Action Center: See Action Results

In late 2002 the Bush administration proposed rewriting the rules that govern the management of our national forests. The 2002 draft rule proposed eliminating the major forest wildlife protection rule and cutting public participation from the forest management planning process. You sent more than 17,500 comments opposing these harmful changes (a belated thank you!), but the administration delayed announcing its final rule until December 23, 2004. Alarmingly, the final version of the rule goes even farther than the 2002 draft in removing environmental protections. The new rule will open public lands -- including old growth forests, roadless areas and sensitive wildlife habitats -- to industry, allowing more logging, roadbuilding and energy and gas development. NRDC is reviewing the new rules, and assessing legal options.

In the fall of 2004 we asked you to urge the Environmental Protection Agency to fulfill its commitment to end the use of the dangerous pesticide methyl bromide by the end of the year. Although you sent more than 11,500 messages to the EPA during the official comment period (thank you!), on December 16, 2004, outgoing EPA Administrator Leavitt announced new rules that will allow the United States to continue to produce and use the cancer-causing, ozone-depleting chemical. The rules are a sharp reversal of lower limits on methyl bromide production proposed by the EPA in August 2004 -- under the new regulations, methyl bromide production and use will actually increase in 2005 by two million pounds compared to 2003. On December 23, 2004, NRDC filed suit in federal court to block the rules on the grounds that they violate both the Clean Air Act and the Montreal Protocol, which President Reagan signed in 1987. We'll keep you posted as our lawsuit progresses.

In March 2004 we asked California activists to urge the California Air Resources Board to adopt a mandatory program to force truck manufacturers to replace "smog defeat" devices that allow trucks to illegally bypass pollution controls, resulting in excess smog. Although you sent more than 2,750 messages during the two days before its decision, the board instead caved to pressure from the engine manufacturing industry and adopted a voluntary program. But the manufacturers failed to meet even the modest year-end goals of the voluntary program, compelling the board to enact the originally proposed mandatory requirements. The decision, announced on December 9, 2004, applies to 58,000 California-licensed trucks, as well as an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 vehicles licensed in other states that drive through California. The board estimates that removing the cheater devices from state-licensed vehicles will prevent about 30 tons a day of diesel pollution from entering the atmosphere, the equivalent of removing one million cars from California highways. Out-of-state vehicles produce another six to nine tons of diesel pollution each day. The engine manufacturers have threatened to sue, so stay tuned for future updates. In the meantime, thanks to all of you who contacted the Air Resources Board about this important public health issue.

In July 2004 we asked you to speak out to prevent the expansion of destructive monkfish trawling into two magnificent underwater canyons off the coast of southern New England. In response you sent more than 6,600 official comments, and we are excited to report that, in October 2004, the two responsible fish management councils approved the closures of Oceanographer and Lydonia canyons. This unprecedented action will help protect the unique marine ecology of these canyons, including hundred-year-old deepwater corals, rare anemones and unusual fish. Thanks to all of you who helped achieve this terrific victory for our oceans!

In April 2004 we asked you to urge the Bureau of Land Management not to drill three new natural gas wells in the Blackleaf area of Montana's magnificent Rocky Mountain Front. You sent more than 9,800 official comments, and we're thrilled to report that your messages clearly made a difference. On October 1, 2004, the BLM announced it was halting plans for the new wells, citing overwhelming public opposition as one of the reasons it is dropping the project. The BLM could reverse its decision in the future, so we'll let you know if we need your help again. In the meantime, thanks for your outstanding effort, and congratulations on helping achieve this remarkable victory for one of our nation's most important wildlife habitats.

In August 2004 we asked California activists to urge the California Air Resources Board to adopt strong regulations to reduce global warming pollution from new cars sold in California. You sent more than 4,000 messages during the board's comment period, and we're thrilled to report that, at its September 2004 meeting in Los Angeles, the board voted unanimously to adopt the strong regulations we supported. The new standards, the first of their kind in the nation, require tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants that cause global warming to be reduced by 22 percent by 2012 and by 30 percent by 2016. New York and other New England states will probably follow California's lead, and Canada is considering enacting similar standards as well. The auto industry has announced it will challenge the standards in court, so we'll be sure to keep you posted on future developments, but for now the decision stands as a major milestone in the fight to stop global warming -- thanks to all of you who helped achieve it!

During the first half of 2004, you sent more than 49,000 messages urging your senators to oppose the nomination of William Myers to a lifetime seat on the federal appeals court that reviews most of the cases concerning threats to, and conservation of, the nation's public lands. Mr. Myers is a former lobbyist for the mining and beef industries, and also was the chief attorney at the Interior Department, where he repeatedly attempted to undermine fundamental environmental protections. We're therefore pleased to report that Senate leaders were unsuccessful in their attempt to force a July 2004 vote on Mr. Myers' nomination, falling seven votes short of the 60 needed to end debate on the issue (this is what's commonly known as a 'filibuster'). Thanks to the thousands of you who contacted your senators and helped block this dangerous nomination.

