quote:

Originally posted by TomP:
I think I know some places, but am now wondering about that...

Research the best you can.

Or do like jdollar and fish blind.

Anyway, despite the diversion of the theme of this thread, talking about big catfish and nasty water:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNHHQi5Wjc4

How Catching The GOONCH Changed Jeremy’s Life | GOONCH | River Monsters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2Zh3JzfyJU

Catching A MONSTER Goonch Catfish

Back in the US

Here's a post from another thread:

quote:

Originally posted by Magine Enigam:
In my estimation, there are millions of tons of catfish in the rivers and lakes all across the US. Mostly toxic from pollution.

Just imagine how many people those fish would feed if clean, and they are a renewable resource.

And that's just one species. I've never heard of catfish being over fished.

Just imagine all the redneck swampers who would be gainfully employed running trotlines, something they like to do anyway, if the resource was viable for market?

And the collateral benefits from all that would be enormous, and practically impossible to estimate economically from the perspective of today.

Here's a special tribute to jdollar denial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWyE-l7C9PA

==============================================

Looks to me like this is best in spring time or early summer, during the spawn. I don't know how it would work for the rest of the year.

I know that my catch used to decline on trotlines during the spawn, and pick back up later.

Love to see these Repugs showing concern for the environment. They have certainly been leaders and at the forefront in trying to protect the earth. I know that it was of paramount concern to Trump.

Well cat I dont know if I'm a republican, but conservative. I have done more for the environment than any of the whiners on ARPF, including being a part in water quality legislation being passed.
The good news, nobody has brought up yet, PFO's are no higher now than they were 20 yrs ago.
That means they must be using less toxic chems in place of what they were using.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:

quote:

Originally posted by wymple:
I saw a you tube short yesterday of an excavator bucket pulling in a massive 700 lb grouper killed by the red tide thing in Florida. A few years ago I watched a mini-documentary about a global research ship (can't remember the name) and the ship's cook was a 26 year veteran. They traveled the world's waterways and tested for pollution. He said he'd been just about everywhere & eaten almost everything humans do. He refused to eat anything that comes out of the Mississippi. I found that a bit surprising.

I wouldn’t eat anything out of the Mississippi, Ohio,Potomac, or Hudson Rivers either. Remember about 25-30 years ago when a river in Ohio caught fire because of the amount of petrochemicals in the water??

I thought it was much farther back than that, and it's been considerably cleaned up from that point.

quote:

Originally posted by Schrodinger:
Love to see these Repugs showing concern for the environment. They have certainly been leaders and at the forefront in trying to protect the earth. I know that it was of paramount concern to Trump.

Sarcasm is spot on, and not even funny.

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:

The good news, nobody has brought up yet, PFO's are no higher now than they were 20 yrs ago.
That means they must be using less toxic chems in place of what they were using.

This is why I show my sources:

https://nasf.org/pfas/what-are...jeEGRdkaAnekEALw_wcB

What is PFOS?

==============================================

https://nasf.org/aboutnasf/?gc...iIXu_o4aApY8EALw_wcB

NASF: We represent the interests of those in the surface coatings industry. Located in Washington DC, NASF represents the interests of businesses, technologists and professionals in the surface coatings industry.

================================================

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/17...0Protection%20Agency.

Fish caught in the fresh waters of the nation's streams and rivers and the Great Lakes contain dangerously high levels of PFOS, short for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, a known synthetic toxin phased out by the federal government, according to a study of data from the US Environmental Protection Agency.6 days ago

Locally caught fish are full of dangerous chemicals called PFAS

===============================================

https://www.ajc.com/news/rome-...W4ZHVJJKENNQEAUGHZ4/

Rome is grappling with toxic ‘forever chemicals’ fouling waterways

Atlanta, other Georgia towns may be next to deal with possible carcinogens, other serious health effects

For decades, the Oostanaula, the city of Rome’s main water source, has been contaminated with toxic “forever chemicals” — the tongue-twisting polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances better known by their acronym, PFAS. The chemicals have long been used in the “carpet capital of the world,” as Dalton is known for its oversized role in supplying the global flooring marketplace.

Since the late 1980s, Dalton Utilities has dispersed a potentially dangerous brew of PFAS-laden effluent through 19,000 sprinkler heads onto the vast acreage along the Conasauga. The utility touts the system — which is permitted to spray an average of 30 million gallons a day — as a “model” of wastewater management that uses soil and plant roots to filter out pollutants.

Separate lawsuits filed by a Rome resident and the city itself allege runoff from Dalton Utilities’ “land application system” — one of the largest forested sprayfield sites in the country — is sending huge amounts of toxic PFAS chemicals into the Conasauga River.

The drainage basin and other tributaries all flow through a massive region, and join many lakes and rivers, including the Alabama River. https://coosa.org/our-rivers/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...ileAlabamaCoosa3.png

MOBILE COUNTY
Mobile Bay fish kill causing concern, scientists looking for answers
by: Chad Petri

Posted: Mar 22, 2022 / 11:48 AM CDT

Updated: Mar 22, 2022 / 05:36 PM CDT

https://www.wkrg.com/mobile-co...looking-for-answers/

==================

President Joe Biden’s administration has also made PFAS pollution a priority, funneling $5 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law to fund water treatment upgrades.

quote:

Originally posted by Magine Enigam:
Back in the US

Here's a post from another thread:

quote:

Originally posted by Magine Enigam:
In my estimation, there are millions of tons of catfish in the rivers and lakes all across the US. Mostly toxic from pollution.

