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Moving forward on CEPA modernization: Key provisions in Bill S-5
Bill S-5 introduces the first federal recognition of the right to a healthy environment in Canada and strengthens the framework for managing toxic substances by prioritizing CMRs and PBiT substances. It introduces accountability mechanisms for substance assessments, such as a 'watch list' and mandatory publication of reasons for delays. However, the document argues that further updates are needed regarding citizen lawsuits, national air quality standards, consumer product labelling, genetically modified animals, ocean dumping, First Nations reserve land protections, and plastic waste exports.
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Document type: Briefing
EtO Public Comment Guide
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) published this guide to help the public influence the EPA's proposed rule on ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions from commercial sterilizers. The guide argues that while the proposal is a positive step—potentially reducing emissions by 80%—it contains significant gaps regarding cumulative health risks, fenceline monitoring, and the regulation of off-site warehouses. It urges commenters to support the use of the 2016 IRIS risk assessment, demand continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS), and call for a faster compliance timeline than the proposed 18 months. The document also highlights environmental justice concerns, noting that people of color and low-income communities are disproportionately located near these facilities.
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Document type: Guide
Comments on the process of determining whether to pursue linkage of Washington’s carbon market with California and Quebec’s linked market
The Stockholm Environment Institute argues that full linkage between Washington's carbon market and the California-Quebec (WCI) market currently poses risks to Washington's environmental goals due to misaligned time horizons and differing levels of ambition. Specifically, the authors highlight a large bank of unused allowances in California that could reduce in-state emission reductions and auction revenues in Washington. They recommend that full linkage be contingent on California extending its program beyond 2030 and tightening its 2030 cap. As an interim measure, the authors propose 'restricted linkage'—such as a limit on the import of WCI allowances (e.g., 2-3% of compliance obligations)—to provide cost containment while maintaining environmental integrity and revenue streams for overburdened communities.
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Document type: Statement
South Tacoma Warehouse Project
The South Tacoma Warehouse Project involves a proposed warehouse complex on a 147-acre site containing wetlands and a Superfund site. Earthjustice highlights that the project would increase diesel truck traffic and greenhouse gas emissions in an area already overburdened by pollution and home to a disproportionate number of residents of color. Despite community opposition, the City of Tacoma approved a land use permit in April 2023 without requiring an Environmental Impact Statement under the State Environmental Policy Act.
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Document type: Case study
GreenLatinos Statement on EPA's Power Plant Carbon Rules to Cut Climate Pollution from the Fossil Fuel Industry
GreenLatinos supports the EPA's proposal to set carbon pollution limits for coal and gas power plants to meet U.S. climate goals, but expresses concern over the reliance on carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and hydrogen blending. The organization advocates for the use of Inflation Reduction Act incentives to prioritize wind, solar, and battery storage over nascent technologies that could perpetuate environmental injustices in Latino/a/e and fenceline communities.
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Document type: Statement
Declaración de GreenLatinos sobre las reglas de carbono de las plantas de energía de la EPA para reducir la contaminación climática de la industria de combustibles fósiles
GreenLatinos supports the EPA's proposal to set enforceable carbon pollution limits for coal and gas power plants to help the U.S. reach its 2030 and 2050 climate goals. However, the organization warns against the use of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and hydrogen blending, arguing these unproven technologies could extend the life of the fossil fuel industry and harm frontline communities. GreenLatinos urges the Biden Administration to prioritize 100% renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, and to ensure that the transition is centered on equity and justice for Latino communities.
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Document type: Statement
The EV Battery Supply Chain Explained
The document outlines the EV battery supply chain—divided into upstream (mining), midstream (processing/refining), downstream (assembly), and end-of-life—highlighting China's current dominance. It discusses the environmental and human rights risks associated with mining critical minerals like lithium and cobalt, and details US legislative tools such as the Inflation Reduction Act designed to 'de-risk' the supply chain and foster domestic economic growth.
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Document type: Guide
Obligaciones de los Estados en materia de derechos humanos en el contexto del cambio climático
The report analyzes how UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) are increasingly integrating climate change into their oversight of State obligations. In 2022, HRTBs made 95 references to climate change in their pronouncements, reflecting a trend toward treating the climate crisis as an urgent human rights issue. Key focus areas include the obligation of developed states to mitigate emissions, the need to phase out fossil fuels, and the protection of vulnerable groups such as children, women, persons with disabilities, and Indigenous Peoples. A landmark decision by the Human Rights Committee in Billy et al. v. Australia established a State's duty to protect individuals under its jurisdiction from climate impacts and provide effective remedies. The report emphasizes the growing role of HRTBs in defining extraterritorial obligations and the duty to regulate private corporate actors contributing to environmental degradation.
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Document type: Report
Guidelines for equitable participation in water decision-making
The document outlines a methodology to make water governance more inclusive by addressing power imbalances and recognizing diverse forms of knowledge. It introduces a 'PAR-Pathways' approach that allows stakeholders to identify their starting points, desired end-goals, and the specific activities needed to achieve equitable influence in water planning. Through four global case studies, the guide demonstrates how different pathways—including legal challenges, boycotts, and the granting of legal personhood to rivers—can lead to more just water management outcomes.
