Fixing the Technology Transitions Rule to Ensure Access to Affordable Refrigerants
Many Americans have understandably expressed concern, frustration, and opposition to how the Biden EPA, through its Technology Transitions Rule for refrigerants, was implementing the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The AIM Act is a federal law that requires EPA to phase down HFCs by 85% by 2036.
In practice, the Biden EPA’s Technology Transitions Rule established more aggressive restrictions than required by law, resulting in higher grocery costs, reduced access to residential AC units and supplies, and far more complicated maintenance of equipment. It also hurt semiconductor manufacturing in our country. At the Trump EPA, we are taking action to fix this mess we inherited, which includes proposed flexibility on compliance deadlines while staying within the boundaries of the law. We will do EVERYTHING in our power to assist! If finalized, our proposed rule would correct what many have raised as a grave mistake by the Biden Admin. And for those who just want to directly eliminate (or amend) the federal law altogether, I’d note that would obviously require an entirely new Act of Congress.
The bottom line is this: The Biden EPA Technology Transitions Rule for refrigerants is simply unworkable, and the Trump EPA is committed to fixing as much of it as permitted under the law.
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