Tag: epa

Fluoride Lawsuit Plaintiffs Push Back Against Trump EPA In Ongoing Litigation

On November 17, 2025, attorneys representing Food & Water Watch (FWW), Fluoride Action Network (FAN), and individual plaintiffs filed its response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) appeal of U.S. District Judge Edward Chen’s September 2024 ruling, which held that fluoridation at the current U.S. level of 0.7 mg/L “poses an unreasonable risk of reduced IQ in children.”

The response comes nine years after the plaintiffs first filed a civilian petition under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in November 2016. After the EPA denied the petition, the groups sued, triggering a nearly decade-long legal saga between the EPA, and parents of children impacted by water fluoridation, the FAN, and FWW. In September 2024, Judge Chen ruled in the plaintiffs’ favor and ordered the EPA to take regulatory action.

In the final days of the Biden administration the EPA filed their appeal, and now, under leadership appointed by President Donald Trump, the EPA has decided to continue fighting the judge’s ruling.

Michael Connett, the lead attorney representing the plaintiffs, responded to the three main arguments made by the EPA in its July appeal: that the plaintiffs lack standing, that the judge improperly considered new evidence, and that the district court went beyond its authority in its management of the case.

The EPA contends that at least one plaintiff’s water contains naturally occurring fluoride and that the plaintiffs therefore cannot prove injury caused by community water fluoridation. The agency also claims that the Judge’s decision to admit studies which were published after the original 2016 TSCA petition violated the act.

Regarding the question of standing, the EPA claimed in its appeal that plaintiff Jessica Trader cannot establish standing because her drinking water in Leawood, Kansas, “naturally contains fluoride at levels 0.4 mg/L, and her water utility adds only as much fluoride as necessary for her tap water to reach a concentration of 0.7 mg/L”. Essentially, the EPA is stating that the naturally occurring fluoride could be to blame for any harm caused to Trader.

Connett argues that the plaintiffs do indeed have proper standing and have demonstrated sufficient injury and connection to the case. “Even if the new “facts” are considered, Jessica Trader’s injury is still traceable/redressable: the district court found (and EPA does not dispute) that fluoridation poses a credible threat of neurodevelopmental harm to her children, and regulatory action would, at a minimum, reduce that threat, including the costs of avoiding it,” Connett wrote in his response.

He further noted that, even without Trader, the remaining plaintiffs also have standing based on credible threats of harm from fluoridation, as supported by findings from the National Research Council (NRC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and National Toxicology Program (NTP).

When it comes to the EPA’s claim that the court improperly considered new evidence in the form of studies published after the original petition, Connett reminded the court that Section 21 of TSCA provides that petitioners “shall be provided an opportunity to have such petition considered by the court in a de novo proceeding”. A de novo proceeding is a legal process where a case is heard “fresh” or from the beginning, without considering the previous court’s decision.

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EPA Greenlights Second ‘Forever Chemical’ Pesticide in Two Weeks

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the highly persistent pesticide isocycloseram on Thursday for golf courses, lawns and food crops such as oranges, tomatoes, almonds, peas and oats.

The pesticide is a “forever chemical” — one of a group called PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Today’s announcement marks the second approval of a PFAS pesticide since President Donald Trump took office, with the first approval coming just two weeks before. The administration plans to approve three more PFAS pesticides in the coming year.

“To approve more PFAS pesticides amid the growing awareness of the serious, long-term dangers from these forever chemicals is absurdly shortsighted,” said Nathan Donley, environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

“The undeniable reality is that the Trump administration is knowingly putting the nation’s children at greater risk of developing serious reproductive and liver harms for generations to come.”

Isocycloseram is classified as moderately persistent to persistent and is known to transform into 40 smaller PFAS chemicals, some of which are much more highly persistent.

Among the most concerning harms from isocycloseram is reduced testicle size, lower sperm count and liver toxicity.

While the agency found that people would not be exposed to enough isocycloseram in their diet to cause these harms, it opted not to implement a child-safety buffer to account for the fact that children are more sensitive to chemical pollutants than adults.

