Tag: climate-change

The CSB was authorized by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and became operational in January 1998. According to the Senate legislative history, the board’s main role is to investigate chemical accidents, determine their causes, and help prevent similar incidents. Congress gave the CSB an independent mandate, specifying that no other agency or executive branch official may direct its activities.

(From Truthout) However, the Trump administration has asked Congress to eliminate it – the only independent federal agency that investigates major chemical accidents – while systemically rolling back environmental regulations, including rules designed to protect communities from toxic spills.

But new polling suggests a bipartisan majority of voters are increasingly worried about toxic chemicals and want stronger federal protection from air and water pollution, which can increase health care costs.

A nationwide poll of 2,025 registered voters released on June 3 suggests Trump’s deregulatory agenda is not meeting the expectations of voters after the president promised to deliver the “cleanest air and water on Earth” during his 2024 campaign.

By an 8 to 1 margin, voters across the political spectrum said the EPA should prioritize protecting public health from toxic pollution over reducing regulations — even if it means higher costs. The cost of health care remains a top concern, and 81 percent said the rollback of EPA regulations is shifting the burden of pollution “onto families through medical bills and long-term health consequences.”

“They aren’t buying the idea that rolling back protections makes life more affordable … pollution prevention is part of protecting families from costs they cannot afford,” said John Ray, senior director at YouGov, which conducted the poll, in a call with reporters on June 3.