A coalition of states and environmental organizations is taking the Postal Service before the courts. Republican AGs want a climate measurement blocked, and California says Big Oil should be held responsible for plastic pollution.
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Postal Service sued for gas-powered trucks
On Thursday, sixteen states and a coalition representing environmental groups announced a lawsuit against U.S. The decision by the Postal Service to replace most of its fleet with fossil fuel-powered vehicles was a major victory for the Postal Service.
Environmental groups and climate hawks in Congress have blasted Postmaster General Louis DeJoys decision to buy new gas-powered vehicles with mileage of 8.6 miles per gallon.
The Postal Service has committed to electricizing only 10% of the 165,000 vehicles. In December, President Biden signed an executive order establishing a goal of carbon neutrality across the federal government. This would be very difficult if the Postal Service, the largest federal fleet, does not switch to renewable energy.
Who is on board? The lawsuit’s plaintiffs include EarthJustice and Sierra Club, as well the attorneys general of California and New York, Connecticut and Delaware, Washington, Illinois, Maine and Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico and North Carolina, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
New York City and Bay Area Quality Management District joined the challenge.
The Postal Service has an historic opportunity to invest in the future and our planet. Instead, it is doubling down on outdated technologies that are bad for our environment and bad for our communities, California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) said in a statement.
Once the purchase is finalized, we’ll have more than 100,000 gas-guzzling vehicles serving our neighbors for the next thirty years. There won’t even be a reset option. We will go to court to ensure the Postal Service adheres to the law and considers alternative environmentally-friendly options before making this decision.
What are they claiming? The plaintiffs claim that DeJoy used deeply flawed techniques in the environmental analysis that resulted in the order.
The lawsuit claims that the Postal Service overestimated the cost of batteries in order to justify the lack of electrification. It also underestimated gas prices. The analysis was done before recent increases in gas prices. It was based upon a projected gas price at $2.19 per gallon.
The lawsuit also claims the Postal Service underestimated the mileage per battery for electric vehicles. It projected 70 miles per charge, even though current vehicles can go as high as 200 miles per charging.
Adrian Martinez, a senior lawyer on Earthjustices Right To Zero campaign, stated that DeJoys’ environmental process was so inefficient and riddled by error that it failed the basic standards of National Environmental Policy Act.
We will go to court to defend the millions of Americans who live in neighborhoods overburdened from tailpipe pollution. This country should have electric mail delivery for our health and future.
Find out more about the lawsuit.
Red states want climate accounting to be blocked
A group of Republican-led states on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to reinstate a court order blocking a key climate accounting measure put in place by the Biden administration amid a legal dispute with potentially high stakes for climate change regulation.
Louisiana led the GOP-led states in urging the justices to resuscitate a February federal judges ruling which temporarily stopped the Biden administration from using a metric known to as the social cost of planet-warming gaz to quantify the climate impacts and benefits of regulatory action.
Trump-appointed U.S. Court Judge James Cain in Louisiana halted the ruling last month by a New Orleans federal appeals court.
What are they trying to argue? Thursday’s court papers show that Republican attorneys general of 10 states harped on the issue metric, officially known as the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gas Estimates. It was first implemented under President Obama.
The Estimates are a power grab to manipulate America’s entire federal regulatory apparatus through speculative benefits and costs so that the Administration can impose its preferred policy outcomes upon every sector of American economy, the group composed by GOP-led states.
The Obama-era figures gave much more weight to climate damages than figures used under the Trump administration. These social costs were used as a way to quantify the climate benefits and, conversely. To justify stricter regulations, higher greenhouse gas costs can be used.
Read more at The Hills John Kruzel
California AG to investigate fossil fuel companies
Rob Bonta, the California Attorney General (D), stated on Thursday that he plans to launch an investigation into fossil fuel and petrochemical industries in regard to their contribution to global plastic polluting.
Bonta also stated that he plans to subpoena ExxonMobil in this process.
Bonta stated at a Thursday press conference that the public was being aggressively deceived and manipulated by some of the most powerful corporations in the world.
He added that the deception of the fossil fuel and petrochemical industry has been ongoing for half a century. This has caused damage to our environment, our people, and our natural resources.
The investigation seeks to identify companies responsible for or contributing to the plastic pollution crisis. Bonta stated that his office will investigate the industry’s ongoing and historic efforts to deceive people and determine if and to what extent they may have violated the law.
He added that we will not hesitate to hold these businesses accountable if the law is broken.
Bonta, speaking to reporters from Dockweiler State Beach Los Angeles, stated that plastic and other trash must be removed daily. He described this as an example of the larger problem.
Learn more at The Hills Sharon Usadin.
ON TAP TOMORROW
Michael Regan, Administrator of the EPA, will testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the budget for the agency.
WHAT WE’RE READING
- The Permian Basin Oil Field is Running Out Of Workers, Materials, and Cash (The Wall Street Journal).
- Florida governor rejects rooftop solar proponents’ net metering bill (Tampa Bay Times).
- Shell tightens restrictions for Russian oil purchases (Reuters)
- Lake Mead drops to an unimaginable low, exposing its original 1971 water intake valve. (CNN
ICYMI
Finally, something a little offbeat and unorthodox:Bake up for lost time
This is it for today. Thanks for reading. For the latest news and coverage, check out The HillsEnergy & Environment. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
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