Just imagine how many people those fish would feed if clean, and they are a renewable resource.

And that's just one species. I've never heard of catfish being over fished.

Just imagine all the redneck swampers who would be gainfully employed running trotlines, something they like to do anyway, if the resource was viable for market?

And the collateral benefits from all that would be enormous, and practically impossible to estimate economically from the perspective of today.

Here's a special tribute to jdollar denial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWyE-l7C9PA

==============================================

Looks to me like this is best in spring time or early summer, during the spawn. I don't know how it would work for the rest of the year.

I know that my catch used to decline on trotlines during the spawn, and pick back up later.

I have no idea what denial on my part you are talking about. As I stated earlier in this thread- I SIMPLY AM TOO OLD TO GIVE A SHIT!!

M.E. knows as well as I do about the millions of pounds of un utilized salmon from Alaska.

Chinook salmon are in big trouble that's true, but the other four species of Pacific salmon are not. Other fish like herring and smelt are ignored.

I had a piece of baked haddok....... maybe 6 years ago. Death by fish poisoning at the rate I eat it, is a non-issue. But there is no reason to not try to keep the waters clean. Before it becomes a problem, find a replacement for the forever chems. That includes cadmium in solar panels.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:

I have no idea what denial on my part you are talking about. As I stated earlier in this thread- I SIMPLY AM TOO OLD TO GIVE A SHIT!!

I thought about what you say. Denial may be the wrong word.

Shunning knowledge and reality, favoring alt-reality, is denial. I think you are not doing that.

Still, knowledge of the facts is good. What you choose to do with it is up to you.

We are all in the same boat with this, and you clearly state your way of reacting to it. In my case, I'm a bit discouraged - looking back at how it was in my youth, compared to how it is now.

Granted, we both have an emotional reaction to it, helpless as we are.

My reaction/choice is to seek cleaner waters, maybe support some environmental group. Your reaction/choice is to fry suckers, and enjoy the fellowship. Hummm, I like that approach too.

The video I posted about the guy in LA catching spawning catfish in buckets was intended to show how denial or lack of knowledge works. Catch and cook and eat anyway. Lots of people are like that - in many ways.

I think acknowledging our helplessness in this and denial are separate things.

I suppose I need to chill and fry some catfish for dinner.

Ahhhh, catfish, my second favorite fried fish. Every restaurant in south GA has it on the menu, for the simple reason that people want and order it.

Yes, you are correct about the restaurants' menus.

As far as I know, none are serving wild catfish. They are all pond raised.

The flavor in those fish all depends on the spice and batter. Otherwise, they are null of flavor. The texture isn't the same as wild caught fish either.

There are huge areas with ponds in Mississippi for raising catfish. I pass by them when I go to Texas.

The good thing about those pond raised catfish is they are most likely the least toxic as can be had. They are fed special formulated food - lots of it - and they grow fast. They harvest them when they are just right for the proper restaurant size fillet. The small ones in the batch are fried whole (except guts and head of course). They clean the pond out and start over with a new batch.

Edit:

Well, it looks like I was mistaken. Upon additional research, I found this:

https://nutritionfacts.org/201...farm-raised-catfish/

Dioxins in U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish
Written By Michael Greger M.D. FACLM • April 5, 2016
Last updated: June 4, 2017 • 3 min read

Naturally the industry is going to make it look as good as they can:

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food...rushed%20into%20meal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaculture_of_catfish

https://www.sciencedirect.com/...ii/S0959652622043682

On my land I have a pretty decent stocked pond. It is spring fed. There is next to no ag crop production in the region due to the geology. I've never had the water tested but I recon it's pretty clean. It is a primary source of fish for me.

Channel cats, bass, blue gills, crappie. Bucket of fun when I fish it.

Same here. If I want bass, bluegills or crappie, I just walk 50 yards to my pond and have at it. There is no row crop farming within 4-5 miles- nothing but woodlands. Still prefer suckers though…….

When I was in college I made a specialty out of fishing private ponds, with permission of course.

I had a little 10' aluminum jon boat which was easy to slide in the back of my pickup, and into the ponds. As I recall I had a motor guide trolling motor, but whatever brand it was I thought the thing was a great tool.

I could do it again. Over the years I figured I had "graduated". Maybe going back to basics is a good idea.

I use a kayak or simply fish from shore.

Kayak. Good idea.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by Magine Enigam:
An overstocked cow pasture is who's fault?

It's obviously a choice of management - short-term greed vs long-term sustainability.

Who is in charge of the metaphorical "cow pasture"?

And, the tainted fish problem is not caused by overstocking. It's a different problem.

It looks to me like it's a problem of under-regulation or under-enforcement of regulation. And it seems that often legislature just doesn't adequately fund testing, especially testing that is most likely to produce results of tainted environments, which could be directly attributed to poor management on their part.

GOPer legislatures favor disinformation and ignorance to the public on matters like this. Adequate scientific testing and data would be too difficult to deny.

It is caused by the needs and wants of a burgeoning population. It is only going to get worse until the pasture can’t sustain the herd.

The ocean fishery is collapsing as well, time to start eating bugs.

Grizz

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

It is caused by the needs and wants of a burgeoning population. It is only going to get worse until the pasture can’t sustain the herd.

There are some very qualified people who express and agree with that view.

Is there a solution aside from nature taking its course? If so, I would like to hear it.

There's a whole world of thought on this but few solutions.

