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School Bus Pollution Report Card 2006
The report evaluates U.S. school bus emissions, finding that older diesel buses release significantly more soot than modern alternatives, posing health risks to children. It grades states on soot emissions, cleanup programs, and smog-forming pollution, noting wide performance gaps. The authors recommend a strategy of 'the five Rs'—retrofitting, refueling, replacement, repair, and reduced idling—and call for strengthened federal standards and increased funding to modernize fleets.
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Document type: Executive summary
Essential Elements of U.S. Leadership in Ratifying the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
A coalition of environmental and health organizations calls on the U.S. Congress to ratify the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). The authors argue that U.S. absence from the treaty harms its international reputation and limits its influence over the convention's success. They propose three criteria for implementing legislation: ensuring timely action on new POPs, respecting state-level environmental laws, and granting the EPA clear legal authority to act without redundant evaluations or cost-benefit balancing tests.
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Document type: Statement
New Energy for America Jobs, Security & Prosperity for the 21st Century
The document records a multi-sector call for a U.S. transition to clean energy, arguing that government investment and regulation can simultaneously drive economic growth, reduce oil dependence, and address climate change.
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Document type: Report
Pollution Report Card
The report evaluates the emissions of US school bus fleets, finding that the vast majority rely on high-polluting diesel engines that pose significant health risks to children. It advocates for a transition to cleaner alternatives, specifically natural gas, and calls for federal and state funding to replace aging fleets.
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Document type: Report
DAYLIGHTING: NEW LIFE FOR BURIED STREAMS
The report examines daylighting projects that uncover buried waterways to restore ecological function and urban amenities. It details 18 completed projects in the US, including those in California, Washington, and Illinois, and discusses international examples from Europe and Canada. Key findings highlight that while daylighting can improve water quality, reduce flooding, and increase property values, it faces social fears, institutional hurdles, and technical complexities. The document provides recommendations for project proponents, emphasizing community involvement, expert technical assistance, and a phased approach to implementation.
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Document type: Report
THE BOEING COMPANY: ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION COSTS
Following the decision to expand its Everett, Washington facility for the 777 program, Boeing was required by the City of Everett to pay over $50 million in environmental and social mitigation costs. These requirements, mandated under the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), included $47.46 million for off-site transportation improvements, as well as site-wide erosion control, wetland replacement, and low-income housing investments. The case highlights a conflict between Boeing's management accountants, who argued for expensing the costs as they added no measurable value to assets, and external auditors and tax groups, who argued for capitalization because the payments were a direct condition for obtaining necessary construction permits.
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Document type: Case study
Weyerhaeuser Company: The Next 100 Years
The document details Weyerhaeuser Company's transition from a 'cut and run' timber operation to a global leader in 'High Yield Forestry' (HYF). It describes the company's investment in genetics, seedling nurseries, and silvicultural research to maximize softwood production, while simultaneously developing 'Weyerhaeuser Forestry' to address stakeholder concerns and environmental regulations. The text analyzes the global softwood market, the impact of endangered species like the Northern Spotted Owl, and the company's strategic shift toward sustainable stewardship and international expansion.
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Document type: Case study
MOBIL CHEMICAL CORPORATION
The document details a legal conflict between Mobil Chemical Company and several US state attorneys general over the claim that Hefty garbage bags were 'degradable'. While the bags were photodegradable, they did not break down in landfills, leading to charges of consumer fraud. The case is situated within a wider 1980s-1990s context of 'greenwashing', where vague environmental terms were used to meet consumer demand despite a lack of scientific substantiation or infrastructure for degradation.
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Document type: Case study
Federal Funding Programs to Support Advanced Clean Trucks Implementation
The document outlines how states can leverage billions of dollars in federal funding to support the transition to zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs). It categorizes funding opportunities into manufacturing, procurement, charging infrastructure, workforce development, emissions monitoring, and state planning, providing specific program details, eligibility, and strategic next steps for state officials.
