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Cellulosic Biofuels
This July 2008 fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) details the status of cellulosic biofuel production in the United States, highlighting the number of biorefineries in development, the technologies and feedstocks used, and the federal and state investments supporting the industry.
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Document type: Fact sheet
THE STATES AND THE WORLD: TWIN LEVERS FOR REFORM OF U.S. FEDERAL LAW ON TOXIC CHEMICALS
This research paper argues that the U.S. federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 has failed to effectively manage industrial chemicals, leading many U.S. states to enact their own stricter regulations. The author contends that this state-level activism, combined with international regulatory trends—specifically in the European Union—is creating the necessary political pressure for a comprehensive overhaul of federal chemical policy.
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Document type: Research paper
Legislation to Implement the POPs, PIC, and LRTAP POPs Agreements
This written testimony by Glenn M. Wiser of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives on March 2, 2006, advocates for legislation to implement the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), the LRTAP POPs Protocol, and the Rotterdam PIC Convention. Wiser compares two proposed bills to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)—H.R. 4800 (Solis bill) and H.R. 4591 (Gillmor bill)—arguing that only the Solis bill adequately implements the health and environmental protection goals of the Stockholm Convention.
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Document type: Statement
Legislation to implement the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
A joint statement from numerous environmental and health organizations urging the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce to support the Solis bill (H.R. 4800) over the Gillmor bill (H.R. 4591) to implement the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) via amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
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Document type: Statement
Essential Elements of U.S. Leadership in Ratifying the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
A joint statement from a coalition of environmental and health organizations urging the U.S. Congress to ratify the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) by passing implementing legislation that ensures timely action, respects state laws, and provides clear legal authority to the EPA.
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Document type: Statement
SUBMISSION OF NON-DISPUTING PARTIES
This document is a submission by non-disputing parties (Bluewater Network, Communities for a Better Environment, and the Center for International Environmental Law) to an arbitration tribunal regarding a dispute between Methanex Corporation and the United States. The submission argues that California's ban on the gasoline additive MTBE was a legitimate exercise of government power to protect public health and the environment, and should therefore be granted substantial deference under NAFTA and international law.
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Document type: Report
CHLORINE AND THE PAPER INDUSTRY
This case study examines the conflict between the U.S. pulp and paper industry, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Greenpeace over the use of chlorine in bleaching processes. The central tension involves the production of toxic organochlorines, specifically dioxins, and the debate over whether the industry should move toward elemental chlorine-free (ECF) or totally chlorine-free (TCF) technologies. The document details the 'cluster rule' regulatory approach and the economic and environmental trade-offs associated with different bleaching standards.
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Document type: Case study
The U. S. Experience with Economic Incentives for Protecting the Environment
This report section details the use of economic incentives—specifically pollution charges, fees, and taxes—to protect the environment in the United States. It examines various instruments including water and air emission fees, solid waste disposal charges, product taxes, and specialized fees for wetlands and grazing, analyzing their roles in raising revenue and incentivizing pollution reduction.
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Document type: Report
cloudy_skies_9may06-8aefc7ceef3f79f4.pdf
This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the state of chemical regulation in the United States, arguing that the primary federal law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), is fundamentally ineffective and overdue for reform. While federal political polarization hinders national legislative change, the author identifies a shift driven by state-level initiatives, international regulatory trends (specifically the EU's REACH), and proactive business leadership.
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Document type: Report
lowest common denominator
This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes a proposal by pesticide industry lobby groups CropLife America and the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) regarding the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). CIEL argues that the industry is using 'regulatory cooperation' as a mechanism to compel the European Union to lower its health and environmental standards to match the weaker standards of the United States, effectively creating a 'regulatory ceiling' that would hinder global pesticide regulation.
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Document type: Report
pops_bills_28feb2006-95846d82e9477a0d.pdf
This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the status of the United States' ratification of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and evaluates proposed implementing legislation in the U.S. Congress. It argues that the Solis TSCA bill (H.R. 4800) is the only proposal that aligns with the treaty's health-based standards and supports state-level environmental protections.
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Document type: Report
U.S. States and the Global POPs Treaty
This report by the Center for International Environmental Law examines the United States' failure to ratify the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) despite signing it in 2001. It argues that federal laws (TSCA and FIFRA) are outdated and ineffective, leaving a policy void that has been filled by individual states. The document highlights the 'vanguard' role of Maine, California, and Washington, which have implemented their own bans on mercury, PBDEs, and lindane, and developed strategies to monitor and reduce bioaccumulative toxics (PBTs) to protect public health and wildlife.
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Document type: Report
RECOVERY ACT HIGH SPEED RAIL AWARDS
This fact sheet details the distribution of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants for high-speed rail projects across four US regions: West, Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast, as well as additional planning awards.
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Document type: Fact sheet
nirs-maps-state_nuclear_waste_transport_route_maps-5e936ce1772e71fd.pdf
This document consists of a list of figure captions for maps depicting Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) nuclear waste transport routes across various United States states and the District of Columbia.
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Document type: Report
ENERGY LEADERSHIP IN A TIME OF NEED: A BLUEPRINT FOR STATES
This briefing from Energy Innovation provides a blueprint for U.S. state policymakers to maintain energy efficiency and electrification progress in buildings and industry following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which the author projects will negatively impact the U.S. economy.
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Document type: Briefing
rmi-electrification-rate-design-analysis-assumptions-66a0b39b031ddf3e.pdf
This document outlines the analytical methodology and specific utility-level assumptions used by RMI to estimate changes in residential utility bills under various tariff structures during electrification. The analysis utilizes NREL's ResStock dataset for building load profiles and integrates tariff data from Genability and RateAcuity, with specific adjustments made for utilities in Minnesota, Maryland, Maine, and Massachusetts to ensure consistency and accuracy in bill calculations.
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Document type: Report
America’s New Climate Economy: A Comprehensive Guide to the Economic Benefits of Climate Policy in the United States
This working paper by the World Resources Institute argues that climate policy and low-carbon infrastructure investments can stimulate the U.S. economy, create jobs, and revitalize rural communities, while delaying action risks significant GDP losses and public health crises.
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Document type: Research paper
Bottom Line on GHG Emissions Registries
This fact sheet by the World Resources Institute explains the function, types, and regulatory status of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions registries, specifically focusing on the legal requirement for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish a national mandatory registry by mid-2008.
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Document type: Fact sheet
state-electric-school-buses-us-feb-2023-9a52733522f22914.pdf
This report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) tracks the adoption of electric school buses (ESBs) in the United States as of September 30, 2022. It details the number of committed vehicles, the primary funding sources driving adoption, the types of buses being purchased, and an analysis of whether the transition is occurring equitably across different demographic and pollution-burdened areas.
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Document type: Report
Case Example: New England Restoration
This case study by the World Resources Institute examines the restoration of forest landscapes in New England from 1850 to the present. It details how a combination of market shifts, ecological suitability, and policy interventions led to the passive restoration of approximately 4 million hectares between 1880 and 2000, while also identifying current threats to these regenerated forests.
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Document type: Case study