Sir David Attenborough,His Witness Statement (A Life On Our Planet)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez_foRmu89M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMJpv1eksjM

https://www.abc27.com/pennsylv...rinking-water-limit/

Pennsylvania passes ‘forever chemicals’ drinking water limit
by: AP

Posted: Jan 25, 2023 / 01:13 PM EST

Updated: Jan 25, 2023 / 01:16 PM EST

https://www.abc27.com/news/hea...id=promo-link-block1

EPA to designate ‘forever chemicals’ as hazardous substances
by: MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press

Posted: Aug 26, 2022 / 09:04 AM EDT

Updated: Aug 26, 2022 / 04:11 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency moved Friday to designate two “forever chemicals” used in cookware, carpets and firefighting foams as hazardous substances, a step that would clear the way for quicker cleanup of the toxic compounds, which have been linked to cancer and other health problems.

Designation as a hazardous substance under the so-called Superfund law doesn’t ban the chemicals. But it requires that releases of PFOA and PFOS into soil or water be reported to federal, state or tribal officials if they meet or exceed certain levels. The EPA could then require cleanups to protect public health and recover cleanup costs.

PFOA and PFOS have been voluntarily phased out by U.S. manufacturers but are still in limited use and remain in the environment because they do not degrade over time. The compounds are part of a larger cluster of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS that have been used in consumer products and industry since the 1940s. The term is short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which have been used in nonstick frying pans, water-repellent sports gear, stain-resistant rugs, cosmetics and countless other consumer products.

The chemicals can accumulate and persist in the human body for long periods of time, and evidence from animal and human studies indicates that exposure to PFOA or PFOS may lead to cancer or other health problems.

The EPA’s action follows a recent report by the National Academies of Science that calls PFAS a serious public health threat in the U.S. and worldwide. It comes after an EPA announcement in June that PFOA and PFOS are more dangerous than previously thought and pose health risks even at levels so low they cannot currently be detected.

The EPA said it expects to propose national drinking water regulations for PFOA and PFOS later this year, with a final rule expected in 2023.

(The article continues at the link)

===============================================

https://undark.org/2022/08/16/...SkXbKgUaApZPEALw_wcB

In Georgia, the EPA Takes Action Against ‘Forever Chemicals’
Despite voluntarily phase outs by U.S. manufacturers, some PFAs persist in drinking water in the small town of Rome.
Top: As photographed from the Oostanaula Levee Trail, the Oostanaula and Etowah rivers meet to form the Coosa River in Rome, Georgia.

Pennsylvania just passed a law limiting the amount of these chemicals in drinking water.

The Feds should, but they cannot even elect a Speaker let alone pass serious legislation.

https://www.abc27.com/pennsylv...rinking-water-limit/

Read the above again...

The EPA’s action follows a recent report by the National Academies of Science that calls PFAS a serious public health threat in the U.S. and worldwide. It comes after an EPA announcement in June that PFOA and PFOS are more dangerous than previously thought and pose health risks even at levels so low they cannot currently be detected. The EPA said it expects to propose national drinking water regulations for PFOA and PFOS later this year, with a final rule expected in 2023.

That means they want to pass regulations that they can neither evaluate or measure.

This is why we have so much commentary about "unsafe" water/game/fish.

There will always be some level of any natural substance in the wild. Uranium, mercury, etc.

I get that these are manmade chemicals, and can be problems... but the issue is to decide if what we make with these is worth what is being deposited, and how much can we allow.

A statement that any amount is forbidden is the same thing as handing a merchant a blank check that you signed. You will always find some now- they are there. They do not degrade appreciably. Finding alternatives and regulating further placement is reasonable, but you also need to admit that it may be necessary to continue to use the substance and thus some level of placement may have to be tolerated.

Nonstick cookware can be treated quite differently than firefighting foams, as an example.

Note that the EPA designating something as a hazardous substance per the article really just creates additional paperwork demands, and doesn't necessarily do anything about it.

The militant environmentalist fringe feels zero tolerance is an acceptable policy... it isn't.

And all this time I thought this "hazardous substance" was a fact?

Hummm

I remember reading up on PFO's. At the time, the worst they came up with was.... Possible 4-6% increase in cancer if the lab animals were fed an extreme amount of PFO's.
That was some time ago, so I was hoping a doctor would chime in. I'm all for reducing harmful chems.
But, I also doubt jdollar will keel over from his fried suckers, unless new data shows otherwise.

It was dioxin in the 70's when Jimmy needed money.

It was gut the EPA and the clean water act in the Trump admin when Trump needed votes.

This was way before Trump.
There was no fore thought to what they did. The same as I mentioned above with cadmium and other toxins in the solar panels. We always try to catch up after the fact.

I know more about this than you ever could kabob.
Obo's plans put many farms under around me, all from overreach. That is straight from the NRSC.
The feds suck at nation wide mandates.

Is the expectation of clean water and environmental protection overreach?

https://www.nytimes.com/intera...-rollbacks-list.html

In all, a New York Times analysis, based on research from Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School and other sources, counts nearly 100 environmental rules officially reversed, revoked or otherwise rolled back under Mr. Trump. More than a dozen other potential rollbacks remained in progress by the end but were not finalized by the end of the administration’s term.

“This is a very aggressive attempt to rewrite our laws and reinterpret the meaning of environmental protections,” said Hana V. Vizcarra, a staff attorney at Harvard’s Environmental and Energy Law Program who has tracked the policy changes since 2018. “This administration is leaving a truly unprecedented legacy.”