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Document type: Guide
Redesigning the Rules: Power, Purpose and the Future of Our Economy
The text outlines the mission of the Global Research and Action Network for a New Eco-Social Contract, which seeks to define and implement a new framework for the 21st century. This proposed eco-social contract aims to ensure human rights for marginalized groups, provide security in a changing world, and drive the economic transformation necessary to halt environmental destruction and climate change.
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Document type: Statement
The Carlyle Group's Hidden Climate Impact
The report finds that The Carlyle Group maintains a lopsided energy portfolio with approximately $22.4 billion in carbon-based energy compared to $1.4 billion in renewable energy. It argues that private equity firms act as 'pollution financiers of last resort,' acquiring dirty assets divested by public companies to allow those companies to greenwash their images while emissions continue. Between 2011 and 2021, Carlyle's fossil fuel investments contributed at least 277 million metric tons of greenhouse gases.
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Document type: Report
ucs-jpmorgan-chase-sign-on-letter-april-2023-updated-5b4165886c3578ad.pdf
The document is a formal appeal to JPMorgan Chase shareholders to vote in favor of a resolution that would stop the bank from financing fossil fuel expansion. The signatories argue that continuing to fund new oil, gas, and coal infrastructure is inconsistent with the global scientific consensus required to limit warming to 1.5°C and contributes to environmental injustice and economic risk.
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Document type: Statement
TOXIC COAL ASH IN DELAWARE
The document details the environmental and health risks associated with coal ash disposal in Delaware, focusing on the Indian River Generating Station operated by NRG. It highlights that while one landfill is federally regulated and has caused significant groundwater contamination, at least two other inactive landfills at the same facility remain unregulated under the 2015 Coal Ash Rule. The author calls for the EPA to close regulatory exemptions for legacy ponds and inactive landfills to protect low-income communities and communities of color.
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Document type: Fact sheet
TOXIC COAL ASH NEAR THE GREAT LAKES
The document details the presence of 88 coal ash dumpsites within two miles of the Great Lakes, consisting of 34 federally regulated and at least 54 unregulated legacy ponds and landfills. It highlights widespread groundwater contamination at these sites, noting that 91% of coal plants nationwide pollute groundwater above federal health standards. The report calls for the EPA to strengthen the 2015 Coal Ash Rule to eliminate exemptions for legacy sites and prohibit the use of coal ash as fill.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Carlyle Emissions Surpass a Quarter Billion Metric Tons
The report finds that The Carlyle Group invested in 91 energy companies owning 972 assets between 2011 and 2021, with 90% of these being fossil fuel investments. These assets emitted an estimated 277 million metric tons of CO2e, with emissions growing at an average annual rate of 95%. The analysis highlights a significant disparity between Carlyle's fossil fuel investments ($22.4 billion) and its renewable energy commitments ($1.4 billion). Furthermore, the report documents that 84% of Carlyle's downstream US assets are located in areas with higher concentrations of low-income residents or people of color than state averages, and 47% of these plants have a record of environmental violations.
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Document type: Report
Carlyle Emissions Surpass a Quarter Billion Metric Tons
The report finds that The Carlyle Group invested in 91 energy companies owning 972 assets from 2011 to 2021, with 90 percent of both companies and assets being fossil fuel investments. These investments emitted an estimated 277 million metric tons of CO2e, with a compound annual growth rate of 95 percent. The analysis highlights a significant disparity between Carlyle's fossil fuel capacity (peaking at nearly 10,000 MW in 2021) and its renewable capacity (just over 1,300 MW). Furthermore, the report documents that 84 percent of Carlyle's current US downstream fossil fuel assets are located in areas with higher percentages of low-income residents and/or residents of color than state averages, and 47 percent of these plants have a record of environmental violations.
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Document type: Report
How We Helped an NYC Community Say No to a Dirty Gas Plant and Get Wind Power Instead
A case study detailing the successful opposition to proposed gas plants in Astoria, Brooklyn, and the Hudson Valley. By utilizing New York's climate law, the PEAK coalition and Earthjustice blocked these projects, leading to the transition of the Astoria site to an offshore wind connection and the development of energy storage in Brooklyn.
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Document type: Case study
Sustainable Agriculture Strategy Discussion Document
CAPE argues that Canada's Sustainable Agriculture Strategy must move beyond climate change to include a 'planetary health' lens, specifically addressing the health risks of conventional agriculture, the need for pesticide reduction, and the integration of environmental justice and Indigenous rights.
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Document type: Statement
GreenLatinos Community Statement on the Biden Administration’s Conservation in Action Announcements: Castner Range National Monument, Avi Kwa Ame National Monument Designations and the Ocean
GreenLatinos and partner organizations applaud the creation of the Castner Range and Avi Kwa Ame National Monuments and the introduction of the Ocean Climate Action Plan. The group highlights the benefits of these actions for public health, economic opportunity, and the protection of Indigenous sacred sites and biodiversity, particularly for Hispanic, Latino, and frontline communities in Texas and Nevada.
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Document type: Statement
Declaración de la comunidad de GreenLatinos sobre los anuncios de Conservación en Acción de la Administración Biden
GreenLatinos supports the designation of the Castner Range and Avi Kwa Ame National Monuments and the Ocean Climate Action Plan, highlighting their roles in improving public health, protecting indigenous sacred sites, and creating economic opportunities for marginalized communities in the US.
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Document type: Statement