AGP Executive Report

EPA Rollback in Indiana: The Trump EPA is proposing to rescind major Biden-era greenhouse gas rules for fossil power plants, arguing it will cut costs and boost energy security, while Indiana advocates warn it removes key tools to protect public health and the climate. Water Infrastructure Pressure: A new report highlights how aging U.S. drinking-water systems face rising pressure to upgrade, with contaminants like lead and PFAS and public trust concerns driving calls for faster testing and transparency. Colorado River Fight: Yuma City Council approved legal action tied to new federal Colorado River guidelines, aiming to challenge potential Lower Basin cuts and protect local water access. PFAS & Health Learning: UCSF students can apply for a paid Environmental Scholars Program focused on environmental health, justice, and clinician-driven advocacy, including PFAS exposure concerns. Wildlife Monitoring in Arizona: Researchers in southern Arizona are using trail cameras and non-invasive tools to track endangered jaguars, helping answer whether they persist in the region. Data Center Siting: Lawrence planning commissioners moved to require special use permits for hyper-scale data centers, adding a public hearing hurdle after community opposition.

Energy & Grid: North Carolina regulators rejected Duke Energy’s plan for a new 255-megawatt gas plant near the South Carolina border, saying the case for demand growth tied to data centers is too uncertain and the $584 million project is too risky for consumers to approve yet. Climate & Disaster Response: California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency ahead of what forecasters warn could be the strongest El Niño on record, directing agencies to stage flood-fighting supplies, prep roads and infrastructure, and support local flood, landslide, and coastal-erosion response. Water Quality & Cleanup: North Carolina DEQ, NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service filed a proposed consent decree to restore damages to the Roanoke River from the former Weyerhaeuser Plymouth Mill, now owned by Domtar, under CERCLA natural resource damage rules. Wildfire Risk: A new study warns today’s children could face far more lifetime “fire weather” exposure than their grandparents, with climate policy and fossil-fuel cuts affecting the outlook. Agrivoltaics: A New Mexico solar farm is pairing panels with crop production, highlighting how agrivoltaics can support farming while generating electricity. Extreme Weather Impacts Agriculture: Rhode Island announced nearly $15 million in federal disaster relief for farmers hit by harmful weather in 2023 and 2024, with applications expected to open in early October. Biodiversity & Species Movement: Researchers say armadillos are pushing farther north, with a recent Ohio discovery suggesting the species may be establishing beyond past “hitchhiker” sightings.

Flood Risk & Insurance: FEMA’s updated flood maps are pushing thousands more homes into high-risk flood zones, triggering new flood-insurance requirements within 45 days in parts of Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, New York, and Massachusetts. PFAS Fight: Juniper Ridge landfill plans to truck PFAS-contaminated leachate 20 miles offsite for treatment, drawing legal and community backlash over public health and environmental review gaps. Water & Drought Planning: Colorado River District leaders urged cross-industry, cross-border cooperation as the Western Slope confronts worsening drought and future climate-driven water limits. Wildlife & Outdoor Impacts: Michigan’s fall bird migration is underway, with hundreds of species moving through the state during late-September and early-October nights. Climate Policy Backlash: EPA finalized a partial repeal of power-plant carbon standards, setting up further rollbacks and renewed scrutiny over pollution impacts in places like Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley.” Fisheries Reform: A Sullivan bycatch reduction bill cleared a Senate Commerce committee, aiming to cut trawl impacts and improve monitoring and transparency for salmon and other species.

Water Policy: Colorado’s state water board approved a one-year, state-run conservation program for 2027, using $100 million from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to pay Upper Basin users for voluntary cutbacks, with added weight for drought resilience and environmental benefits. Climate Liability: New York’s $75 billion Climate Change Superfund Act faces an uncertain future after a federal judge ruled it conflicts with federal law, raising questions about who pays for extreme-weather damage tied to fossil-fuel pollution. Chesapeake Bay: Trump revoked a 2009 Chesapeake Bay protection policy that advocates say underpins stormwater fee authority, while experts warn the practical impact on local fees is more complicated than the order suggests. Public Health & Climate: New Hampshire reported a less-active mosquito season so far, with lower detections of major viruses but continued calls for precautions. Extreme Weather Outlook: PAHO warned El Niño is strengthening and could drive drought, food insecurity, wildfires, and flooding across the Americas, with millions affected and many countries issuing alerts. Energy & Infrastructure: Northrop Grumman won a U.S. Space Force prototype contract for GHOST-R, aimed at tracking orbital debris and spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit.

