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AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE (AMA) Program Description
The Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program provides financial aid to agricultural producers in 16 specific US states to manage financial risk through conservation, marketing, and crop diversification. Administered by the NRCS, AMS, and RMA, the program is permanently authorized at $10 million per fiscal year and covers up to 75 percent of the cost for conservation practices like agroforestry and cover crops to mitigate climate change.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Coal Cost Crossover 3.0
The report finds that 99% of U.S. coal plants are more expensive to operate than to replace with new renewable energy. It highlights that local solar and wind resources, bolstered by IRA tax credits and the ability to reuse existing grid interconnections, offer a cost-effective path for coal retirement. The analysis suggests that the savings from this transition could fund 137 GW of four-hour battery storage to maintain grid reliability. The authors recommend that policymakers update resource plans, improve interconnection processes, and utilize IRA financing to ensure a just economic transition for coal-dependent communities.
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Document type: Report
The Fossil Fuel Lobbyist List
A 50-state survey by Global Energy Monitor reveals that major U.S. corporations in the tech, banking, and insurance sectors frequently employ lobbyists who also represent fossil fuel interests. This creates a paradox where companies with public net-zero pledges provide political cover and credibility to lobbyists promoting continued fossil fuel dependence. The report highlights specific companies—such as Amazon, State Farm, and Bank of America—and notes that weak state disclosure laws and the absence of a national database hinder accountability.
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Document type: Report
Pushing Preemption: The Corporate Campaign to Deny Municipalities Access to the Courts
The report details a corporate campaign to implement municipal preemption laws that block local governments from accessing courts to recover climate-related damages. It identifies a 'triumvirate' of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, ALEC, and NAM as the primary architects of this strategy, drawing parallels to previous industry efforts to avoid liability in the tobacco and opioid sectors. The document outlines specific legislative tactics used to stifle litigation and provides a framework for municipal leaders to recognize and repeal such preemption laws, while suggesting proactive legislative measures to protect local legal autonomy.
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Document type: Report
Creating Climate-Friendly Homes
Residential and commercial buildings contribute 13% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The document highlights that adopting cost-effective efficiency and electrification measures can reduce carbon emissions of single-family homes by 24%, with the most significant savings coming from replacing inefficient furnaces and air conditioners with high-efficiency heat pumps.
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Document type: Briefing
Phosmet
Phosmet is a U.S. registered pesticide used in 40 states, primarily on orchards and grapes, and is currently under registration review. It is associated with serious health effects, including cancer, neurodevelopmental harm, and reproductive toxicity, with exposure occurring via food, drinking water, and occupational contact. The pesticide is applied to a significant percentage of several common crops, including peaches (55%) and nectarines (50%).
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Document type: Fact sheet
4-5-2021-agletter-1b595f83bddc32fa.pdf
Attorneys General from Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia have urged US Attorney General Merrick Garland to withdraw or reverse Department of Justice (DOJ) amicus briefs filed during the previous administration. These briefs supported fossil fuel defendants in climate litigation, arguing that state-law claims were preempted by federal law or should be removed to federal court. The signers argue these positions undermine efforts to hold companies accountable for a "decades-long deception campaign" regarding climate dangers and contradict President Biden's pledge to support plaintiff-driven climate litigation.
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Document type: Statement
Rural Communities and the Transportation and Climate Initiative
The Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) is a regional program designed to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector by limiting total emissions and requiring fuel distributors to pay into a fund. This fund could generate an estimated $68 billion over ten years for participating states, including Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia. The document highlights that rural residents, who drive more than 13,000 miles annually—over 20% above the regional average—stand to save up to twice as much per capita as urban residents by switching to electric vehicles (EVs). To support this transition, the author suggests higher purchase incentives for low- and moderate-income drivers, expanded rural charging infrastructure, and the growth of vanpools and paratransit services. Additionally, the document emphasizes the need for climate-resilient infrastructure, citing the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene in Vermont as a precedent for the increasing intensity of storms in the region.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Endangering Generations
The document outlines the technical approaches used to estimate children's exposure to chlorpyrifos and PFAS, the process for tracking children's product recalls, and the use of EPA Regulatory Impact Analyses to quantify the health benefits lost when air pollution standards were weakened or repealed.
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Document type: Report
Who Bears the Burden?
The analysis finds that Latino, Asian American, and African American residents in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are exposed to significantly higher levels of vehicle-related PM2.5 pollution than white residents. The report highlights that white residents comprise 85% of those in the lowest pollution areas, while people of color are overrepresented in the most polluted census tracts, often located near major highways in urban centers. The document argues for targeted investments in clean transportation, such as electric vehicles and buses, to reduce these environmental inequities.