If that safety buffer were included, as it is with some other pesticides, young children would have been found to be at high risk of those effects from dietary exposure.

“For all of the rhetoric about caring about children’s health and well-being, this administration is quick to throw them under the bus whenever it suits their polluting benefactors,” said Donley.

“Instead of erring on the side of safety, we get a quick, reckless approval of a new forever chemical without any real thought given to its serious harms.”

Isocycloseram is also highly toxic to bees and other pollinators, with the EPA finding that vital pollinators could be exposed to 1,500 times the lethal level of the pesticide just by collecting nectar and pollen near treated fields.

One out of every three bites of food we eat — and nearly all nutrient-dense foods like fruits and vegetables — come from plants that need to be pollinated by bees and other pollinating animals.

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EPA Accused Of Protecting Itself, Not Public Health, As Water Fluoridation Battle Heats Up

The legal battle over fluoridated drinking water escalated today when attorneys for Food & Water Watch (FWW), Fluoride Action Network (FAN) and other plaintiffs filed a brief accusing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of trying “to protect the EPA from the public” rather than protecting public health.

The outcome of the agency’s appeal will shape federal oversight of community water fluoridation and also determine how much power citizens have to force regulatory action when new scientific evidence emerges.

At the center of the dispute is the citizen petition process, which allows citizens to file lawsuits demanding restrictions on toxic chemicals that aren’t effectively regulated. Congress created the process under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

In July, when the EPA appealed a 2024 federal court ruling that ordered it to take action to address the risk posed by water fluoridation, the agency didn’t challenge the court’s finding that current fluoridation levels pose an “unreasonable risk” of neurodevelopmental harm to children.

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States Go It Alone On ‘Forever Chemicals’ As EPA Delays Federal Action

States are taking action to protect agriculture and waterways from harmful “forever chemicals” as they await federal regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Critics say this has resulted in inconsistent and inadequate regulations exposing much of the country’s soil, air, and water to contamination by the chemicals.

According to the EPA, it is working through a very complex problem concerning a huge category of chemicals.

“The agency is committed to working closely with our partners to take a fresh look at the risks and the tools available to support our rural and agricultural communities on this issue,” the EPA told The Epoch Times in a statement.

At issue are perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are a group of more than 14,000 chemicals that have been used in stain- and water-repellent fabrics, nonstick cookware, food packaging, and firefighting foams since the 1940s because of their resistance to heat, oils, stains, grease, and water.

However, they do not degrade naturally and are almost impossible to destroy, earning them the “forever chemicals” appellation. According to the EPA, PFAS have been linked to cancer, reproductive issues, immune disorders, reduced vaccine response, hormonal issues, and weight gain.

In the early part of the 1970s, PFAS chemicals began to show up in soil to which biosolids had been applied.

Dredged as sludge from the bottom of wastewater treatment tanks and treated to reduce or eliminate harmful substances, biosolids have been sold or given to farmers as a low-cost fertilizer for more than 50 years.

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EPA Flags Silicone Chemical D4 as Risk to Humans, Wildlife

U.S. regulators said that D4, a chemical used to make silicone goods from solar panels to cosmetics, may harm women’s fertility and damage aquatic and land animals.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Sept. 17 draft risk evaluation concluded that D4—formally known as octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane—presents “unreasonable” risks to human health in almost two dozen uses and to the environment in seven cases. The agency found no such risk in 37 other applications.

EPA said the human health concerns are driven mainly by worker exposures in 23 uses, such as manufacturing D4, processing it into adhesives and sealants, and applying D4-containing paints and coatings in industrial and commercial settings.

The agency’s draft risk evaluation points to reproductive toxicity studies as the hazard driver for the human health finding. In the document, EPA notes that D4 exposure is linked to adverse reproductive outcomes in women.

While one consumer use—inhalation of fumes or skin contact with paints and coatings—was also flagged as hazardous, the agency determined that for the general population, no uses of D4 “significantly contribute to unreasonable risk.”

The agency noted that its findings did not assume the use of personal protective equipment, though it said that equipment like respirators and gloves could mitigate risks.