Air Quality & Public Health: NPR reports researchers found pollution jumped 24%–33% in 46 U.S. cities after the Trump administration shut down embassy air-quality monitoring in March 2025, underscoring how losing public data can worsen health risk. Climate Resilience: EPA wetland grants totaling $3.46M are funding restoration and stewardship across Pacific Southwest communities to improve water quality, habitat, and flood protection. Wildfire & Heat Impacts: Coverage highlights how extreme heat is driving more illness and that climate change may have contributed to a quarter of ER visits for heat-related illness (2018–2025). AI, Energy, and Oversight: A U.S. antitrust fight is brewing over an AI “pace the frontier” safety plan, while separate reporting shows Trump dismissing AI safety concerns and pushing an “AI Force.” Community & Infrastructure: Joby Aviation says it completed the first autonomous cross-country flight across the U.S., a sign of how new aviation tech could support disaster response. Measles: The U.S. outbreak nears 3,300 cases, the highest since 1991, raising alarms about vaccination gaps. Geopolitics With Environmental Spillover: The U.S. issued fresh Middle East travel alerts after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, warning of airspace closures and disruptions.

Climate & Health: A new peer-reviewed study estimates human-caused climate change contributed to about 27% of U.S. emergency room visits for heat-related illness from 2018–2025, with the biggest share in the Southern Plains. Wildlife & Invasives: The U.S. Forest Service reports no European green crabs found yet in shoreline surveys and traps around Etolin Island and Anan Bay in Alaska’s Tongass. Border Infrastructure: DHS is eyeing three new Border Patrol stations in Arizona (Three Points, Casa Grande, Sonoita), each projected to cost $100M+ and house up to 1,000 agents, pending required environmental reviews. Energy Equity: Wahleah Johns highlights a tribal “predevelopment gap” for clean energy, calling out how tribes often lack funding to move projects forward. AI Safety Debate: University of Illinois experts largely dismiss “AI will kill everyone” fears, arguing for guardrails focused on misuse and security. Local Climate Planning: Dewey Beach, Delaware, is launching a 10-month flooding and sea-level rise study to update its resiliency plan and support future grant and FEMA rating efforts.

Battery Safety & Cleanup: A new flare-up at Vistra’s Moss Landing Power Plant followed a battery ignition, with EPA-led cleanup crews saying they had an emergency plan after the 2025 lithium-ion fire. Climate Policy in Court & in Congress: A Rhode Island judge vacated the Trump EPA’s termination of a $7B solar program for low-income households, while environmental groups keep suing over fossil-fuel rollbacks. Energy & Trade Pressure: Airlines are cutting marginal routes as jet fuel nears record highs tied to the Iran war, and a Georgia farm bill fight could shift more SNAP costs onto states. Invasive Species: Guam’s invasive-species control could get a boost from a House-approved bill to expand federal invasive species strike teams. AI, Politics & Security: In Michigan, data-center opposition is reshuffling political coalitions, and Google’s Gemini was reported to have been used to hack three companies during AI security testing. Waste-to-Resources Research: WPI won NSF funding to study recovering critical minerals from coal ash, red mud, and mine tailings using biological approaches. Local Jobs & Environment: Kikkoman opened a $560M Wisconsin facility, creating 80+ jobs and funding native prairie restoration.

Endangered Species Act Overhaul: A Trump-era Fish and Wildlife memo would narrow ESA “take” rules to killings that are intentional, potentially letting some accidental deaths during logging and construction slip through. Water Infrastructure: EPA backed a $251 million WIFIA loan to expand recycled drinking water in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. PFAS/Permit Scrutiny: EPA pulled guidance tied to PFAS in wastewater permits, raising uncertainty for facilities planning compliance. Drought Watch: North Carolina’s year-long drought worsened in multiple counties, with exceptional and extreme conditions expanding and officials urging conservation. Wildlife Management: A House committee advanced a bill to create regional frameworks for culling cormorants to protect Great Lakes fisheries. Energy & Data Centers: Texas officials met over a proposed Amazon-linked natural gas plant and data center expansion, as states debate grid impacts and permitting. Local Health Hazard: A mercury spill at a pediatric office in Floral Park triggered HazMat response and cleanup. Climate Messaging in Communities: A California waste-recycling documentary drew strong turnout from immigrant families, highlighting recycling’s local impacts.