Air pollution and emissions
Completed
1. Weakened Obama-era fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards for passenger cars and light trucks.
E.P.A. and Transportation Department | Read more »
2. Revoked California’s ability to set stricter tailpipe emissions standards than the federal government.
E.P.A. | Read more »
3. Withdrew the legal justification for an Obama-era rule that limited mercury emissions from coal power plants.
E.P.A. | Read more »
4. Formally withdrew the United States from the Paris climate agreement, an international plan to avert catastrophic climate change adopted by nearly 200 counties.
Executive Order | Read more »
5. Changed the way cost-benefit analyses are conducted under the Clean Air Act, potentially making it harder to issue new public health and climate protections.
E.P.A. | Read more »
6. Canceled a requirement for oil and gas companies to report methane emissions.
E.P.A. | Read more »
7. Revised and partially repealed an Obama-era rule limiting methane emissions on public lands, including intentional venting and flaring from drilling operations. A federal court struck down the revision in July 2020, calling the Trump administration’s reasoning “wholly inadequate” and mandating enforcement of the original rule. However, the Obama-era rule was later partially struck down in a separate court case, during which the Trump administration declined to defend it.
Interior Department | Read more »
8. Eliminated Obama-era methane emissions standards for oil and gas facilities and narrowed standards limiting the release of other polluting chemicals known as “volatile organic compounds” to only certain facilities.
E.P.A. | Read more »
9. Withdrew a Clinton-era rule designed to limit toxic emissions from major industrial polluters, and later proposed codifying the looser standards.
E.P.A. | Read more »
10. Revised a program designed to safeguard communities from increases in pollution from new power plants to make it easier for facilities to avoid emissions regulations.
E.P.A. | Read more »
11. Amended rules that govern how refineries monitor pollution in surrounding communities.
E.P.A. | Read more »
12. Overturned Obama-era guidance meant to reduce emissions during power plant start-ups, shutdowns and malfunctions. As part of the process, the E.P.A. also reversed a requirement that Texas follow emissions rules during certain malfunction events.
E.P.A. | Read more »
13. Weakened an Obama-era rule meant to reduce air pollution in national parks and wilderness areas.
E.P.A. | Read more »
14. Weakened oversight of some state plans for reducing air pollution in national parks.
E.P.A. | Read more »
15. Established a minimum pollution threshold at which the E.P.A. can regulate greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources: 3 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. (Power plants meet this threshold, but oil and gas production facilities fall just below it.)
E.P.A. | Read more »
16. Relaxed air pollution regulations for a handful of plants that burn waste coal for electricity.
E.P.A. | Read more »
17. Repealed rules meant to reduce leaking and venting of powerful greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons from large refrigeration and air conditioning systems.
E.P.A. | Read more »
18. Directed agencies to stop using an Obama-era calculation of the social cost of carbon, which rulemakers used to estimate the long-term economic benefits of reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Executive Order | Read more »
19. Released new guidance that allows upwind states to contribute more ozone pollution to downwind states than during the Obama-era. (The E.P.A. under Mr. Trump also rejected petitions from a handful of states over failure to address upwind states’ pollution.)
E.P.A. | Read more »
20. Withdrew guidance directing federal agencies to include greenhouse gas emissions in environmental reviews. But several district courts have ruled that emissions must be included in such reviews.
Executive Order; Council on Environmental Quality | Read more »
21. Revoked an Obama executive order that set a goal of cutting the federal government’s greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent over 10 years.
Executive Order | Read more »
22. Repealed a requirement that state and regional authorities track tailpipe emissions from vehicles on federal highways.
Transportation Department | Read more »
23. Lifted a summertime ban on the use of E15, a gasoline blend made of 15 percent ethanol. (Burning gasoline with a higher concentration of ethanol in hot conditions increases smog.)
E.P.A. | Read more »
24. Changed rules to allow states and the E.P.A. to take longer to develop and approve plans aimed at cutting methane emissions from existing landfills.
E.P.A. | Read more »
25. Withdrew a proposed rule aimed at reducing pollutants, including air pollution, at sewage treatment plants.
E.P.A. | Read more »
26. Threw out most of a proposed policy that would have tightened pollution standards for offshore oil and gas operations and required them to use improved pollution controls.
Interior | Read more »
27. Amended Obama-era emissions standards for clay ceramics manufacturers.
E.P.A. | Read more »
28. Relaxed some Obama-era requirements for companies to monitor and repair leaks at oil and gas facilities, including exempting certain low-production wells – a significant source of methane emissions – from the requirements altogether. (Other leak regulations were eliminated.)
E.P.A. | Read more »
In progress
29. Proposed revisions to standards for carbon dioxide emissions from new, modified and reconstructed coal power plants, eliminating Obama-era restrictions that, in effect, required them to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions.
E.P.A. | Read more »
30. Proposed a rule limiting the ability of individuals and communities to challenge E.P.A.-issued pollution permits before a panel of agency judges.
E.P.A. | Read more »
Drilling and extraction
Completed
31. Made significant cuts to the borders of two national monuments in Utah and recommended border and resource-management changes to several more.
Presidential Proclamation; Interior Department | Read more »
32. Lifted an Obama-era freeze on new coal leases on public lands. In April 2019, a judge ruled that the Interior Department could not begin selling new leases without completing an environmental review. In February 2020, the agency published an assessment that concluded restarting federal coal leasing would have little environmental impact.
Executive Order; Interior Department | Read more »
33. Finalized a plan to allow oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, a move that overturns six decades of protections for the largest remaining stretch of wilderness in the United States. The Trump administration held last-minute lease sales in December, but failed to attract major interest from fossil fuel companies.
Congress; Interior Department | Read more »
34. Opened more than 18 million acres of land for drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, a vast swath of public land on the Arctic Ocean. The Obama administration had designated about half of the reserve as a conservation area.
Interior Department | Read more »
35. Lifted a Clinton-era ban on logging and road construction in Tongass National Forest, Alaska, one of the largest intact temperate rain forests in the world. (The Clinton-era rule applied to much of the national forest system.)
Interior Department | Read more »
36. Approved construction of the Dakota Access pipeline, less than a mile from the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The Obama administration had halted the project, with the Army Corps of Engineers saying it would explore alternative routes. In 2020, a federal court reversed the Trump administration’s decision to allow the pipeline to run along its current path, but it was allowed to continue operating.
Executive Order; Army | Read more »
37. Rescinded water pollution regulations for fracking on federal and Indian lands.
Interior Department | Read more »
38. Withdrew a requirement that Gulf oil rig owners prove they can cover the costs of removing rigs once they stop producing.
Interior Department | Read more »
39. Moved the permitting process for certain projects that cross international borders, such as oil pipelines, to the office of the president from the State Department, exempting them from environmental review.
Executive Order | Read more »
40. Changed how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission considers the indirect effects of greenhouse gas emissions in environmental reviews of pipelines.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission | Read more »