In response to a June 2004 alert, California activists sent more than 1,300 messages urging the National Marine Fisheries Service to appoint NRDC's Kate Wing, who was nominated by California Governor Schwarzenegger, to the Pacific Fishery Management Council. Sadly, when the Secretary of Commerce announced the year's council appointments in late June 2004, Kate was not on the list. Instead the agency continued its policy of business as usual by reappointing the current industry representative for a fifth term. In the wake of the appointments, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives to fix the system, eliminate conflicts of interest and require broader representation on the councils, but no action was taken on the bill before Congress adjourned for the year. We will keep fighting to put the public back in charge of our public fisheries; in the meantime, thanks to all of you who spoke out in support of Kate's nomination.

During the summer of 2003 we asked you to send comments urging the Environmental Protection Agency to issue a strong rule to reduce pollution from "non-road" diesel engines. Almost 12,000 of you weighed in during the comment period, and we're pleased to report that the EPA heeded your advice. On May 11, 2004, EPA Administrator Leavitt signed a new rule that will require sulfur levels in fuel used in construction, farming and other industrial diesel engines to be reduced by 90-95 percent by 2014. When fully implemented, the new rule is expected to result in $80 billion in annual health benefits by eliminating more than 12,000 premature deaths, hundreds of thousands of asthma exacerbations and other respiratory symptoms in children, and more than one million lost work days. Thanks to all of you who contacted the EPA and helped achieve this important victory for public health!

In early 2004 we asked you to urge the Food and Drug Administration to provide truthful and useful advice about mercury contamination in the fish we buy and eat. You sent almost 7,000 messages to the FDA in just two weeks (thank you!), and on March 19, 2004 the agency released its fish consumption warning to help women of childbearing age avoid unsafe levels of mercury. Although the new warning is a definite improvement over previous advisories (it better identifies the fish species that are most contaminated and those that are not, and pays particular attention to tuna), it still does not warn consumers about eating some of the most highly contaminated fish, such as grouper and orange roughy. It also does not provide specific enough advice for parents with young children. We'll keep pressuring the FDA for better information; in the meantime, you can check out NRDC's guide to mercury contamination in fish to calculate how much fish you and your family can safely eat.

In early 2004 we urged those of you who live in San Francisco to vote Yes for Proposition I, which would require Muni to start cleaning up its bus fleet. Thanks to you and other concerned San Franciscans who went to the polls on March 2, 2004, the measure passed with an overwhelming two-thirds majority. As a result, Muni must retire its 100 oldest, dirtiest diesel buses by 2006, and buy clean new buses that comply with strict environmental standards. Congratulations, San Francisco!

In January 2004, we asked Californians to speak out to help save Old Glory, a 400-year-old oak tree in Santa Clarita that was threatened by a road expansion project designed to serve a new housing development. Despite your more than 8,300 messages (thank you!), community opposition and statements by the developer that the road expansion was not essential to traffic flow, Los Angeles County nevertheless approved the expansion, necessitating Old Glory's relocation. The good news is that, after being relocated and replanted in late January and early February 2004, Old Glory continues to demonstrate good health. The tree now resides in a community park a quarter mile from its original home, where it joined 120 other oak trees and receives constant care and supervision.

In March 2003 we asked you to send comments urging the Bush administration to balance energy development needs with wildlife protection in the 23.5 million acres of the Western Arctic Reserve. More than 9,000 of you responded (thank you!), but on January 22, 2004 Interior Secretary Norton nevertheless signed off on a plan to open almost nine million acres in the region to oil and gas development. The plan would produce less than six months worth of oil while ruining this incomparable wilderness area that supports hundreds of thousands of caribou, migratory birds and waterfowl, as well as Native Alaskans that depend on the area for subsistence hunting and fishing.

Way back in October 2000, thousands of you wrote to urge the Department of Energy to require a 30 percent increase in energy efficiency for air conditioners (the department originally had proposed a 20 percent increase). In one of the Clinton administration's final actions, the DoE heeded your calls and adopted the 30 percent requirement, effective 2006. In the summer of 2001, however, the Bush administration withdrew the 30 percent standard and substituted a 20 percent increase. NRDC, joined by 10 states and several consumer groups, immediately filed suit on the grounds that the Bush administration had violated federal law by weakening the rules after they had been put in place. Fast forward two and a half years when, on January 13, 2004 a federal appeals court ruled in our favor, ordering the Bush administration to restore the 30 percent standard, which will cut millions of tons of carbon emissions and hundreds of millions of dollars from electricity bills each year. Thanks to all of you who helped achieve this major victory for the environment and consumers.

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