Colbert, Lydic, and Meyers take closer looks at the EPA and Epstein and Kimmel goes down the rabbit hole on 'windmills'

I'm covering the Outstanding Talk Series Emmy nominees today, but first I'm featuring their monologues, beginning with Stephen Colbert's EPA Stops Protecting The Environment | Americans Need To Have More Sex | Don Jr.: My Dad Is So Hot.

The EPA is seeking to scrap limits on greenhouse gas emissions, America’s fertility rate hit an all-time low, and the president’s son weighed in on the Sydney Sweeney American Eagle eugenics controversy.

I thought Scott Pruitt, Andrew Wheeler, and Rick Perry during Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump's first term were bad enough. They didn't have Project 2025 to misguide them. Ah, the gift that keeps on giving for the EPA Chief Lee Zeldin, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Hoover Cleveland himself, and others who are living down to their reputations as "air-fouling, oil-drilling, earth-raping conservative fossil fools." It's not like the BBC, MSNBC, CityNerd, and I didn't tell you so.

I'll get back to the proposed EPA policy change when I embed the other nominees. In the meantime, I was wondering if I would need to update Listening to people worry about lower birthrates on World Population Day is enough to drive me to drink on National Mojito Day. Stephen did it for me. He also connected it to Sydney Sweeney's ad, although I think she and American Eagle are just channeling Brooke Shields.

Desi Lydic also examined the EPA decision in Trump Asks Hegseth to Cool It With the Polygraphs & Kristi Noem Goes Horse Girl | The Daily Show.

In another installment of The Worst Wing, Desi Lydic tackles Lee Zeldin telling everyone in the EPA to be more chill about climate change, Marco Rubio lighting a birth control bonfire, and Kristi Noem finding another animal to scare. Plus, Pete Hegseth's got a new addiction: polygraph testing Pentagon insiders to see who's talked sh*t about him.

This was indeed a bad week to stop regulating greenhouse gases. Between that, Marco Rubio, Kristi Noem, and Pete Hegseth, it's "The Worst Wing," indeed.

The Daily Show won Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming (Segment) and has two nominations in the category this year, so I'm embedding Joe Rogan: The Path to Roganlightenment as a bonus.

From his humble beginnings in Newark to his scrappy days in Boston, Joe Rogan has always pushed his brains to the limit. Rogan's stand-up comedy led him to a career in television, eventually inspiring him to start his own podcast where he could ask the really important questions, like, "Wouldn't it be crazy if a wolf wore a fedora?" This is The Daily Showography of Joe Rogan.

This is who Spotify chose over Niel Young and is the leading podcaster? Nora Ephron was right when she wrote "no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public," even though she attributed it to H.L. Mencken.

This wouldn't be a closer look without Seth Meyers, so I'm sharing Trump "Haunted" by Epstein Questions, Says Epstein “Stole” Spa Staff as Polls Crater: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Trump returning to the U.S. after his Scotland trip that was supposed to be a personal business trip and golf vacation that ended up being mostly about how he never had the "privilege" of going to Jeffrey Epstein's private island.

My wife and I watched this and our reaction was that none of this made him look good; he just displayed his worst side.

Jimmy Kimmel wasn't on last night, but his show earned a nomination for Outstanding Talk Series, so I'm embedding The Rabbit Hole with Jimmy Kimmel: Windmills, itself an Emmy nominee.

Jimmy Kimmel falls down the Rabbit Hole with an investigation that will blow you away about the dangers of windmills and Donald Trump’s sworn enemy: The Wind.

That's as close as I can get to Kimmel on energy and climate change.

Follow over the jump for The Daily Show's nine Emmy nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards and Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

CityNerd lists 'Ten Lovely Cities You Can Migrate To and (Maybe) Survive Climate Havoc'

I found a new take on 'How Climate Change Will Reshape Where Americans Live' from CityNerd, who listed Ten Lovely Cities You Can Migrate To and (Maybe) Survive Climate Havoc.

Since I started making videos about affordable walkability and underrated urbanism, I've gotten several requests to do something specifically around small and mid-sized cities. Well, this video isn't EXACTLY that, but it's adjacent!

