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PETITION TO THE NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION TO REGULATE SECOND GENERATION ANTICOAGULANT RODENTICIDES AS RESTRICTED USE PESTICIDES
A coalition of conservation organizations petitioned the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to ban second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs), arguing that these chemicals bioaccumulate in the environment and cause widespread mortality among non-target wildlife, pets, and children. The petitioners provide evidence of over 225 lethal poisoning incidents across 31 wildlife species in New York and highlight the disproportionate impact of rodenticide exposure on minority and disadvantaged communities in New York City. The petition asserts that SGARs violate state and federal wildlife protection laws, including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and argues that safer, effective alternatives such as first-generation anticoagulants, non-anticoagulant chemicals, and mechanical trapping are available.
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Document type: Report
Defending Fenceline Communities From Oil Refinery Pollution
Earthjustice sued the EPA for delaying standards to reduce toxic emissions from oil refineries, leading to a 2015 rule that introduced national fenceline monitoring for benzene and tighter controls on flaring and storage tanks. While the rule is estimated to reduce cancer risks for over one million Americans, Earthjustice and its partners argue the EPA underestimated community harm and failed to require real-time monitoring or prohibit routine flaring.
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Document type: Case study
PETITION TO THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Petition for Listing and Rulemaking Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act to Establish an Area Source Category for Oil and Gas Production Wells and Associated Equipment and to Set National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions
Earthjustice and a coalition of nonprofit organizations petition the EPA to regulate oil and gas wells as area sources, arguing that the rapid expansion of drilling—particularly via hydraulic fracturing—in metropolitan areas poses a non-negligible risk to public health. The document details the emission of toxic air pollutants such as benzene and formaldehyde, highlights the vulnerability of children and overburdened communities, and identifies significant regulatory gaps in existing EPA rules. It concludes that available technologies, such as green completions and vapor recovery units, can substantially reduce these emissions.
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Document type: Report
Obama Administration FY 2015 Budget Proposal: Sustainable Energy, Buildings, Transportation and Climate
The Obama administration's FY 2015 budget proposal emphasizes a "all of the above" energy strategy and the 2013 Climate Action Plan. Key financial highlights include a $1 billion Climate Fund for community adaptation, a $56 billion resilient infrastructure package, and a 26 percent increase in Department of Transportation funding to address an $86 billion maintenance backlog. The budget proposes making renewable energy tax credits permanent and eliminating $4 billion in fossil fuel subsidies. Significant funding increases are directed toward the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy ($2.3 billion) and various sustainable transportation and building initiatives, while the EPA's overall budget is reduced by 3.8 percent.
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Document type: Fact sheet
SUBMISSIONS ON ESKOMS APPLICATIONS FOR POSTPONEMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: AIR QUALITY ACT, 2004
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) argues that Eskom's requests to postpone compliance with the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (AQA) should be denied due to flawed atmospheric modelling, exaggerated compliance costs, and significant risks to human health. The CER contends that Eskom fails to meet the legal requirements for postponement, particularly regarding the impact on declared Priority Areas. Furthermore, the document critiques Eskom's proposal for emission offsets as lacking a legal basis and sufficient data, while highlighting that granting these postponements would lead to substantial increases in SO2, NOx, and PM10 emissions through 2020.
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Document type: Statement
Changing Corporate Behaviour
The report examines the five-year campaign by the Save Mapungubwe Coalition to protect the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site from the Vele Colliery project operated by Coal of Africa (CoAL). It analyzes three primary engagement strategies: strategic litigation to challenge mining licenses, bilateral negotiations to establish best-practice environmental standards, and multilateral participation in the Vele Colliery Environmental Management Committee (EMC). The document concludes that while litigation and negotiations have limitations, they provide essential leverage, and that inclusive multi-stakeholder governance via EMCs can effectively monitor corporate compliance. It also highlights the correlation between CoAL's non-compliance with environmental laws and the decline of its JSE share price.
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Document type: Case study
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE REGULATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING IN SOUTH AFRICA
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) argues that current proposed fracking regulations in South Africa are inadequate because they rely on industry standards and are housed under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) rather than comprehensive environmental laws. The document advocates for a regulatory regime based on the Constitution and the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), calling for a specialised inter-departmental unit to oversee authorisations and enforcement. Key recommendations include mandatory baseline environmental measurements, public disclosure of fracking fluid chemicals, a prohibition on using potable water, and the implementation of 'green completions' to eliminate gas venting and flaring. The CER emphasizes that fracking should only be permitted if it can be proven to contribute to sustainable development without causing irreparable harm to water resources or disadvantaged communities.
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Document type: Statement
2014 Message from JA! / Friends of the Earth Mozambique
JA! / Friends of the Earth Mozambique reports a decline in civil society space and an increase in human rights violations in 2013. The organization highlights ongoing struggles against land-grabbing by ProSavana and Wambao agriculture, the displacement of communities due to coal mining in Tete province, and opposition to REDD projects in Africa. The statement also denounces the government's crackdown on press freedom and critical opinion, specifically citing the criminal proceedings against academic Carlos Nuno Castel-Branco and media outlets Canal de Moçambique and Mediafax.