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Document type: Guide
Recommendations for Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Implementation
The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) recommends that the DOE prioritize a limited number of large-scale hydrogen hubs (4 to 6) to avoid program dilution and maximize industrial learning. CATF emphasizes the need for full lifecycle analysis (LCA) to measure greenhouse gas intensity, noting that natural gas with carbon capture can reach 1.5 to 2.0 kgCO2e/kgH2, while solar-powered electrolyzers range from 0.96 to 2.52 kgCO2e/kgH2 when upstream emissions are included. The document argues for prioritizing 'difficult-to-electrify' sectors such as heavy-duty trucking, marine shipping, and heavy industry. To ensure equity, CATF suggests requiring comprehensive community environmental health assessments and implementing inclusive engagement strategies to protect disadvantaged communities from industrial pollution.
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Document type: Statement
How the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub benefits Washington, Oregon, and Montana
The Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub is projected to create 11,550 direct jobs, including 8,050 in construction and 350 permanent positions, through eight major projects in Washington, Oregon, and Montana. The initiative involves a wide array of partners from government, academia, and the private sector, including entities such as Amazon, Puget Sound Energy, and the Washington State Department of Commerce.
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Document type: Fact sheet
State Technology-Inclusive Clean Energy Standards and Corporate Commitments
The document provides a detailed inventory of US state-level legislative and executive actions to achieve carbon-free or renewable energy targets, alongside a timeline of voluntary net-zero and carbon reduction commitments from major utility providers.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Superhot Rock Geothermal in Washington
The document highlights superhot rock geothermal as a scalable, zero-emission energy source that could significantly contribute to Washington's goal of zero-emissions electricity by 2045. Preliminary modeling indicates that just 1% of Washington's superhot rock resource could provide 126 GW of energy capacity, which is 12 times the state's 2023 electricity consumption. The technology is described as highly energy-dense, requiring only 12 sq mi of land per 1 GW, and provides reliable 24/7 power that reduces the need for excess transmission and backup generation.
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Document type: Fact sheet
COVERAGE PREVIEW & PARTNER TOOLKIT
The document outlines a collaborative journalism initiative focused on the climate emergency, providing a list of republishable stories, social media strategies, and guidelines for partner outlets.
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Document type: Guide
pops_bills_28feb2006-95846d82e9477a0d.pdf
The document examines the legislative hurdles preventing the United States from ratifying the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). It analyzes four proposed bills intended to amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), concluding that only the Solis TSCA bill (H.R. 4800) 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
The report examines how U.S. states, specifically Maine, California, and Washington, are implementing policies to eliminate persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals (PBTs) while the federal government remains stalled on ratifying the Stockholm Convention. It highlights state-level bans on mercury-containing products, brominated flame retardants (PBDEs), and the pesticide lindane, as well as efforts to reduce dioxin emissions. The document argues that these state actions serve as 'laboratories' for reform and that federal implementing legislation should support rather than preempt these tougher state standards.
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Document type: Report
Policy Roadmap
The document argues that integrating public health and equity into climate policy can broaden political support and save lives, estimating that low-carbon policies could avoid 1 million American deaths annually. It proposes a roadmap of legislative and agency actions, including banning natural gas expansion, transitioning to regenerative agriculture, and electrifying public transit, to align the U.S. with the Paris Agreement's 1.5C target. The brief emphasizes that health co-benefits could offset 10% to 41% of U.S. mitigation costs.
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Document type: Policy brief
Coup de circuit
The document argues that while Canada possesses a competitive advantage in clean energy, its electricity grids are often optimized for legacy technologies and lack sufficient planning for industrial growth. It compares Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, and British Columbia with international peers, highlighting that hydro-dominant provinces have a flexibility advantage, while others must proactively develop storage and interconnections. The report recommends that the federal government support interprovincial planning, provide targeted funding for grid development, ensure climate policy stability, and prioritize grid flexibility to avoid wasting renewable energy and to attract global capital.
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Document type: Executive summary
FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS OF LAW, AND DECISION
The Hearing Examiner denied a consolidated appeal by the South Tacoma Neighborhood Council and 350 Tacoma, ruling that the City of Tacoma did not commit clear error in its environmental review of a proposed 2.5 million square foot industrial development. The decision affirms that the project's impacts on transportation, air quality, noise, and water were sufficiently analyzed and mitigated under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and local codes.
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Document type: Report
Federal Coal Leases Renewals, 2021-2025
The document provides a detailed schedule of federal coal lease readjustment dates from 2021 to 2025, identifying the specific lease numbers, the states where the leases are located, and the companies holding those leases. The list covers operations across several Western U.S. states, including Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, Washington, and Oklahoma.
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Document type: Fact sheet