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Document type: Fact sheet
REDUCING EMISSIONS FROM TRANSPORTATION IN THE NORTHEAST AND MID-ATLANTIC
The document details the costs and benefits of transitioning Delaware to clean transportation technologies, including vehicle electrification, fuel efficiency, and low-carbon fuels. It projects that a total investment of $18 billion by 2050 will generate a cumulative net benefit of $6.6 billion, primarily driven by fuel savings and avoided environmental costs, while significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Reducing Emissions from Transportation in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
The document argues that Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states can significantly reduce CO2 pollution and consumer fuel spending by transitioning to electric vehicles and low-carbon fuels. It highlights specific targets for emissions cuts and emphasizes the need for equitable investments that prioritize polluted communities and marginalized populations.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Decarbonizing Transportation
The document consists of a series of data tables (Appendix F) detailing the financial and environmental impacts of transportation decarbonization across several US states. It tracks costs such as incremental vehicle costs and charging infrastructure against benefits like gasoline and diesel fuel savings, as well as monetized greenhouse gas (GHG), NOx, and PM2.5 reductions. The data is split between 'MID' and 'HIGH' scenarios for each state, projecting outcomes through 2050.
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Document type: Report
Government Must Act Now on PFAS Contamination at Military Bases
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) reports widespread PFAS contamination at US military bases, with many sites exceeding risk levels established by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). The document highlights the health risks of these 'forever chemicals', the history of industry disinformation, and the failure of the US military to transition to fluorine-free firefighting foams.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Underwater
The report warns that sea level rise puts hundreds of thousands of US coastal properties at risk of chronic inundation, potentially leading to a collapse in real estate values and a significant erosion of local tax bases. Using a high sea level rise scenario, the analysis projects that by 2100, nearly 2.5 million properties valued at $1.07 trillion today will be at risk. The authors argue that current financial markets and government policies mask these risks, creating a 'narrowing window of opportunity' for communities to adapt. The report highlights particular vulnerabilities for low-income populations, the elderly, and specific states like Florida and New Jersey, while advocating for updated flood maps, transparent risk disclosure, and a shift away from subsidized insurance and disaster aid that encourages rebuilding in high-risk areas.
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Document type: Report
Warburg Pincus – Mariner Finance
Warburg Pincus acquired Mariner Finance in 2013. The lender provides personal, car, and home loans, with personal loans ranging from $1,000 to $25,000. The report highlights the use of various fees—including a 'Recording/ Satisfaction Fee' of up to $151 and a $150 refinancing fee—which can increase loan costs. In February 2017, Mariner Finance issued $275 million in securities through the Mariner Finance Issuance Trust 2017-A.
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Document type: Report
In Rare Instance, Environmentalists Agree with Scott Pruitt’s EPA: Lower Biodiesel Mandates
Mighty Earth and a coalition of environmental groups support the reduction of US biodiesel mandates, arguing that the fuel is not 'green' because it relies on virgin vegetable oils that drive deforestation in Latin America and Southeast Asia. The document highlights that biodiesel production contributes to carbon emissions and water pollution, such as the Gulf of Mexico's Dead Zone. While the EPA initially sought input on reducing mandates, the document notes that President Trump later intervened to reverse this course due to pressure from agricultural lobbying groups.
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Document type: Statement
Environmental Justice for Delaware
The report finds that seven low-income and minority-majority communities in northern New Castle County, Delaware, face significantly higher cancer risks and respiratory hazards from toxic air pollution compared to the state average and a wealthy, predominantly White comparison community. These risks are compounded by the high density of hazardous chemical facilities, Superfund sites, and Brownfields in these areas, particularly in Southbridge. The authors recommend stricter chemical safety regulations, mandatory fenceline monitoring, and the prevention of siting schools near dangerous facilities to mitigate these disproportionate environmental health burdens.
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Document type: Report
Environmental Justice for Delaware
The report finds that seven communities in northern New Castle County, Delaware—characterized by higher poverty and proportions of people of color—face substantially higher cancer and respiratory health risks than the affluent, predominantly White community of Greenville and the state average. These risks are driven by toxic air pollutants, specifically formaldehyde and acrolein, and proximity to high-risk chemical facilities and contaminated waste sites. The document recommends stricter chemical safety regulations, enhanced fenceline monitoring, and the implementation of comprehensive health-impact assessments to address these environmental justice disparities.
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Document type: Executive summary
How Delaware Benefits from Federal Fuel Economy and Vehicle Emissions Standards
The document argues that federal fuel economy and emissions standards set by the EPA and NHTSA provide significant benefits to Delaware, including household savings, job creation, and emissions reductions. It highlights that by 2030, the average Delaware household will be $3,050 richer due to gas savings outweighing the upfront cost of more efficient vehicles. To date, Delaware has saved $110 million, and the standards have eliminated global warming emissions equivalent to twice those from providing electricity to Dover. Nationally, the standards are projected to increase GDP by up to $30 billion and create 650,000 full-time jobs by 2030.
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Document type: Fact sheet