Matt Montalbano, Zondits guest, 4/7/2023 Coal ash landfills are known sources of groundwater pollution, and the pollutants involved include arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and lithium. A loophole in EPA regulations has allowed hundreds of existing coal ash landfills to be operated without the safeguards required of new landfills. Thanks to concerned citizens, that may soon … Read more
Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 3/22/22. This past Fall, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to hear a case challenging the authority of the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The case was initiated by the State of West Virginia and members of the coal industry and follows the controversy over the “Clean Power … Read more
Taylor Patterson, Zondits staff, 3/14/2022. USPS is fronting recent headlines after announcing its plans to replace outdated fleet vehicles. The Postmaster general signed off on a plan which only calls for 10% of fleet vehicles to be replaced with electric equivalents, leaving 90% to be switched out for other ICE trucks and vehicles. Pushed to … Read more
Brian McCowan, Zondits staff Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is receiving increased scrutiny from the Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A Colorado State University laboratory is testing aerial drones, specialty cameras, real-time sensors and gas detection lasers for their ability to detect and locate methane leaks into the atmosphere. The following excerpt … Read more
Kevin Moluf, Kansas State University Pollution Prevention Institute Intern Program, September 14, 2017 The Kansas State University Pollution Prevention Institute Intern Program will conclude its twelfth year on Friday, September 15. Throughout the life of the program, recommendations to more than 43 institutions from the program’s 90 interns stood to realize collective industry savings of … Read more
While You Weren’t Looking, Energy Efficiency Became One of Our Nation’s Top Energy Resources Union of Concerned Scientists, June 2, 2017 Here’s a fact I bet you didn’t know: in 2015, energy efficiency saved more electricity than was produced by every type of electricity resource in our country but for coal and natural gas. Hydro, … Read more
Daniel Pidgeon, ERS, for Zondits The Energy Star program was launched by the EPA and DOE in 1992 to promote energy-efficient household appliances, lighting, heating systems, air conditioners, and other such items. The program is completely voluntary, and both manufacturers and consumers enjoy the benefits. By setting an international standard for energy-efficiency, this program has … Read more
Lisa Markowski, ERS, for Zondits The well-known ENERGY STAR program for labeling energy-efficient products is in jeopardy, as the Trump administration looks to cut it from the budget. This potential elimination joins a growing list of presidential plans that critics say will increase risk to the environment. The Republican president has already pledged to do … Read more
Trump freezes EPA grants while California plans to slash emissions ARS Technica, January 24, 2017 With the swearing in of a new administration, the federal government and California, the most populous state in the union and the only state currently allowed to set emissions standards different from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA), seem set to … Read more
Commercial Coffee Brewers Now Eligible Energy Star, July 27, 2016 On July 8, 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized an ENERGY STAR specification adding commercial coffee brewers to the program. Coffee brewers are found in nearly every commercial establishment, from office buildings to hotels. The strict new energy efficiency requirements these products will have … Read more