41. Revoked an Obama-era executive order designed to preserve ocean, coastal and Great Lakes waters in favor of a policy focused on energy production and economic growth.
Executive Order | Read more »
42. Loosened offshore drilling safety regulations implemented by the Obama after following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, including reduced testing requirements for blowout prevention systems.
Interior Department | Read more »
In progress
43. Proposed opening most of America’s coastal waters to offshore oil and gas drilling, but delayed the plan after a federal judge in 2019 ruled that reversing a ban on drilling in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans was unlawful. Ahead of the 2020 election, Mr. Trump announced he would exempt from drilling coastal areas around Florida, a crucial battleground state, Georgia and South Carolina.
Interior Department | Read more »
44. Approved the Keystone XL pipeline rejected by President Barack Obama, but a federal judge blocked the project from going forward without an adequate environmental review process. The Supreme Court in July 2020 upheld that ruling, further delaying construction of the pipeline.
Executive Order; State Department | Read more »
45. Withdrew proposed restrictions on mining in Bristol Bay, Alaska, despite concerns over environmental impacts on salmon habitat, including a prominent fishery. In late 2020, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied a permit for one proposed project, known as the Pebble Mine, noting it would “result in significant degradation of the aquatic ecosystem.”
E.P.A.; Army | Read more »
46. Proposed easing safety regulations for exploratory offshore oil and gas drilling in the Arctic that were developed after a 2013 accident.
Executive Order; Interior Department | Read more »
47. Proposed weakening a rule that increased royalty payments for oil and gas leases on public lands, bringing them in line with market value. The Obama-era policy updated a 1980s rule that critics said allowed companies to underpay the federal government. An earlier attempt by the Trump administration to reverse the Obama rule was struck down in court, but a separate court ruling exempted the coal industry from the updated pricing policy.
Interior Department | Read more »
48. Proposed easing the approval process for oil and gas drilling in national forests by curbing the power of the Forest Service to review and approve leases, among other changes.
Agriculture Department; Interior Department | Read more »
49. Approved the use of seismic air guns for gas and oil exploration in the Atlantic Ocean. The Obama administration had denied permits for such surveys, which can kill marine life and disrupt fisheries. However, the Trump administration’s permits to allow seismic surveys expired following a protracted lawsuit, ending the possibility of seismic air gun surveys in the Atlantic in the near term. Companies would need to restart the months-long permitting process.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Read more »
Infrastructure and planning
Completed
50. Weakened the National Environmental Policy Act, one of the country’s most significant environmental laws, in order to expedite the approval of public infrastructure projects, such as roads, pipelines and telecommunications networks. The new rules shorten the time frame for completing environmental studies, limit the types of projects subject to review, and no longer require federal agencies to account for a project's cumulative effects on the environment, such as climate change.
Council on Environmental Quality | Read more »
51. Revoked Obama-era flood standards for federal infrastructure projects that required the government to account for sea level rise and other climate change effects.
Executive Order | Read more »
52. Relaxed the environmental review process for federal infrastructure projects.
Executive Order | Read more »
53. Overturned an Obama-era guidance that ended U.S. government financing for new coal plants overseas except in rare circumstances.
Executive Order; Treasury Department | Read more »
54. Revoked a directive for federal agencies to minimize impacts on water, wildlife, land and other natural resources when approving development projects.
Executive Order | Read more »
55. Revoked an Obama executive order promoting climate resilience in the northern Bering Sea region of Alaska, which withdrew local waters from oil and gas leasing and established a tribal advisory council to consult on local environmental issues.
Executive Order | Read more »
56. Reversed an update to the Bureau of Land Management’s public land-use planning process.
Congress | Read more »
57. Withdrew an Obama-era order to consider climate change in the management of natural resources in national parks.
National Park Service | Read more »
58. Restricted most Interior Department environmental studies to one year in length and a maximum of 150 pages, citing a need to reduce paperwork.
Interior Department | Read more »
59. Withdrew a number of Obama-era Interior Department climate change and conservation policies that the agency said could “burden the development or utilization of domestically produced energy resources.”
Interior Department | Read more »
60. Eliminated the use of an Obama-era planning system designed to minimize harm from oil and gas activity on sensitive landscapes, such as national parks.
Interior Department | Read more »
61. Withdrew Obama-era policies designed to maintain or, ideally, improve natural resources affected by federal projects.
Interior Department | Read more »
62. Revised the environmental review process for Forest Service projects to automatically exempt certain categories of projects, including those under 2,800 acres.
Agriculture Department | Read more »
63. Ended environmental impact reviews of natural gas export projects at the Department of Energy.
Department of Energy | Read more »
Animals
Completed
64. Rolled back a roughly 40-year-old interpretation of a policy aimed at protecting migratory birds. The rule imposed fines and other penalties on companies who accidentally kill birds through their actions, including oil spills and toxic pesticide applications. In August 2020, a federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s legal rationale for the regulation, reinstating the protection. But, in January, the administration moved forward with a final rule anyway.
Interior Department | Read more »
65. Cut critical habitat for the northern spotted owl by more than three million acres in Washington state, Oregon and Northern California, opening up the land to timber harvesting.
Interior Department | Read more »
66. Changed the way the Endangered Species Act is applied, making it more difficult to protect wildlife from long-term threats posed by climate change.
Interior Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Read more »
67. Weakened critical habitat protections under the Endangered Species Act by making it easier to exclude certain areas, including for public-works projects such as schools and hospitals, and for public lands leased to non-government businesses.
Interior Department | Read more »
68. Ended the automatic application of full protections for ‘threatened’ plants and animals, the classification one step below ‘endangered’ in the Endangered Species Act.
Interior Department | Read more »
69. Relaxed environmental protections for salmon and smelt in California’s Central Valley in order to free up water for farmers.
Executive Order; Interior Department | Read more »
70. Removed the gray wolf from the endangered species list.
Interior Department | Read more »
71. Overturned a ban on the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on federal lands.
Interior Department | Read more »
72. Overturned a ban on the hunting of predators in Alaskan wildlife refuges.
Congress | Read more »
73. Reversed an Obama-era rule that barred using bait, such as grease-soaked doughnuts, to lure and kill grizzly bears, among other sport hunting practices that many people consider extreme, on some public lands in Alaska.
National Park Service; Interior Department | Read more »
74. Amended fishing regulations to loosen restrictions on the harvest of a number of species.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Read more »
75. Removed restrictions on commercial fishing in a protected marine preserve southeast of Cape Cod that is home to rare corals and a number of endangered sea animals. The Trump administration suggested changing the management or size of two other marine protected areas in the Pacific Ocean.
Executive Order; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Read more »
