A roundup of headlines curated for state transportation environmental professionals

FEDERAL ACTION

Outdoor Industry groups call on Congress to invest in outdoor recreation infrastructure KSL

Virginia, Maryland, D.C. to sue EPA over failure to enforce pollution reduction targets in Chesapeake Bay – Virginia Mercury

EPA Clean Air Panel Chair Dismisses His Oil Industry Ties, Slams Harvard Study on Air Pollution and COVID Risks – DESMOG

Trump’s EPA must strengthen standards for deadly particle pollution – The Hill (Opinion)

AG opposes federal effort to scale back environmental regulations by replacing WOTUS rule – WNEM

Federal appeals court rules on ‘Good Neighbor’ provision of Clean Air Act – Jurist.org

A Stimulus Proposal Emerges From The Ashes With GOP Support: Infrastructure Spending – Forbes

COVID-19

Carbon emissions dropped 17 percent globally amid coronavirus – NBC News

Minnesota, other states sue EPA for ‘blanket waiver’ as nation fights pandemicStarTribune

Coronavirus is reshaping urban mobility – Axios

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Groups Propose Tweaks to FEMA Infrastructure Resilience Guidance – Transport Topics

Disaster-heavy year risks a FEMA ‘code red’ for hurricane season – Virgin Islands Daily News

Bill Would Direct $50M Annually for Clean Energy to Low-Income Areas – NJ Spotlight

SunZia offers to move project out of White Sands – Albuquerque Journal

AIR QUALITY

Texas’ Air Quality Improved During The Stay-At-Home Order. Here’s Why It Probably Won’t Last Houston Public Media

Pollution case against U.S. Steel dismissed – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (subscription required)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Op-Ed: Coronavirus Crisis Demands Environmental-Justice Response – NJ Spotlight (Opinion)

Op-ed: Environmental Justice Task Force reveals first draft definition Washington State Wire (Opinion)

Report says removing state energy mandates would save consumers money – Bakersfield.com

NATURAL RESOURCES

Guest opinion: It’s not a food fight, it’s a water fight – Naples Daily News (Opinion)

Tree Deaths in Urban Settings Are Linked to Leaks from Natural Gas Pipelines Below Streets – InsideClimate News

Ripple Effect: When politics ignores science, it jeopardizes local clean water – The Hill (Opinion)

Loss of Louisiana marshes that protect New Orleans is ‘probably inevitable,’ study findsWashington Post (subscription required)

CULTURAL RESOURCES

UO archaeologists help keep state road projects moving – University of Oregon

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Transit Is Being Drawn to an On-Demand Model in Kansas – Government Technology

Want to buy a bike? Get ready for a long wait thanks to the coronavirus pandemic – Changing America

CDC Issues Tools To Guide Reopening Of Schools, Businesses, Transit – NPR

As recycling rate drops, California should embrace innovative recycling technologies – CalMatters (Commentary)

Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP)FHWA Center for Accelerating Innovation

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Data sharing presents major opportunities for transportation – National Academies

TRB Webinar: How Much Will COVID-19 Affect Travel Behavior? – TRB

TRB Webinar: Transportation Experiences and Next Steps in the COVID-19 Pandemic – TRB

TRB Webinar: A Research Roadmap for Transportation and Public Health – TRB

TRB Webinar: Forecasting Zero Emission Vehicles Fleet Scenarios & Emissions Implications – TRB

Review of California Wildfire Evacuations from 2017 to 2019 – University of California (Report)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

EPA Guidance; Administrative Procedures for Issuance and Public Petitions – EPA (Proposed Rule)

Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability – EPA (Notice)

Request for Nominations for the 2020 Clean Air Excellence Awards Program – EPA (Notice)

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Requirements for Generators, Transporters, and Waste Management Facilities Under the RCRA Hazardous Waste Manifest System – EPA (Notice)

Proposed Fourth Renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Assigning Certain Federal Environmental Responsibilities to the State of Utah, Including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Authority for Certain Categorical Exclusions (CEs) – FHWA (Notice of proposed MOU and request for comments)

National Register of Historic Places; Notification of Pending Nominations and Related Actions – National Park Service (Notice)