Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Democratic Attorneys General Sue Government Over Claims EPA Failed To Effectively Regulate Asbestos
Reuters: U.S. States Sue EPA For Stricter Asbestos Rules
Ten U.S. states and Washington, D.C. sued the Environmental Protection Agency to begin working on rules to tighten oversight of asbestos, and reduce the health risks that the substance poses to the public. The attorneys general from California and Massachusetts, Xavier Becerra and Maura Healey, said on Monday they are leading the case, after the EPA denied the states' petition that it collect more data on asbestos. (Stempel, 7/1)
The Hill: States Sue EPA For Tougher Regulation Of Asbestos
“It is widely acknowledged that asbestos is one of the most harmful and toxic chemicals known to humankind,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a release about the lawsuit. “While it’s troubling that we must once again take the EPA to court to force the agency to do its job, we won’t pull any punches. There’s too much at stake to let the EPA ignore the danger that deadly asbestos poses to our communities.” (Beitsch, 7/1)
In other environmental health news —
Los Angeles Times: To Meet Paris Climate Targets, Some Power Plants May Need To Take An Early Retirement
The power plants, factories, vehicles and appliances in use today could make it all but impossible to meet the goals of the Paris climate accord unless some are retired ahead of schedule, according to an exhaustive new analysis of the world's energy infrastructure. If allowed to operate for the rest of their expected lifetimes, the greenhouse gases they would produce by continuing to burn fossil fuels will raise global temperatures more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, the study found. (Rosen, 7/1)