It turns out, if my brazen misapplication of the EPA's Climate Resilience Screening Index is to be believed, small and mid-sized cities are going to be pretty good performers under trying climate conditions. So, if you were to pack up all your stuff and move to a place that had the least risk / most resilience, and was STILL a legitimate city, what city would it be? Well, this video has ten ideas for you. Ignore them at your peril!

This is an entirely different list of climate havens than I've shared before. I'm a little disappointed that it doesn't include cities in Michigan, although it does include Duluth, Minnesota, so the Great Lakes have a destination. I'm a bit surprised at all the locations in the western interior. So were a lot of the viewers, who pointed out the potential issues with water supply for a lot of these towns. It turns out that a lot of the small cities have adequate water, at least for now. Just the same, many of those cities are places I might like to retire to for reasons having more to do with the present climate than the future climate. That they would be good places to live in the future would be a bonus.

This concludes today's look at how to survive climate change. Stay tuned for Paul Bunyan Day.

Supreme Court weakens EPA authority to enforce Clean Water Act

I am recycling my reaction to the Supreme Court deciding in favor of West Virginia and against the EPA to begin today's post.

This is indeed bad news for fighting climate change and could be a precedent that constrains regulations by many branches of government. The good news is that hasn't happened yet...May we continue to be so lucky.

That luck is running out, as PBS NewsHour reported Supreme Court decision weakens EPA authority, scales back scope of Clean Water Act.

The Supreme Court has again weakened the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency. The case involved the EPA blocking an Idaho couple from building a house near a lake on their property, saying the construction would pollute water protected by the Clean Water Act. William Brangham discussed the case with Coral Davenport.

While the court voted unanimously in favor of the landowners, so that was almost certainly the correct outcome, the opinions supporting that decision are another matter. I am a scientist, not a lawyer, but I think it was possible that the EPA overstepped its authority in this case even with its prior power over wetlands. Instead, it has now lost its ability to regulate half the nation's wetlands. This is great for property owners, but not good for the environment.

The Supreme Court may further restrict the ability of the federal government to regulate in its next term, as Ali Velshi on MSNBC explained in Velshi: This single SCOTUS case could upend our entire regulatory system.

Under the Executive Branch, there are 15 departments, each of which is led by an appointed cabinet member. And within those departments, there are more than 400 distinct agencies and sub-agencies. This is the so-called “Administrative State” that the GOP has been pushing to reform for decades. These agencies, among other functions, are the regulatory bodies on which we rely in nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Last week, the Supreme Court accepted a case that has the potential to upend our governments entire regulatory system.

This could be really bad news, even though a decision is not likely to come for a year or so. I'll be following it, so stay tuned.

How to recycle smarter for America Recycles Day 2022

Happy America Recycles Day! My catchphrase for today is "America doesn't just need to recycle more, it needs to recycle better." I'm sharing three videos to help myself and my readers achieve that goal, beginning with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wishing its YouTube viewers Happy America Recycles Day!

Recycling is a simple action that can have dramatic benefits for the environment – from saving energy and water and reducing pollution to fighting climate change and improving our air and water quality.

In honor of America Recycles Day, Administrator Regan is starting a recycle relay to challenge YOU to recycle more and recycle right.

That's a good start to getting Americans (and others, like my French readers) to recycle more effectively.

On the same theme, WUSA9 asked its viewers Verify: Do you know what goes in your recycling bin?

Recycling can be one of the easiest ways to make an impact on the planet, if you do it right. So what goes into the trash and what goes into the bin?

That was a good exercise for Earth Day, but it works just as well for America Recycles Day. I learned something from it and I hope my readers did, too.

I conclude today's post with Expert Shares 5 Ways To Fix Recycling from KOIN 6 from Portland, Oregon.

For "America Recycles Week" an expert walks us through further efforts that we should be taking to recycle materials and caring for the environment towards bettering future generations.

The first two videos concentrated on what individuals can do. This one focused on what businesses and individuals can do. That's important, too. Also, it helped make me aware of The Recycling Partnership, an organization I'd never heard of before I started researching this entry. I've now subscribed to their YouTube channel. I hope to share more of their videos in the future.

