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 pandemic – StarTribune
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 finds – Washington 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)