Media Center

Contempt Motion Filed against City of Flint and Mayor for Failing to Meet Court Deadlines in Lead Pipe Replacement Settlement

May 26, 2023 Press ReleaseDetroit

The City of Flint and Mayor Sheldon Neeley should be held in contempt for violating a February 2023 federal court order requiring Flint to reach certain milestones in its lead pipe replacement program, according to a motion filed today in…

Supreme Court Dramatically Narrows Scope of Clean Water Act

May 25, 2023 Press ReleaseUnited States

The Supreme Court today stripped out key protections from the Clean Water Act, weakening the law, and narrowing its ability to defend the quality of the nation’s waterways.

Reducing Lead in Tap Water Would Yield Billions in Previously Ignored Health and Other Benefits, Far Surpassing Costs

May 10, 2023 Press ReleaseUnited States

WASHINGTON – Cutting lead levels in drinking water would yield at least $9 billion in annual health benefits and other benefits that taken together exceed costs by at least 35-fold, according to a new analysis by researchers at Harvard’s T.H…

Court Rules EPA Must Regulate Perchlorate

May 9, 2023 Press ReleaseUnited States

WASHINGTON – A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, today unanimously ruled that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision against regulating the toxic chemical perchlorate in drinking water was illegal.

NRDC Analysis: Peer-Reviewed Study Finds EPA Misses PFAS Chemicals Already Present in Drinking Water 

April 12, 2023 Press ReleaseWashington, D.C.

Nearly half of the PFAS “forever chemicals” present in drinking water samples are not monitored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to a peer-reviewed analysis conducted by NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and community members in 16 states.

NRDC: Biden Stood up for Clean Water

April 6, 2023 Press Release

WASHINGTON — President Biden vetoed a Congressional Review Act resolution that would have weakened protections under the Clean Water Act and tied the hands of future presidents trying to rectify the damage.

EPA Moves to Cut Toxic Air Pollution from Coal Plants

April 5, 2023 Press ReleaseWashington, D.C.

WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency today proposed to strengthen its Mercury and Air Toxics Standards to cut pollution from power plants that burn coal and oil, enhancing air quality and better protecting public health. 

EPA Announces Change to Funding For Lead Pipe Replacement: New Distribution Will Be Based on Need

April 4, 2023 Press ReleaseWashington, D.C.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced changes that are intended to direct the remaining funds from the $15 billion infrastructure dollars for replacing lead water pipes to states with the greatest need.

Bill to Help Those Facing Water Shut-Offs Heads to Governor Murphy’s Desk

March 30, 2023 Press ReleaseNew Jersey

The New Jersey legislature just passed a bill that requires all water and sewer utilities to participate in the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) and promote the program to their customers, or else are prohibited from shutting off…

Historic PFAS Drinking Water Regulations Proposed by EPA

March 14, 2023 Press ReleaseUnited States

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to set limits on the amounts of six toxic “forever” chemicals found in drinking water.

Federal Judge Finds Flint Violated Settlement, Orders City to Finish Lead Pipe Replacements and Restore Residents’ Damaged Property

February 27, 2023 Press ReleaseFlint

A federal court has found that the City of Flint missed a court-ordered deadline to finish removing Flint’s lead pipes and failed to track where it fixed damage to residents’ properties. As a result of the late Friday ruling, the…

Whitmer Budget Address Focuses on Key Water Issues

February 8, 2023 Press ReleaseMichigan

Governor Whitmer outlined her budget proposal for the State of Michigan today. Her address outlined a number of important water-related investments.

EPA Offers Remedy for Inequitable System That Has Left Low-Income Residents Nationwide with Polluted Water and Unaffordable Water Bills

February 1, 2023 Press ReleaseUnited States

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released new guidelines on how to protect low-income communities from sewage pollution without making utility bills unaffordable for low-income residents.

NRDC Argues EPA Failure to Regulate Perchlorate is Unlawful

January 27, 2023 Press ReleaseUnited States

In arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, today lawyers for NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) told a three-judge panel that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision against regulating the toxic chemical perchlorate…

3M Ending PFAS Manufacturing Paves Way for Chemical Market Shift

December 21, 2022 Press ReleaseUnited States

ST. PAUL, MINN.– Leading chemical manufacturer 3M announced it will exit per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) manufacturing and work to discontinue the use of the “forever chemical” across its product portfolio by the end of 2025. 3M’s decision signals a…

EPA Will No Longer Defend Weak Trump Administration Drinking Water Rule in Court, Expected to Strengthen Lead in Tap Water Health Protections

December 9, 2022 Press ReleaseUnited States

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today informed a federal court the agency will no longer defend the drinking water lead regulation set by the Trump Administration, and instead will propose a new rule by September 2023.

Poll: Access to Safe Drinking Water Is a Top Priority Across America

November 15, 2022 Press ReleaseUnited States

Safe drinking water is a top concern nationwide, according to a new poll released today by NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), with most respondents indicating that lead pipes in drinking water systems are either a crisis or a major problem.

One Year Later: Benton Harbor’s Lead Water Pipes Nearly 100% Removed, Setting a New Standard for Michigan and the Nation

October 19, 2022 Press ReleaseBenton Harbor

Nearly every lead drinking water line in Benton Harbor has been replaced, just one year after community activists, alarmed by three consecutive years of high lead levels found in Benton Harbor’s tap water, petitioned federal and state officials to fix…

EPA Grants NRDC’s Petition to Remove Neurotoxin in All Pet Flea Collars

October 12, 2022 Press ReleaseUnited States

NEW YORK – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is banning all pet flea collars containing the pesticide tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP), a member of the class of organophosphates that damages the developing brains and nervous systems of young children, toddlers and fetuses…

Judge Approves Multi-Million Dollar Clean-Up for Penobscot River

October 11, 2022 Press ReleaseMaine

BANGOR, ME — Today, a Federal District Court in Maine approved a settlement that requires Mallinckrodt US LLC to pay for mercury remediation in the Penobscot River Estuary, concluding a more than two decade long legal fight led by Maine…