EPA Rollback: The EPA is repealing Biden-era greenhouse gas rules for power plants, including carbon-capture limits, and proposing to scrap other standards—critics warn it could worsen public health impacts, with Arizona’s Pima County singled out for higher pollution exposure. Climate & Energy Policy: The move is framed by manufacturers as cutting red tape, but environmental groups and experts say the health and climate costs are being shifted onto communities. Local Radiation Dispute: In Pennsylvania, independent investigators say radium contamination may pose risks along the Montour Trail’s Westland Branch, while state and county officials insist inspections show no public health threat. Deep-Sea Mining: American Samoa’s governor says commercial deep-sea mining should pause and that any early work should focus on research and environmental studies. Nuclear Fuel Legislation: A bipartisan Senate bill would update uranium enrichment licensing rules, aiming to speed domestic nuclear fuel security. Data Centers & Water: A new analysis highlights how AI-driven data center power demand can carry a big “upstream” water footprint even when facilities use little water on site.

EPA Lawsuit: Environmental groups sued the Trump administration over EPA’s rollback of Biden-era carbon limits for fossil-fuel power plants, arguing the agency repealed rules without replacing them. Energy & Grid Politics: Wisconsin Republicans urged Gov. Tony Evers to pause two major 765-kilovolt transmission line projects in the Driftless Region, citing groundwater concerns and potential harm to farms and property. Data Centers & Power Costs: The U.S. House advanced a bill pushing state regulators to make data centers pay for the full cost of new power and transmission upgrades, as lawmakers respond to public anger over rising utility bills. Clean Shipping Fight: Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn condemned a House vote blocking California’s clean ship rules aimed at cutting port pollution. Public Lands: Cosumnes River Preserve in California is gearing up for National Public Lands Day cleanup events focused on habitat restoration and invasive plant removal. Health & Waste: Illinois researchers found high lead and other metals in disposable vape devices, raising both health and solid-waste concerns. Climate Outlook: NOAA says the odds of a very strong “historic” El Niño this fall/winter are rising, with potential impacts for U.S. weather. Wildlife Management: Montana dropped its lawsuit over Yellowstone’s bison management plan, clearing the way for the National Park Service to move forward.

EPA & Clean Air: The Fifth Circuit vacated EPA’s 2024 methylene chloride rule, sending it back for more action, while West Virginia leaders praised EPA’s broader rollback of power-plant emissions limits—sparking fresh clean-air health concerns. Waterways & Permits: EPA and the Army Corps released another WOTUS proposal, tweaking how “relatively permanent” and “continuous surface connection” waters are defined under the Clean Water Act. Marine Life: A Senate Commerce Committee bill advanced to cut pollock trawl bycatch in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, setting timelines and standards for gear impacts. Climate Disasters: Nepal’s deadly floods and glacier collapse are being linked to faster Himalayan ice loss, renewing calls for climate action and “loss and damage” funding. Energy & Land Use: The Defense Department announced plans for Indiana’s first nuclear micro modular reactor at Naval Weapons Station Crane by 2028, and environmental groups are watching new AI data-center ideas on Alaska bases. Tech & Safety: OpenAI disclosed more concerning model behavior and a new misalignment tracking framework as U.S.-China AI governance talks loom.

EPA Rollback in Georgia: The EPA has rolled back Biden-era carbon rules for coal and gas plants, a move that could keep Georgia’s aging coal units running longer as data-center demand rises—critics warn it means “unchecked pollution” in the Ocmulgee/Altamaha watershed. Supreme Court Climate Lawsuits: A conference ahead of a major U.S. Supreme Court case heard claims that climate litigation is driven by “rich people’s cliques,” with costs likely landing on workers and minorities through higher energy prices. PFAS Legal Win for EPA: The D.C. Circuit upheld EPA’s CERCLA designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances, keeping cleanup and release-reporting obligations in place. Mine Cleanup Permit: Sen. Jim Risch celebrated the first Good Samaritan remediation permit under a pilot program, clearing the way for Trout Unlimited’s Bodie Mine project in Washington. Water Infrastructure Costs: Chicago water officials warned that lead line replacement funding is far short of need, even with federal loans, as climate and drought pressures grow. SAF Push: FedEx signed deals for more than 20 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel across five major U.S. airports through 2027. Wildlife & Health: Massachusetts allergy season is getting worse earlier, with global warming linked to higher pollen counts; and USDA lab results found H5N1 in seabirds collected near Nome.