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Federal Court Vacates Injunction on $16B in EPA Climate Grants

A federal appeals court on Tuesday vacated a lower court order requiring the Environmental Protection Agency and Citibank to continue funding $16 billion in climate-related grants, ruling that the grantees are unlikely to prevail in their lawsuit.

Judge Neomi Rao, writing for the panel, said the district court “abused its discretion” in issuing a preliminary injunction after five nonprofits sued the agency over its March 2025 decision to terminate the awards.

The court found that the groups’ claims were primarily contractual and must be pursued in the Court of Federal Claims, while their constitutional claim was without merit.

The case centers on grants awarded under the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund created by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. In August 2024, the EPA directed $20 billion to eight nonprofits through two new programs, the National Clean Investment Fund and the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator.

The plaintiffs include Climate United Fund, which was awarded nearly $7 billion; the Coalition for Green Capital, which received $5 billion; Power Forward Communities, $2 billion; Inclusiv, $1.9 billion; and the Justice Climate Fund, $940 million.

The grants were structured through Citibank, which was designated as the federal government’s financial agent to hold and release the funds under EPA’s direction. That arrangement later became central to the legal dispute.

Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, an appointee of former President Barack Obama and who is often criticized by President Donald Trump, issued a temporary restraining order blocking the EPA’s attempt to terminate several of the nonprofit agreements. Her order also prohibited Citibank from disbursing funds while the case was pending.

The grants had been targeted as part of EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s campaign to claw back money from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which Congress authorized under former President Joe Biden to launch pollution-reduction projects.

The EPA cited concerns about conflicts of interest and oversight in halting the program. The appeals court said the equities “strongly favor the government, which on behalf of the public must ensure the proper oversight and management of this multi-billion-dollar fund.”

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Leaked Emails Show EPA Sought To Discredit Scientist After Ohio Train Derailment Disaster

Leaked emails from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that the agency sought to discredit an independent scientist who questioned official data on contamination following the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment and fire in February 2023.

Following the official EPA announcement that were no dangerous levels of toxins in the area and that it was safe for residents to return home, independent testing expert Scott Smith reported finding high levels of dioxins in the soil in East Palestine.

According to News Nation, when Smith’s findings were reported in spring of 2023, former EPA administrator Judith Enck said the agency should pay attention to Smith’s test results.

Instead of taking new samples and doing similar testing, leaked emails show that the EPA began collecting Smith’s personal information and monitoring his actions in an effort to discredit the environmental scientist.

Smith’s personal information and whereabouts were distributed to more than 50 EPA employees, his dog’s picture was circulated and drones were documented hovering near the scientist on multiple occasions.

Lesley Pacey, with the Government Accountability Project, told NewsNation that the EPA’s response was “troubling” since it was a matter of public health.

Pacey said, “What the EPA seems to have done here in East Palestine is that they were more interested in controlling the narrative and controlling what was going out to the community, from the community and back to the community,” adding, “They were definitely controlling the narrative of nothing to see here, no long-term health impacts.”

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EPA cancelling $7B in community solar grants, Dems call it ‘illegal’

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced it will claw back $7 billion in already earmarked funds from the Solar for All community grants and then eliminate the program, a move that Democrats claim is against the law.

“This money was intended for our constituents and communities to help lower energy bills,” Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., stated Friday. “Clawing these funds back isn’t just brazenly illegal – it’s a betrayal by this Administration of working families who will now pay higher energy bills just so Republicans can grind their axe against clean energy.”

The repeal of the program, however, directly implements orders from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law a month ago. Among multiple other green energy policies, the OBBBA repeals the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which the Solar for All program falls under.

The program, funded by taxpayer dollars via the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, has already promised funds to 60 grant recipients across the U.S. The money was meant for the creation or expansion of solar programs meant to lower electricity bills for approximately 900,000 low-income households and increase their access to solar-produced energy.

The abrupt rescinding of the funds, though allowed for by law, will disrupt plans in 49 states. However, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said that “very little money” has actually been spent and that recipients are still “very much in the early planning phase, not the building and construction process.”