That's it for holidays, for now. Stay tuned as I return to this blog's regular programming, whatever that is.

Neil deGrasse Tyson explains Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! To celebrate, I'm sharing Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains the History of Earth Day from StarTalk.

Where did Earth Day come from? On this explainer, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic climate activist co-host Chuck Nice discuss the origins of Earth Day and when we started paying attention to environmental issues on our own planet.

When was the first Earth Day? We talk about Rachel Carson’s 1962 book Silent Spring and the origins of climate activism in the United States. How did people's mentalities towards pollution change? We break down the concept of a global environment, the turbulence of the sixties, and Apollo 8. What does the 1968 trip to the moon have to do with Earth Day? Discover how leaving the earth helped us think about our own planet. We explore the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies and policies in the 70’s. What changed in our mindset towards Earth when we travelled to space? Happy Earth Day from your friends at StarTalk, keep looking up and keep looking home!

I'm sure his viewers and listeners expected to hear about the role of Rachel Carson, but leave it to Dr. Tyson to connect the space program, particularly Apollo 8, to the environmental movement and leave it to Chuck Nice to tell the viewers to spread the word. I listened, Chuck, which is why I embedded the video and am sharing the link.

I'm also sharing GretaThunberg: A Year to Change the World PREVIEW from Arizona Public Media.

Travel with the world’s best-known climate activist as she takes her fight to a global stage. With unique access, the series follows Greta over an extraordinary year as she embarks on a mission to ensure world leaders work to limit global warming.

Check your TV listings for when this three-part series airs on your local PBS station. Many of them will show it tonight, Earth Day, beginning at 8 P.M. local time. They will also repeat it next week.

I'm not done with the intersection of the environment and entertainment. Stay tuned for a retrospective featuring a popular post about animals that is an Oscar nominee on the Flashback Friday before the Oscars.

The EPA celebrates 50 years of protecting the environment

I was planning on continuing the Student Sustainability Video Festival series today, but I could not find the video I wanted to use on YouTube. That sometimes happens after three-and-one-half years have passed. However, the search did alert me to an anniversary that I just missed, the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on December 2, 1970.

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) celebrates 50 years of protecting human health and the environment in the United States, on tribal lands, and around the world.
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Since 1970, EPA has made significant progress in protecting the nation’s water, cleaning up our air and land, and safeguarding human health. Historic milestones include setting the nation’s air quality standards to protect human health, regulating the quality of public drinking water, creating the Superfund program to clean up hazardous waste sites, protecting children from exposure to lead-based paint, and recently, launching the first ever United States Federal Strategy for Addressing the Global Issue of Marine Litter and new, modern National Recycling Goal of 50% by 2030.

The EPA uploaded a series of videos to its YouTube channel to celebrate the anniversary. The one that popped up in my search was The EPA Administrators: Looking back at 50 years of environmental protection.

EPA's administrators from 1970 to present day talk about their tenure at the helm of the agency, some of the environmental issues of the time and their accomplishments.

I must admit, I grimaced when Scott Pruitt and Andrew Wheeler spoke, but at least they said relatively reasonable things. This includes Wheeler's bragging about the EPA's accomplishments in the press release I used to open this entry.

“EPA has delivered on our mission to protect human health and the environment for every American, regardless of their zip code,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Since 1970 air pollution has fallen more than 77 percent, down at least 7 percent in the last 4 years alone. Under the Trump Administration, our nation’s air, water and land are the cleanest and safest they have been in our lifetimes. This is something to celebrate.”

I wonder how much of that decrease in pollution is the result of regulations from previous administrations that Wheeler decided to keep instead of kill. Frankly, I'll be glad when Wheeler and the rest of Donald Trump's administration leave next month and better people take over.

The other video from the EPA I want to share today is EPA Charter Employees -- Marking 50 Years of Service to the Agency, which Ifound more compelling and generally more sincere.

In recognition of EPA's 50th Anniversary, we honor these Charter Members who were directly involved in the establishment of EPA and the commencement of operations on December 2, 1970 after a signed executive order by President Richard M. Nixon. These members set the foundation for the agency through leadership, integrity, honestly, commitment, and dedication. Throughout the years, they encouraged and inspired other potential leaders to pursue excellence while continuing to achieve the agency's mission to protect human health and the environment.