EPA Power-Plant Rollback: The Trump administration moved to strip key greenhouse-gas limits for fossil-fuel power plants, raising fresh concerns about climate backsliding and environmental-justice impacts. Deep-Sea Mining Permits: A new U.S. push to speed seabed nodule licensing is testing how fast critical-mineral projects can advance without weakening environmental review. Wetlands Protection Fight: An EPA/Army Corps proposal would put most U.S. wetlands at risk, with critics warning it could harm drinking-water supplies and flood protection. Space Militarization: The U.S. confirmed it has deployed “space control” weapons in orbit, a major escalation in the race with Russia and China. Strait of Hormuz Escalation: Iran’s IRGC says it destroyed a U.S. Saildrone surveillance vessel near the Strait, disrupting energy traffic and driving oil prices higher. AI Safety vs. Speed: Maine Sen. Susan Collins called for AI consumer protections and safeguards for critical infrastructure as the debate over regulating fast-moving AI intensifies. Energy & LNG Buildout: Baker Hughes and Venture Global expanded LNG infrastructure orders tied to Plaquemines LNG in Louisiana. Health & Food Safety: Abbott agreed to pay $385 million over infant-formula manufacturing allegations after FDA findings tied to contamination risk.

EPA Rollback: The Trump EPA is revoking greenhouse-gas limits for coal- and gas-fired power plants, a move critics say will worsen climate change and air pollution while the agency says it will cut compliance costs and lower electricity prices. Climate Tech & Research: NASA is awarding RIT $2.2 million to extend its Landsat satellite collaboration, helping prepare Landsat 10 for a 2031 deployment. Wetlands Funding: EPA is sending $3.46 million in wetland grants to nine communities across the Pacific Southwest to protect water quality, habitat, and flood resilience. Farm Costs & Weather: As cover crops expand, USDA incentive payments are boosting farmer interest, while farmers brace for higher costs amid volatile conditions. Great Lakes-Style Warning: Utah’s Great Salt Lake is facing a “sister lake” fate as water loss accelerates, echoing the collapse of Iran’s Lake Urmia. Air Quality Risk: Wildfire smoke is driving unhealthy air in parts of the U.S., with health warnings focused on vulnerable groups. Electric School Buses: First Student and Con Edison completed the first phase of an electric school bus project in NYC, pairing buses with bidirectional charging infrastructure.

EPA Rollback: The EPA moved to repeal most of the 2024 Carbon Pollution Standards for coal and gas power plants, and is set to scrap remaining greenhouse-gas limits—actions framed as cutting costs but likely raising pollution and climate risk. Supreme Court Watch: The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether to hear Maine lobsterman Frank Thompson’s challenge to mandatory GPS tracking for federally permitted boats, a case that could reshape how regulators monitor fishermen. Local Drought Impacts: A two-year drought is worsening along Maine’s midcoast and Penobscot Bay, with a “marine layer” and storm track shifts limiting rain and stressing groundwater, plants, and wildlife. Clean Water Fight: A federal appeals court gave Corona Clay Company another chance in a Clean Water Act lawsuit over whether stormwater rules apply to a nearby seasonal stream under the post-Sackett definition of “water of the U.S.” Energy Storage Uncertainty: A White House grid-cyber executive order banning foreign bulk-power equipment is putting U.S. battery storage projects in limbo, with China-made lithium-ion components at the center of the questions. Climate Politics: House Democrats released a large climate-and-energy policy menu aimed at finding bipartisan paths as the administration dismantles parts of Biden-era rules.

EPA Rollback: Trump’s EPA is moving to repeal Biden-era power plant carbon limits and even consider stripping the agency’s ability to regulate climate pollution from power plants, a shift critics say will worsen air quality and public health. Wildfire Readiness: Western senators warn federal wildfire agencies may run out of money during the 2026 fire season, raising the risk of slower suppression when conditions are already extreme. Water & Pollution Enforcement: An Ohio dairy manager was sentenced for dumping ammonia-laden wastewater into a waterway that triggered a fish kill, underscoring ongoing Clean Water Act crackdowns. Lake Health: Experts are urging faster action on Lake Superior algal blooms, including more research funding and real-time monitoring to detect toxic outbreaks. Data Centers & Power Demand: Philadelphia activists are pushing for a data center moratorium at City Hall, arguing new AI-linked facilities could raise energy rates and pollution. AI Safety & Governance: An AI watchdog alleges OpenAI violated California’s AI safety law multiple times, while major AI leaders also called for slowing frontier AI development. Energy Shock Abroad: Iran says it destroyed a U.S. unmanned drone near the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions disrupt shipping and lift oil prices.