ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY PROJECT

Drilling for oil and gas has boomed in recent years because of hydraulic fracturing. EIP is keeping a close eye on the industry, including refineries and chemical plants that are expanding, because air and water pollution from these facilities poses a risk to families who live nearby. EIP investigates and sometimes sues drilling companies and refineries that do not follow environmental laws, and it pushes federal and state agencies to strengthen rules to protect public health. The organization also releases investigative reports that raise public awareness of failures in enforcement and loopholes in the law.

Over the last half century, raising livestock has become increasingly industrialized. Sometimes hundreds of thousands of chickens, hogs, and cows are packed into metal buildings that produce as much waste as cities of humans, but without adequate pollution controls. The result is vast quantities of manure that spill into waterways, as well as emissions of ammonia and other pollutants that worsen air quality and threaten public health. EIP advocates for stronger public policies to address the growing problem, and it takes legal actions to force government agencies to issue regulations. The organization also investigates factory farms that violate the law.

The Chesapeake Bay is the nation's largest estuary and a key to the region's identity and economy. But water pollution has severely damaged the Chesapeake’s iconic blue crab and oysters, and threatens the ability of people to make a living on the bay and enjoy a national treasure. EIP writes reports that educate the press, public, and policy makers about major sources of water pollution. The organization testifies before legislative committees to convince lawmakers to approve bills and regulations to better protect the bay. And EIP sues utilizes and industries that violate the federal Clean Water Act.

Low-income neighborhoods and communities of color often bear a disproportionate health burden from pollution – including from chemical plants and oil refineries, landfills, incinerators, and highways. EIP fights for environmental justice by engaging directly with local residents and helping communities with their legal needs. The organization reviews the permits of proposed and expanding industrial plants to make sure they meet the requirements of environmental laws. EIP conducts air quality monitoring to determine if families are being exposed to toxic air pollution, and it makes data accessible to local residents.

Over the last decade, a rapidly expanding but destructive industry has grown in the U.S. based on cutting down forests to convert the wood into pellets for burning in power plants, mostly in Europe. The industry promotes itself as a “climate friendly” alternative to burning coal. But in reality, the manufacture and burning of wood pellets creates large amounts of air pollution—frequently illegally—and destroys woodlands needed for wildlife habitat, water filtration, the production of oxygen, and the sequestration of carbon dioxide. EIP’s work has revealed that more than half of the U.S. wood pellet plants built to feed foreign demand for biomass are emitting illegal air pollution or have failed to install legally-required pollution controls.

As it has with past Administrations stretching back almost two decades, the Environmental Integrity Project will keep a close eye on the Biden EPA’s actions to make sure the nation’s environmental laws are being strongly enforced. We will serve as a watchdog to make sure that the Biden Administration fulfills its commitments to not only reverse the harmful actions of the Trump Administration, but also make meaningful progress on key issues, especially on environmental justice and climate change. While President Biden enters office with a laudable environmental agenda, his Administration will also be subjected to the political pressures of special interests, such as the farm lobby and the oil and gas industry. We plan to offer constructive policy suggestions, and also continue to take legal actions against EPA, when necessary, to ensure that the agency follows the law, achieves meaningful reductions in pollution, and protects vulnerable communities.

EIP’s Center for Environmental Investigations researches and writes ground-breaking, in-depth reports based on public records and data for distribution to the media and public. The Environmental Integrity Project’s unique blend of skill sets — including from our analysts, environmental law experts and journalists — allows us to produce insightful and newsworthy reports on a variety of environmental topics, from industrial pollution to environmental enforcement.