The EPA Administrators may take the credit, but these are the civil servants who actually did the work. I thank them for their service to the country and congratulate them for their efforts to cleam up the environment. May the EPA help improve the environment for 50 years more!

The Verge explains why most Americans support the EPA for Earth Day plus environmental policy for the eighth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News

Happy Earth Day!  Today, I am pointing out that climate isn't the only environmental issue the U.S. and the planet is confronting.  Pollution of all kinds is another one, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created to combat.  The results have been generally successful, as The Verge describes in Why most Americans support the EPA.

The future of the EPA is uncertain. We look back at why the agency was created in the first place, and why we still need it today.

The video is two years old, but its points are still valid, even after Scott Pruitt has left as EPA Administrator.

Two of the most read entries of the eighth year of this blog were about the EPA, so follow over the jump for how they and another about the Trump Administration's environmental policies earned their page views.

CNN's 'Dirty Water: Danger from the Tap' on World Water Day

As I promised twice, I am observing World Water Day today by revisiting It's not just Flint that has problems with lead in drinking water — Verge Science by sharing the CNN digital documentary Dirty Water: Danger From the Tap.

It’s not just Flint, Michigan. Bad water is more widespread than you think. Aging infrastructure is leaving thousands of rural communities vulnerable to contamination with no fix in sight. CNN travels to two of them.

Virginia Tech engineering Professor Marc Edwards watched as water flowed from a garden hose in Enterprise, Louisiana. As he moved a jar to catch a sample, the color changed from clear to brown. "When mine comes out, it comes out black," Enterprise resident John Tiser said as he watched Edwards work.

Tiser, Enterprise's newly appointed water board president, was giving Edwards a tour around this rural community in central Louisiana, where residents have struggled with water problems. He says his wife drives 20 miles each direction to do laundry in a town with clear water. Concerned about the potential health effects for his family, including his two daughters, he ran for a seat on the local water board.

What drives him, Tiser said, is "being sure that they're not consuming anything that 20 years from now is going to wind up hurting them."

Years of water system neglect means that the 250-or-so residents there are left with pipes that leak more than 70% of their water into the ground, Tiser said -- all because they can't afford to fix them. "We're basically putting Band-Aids when we need to go to the ER. That's where we're at," he said.

Lead and bacteria in the water are not just a problem for the people of Flint.  They're an issue for millions of Americans.

This video reminded me of Cassini and Voyager both winners at the Emmy Awards to "write about [the PBS 'Nova' episode] 'Poisoned Water'...in a future post."  I am still promising to do that, but only after I post about statistics and Marche du Nain Rouge.  As I wrote yesterday, I have my blogging work cut out for me.  Stay tuned.

EPA Administrator nominee Andrew Wheeler worked for Bob Murray and James Inhofe, CNN reports

Last month, Seth Meyers checked in on Andrew Wheeler, who Trump announced he'd nominate for permanent head of EPA.  This month, CNN reported Trump's EPA pick worked for climate change skeptic.

Andrew Wheeler, the former coal lobbyist who is now acting administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, was a "driving force" behind the agenda of Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), who called climate change a "hoax," according to people familiar with Wheeler's work for the senator. CNN's Drew Griffin reports.

In case Murray Energy looks and sounds familiar, I wrote about the company and its CEO in both Seth Meyers and John Oliver on coal and hawks for Cut Your Energy Costs Day and Save the Eagles Day, Suit against John Oliver and HBO dismissed, and Update to 'Suit against John Oliver and HBO dismissed,' top post for the seventh year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.  That did not turn out well for Bob Murray.  On the other hand, John Oliver's 'Coal'" won Television Episodic Comedy at the 2017 Environmental Media Association Awards for film and television.

As for James Inhofe, I have only mentioned him once, back in 2011's Silly Sustainability Saturday: The Onion, more manatees, heat wave denial, and a poem.  There, I reproduced my friend Nonnie's fake movie poster from Stoopid Warmed Over


After seven years, it's about time I mocked James Inhofe again.  Katherine Hayhoe can't have all the fun laughing at Rick Santorum claiming she's in it for the money.

