Transportation
EPA announces $5 billion for electric school buses
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a $5 billion Clean School Bus Program to help school districts replace polluting diesel buses with clean electric ones. Currently, most of the nation’s 450,000 school buses run on diesel fuel, even though diesel exhaust has been linked to respiratory illness, cancer and other serious health risks.
Solid Waste
Biden administration commits to removing single-use plastic from national parks
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland has issued an order to phase out single-use plastic products from our country’s national parks and other public lands by 2032, after PIRG and over 20,000 of our supporters urged the administration to take this critical step beyond plastic.
Solid Waste
Colorado becomes third state to approve ‘producer responsibility’ law to reduce packaging waste
Colorado residents may soon see a reduction in single-use plastic packaging and an increase in recycling. A new CoPIRG-backed bill was signed into law to require companies to pay for their products’ packaging and use the revenue to expand curbside recycling programs across the state.
Report: Methane Gas Leaks
Gas leaks and pipeline incidents are common and put public health and safety at risk.
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News & Research
Every day of August, people can ride transit for free on more than 30 local transit systems. Free transit options range from the largest agency in the state to rural systems in the Eastern Plains and the southwest corner of Colorado. Check back here each week as we count down the month. I'll highlight different transit agencies that have zero fares. All aboard!
WASHINGTON – The Inflation Reduction Act just passed by the U.S. Senate provides powerful tools for the government to address high drug prices. Federal legislators identified ways to address drug costs that will save close to $240 billion over 10 years and also relieve the burden of the high cost of medications for many Americans. Next, the U.S. House of Representatives must pass the bill for it to become law.
WASHINGTON – Midway through a summer full of brutally hot weather, flash floods and worsening drought, the U.S. Senate passed the largest-ever package of climate and clean energy investments. The Inflation Reduction Act includes roughly $369 billion in climate spending, designed to reduce emissions by 40% by 2030 and put the United States’ Paris Climate Accord goals within reach. The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on Friday, August 12.
The Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) approved a State Implementation Plan (SIP) to meet the EPA air quality standards for the Denver Metro/North Front Range nonattainment area. The region has been out of attainment for ozone pollution for years and previous SIPs have failed to bring ozone pollution down enough to meet the EPA healthy air requirements.
The United States Senate passed the PACT Act with bipartisan support, expanding health care benefits to veterans exposed to toxic chemicals while serving in the military.
RESOURCE
Coronavirus update
In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, we’ve taken steps for all of our staff to work remotely for safety reasons. But rest assured, we’ll keep advocating for you as we work for a healthier, safer world.
Learn more about how we can work together to address the COVID-19 pandemic.