<p><strong>WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY:</strong> Environment America has publicly opposed the bipartisan Senate permitting reform package, known as the BAAJA, which was unveiled last month. The organization argues that the legislation should be scrapped entirely.</p>
<p>In an interview, executive director <strong>Lisa Frank</strong> stated, "We are opposing the bill, and our view is that this bill posits that we have to destroy nature in order to save the planet, and that’s wrong-headed. We should not need to drive animals to extinction, remove states’ rights to challenge projects that could pollute their water in order to gain some environmental benefit from more clean energy. So in our view, it’s a bad bargain."</p>
<p>Environment America had not publicly commented on the Senate deal prior to this announcement and did not sign an Oct. 5 letter sent to Democratic leadership urging the caucus to prevent the bill from advancing, which was signed by over 200 environmental and climate groups.</p>
<p>The organization is particularly concerned about provisions that would reform the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. The bill would limit timelines for legal challenges to environmental reviews, restrict states' abilities to block federally permitted projects, and grant states more authority in making endangered species determinations.</p>
<p>Frank emphasized that the changes proposed in the legislation outweigh any benefits related to increased construction and buildout of clean energy projects. She stated, "I think the basic premise that we need to rework and weaken our core environmental protections in order to achieve climate goals is wrong."</p>
<p>Additionally, Environment America opposes the permit certainty provision, which would prevent federal agencies from revoking approvals for projects with permits in effect on or after Sept. 16 of this year. Frank noted that this could increase the risk of extinction for some species if agencies cannot retract permits for projects causing unforeseen harm.</p>
<p>Environment America was not involved in discussions regarding the bill text released last month. Frank confirmed that the group has begun talks with some members of Congress about the legislation but did not specify who. The organization advocates for scrapping the entire package, suggesting it would be better to start fresh.</p>
<p>Environment America’s stance aligns with other organizations such as the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth US, who also oppose the legislation. Meanwhile, groups like the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions have expressed support for the bill.</p>
<p>In other news, President <strong>Donald Trump</strong> accused the Houthis of intentionally raising global oil prices through recent attacks on Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure. He suggested that these actions were timed to influence global markets ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.</p>
<p>Trump stated, "The Houthis are behaving very badly... They’ve been silent for a long time, but now they’ve emerged again, probably at the behest of Iran." The attacks resulted in a 2% increase in international oil prices.</p>
<p>Vice President <strong>JD Vance</strong> announced the invocation of the Defense Production Act to expand the Delek oil refinery in Tyler, Texas, aiming to increase fuel production. He stated that this expansion would lead to lower costs for consumers and create new jobs.</p>
<p>The Trump administration is attempting to halt the Revolution Wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island, which has been generating electricity since earlier this year. A court filing revealed that the Department of Justice is seeking to review the Department of the Interior’s approval of the project.</p>
<p>Republican senators have urged Trump to cancel a deal with Russia regarding diesel supply, arguing it would support Russia's military efforts in Ukraine. The senators were joined by several Democratic colleagues in their request.</p>
<p>The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard after granting more exemptions to small refineries than expected. The agency plans to reallocate the waived obligations to future years.</p>
<p>In business news, TotalEnergies announced a joint venture to add 700 megawatts of solar capacity to its portfolio, which is expected to reach commercial operation in 2027.</p>