'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' on the irony of 'drain the swamp'

A search of this blog reveals that I have not mentioned "Drain the Swamp" at all before today.  "Lock her up," the slogan that came out of 2016's "October Surprise," at least had a post to itself.  That changes today, as I'm sharing Drain the Swamp: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO).

Donald Trump promised to “drain the swamp.” But considering the culture of corruption inside of his administration, Washington is looking awfully...swampy.

I've written about Scott Pruitt and his ethics scandals before, but I have only mentioned Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke for his policy decisions, not his potential for corruption.  Since I used to be a National Park Ranger and so was an employee in the Department of the Interior, I'm surprised that I haven't.  Thank you, John Oliver, for doing my work for me.  Now that I have the opening, I'll be sure to follow up.

As for the phrase "drain the swamp," I'm not sure that it means the same thing to Trump and his supporters that it means to everyone else.  It looks more like his administration is draining the swamp of the bureaucrats and experts who actually try to regulate the swamp than the actual corrupt swamp creatures they are trying to police.  That reminds me of the famous line from "The Princess Bride," "You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means."*


*That reminds me that William Goldman, who wrote "The Princess Bride," died this week.  He also wrote the script for "All the President's Men."  Between the two, he deserves a mention here.

Seth Meyers checks in on Andrew Wheeler as Trump announces he'll nominate Wheeler for permanent head of EPA

Last April, I observed that then-EPA Adminstrator Scott Pruitt was in a precarious position.

Scott Pruitt is in the middle of an ethics scandal over a sweetheart deal with an energy lobbyist over renting a room for cheap.  He might be fired.  He could instead replace Jeff Sessions as Attorney General.  This is a fluid situation, so stay tuned.

Pruitt resigned in July and his deputy Andrew Wheeler replaced him as acting Administrator.  Yesterday, President Trump announced that he plans on making that promotion permanent.

President Donald Trump announced Friday he plans to nominate the acting chief of the Environmental Protection Agency, Andrew Wheeler, to permanently lead the agency.

Trump announced the move during a Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House, where he introduced Wheeler along with other top administration officials in attendance.

"Acting administrator -- who, I will tell you, is going to be made permanent," Trump said. "He's done a fantastic job. And I want to congratulate him. EPA, Andrew Wheeler."

Trump's idea of "a fantastic job" certainly won't be mine.  Neither was it Seth Meyers', who did a segment on Wheeler in August: The Check In: Andrew Wheeler and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Seth takes a break from breaking news to check in on the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Andrew Wheeler.

I'm with Seth; going from someone who drank organic juice with kale to someone who drinks Coke does not look like a step up environmentally, but that's just trivial optics, if good comedy.  More important is the take of the Sierra Club, who was quoted by CNN.

"Putting a coal lobbyist like Andrew Wheeler in charge of the EPA is like giving a thief the keys to a bank vault," said Michael Brune of the Sierra Club. "As Acting EPA Administrator, Wheeler has kept his door open to coal, gas, oil and toxic chemical corporations, prioritizing their profits over the health and safety of our families."

Looks like the Sierra Club agrees with Meyers that Wheeler is just as bad for the environment as Pruitt, he's just more patient.

CNN also quoted a Democratic senator on the prospects of Wheeler's confirmation.

"Mr. Wheeler must come before our committee so that members can look at his record as acting administrator objectively to see if any improvements have been made at the agency since he took the helm," Delaware Sen. Tom Carper, the top Democrat on the committee overseeing EPA.

Normally, I'd wish Wheeler good luck, but I don't think he deserves it.

America Recycles Day

Happy America Recycles Day!  Since I have been celebrating this day off and on since 2013, but have never shared the description of the day from National Day Calendar before, here it is.

Each year on November 15, millions of people across the United States take part in America Recycles Day, a day which was created to raise awareness about recycling and the purchasing of recycled products.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Recycle, buy recycled goods and help teach others the benefits of recycling and continue to do so each day! Use #AmericaRecyclesDay to post on social media.

