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The document advocates for the integration of lived experience, experiential knowledge, and community knowledge into environmental regulatory systems to better understand cumulative impacts in overburdened communities. It defines these terms to ensure consistent regulatory use and argues that such knowledge is an essential complement to professional scientific data, which often has blind spots. The text recommends that the EPA institutionalize training for employees in active listening and implicit bias, and adopt mixed-methods approaches to integrate qualitative community data with quantitative analysis.

The document advocates for the EPA to adopt management-zone strategies and community-driven approaches to address cumulative environmental burdens. It emphasizes integrating regulatory tools with pollution reduction, ensuring accountability through Community Benefits Agreements, and preventing resident displacement. The summary highlights the need for interagency coordination and meaningful community leadership in the design and execution of environmental health protections.

The document argues that environmental pollution disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color due to systemic drivers like racism and colonialism. It recommends that the EPA move beyond 'race-neutral' assessments by using direct indices of social adversity—such as segregation and material hardship—rather than simple proxies. Additionally, it calls for the application of an antiracist lens in government science, the recruitment of staff from overburdened communities, and the removal of barriers to laws that repair past environmental injustices.

The document outlines recommendations for the EPA to integrate climate justice into environmental protections. It emphasizes the need for transparent, holistic decision-making, the acknowledgment of historic biased policies, and the strengthening of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) to better account for cumulative stressors and the specific needs of marginalized communities and non-mainland US territories.

The document highlights that while medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs) make up only about 10% of US on-road vehicles, they contribute over half of fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions. It reports an exponential increase in zero-emission MHDV registrations from under 1,000 in 2019 to over 27,000 in 2023. The analysis finds that over 85% of MHDVs travel fewer than 100 miles daily, making them suitable for current battery-electric technology. While operational costs for electric trucks are lower, up-front costs remain a barrier for larger models, necessitating continued state and federal policy support and the expansion of charging infrastructure along freight corridors.

The report analyzes the environmental, health, and economic impacts of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (MHDV) pollution in the US and advocates for an accelerated transition to battery-electric trucks. It highlights that while MHDVs make up a small fraction of road vehicles, they contribute a disproportionate share of NOx, PM2.5, and greenhouse gas emissions. The document argues that battery-electric vehicles (BETs) are technically and economically superior to hydrogen fuel-cell alternatives for most duty cycles. It details the role of state policies like California's Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation and federal investments from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in driving adoption. The report concludes with recommendations for expanding charging infrastructure, implementing indirect source rules for warehouses, and maintaining high-road labor standards during the transition.

The document defines environmental justice as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race or income in ensuring healthy environments. Climate justice extends these principles to address the disproportionate impacts of climate change on marginalized communities and the responsibility of wealthier nations. Energy justice frames access to clean, affordable energy as a human right and advocates for an equitable transition away from fossil fuels.

A group of organizations, including the Union of Concerned Scientists, has sent a letter to U.S. Senators requesting that they reject nominees for federal leadership positions who lack necessary academic or professional credentials, possess disqualifying conflicts of interest, or disregard scientific consensus. The letter emphasizes that scientific integrity—defined as adherence to professional practices and objectivity free from political interference—is essential for managing threats such as pandemics and cyberattacks. The authors provide specific criteria for voting against nominees and suggest a set of four commitment-based questions for Senators to use during confirmation hearings to ensure appointees will use the best available scientific evidence to inform public policy.

The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that implementing battery recycling, improving vehicle efficiency, right-sizing battery range, and increasing non-vehicle transportation options could reduce newly mined lithium demand in the US by 48% between 2025 and 2050. This reduction equals 1.5 million metric tons of lithium. The report argues that high recovery rates (90%) could allow recycled content to meet nearly 60% of lithium demand by 2050. Key recommendations include federal recycling requirements, efficiency standards, and expanded public charging infrastructure to reduce the need for oversized batteries.

The report argues that the US can significantly reduce its reliance on newly mined minerals for electric vehicle (EV) batteries by prioritizing energy efficiency, right-sizing battery range, and implementing robust recycling policies. Through a 'Very Low Demand Scenario,' the authors demonstrate that newly mined lithium needs could be reduced by 48% from 2025 to 2050, saving 1.5 million metric tons of material. The analysis emphasizes that while electrification is essential for decarbonization, a systems-wide approach—including investments in public transit and rail to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT)—is necessary to create a sustainable and just supply chain.