76. Proposed revising limits on the number of endangered marine mammals and sea turtles that can be unintentionally killed or injured with sword-fishing nets on the West Coast. (The Obama-era rules were initially withdrawn by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but were later finalized following a court order. The agency said it planned to revise the limits.)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Read more »
77. Loosened fishing restrictions intended to reduce bycatch of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. Nonprofits have filed a lawsuit challenging the rollback.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Read more »
78. Overturned a ban on using parts of migratory birds in handicrafts made by Alaskan Natives.
Interior Department | Read more »
In progress
79. Opened nine million acres of Western land to oil and gas drilling by weakening habitat protections for the sage grouse, an imperiled bird. A federal judge in Idaho temporarily blocked the measure, arguing the Bureau of Land Management failed to carry out an adequate environmental review for the proposal. A Montana court nullified 440 oil and gas leases in greater sage-grouse habitat, but later put the ruling on hold pending appeal. In a push to finalize the rollback before Mr. Trump leaves office, the Bureau published revised environmental impact statements in late 2020 and requested that lease sales be upheld by the Montana court.
Interior Department | Read more »
Water pollution
Completed
80. Scaled back pollution protections for certain tributaries and wetlands that were regulated under the Clean Water Act by the Obama administration. (A federal judge in Colorado halted implementation of the rule within the state, but it is in effect elsewhere.)
E.P.A.; Army | Read more »
81. Revoked a rule that prevented coal companies from dumping mining debris into local streams.
Congress | Read more »
82. Weakened a rule that aimed to limit toxic discharge from power plants into public waterways.
E.P.A. | Read more »
83. Doubled the time allowed for utilities to remove lead pipes from water systems with high levels of lead.
E.P.A. | Read more »
84. Weakened a portion of the Clean Water Act to make it easier for federal agencies to issue permits for federal projects over state objections if the projects don’t meet local water quality standards, including for pipelines and other fossil fuel facilities.
Executive Order; E.P.A. | Read more »
85. Extended the lifespan of unlined holding ponds for coal ash waste from power plants, which can spill their contents because they lack a protective underlay.
E.P.A. | Read more »
86. Allowed certain unlined coal ash holding areas to continue operating, though they were previously deemed unsafe.
E.P.A. | Read more »
87. Withdrew a proposed rule requiring groundwater protections for certain uranium mines. Recently, the administration’s Nuclear Fuel Working Group proposed opening up 1,500 acres outside the Grand Canyon to nuclear production.
E.P.A. | Read more »
In progress
88. Proposed a regulation limiting the scope of an Obama-era rule under which companies had to prove that large deposits of recycled coal ash would not harm the environment.
E.P.A. | Read more »
Toxic substances and safety
Completed
89. Rejected a proposed ban on chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to developmental disabilities in children. In 2020, the E.P.A. also rejected its own earlier finding that the pesticide can cause serious health problems, though it later recommended some label changes and usage restrictions. (Several states have banned use of the pesticide and its main manufacturer said it would stop producing the product because of shrinking demand.)
E.P.A. | Read more »
90. Declined to require that certain industries — including electric power, petroleum, coal products manufacturing and chemical manufacturing — have enough funds to cover major spills and accidents. (The Obama administration was planning to develop such requirements.)
E.P.A. | Read more »
91. Declined to issue a proposed rule that required the hardrock mining industry to prove it could pay to clean up future pollution.
E.P.A. | Read more »
92. Narrowed the scope of a 2016 law mandating safety assessments for potentially toxic chemicals like dry-cleaning solvents. The updated rules allowed the E.P.A. to exclude some chemical uses and types of exposure in the review process. In November 2019, a court of appeals ruled the agency must widen its scope to consider full exposure risks, but watchdog groups say it did not do so in some assessments.
E.P.A. | Read more »
93. Reversed an Obama-era rule that required braking system upgrades for “high hazard” trains hauling flammable liquids like oil and ethanol.
Transportation Department | Read more »
94. Changed safety rules to allow for rail transport of highly flammable liquefied natural gas.
Transportation Department | Read more »
95. Rolled back most of the requirements of a 2017 rule aimed at improving safety at sites that use hazardous chemicals that was instituted after a chemical plant exploded in Texas.
E.P.A. | Read more »
96. Narrowed pesticide application buffer zones that are intended to protect farmworkers and bystanders from accidental exposure.
E.P.A. | Read more »
97. Removed copper filter cake, an electronics manufacturing byproduct comprised of heavy metals, from the “hazardous waste” list.
E.P.A. | Read more »
In progress
98. Announced a review of an Obama-era rule lowering coal dust limits in mines. The head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration said there were no immediate plans to change the dust limit but extended a public comment period until 2022.
Labor Department | Read more »
Other
Completed
99. Limited the scientific and medical research the E.P.A. can use to determine public health regulations, de-emphasizing studies that do not make their underlying data publicly available. (Scientists widely criticized the proposal, saying it would effectively block the agency from considering landmark research that relies on confidential health data.)
E.P.A. | Read more »
100. Limited funding of environmental and community development projects through corporate settlements of federal lawsuits.
Justice Department | Read more »
101. Repealed an Obama-era regulation that would have nearly doubled the number of light bulbs subject to energy-efficiency standards starting in January 2020. The Energy Department also blocked the next phase of efficiency standards for general-purpose bulbs already subject to regulation.
Energy Department | Read more »
102. Weakened dishwasher energy efficiency standards by exempting fast-cleaning machines from decades-old rules.
Energy Department | Read more »
103. Loosened water and efficiency standards for showerheads and washers and dryers.
Energy Department | Read more »
104. Changed the process for how the government sets energy efficiency standards for appliances and other equipment. The new rules set an “energy savings threshold” for regulations (which environmental groups say is too high) and allow industries to set their own test procedures.
Energy Department | Read more »
105. Withdrew proposed Obama-era efficiency standards for residential furnaces and commercial water heaters that were designed to reduce energy use.
Energy Department | Read more »
106. Made it easier for appliance manufacturers to get a temporary exemption from federal energy efficiency test procedure requirements.
Energy Department | Read more »
107. Finalized a rule that limits 401(k) retirement plans from investing in funds that focus on the environment. The Obama administration had issued guidance to encourage investing in environmentally- and socially-focused funds as long as they were competitive investments.
Labor Department | Read more »
108. Changed a 25-year-old policy to allow coastal replenishment projects to use sand from protected ecosystems.
Interior Department | Read more »
109. Stopped payments to the Green Climate Fund, a United Nations program to help poorer countries reduce carbon emissions.
Executive Order | Read more »
110. Reversed restrictions on the sale of plastic water bottles in national parks designed to cut down on litter, despite a Park Service report that the effort worked.
Interior Department | Read more »
In progress
111. Froze civil penalties for companies that violate fuel efficiency standards at $5.50 for every 10th of a mile per gallon over the standards. (They were slated to increase to $14 for every 10th of a mile per gallon in model year 2019.) A federal court reinstated the higher penalty, but the Trump administration continued to delay its implementation.
Transportation Department | Read more »
112. Initially withdrew, and then delayed, a proposed rule that would inform car owners about fuel-efficient replacement tires.
Transportation Department | Read more »