HISTORY

America Recycles Day was started in 1997 by the National Recycling Coalition and is declared each year by Presidential Proclamation, encouraging Americans to commit to recycling.  Since 2009, this day has been a program of Keep America Beautiful.  There are thousands of events that are held across the United States to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and offering personal pledges that can be signed, committing to recycling and buying products made from recycled materials.

Just as I did for World Diabetes Day yesterday, I have videos about the day and recycling to share.  Follow over the jump!

EPA announces relaxed fuel efficiency standards, California and other states vow to fight them

Exactly four months ago, I wrote EPA relaxing fuel efficiency standards, setting up fight with California.  Yesterday, the other shoe dropped, as the EPA followed through.  PBS NewsHour reported Trump administration plans rollback of fuel standards, setting up legal fight with states.

Over President Obama's tenure, rules were put in place that would have nearly doubled the average fuel economy standard in the U.S., which the Trump administration has argued goes too far. Now a new EPA proposal would set standards to far lower to protect manufacturers and consumers from costs. Judy Woodruff reports that Thursday's announcement sets up a looming legal battle with some states.

PBS NewsHour followed up this segment by asking How would Trump’s fuel standard rules affect Americans?

The Trump administration called on Thursday for rolling back the Obama-era fuel standards to make cars get better gas mileage and emit less pollution. Judy Woodruff gets reaction from Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, who plans to join the legal challenge, as well as Mary Kate Hopkins from Americans for Prosperity, a libertarian advocacy group that has applauded the move.

I'm with Herring on this issue, not Hopkins.  With sea level rise is already causing coastal flooding in New Jersey, record heat scorching southern California and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, and gas and oil prices higher than they've been in four years, I think relaxing fuel efficiency standards is a bad idea.  Doing so will make pollution, climate change, and energy use worse.

Herring and I are not alone in thinking that.  Newsy included a collection of quotes from various governors and state attorneys general in Suit planned over proposed fuel standard freeze who said much the same thing.

Nearly 20 states' attorneys general say they plan to join the lawsuit.

I wish the states planning on suing the federal government luck and skill; they will need both.

Finally, KCRA in Sacramento examined How new fuel standards will impact California vehicles.

California is fighting to keep fuel-efficiency standards in place after the EPA announced the rollback of Obama-era mileage standards. The standards called for automakers to reach a fleet average of about 54 miles per gallons by 2025; the new standard is about 37 miles per gallon after 2021. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the rollback would imperil the state's efforts to curb greenhouse gases and clean up some of the nation's most polluted air. Becerra also promised to sue if the Trump administration makes good on plans to revoke a longstanding waiver allowing California and other states to set their own stricter auto emissions standards. Get the full story in the video above.

KCRA does not think that relaxing the standards will affect demand for more efficient vehicles.  I hope that turns out to be correct; the planet needs it.

EPA relaxing fuel efficiency standards, setting up fight with California

When I last examined the Trump Administration's energy and climate policies, the Federal Energy Regulation Commission rejected Perry's proposal to subsidize coal and nuclear plants.  That was good news for the environment.  Today, I bear not so good news.  CBS News reports EPA to rollback Obama-era emissions standards.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said Monday the agency will rollback Obama-era vehicle emissions standards. In addition to changing the standards, the agency said it's still looking into a waiver that allows California to determine its own emissions standards. CBS News Radio correspondent Steve Dorsey joins CBSN to discuss the EPA's announcement.

That conflict with California over fuel and emissions standards is the central topic of NBC News' report, EPA And California Set To Clash Over Federal Fuel Standards.

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to roll back fuel efficiency standards, but California, which sets the toughest standards in the country, has pledged to defend the current guidelines.

As an expatriate Californian and a big believer in hybrid and electric vehicles who drives one himself, I'm on the Golden State's side.  Here's to hoping my former home state prevails in court.

That's not the only news out of the EPA.  Scott Pruitt is in the middle of an ethics scandal over a sweetheart deal with an energy lobbyist over renting a room for cheap.  He might be fired.  He could instead replace Jeff Sessions as Attorney General.  This is a fluid situation, so stay tuned.

