Articles by Ruth Liao and Ari Natter

Biden Administration Reevaluates Climate Criteria for LNG Export Facilities, Potentially Stalling Pending Projects

The Biden administration is reevaluating the climate criteria it uses when approving new liquefied natural gas export facilities in a move that has the potential to stall pending projects as the 2024 election nears. A panel of government officials convened …

China Poses ‘Alarming’ Threat to US Power Grid, Lawmakers Told

China represents an increasing threat to the US power grid, lawmakers were told Tuesday during a hearing in which they were warned a cyberattack from the nation could plunge military and other sensitive sites into darkness. “The Chinese activities are …

Gas Stoves Are Back Under Scrutiny With New Limits Proposed

Gas stoves are coming under fresh scrutiny as a second federal agency has now stepped into the political firestorm with a proposal for new regulations for the appliances. The Energy Department proposal, published Wednesday, sets first-of-their-kind limits on energy consumption …

Safety Agency to Consider Ban on Gas Stoves Amid Health Fears

A federal agency says a ban on gas stoves is on the table amid rising concern about harmful indoor air pollutants emitted by the appliances. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission plans to take action to address the pollution, which …

Trump Regulatory Rollback Targets Safety Rules Prompted by Industrial Disasters

The Trump administration’s move to relax an Obama-era chemical safety regulation put in place after an explosion at a fertilizer plant is the latest example of the White House easing rules established in the wake of disasters. Trump’s professed goal …

Hog Waste Fears Raised Again as Dorian Hits North Carolina

Environmental groups are watching dozens of lagoons of swine waste stored directly in Hurricane Dorian’s path in North Carolina with growing trepidation, fearful that a breach will release millions of gallons of manure. North Carolina is the nation’s second-largest pork-producing …

Chemical Safety Board Again Targeted in Trump’s Proposed Budget

The Trump administration’s budget proposal will again call for eliminating the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, an independent federal agency that investigates major industrial accidents, according to a person familiar with the plan. The board, with an annual …

How 4,000 Federal Workers Are Being Deployed for Hurricane Florence

As Hurricane Florence churns toward the Carolinas, bearing a potentially lethal ocean surge and winds and torrential rains, the federal government is marshaling its forces to help communities prepare and recover. President Donald Trump said Thursday afternoon that he was …

North Carolina Weakened Its Building Codes in 2013

Five years ago, encouraged by home builders and an anti-regulatory zeal, lawmakers in North Carolina joined other states in weakening building code requirements. It’s a decision they may regret as Hurricane Florence takes aim at the Carolinas. The Legislature in …

Hurricane Florence a Reminder of Flood Insurance Reforms Stalled in Congress

U.S. taxpayers who spent billions of dollars after a trifecta of hurricanes last year are poised to do so again after a fix to the nation’s troubled flood insurance program remains stalled in Congress — and as a dangerous new …