June 23, 2018

Deepwater Horizon led to new protections for US waters. Trump just repealed them.

Trump’s executive order voids an Obama policy that aimed to prevent oil spills.

The Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig exploded on April 20, 2010, killing 11 workers. Gas erupted into a massive fireball, and then the rig gushed 4.9 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. It soon became the largest and most expensive marine oil spill in history, with an estimated $17.2 billion in damages to properties, fisheries, and tourism across the Gulf Coast.

Vox: Trump voids Obama oil spill policy

June 7, 2018

Donald Trump called asbestos poisoning a mob-led conspiracy, now his EPA won’t evaluate asbestos already in homes.

The Environmental Protection Agency will not consider the health risks and impacts of asbestos already in the environment when evaluating the dangers associated with the chemical compound, Scott Pruitt, the agency's head, quietly announced last week. That means asbestos used in tiles, piping and adhesives throughout homes and businesses in the United States will remain largely unchecked and unaccounted for. Nearly 15,000 Americans die each year from asbestos-related diseases, but President Donald Trump has called the substance "100 percent safe, once applied."

Donald Trump directs EPA to curb asbestos inspections