Snyder testifies before Congress about the Flint Water Crisis

The Congressional hearings on the Flint Water Crisis finally got to their star witnesses, Governor Rick Snyder and EPA Chief Gina McCarthy, on Thursday.  The result was predictable, as WOOD-TV reported in Lawmaker: Gov. Snyder responsible for Flint crisis.

A Democratic lawmaker says Gov. Rick Snyder is responsible for lead contamination in Flint’s water supply.

Yes, the Democrats attacked Snyder; I expected no less.  What I also expected, but the title and caption ignored, although the reporter highlighted it, was that the Republicans went after the EPA.  Charlie Pierce of Esquire minced no words about that: Drink in This Republican Hypocrisy From the Flint Water Hearings Today.

[T]he howling hypocrisy of conservative Republicans feigning concern about environmental safety, and the howling hypocrisy of conservative Republicans pretending that they expected the EPA to take care of this crisis, was extraordinarily hard to take. Nine days out of ten, they'd be baying at the moon about regulations strangling business and about devolving federal functions to the states, which are run by people like Rick Snyder. Today, though, rather than confront the complete failure of that entire theory of government in this awful episode, it was time for them to argue that the EPA wasn't tough enough in regulating Snyder's bungling. Where were the jackboots, they seemed to be saying, when the citizens of Flint could have used them.
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It was profoundly nauseating to listen to Congressman Jason Chaffetz waxing wroth about what was done to the poor people of Flint, smirking his way through his questioning, over and over again, and blaming "career bureaucrats" in the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for letting down poor Rick Snyder. Chaffetz has had the knives out for the EPA ever since he slithered into Congress. He has a lifetime rating of three percent from the League of Conservation Voters. On at least three occasions in 2015 alone, Chaffetz voted in ways harmful to clean water regulations. He's a climate denier. He's one of the leaders of the movement to prevent the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases. He wants to privatize federal lands for the purpose of exploitation. And his basic point yesterday was that Barack Hussein Obama's EPA didn't do enough to force the Republican governor of Michigan to do his freaking job.

Pierce obviously bought none of what the Republicans were selling.  Instead, he placed blame squarely on Snyder and his policies.

Regardless of who sent what memo to whom and when they sent it, the crisis in Flint is the result of a full implementation and exercise of a philosophy of government that noisy pissants like Chaffetz, Grothman, Carter, and Rick Snyder have proposed as a solution to almost all the nation's problems—government is bad, government bureaucrats are always incompetent, devolve federal powers to the states, and that government is best that is limited and, preferably, run like a business. The two primary contenders for the Republican presidential nomination want to eliminate the EPA. Absent as a cudgel against environmental protections that he wants to gut, the 100,000 people in Flint wouldn't matter a damn to Jason Chaffetz. "A government is not a business and it shouldn't be run like one," said Rick Snyder to Congress, and his tongue did not burst into flames.

About time Snyder figured that out.

Follow over the jump for more on the hearings.

Two MDEQ employees suspended over actions in Flint water crisis

Yesterday, I wrote that "I expect more resignations and firings to come" in the wake of the resignations of the MDEQ Director and the regional EPA Director.  It didn't take long at all for that to begin to happen as WXYZ reported two MDEQ workers suspended in Flint water crisis later that same day.

Governor Snyder has suspended two workers at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for their roles in the Flint water crisis.

The Detroit Free Press has more.

Gov. Rick Snyder announced the suspensions of two Department of Environmental Quality officials Friday afternoon, but if the state determines those or other workers need to be fired for mishandling the Flint water crisis, it could take more than a year to make it final.

Snyder said in a news release Friday two DEQ officials are suspended pending an investigation, in accordance with civil service rules. Although state officials wouldn’t reveal the names of the employees, they said they were managers within the Water Quality division of the MDEQ.

They were suspended without pay, although under civil service rules, the unpaid status can only last seven days. The internal investigation into further action against the two employees should take a couple of weeks, said Kurt Weiss, spokesman for the state’s department of Technology, Management and Budget. After seven days, they’ll go back on the payroll.

Once the investigation is complete, the action taken against the employees can range from getting their job back to getting fired, Weiss said.

So these suspensions may not be the ones to completely satisfy the prediction.  That's OK.  There are more dominoes to fall.