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Document type: Statement
Deseos para el año 2014 de Amigos de la Tierra Mozambique / JA!
Amigos da Terra Mozambique / JA! reports a deterioration of human rights and civil liberties in Mozambique throughout 2013, highlighting land grabbing, environmental destruction, and government repression of dissent. The organization details its opposition to specific projects like ProSavana and REDD, while calling for social and environmental justice and the protection of freedom of expression.
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Document type: Statement
ESKOM SOC HOLDINGS LTD’S (ESKOM) APPLICATION TO POSTPONE COMPLIANCE WITH AND/OR BE EXEMPT FROM MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS FOR SULPHUR DIOXIDE (SO2), NITROGEN OXIDES (NOX), AND PARTICULATE MATTER (PM) FOR ITS POWER STATIONS
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) is challenging Eskom's application to postpone or be exempt from minimum emission standards (MES) for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter across 17 power stations. CER argues that Eskom's current process lacks necessary health and environmental risk assessments and provides insufficient time for public consultation, which could make any resulting government decision subject to judicial review under the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA).
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Document type: Statement
Nakba ambiental
The report details how the Israeli occupation in the West Bank utilizes environmental degradation, resource expropriation, and restrictive land-use designations as tools for colonization. It highlights the systemic theft of water resources, the dumping of industrial and nuclear waste on Palestinian lands, and the use of 'nature reserves' to justify the displacement of Palestinians and the destruction of their agricultural assets. The document concludes that these environmental crimes are inseparable from the political struggle for Palestinian self-determination.
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Document type: Report
Nakba environnementale
The report describes a 'ecological Nakba' in the West Bank, where Israeli occupation manifests through the systematic appropriation of land and water, the dumping of toxic and nuclear waste, and the establishment of polluting industries in 'closed zones'. It highlights how environmental protection is used as a tool for land seizure, specifically in areas like Wadi Qana, and details the severe disparity in water access between Palestinian communities and Israeli settlements.
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Document type: Report
Environmental Nakba
The report details how the Israeli occupation of the West Bank manifests as an 'environmental Nakba,' involving the systematic expropriation of land and water, the dumping of toxic and nuclear waste, and the establishment of polluting industries in 'seam zones.' It highlights specific cases such as the villages of Kafr Dik and Om Elkheir, and the Wadi Qana nature reserve, to illustrate how environmental degradation and 'green washing' are used to displace Palestinians and facilitate settlement expansion.
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Document type: Report
Gas Ceiling
The report argues that replacing coal with natural gas is insufficient to meet U.S. climate goals due to continued CO2 emissions and methane leakage. It highlights risks including water contamination from fracking, price volatility, and the potential to crowd out renewables. The authors advocate for a transition to a system where renewables and efficiency provide 80% of electricity by 2050.
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Document type: Report
Testimony of Lisa Evans, Senior Administrative Counsel Earthjustice before the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives Hearing on the Discussion Draft of H.R. ____, The Coal Ash Recycling and Oversight Act of 2013
The document provides testimony from Earthjustice criticizing the Coal Ash Recycling and Oversight Act of 2013. It details the severe health and environmental risks posed by coal ash, including groundwater contamination and the threat of dam failures. The author argues that the proposed legislation fails to establish national protective standards, lacks federal backstop authority for the EPA, and omits critical deadlines for permit issuance, thereby leaving vulnerable communities at risk.
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Document type: Statement
Friends of the Earth statement on the nominations for Secretary of Energy and EPA Administrator
Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica criticizes Ernest J. Moniz's support for nuclear power and fracking, while praising Gina McCarthy's record at the EPA and calling for stronger White House support for climate regulations.
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Document type: Statement
Delay of the Definition of Solid Waste Final Rule
A coalition of 103 environmental and health organizations is urging the EPA to finalize the Definition of Solid Waste (DSW) rule, arguing that delays in regulation have led to significant environmental damage and disproportionately impacted low-income communities and people of color.
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Document type: Statement
SUBMISSIONS ON THE DRAFT NATIONAL DUST CONTROL REGULATIONS PUBLISHED IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: AIR QUALITY ACT, 2004 (AQA)
The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting on behalf of groundWork, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), and the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA), submitted comments on 5 February 2013 regarding the draft National Dust Control Regulations published on 7 December 2012 under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (AQA). The submission argues for stronger protections for vulnerable populations, more rigorous monitoring standards, and the inclusion of government entities in enforcement.
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Document type: Statement
Reclaim Europe!
The statement 'Reclaim Europe!' argues that the European Union has become a 'project of the elites' that has failed young people, citing high youth unemployment and the dismantling of the welfare state. The authors propose a 'Plan B' for Europe based on degrowth, a Fiscal Union with a Financial Transaction Tax, and the democratization of EU institutions. They advocate for free, inclusive education, a guaranteed basic income, and an open-border policy that welcomes asylum seekers and migrants, while calling for the European Parliament to be granted the right of initiative.
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Document type: Statement
Senate bill 3512 leaves communities unprotected from toxic pollution
A coalition of 301 public interest organizations opposes Senate bill S.3512, claiming it weakens regulations on toxic coal ash, shields utilities from liability, and removes the EPA's authority to regulate the nation's second largest industrial waste.
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Document type: Statement