Some rules were rolled back, then reinstated
These rules were initially reversed by the Trump administration but were later reinstated, often following lawsuits and other challenges.

1. Repealed the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, which would have set strict limits on carbon emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants, and replaced it with a new version that would let states set their own rules. In the final days of Mr. Trump’s term, a federal appeals court struck down the repeal and replacement plan, arguing that the agency “fundamentally” misinterpreted its own legal obligations to regulate emissions under the Clean Air Act. The court directed the E.P.A. to start over with a new approach.
Executive Order; E.P.A. | Read more
2. Delayed issuing rules that regulate greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft, which would have echoed standards adopted by the international airline industry four years ago. The delay was challenged by environmental groups, and the rule — which critics say is far too weak today — was put forward in December 2020.
E.P.A. | Read more
3. Stopped enforcing a 2015 rule that prohibited the use of hydrofluorocarbons, powerful greenhouse gases, in air-conditioners and refrigerators. A court later partially restored the prohibition and Congress agreed to phase down production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons in a 2020 year-end budget bill.
E.P.A. | Read more
4. Ended an Occupational Safety and Health Administration program to reduce risks of workers developing the lung disease silicosis by making it easier to conduct proactive workplace inspections. The administration delayed issuing a revised program for two and a half years, until February 2020.
Labor Department | Read more
5. Sought to repeal emissions standards for “glider” trucks — vehicles retrofitted with older, often dirtier engines — but reversed course after Andrew Wheeler took over from Scott Pruitt as head of the E.P.A.
E.P.A. | Read more
6. Delayed a compliance deadline for new national ozone pollution standards by one year, but later reversed course.
E.P.A. | Read more
7. Delayed implementation of a rule regulating the certification and training of pesticide applicators, but a judge ruled that the E.P.A. had done so illegally and declared the rule still in effect.
E.P.A. | Read more
8. Initially delayed publishing efficiency standards for household appliances, but later published them after multiple states and environmental groups sued.
Energy Department | Read more
9. Removed the Yellowstone grizzly bear from the Endangered Species List, but the protections were later reinstated by a federal judge. (The Trump administration appealed the ruling in May 2019.)
Interior Department | Read more
10. Reissued a rule limiting the discharge of mercury by dental offices into municipal sewers after a lawsuit by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an advocacy group.
E.P.A. | Read more
11. Delayed federal building efficiency standards until Sept. 30, 2017, at which time the rules went into effect.
Energy Department | Read more
12. Ordered a review of water efficiency standards in bathroom fixtures, including toilets. E.P.A. determined existing standards were sufficient.
E.P.A. | Read more
Note: This list does not include new rules proposed by the Trump administration that do not roll back previous policies, nor does it include court actions that have affected environmental policies independent of executive or legislative action.