Speaking of falling dominoes, some have already toppled.

At the Department of Environmental Quality, two key employees — Liane Shekter Smith, who was the chief of the DEQ’s Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance and Stephen Busch, a district manager in the drinking water division for MDEQ, whose area of responsibility included Flint — have been reassigned and no longer have any role in dealing with the Flint water crisis. An undetermined number of other employees in the drinking water division no longer have any role in the Flint water response, said Melanie Brown, a spokeswoman for the department.

Consequences may still be coming for high-level people, including the Emergency Manager for Flint at the time of the switch, Darnell Earley.  He can't be fired from that position, but he's currently the Emergency Manager for the Detroit Public Schools, which is currently having its own crisis, which includes environmental issues from poor maintenance of school buildings, resulting in teacher sickouts.  The New York Times has that story and more in Anger in Michigan Over Appointing Emergency Managers.  I recommend my readers read it, too.

Congressional hearings on the Flint water crisis and a resignation

I wrote yesterday that I didn't have much to say about the Flint water crisis until it got national attention.  Has it ever!  Wednesday, President Obama spoke on the issue while visiting the North American International Auto Show.  Yesterday, WXYZ reported on two more responses by the federal government.  First, Congressional hearings to be held in Flint water crisis.


As the caption read to an earlier version of this report, "Governor Rick Snyder will be requested to testify at U.S. Congressional hearings in connection to the Flint Water Crisis, according to the office for U.S. Representative Brenda Lawrence."  That suggests to me that this is enough of a problem for national Republicans (thank you Hillary Clinton) that they have decided to do damage control.  Whether this will take the form of trying to save Snyder by making it look like a local problem or throwing him under the bus, I don't know.  I hope it's the latter.*

Speaking of throwing people under the bus, the report above mentioned an EPA regional adminstrator resigning.  Here's the clip from WXYZ on that part of the story: EPA administrator resigns amid Flint water crisis.

An EPA administrator is out of a job, and her agency is cracking down on the response to the Flint water crisis.

She's the second official to resign over the scandal, joining Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Director Dan Wyant.  I expect more resignations and firings to come.

*But probably not.  Instead, this quote from Representative Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, indicates they have one of the GOP's favorite targets in their sights instead, "The EPA is rife with incompetence and Region 5 is no exception. Mismanagement has plagued the region for far too long and Ms. Hedman’s resignation is way overdue."  The same article reports that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the EPA as well, so the concern is bipartisan.

As for Snyder, the just thing may be that he should resign, but I don't expect the just thing to happen any time soon.  That would give Michigan Governor Brian Calley as an incumbent in 2018.  Neither Attorney General Bill Schuette nor the more pragmatic Democrats who would run for the office would want that.  Better to campaign against lame duck Snyder for an open seat.

Enbridge denied extension on clean-up, sued by Bell's

Enbridge isn't only having trouble with protesters who are climbing into pipes and chaining themselves to equipment.  The company is having trouble with the EPA.  WOOD-TV posted two segments about that development to their YouTube channel yesterday.  The first gives an overview and mentions the replacement of the pipeline that leaked in 2010.


The second has more detail, including location shots and reaction shots from the people living near the cleanup.


That's not the only trouble Enbridge is having with the project.  MLive reported last month that Bell's Brewery filed a lawsuit against Enbridge and Comstock Commerce Park developer over dredging plans.

The Bell's lawsuit, filed Monday in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court, says the planned dredging will "release pollution, hazardous substances, odor, dust and particulate" which could negatively impact brewery operations.

The complaint alleges Enbridge violated condominium covenants by failing to submit a site plan application before installing equipment. It also alleges that CCP, as developer of the commerce park, violated the Michigan Condominium Act by failing to disclose to the condominium association its intent to lease property to Enbridge.

Larry Bell, founder and president of Bell's Brewery, has met with EPA official about his concerns and spoke out against the dredging plans at a township meeting.

"The EPA doesn’t know what is in the sediment," Bell said July 9. "They don’t know what they are dredging up. They are going to put it next to my brewery and they don’t know what contaminants are there."

Messing with people's beer is like messing with their entertainment.  It's guaranteed to make them act.