The Union of Concerned Scientists reports that industrial agriculture is the leading cause of wetland loss over the last 250 years, which increases flood risks and releases stored carbon. In the Upper Midwest, 30 million acres of wetlands provide approximately $23 billion in annual residential flood mitigation benefits, with long-term value estimated between $323 billion and $754 billion. The document urges the US government to use the upcoming farm bill to increase funding for USDA conservation programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program and Wetland Reserve Easements, to protect these ecosystems.

Industrial agriculture is a primary driver of wetland loss in the US Upper Midwest, where 30 million acres of wetlands provide critical flood mitigation and carbon sequestration. The report estimates that these wetlands provide nearly $23 billion in annual residential flood mitigation benefits, with long-term value between $323 billion and $754 billion. Recent legal shifts, specifically the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Sackett v. EPA, have reduced federal protections under the Clean Water Act, leaving many wetlands vulnerable. The author argues that the next farm bill should expand the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) cap, increase funding for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and link crop insurance to conservation practices to mitigate flood risk and support environmental justice for marginalized communities.

The Union of Concerned Scientists is launching a national campaign to protect government scientists and scientific research from political attacks, specifically citing the Project 2025 agenda as a source of intensified threats. The organization intends to combat disinformation, hold corporate actors accountable, and advance clean energy and democracy goals at the state level to mitigate federal-level risks to climate progress, transportation, and global security.

A coalition of climate, environmental, and faith-based organizations is calling on the Biden Administration to support a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) of at least $1 trillion USD per year for developing countries. The group argues that this funding should be primarily grant-based to avoid increasing debt in low-income nations and should cover mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage. They suggest funding these goals through innovative sources like taxes on polluting companies' excess profits and reforming the international multilateral finance architecture, including the use of IMF Special Drawing Rights.

The document details a modeling analysis of Illinois' energy storage requirements using the Python for Power System Analysis (PyPSA) framework. It outlines the grid's representation as two RTO subregions (ComEd and Zone 4), the data pipelines used for solar and wind production, and the specific technology assumptions and policy incentives—such as the Inflation Reduction Act's tax credits—integrated into the model. The analysis considers various demand growth scenarios and the impact of scheduled fossil fuel plant retirements.

A coalition of national and regional organizations is calling on Utah's House representatives to support S. 3853, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act, noting that for the first time since 1990, affected downwinders and uranium miners lack access to compensation and cancer screenings.

The document explains that radioactive materials are elements that decay into lighter elements, releasing energy as ionizing radiation (alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays). It details the physical properties of these radiation types, their ability to penetrate materials and human tissue, and the specific scientific units used to measure radioactivity and absorbed doses, including a comparison between US and international units.

The document details the health risks associated with radiation, ranging from acute radiation syndrome and skin burns to chronic conditions like cancer and cardiovascular disease. It highlights how social determinants of health compound these harms for vulnerable groups and critiques the US government's fragmented compensation system, which includes the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA), and Veterans Affairs Compensation. The text also notes the US's refusal to join the 2021 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

The document evaluates three industry-proposed methods for reducing carbon emissions from gas plants: hydrogen cofiring, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and biomethane. It concludes that these approaches often fail to achieve targeted emissions reductions when full life cycle impacts—such as upstream methane leakage, energy penalties, and production emissions—are considered. Furthermore, the brief argues that these technologies perpetuate environmental and social inequities by maintaining the operation of gas plants. In contrast, the report finds that transitioning to renewable energy sources like wind and solar provides superior reductions in carbon, air, and water pollution while offering lower costs and fewer land-use impacts.

The document explains the science of cumulative impacts, contrasting traditional single-chemical risk assessments with a holistic approach that considers multiple pollution pathways, pollutant accumulation, and non-chemical stressors. It advocates for the precautionary principle and the regulation of chemicals as classes to better protect overburdened communities, while emphasizing that lived experience and qualitative data are essential scientific components for effective policy.