American politician and EPA administrator
Pollution from the Tijuana River is flowing into U.S. waters, contaminating Southern California beaches, with millions of gallons of sewage-tainted water daily. U.S. and Mexican officials have signed agreements to accelerate cleanup, while concerns extend to Gibraltar’s lack of wastewater treatment.
The Trump administration is moving to roll back 2024 and 2029-era coal wastewater limits and renew emergency orders keeping aging coal plants running to meet rising electricity demand driven by AI data centers. Michigan’s Campbell plant is at the center of a legal challenge as federal orders to keep plants open face scrutiny for signaling an energy emergency.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has moved to rescind the climate‑related disclosure rule, which had been paused amid litigation. The agency says the rule exceeds its statutory authority and imposes costs not justified by benefits, as environmental groups warn that investors will lose critical climate risk information.
The federal government has reached a settlement with Chemours over PFAS discharges, requiring a $22.5 million civil penalty and about $450 million in cleanup and compliance measures across West Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey. The agreement allows continued PFAS production for commercial and military use while installing pollution controls and providing drinking-water protections.
Governor Kathy Hochul has signed an executive order imposing a one-year statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centres that use 50 megawatts or more, directing regulators to complete an environmental impact review and consider rules to make developers pay for power, contribute to grid upgrades and lose tax breaks. The move has drawn praise from community and environmental groups and rebuke from industry and national conservatives.
The White House has expanded a nonbinding Ratepayer Protection Pledge to include nearly 200 additional utilities, governors and data‑center developers, and President Trump has urged local leaders to welcome data centers as economic opportunities. Critics say the pledge lacks enforcement and will not prevent rising electricity bills as AI-related power demand grows.