“But the bottom line again is this: EPA no longer has the authority to administer the program or the appropriated funds to keep this boondoggle alive,” Zeldin added.

Republicans targeted dozens of similar federal green energy programs and grants in the OBBBA, arguing that such subsidies create a false demand for unreliable sources of electricity that have minimal positive impact on the environment.

The Solar for All program in particular wasted taxpayer dollars, Zeldin said, by diluting the billions of dollars through pass-through entities, with middlemen taking a 15% cut of total funds “by conservative estimates.”

Additionally, the program received an exemption from the Build America, Buy America law, which requires federal agencies to use American workers, products and infrastructure for projects funded by American taxpayers.

States including Ohio, Illinois, Arizona, Missouri, Virginia and Michigan had each been awarded more than $100 million from the Solar for All program and have already planned on how to disperse the promised funds.

Democratic governors were quick to condemn the EPA’s decision, with Gov. Tony Evers of Wisconsin – which received over $62 million worth of grants – deeming it “unnecessary,” as The Center Square reported.

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Biden Put This Harmless Mechanic In Prison. Now, Troy Lake Is Asking Trump for Help.

Troy Lake was born and raised in Wyoming, where his father owned an automotive shop. Troy, who is now 65 years old, also went into the family business. He eventually moved to Colorado and opened Elite Diesel. By all accounts, he lived a quiet family life with his wife, Holly, and their son, TJ. He was also the “go-to mechanic for over-the-road truckers and others running diesel engines.” 

Until 2018. One day in October of that year, the Lakes and one of their employees were enjoying a meal at a local Olive Garden when the federal government executed a search warrant on Elite Diesel. They watched via an app on their phones that accessed the shop’s cameras.  

“It looked like a military operation,” Holly told Cowboy State Daily. She said black SUVs were lined up outside, and “agents in tactical gear” raided the place, going through every corner of the building, rifling through their equipment, and reading their personal files. 

After what the Lakes call the “raid,” nothing happened for several years. The family eventually decided to move back to Wyoming, taking Elite Diesel with them. They even contacted the feds to let them know they were moving and stayed in touch, trying to do everything on the up-and-up. 

But today, Troy Lake sits in federal prison in Colorado, where he has spent the last six months. 

So what did he do that’s so bad? Was his shop part of some sort of money laundering scheme?  Was he using it as a base for human trafficking? Was he hiding murdered bodies in there?

Nope. Troy was helping truckers by removing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-mandated emissions systems that were preventing their trucks from operating correctly.

According to TJ, during the mid-2000s, shortly after the EPA created stronger emissions standards on heavy diesel trucks, drivers began having problems with brand-new vehicles. They’d bring those trucks to Troy, asking if he could fix them. He found that the problem was these new systems, which were built to limit exhaust by recirculating dirty air. They may have helped with emissions, but they were killing the engines’ lifespans. 

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EPA Chief Lee Zeldin to Rescind ‘Holy Grail of the Climate Change Religion’ That Led to $1 Trillion in Regulations

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin on Tuesday released the agency’s proposal to rescind what he has described as the “holy grail of the climate change religion,” which has led to over a trillion dollars in regulatory impact.

Zeldin made the announcement to repeal the Obama-era Endangerment Finding at an auto dealer in Indiana alongside U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Gov. Mike Braun (R-IN), Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, and American Trucking Association President and CEO Chris Spear.

The EPA has said the Endangerment Finding has been used to justify over $1 trillion in regulations, including the Biden-Harris administration’s electric vehicle mandate. Scrapping the so-called Endangerment Finding would repeal all of the greenhouse emissions regulations for motor vehicles and engines and give Americans consumer choice.

The Endangerment Finding created the legal basis for the agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, believing that the emissions serve as an alleged threat to public health and welfare.

Zeldin explained in a Breitbart Fight Club Roundtable that the Endangerment Finding never made a “straight-line conclusion” that carbon dioxide from motor vehicle engines caused “endangerment.” He described this finding as the “holy grail of the climate change religion.”

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