Sources: Harvard Law School’s Environmental Regulation Rollback Tracker; Columbia Law School’s Climate Deregulation Tracker; Brookings Institution; Federal Register; Environmental Protection Agency; Interior Department; U.S. Chamber of Commerce; White House.

Oh, good Lord. Life’s too short to read all that crap….

I agree. I didn't read it all myself.

Since the B40 knows so much, I just posted a partial list of the stuff he knows.

But the magnitude of it is there, and a lot more about the set-back and damage during Trump's term.

If he gets elected again, the magnitude will be exponentiated.

This is just a small part of the republican agenda and blessing.

You certainly didnt read or understand it all Kabob.
Lets take the one where Obo stoped gov money from being used to build foreign coal plants.
Under Obo, those plants were still being built, but with ZERO oversight from the US gov.
You can be one dense, stupid shit at times.
I have even given you the phone number in the past to call the NRSC themselves so they could tell you how the policies on water, created issues, not helped, in my state. Your reply, " I dont know what to ask,I wont call, my questions may make me look stupid"

Also note that these reviews were from law schools, not from scientific journals. Did the proposals actually harm the environment?

Given that wetlands are a "filter" for biologic waste, is coliform bacteria in a watershed pollution, or the system functioning?

In rural MN the state passed a bunch of rather egregious changes to setback rules to reduce bacteria in the watershed...

because the feds were monitoring the Mississippi for total bacteria load... and they "needed" the bacteria we were allowed to dump in the river to be allocated to the metro Twin Cities because sewage plants to control this there was too expensive for the richest part of the state (read we need the money for other projects instead of clean water...)

Sorry, but a metro water plant is less expensive than a sewage system for cattle, and then a bunch of wells because you can't let the cattle go to the stream or pond to drink, 'cause they poop in it...

And I certainly don't spend a lot of time reading up on all environmental rules, but what I have read indicates similar types of behavior is common.

There is nothing sacred or great about the environmental rules as written. The principle is important, but changing or getting rid of any given one and replacing it with better certainly is reasonable.

I have worked with environmental agencies, every year for much of my adult life. As opposed to our cut and paste expert....
Most of the state legislature is pretty good. Not always of course, but far ahead of Fed mandates trying to cover universal issues.
I would guess 1/3 of the fed mandates are good, 1/3 neutral, and 1/3 are pure idiotic. When you ask the civil engineers, what the hell such and such project amounts to? They wont look at you, go he, he, um, well, we just have to do it, we know it's a waste.

I'm glad I'm not in the environmental protection business. Too many keyboard experts, too few scientists.

And Doc, they weren't reviews of the impact, as far as I know, they were lists and explanations of the changes. So what if they were a law org?

If that’s the case, then why the assumption that these changes were bad?

quote:

Originally posted by Magine Enigam:
I'm glad I'm not in the environmental protection business. Too many keyboard experts, too few scientists.

And Doc, they weren't reviews of the impact, as far as I know, they were lists and explanations of the changes. So what if they were a law org?

Orange man bad?

Why do you assume they might be good?

We can look at the collateral evidence, such as who he appointed to head the admins to ramrod these changes. We know who they are and what they stood for.

I could do lots more research, and find more, but it would make no difference to you.

I'm tired of wasting my time.

Keep those blinders on, little lemming. Never ask questions to the people at the top, that way you can continue on blindly.
At one point I called the head of the army corps. of engineers. I gave him the map number to pull up, and asked questions of why?
His reply. The maps are drawn of watersheds and geological maps by someone who has never been to the areas. They are sent to the appropriate office. The person in charge of that office might have a phd in chicken plucking ( that made me chuckle) but he was owed a favor and got the job. His dept then makes a general call for the entire country, to be put in place, that makes them look like they are doing something.
This goes on whether it's a D or R in charge.
Is there science involved when Obo's admin. Released the windfarms from having to report dead eagles? How about transporting solar panels, that by existing EPA regs have to be trucked in hazmat approved trucks. They made solar panels exempt, not enough trucks. Or Solindra, when they went belly up, they all of a sudden got the OK to bury the broken and unsellable panels in the desert, instead of being properly disposed of.
You dont know the difference between science and politics, or science and reporting, and will never call the people who do know. They work for us, if I have questions,I'm going to call.