Parts Per Billion

Latest Episodes:

Sink Local Money Into Drinking Water Systems: GOP Lawmaker May 19, 2017

Show notes

Infrastructure is one of those things that people like to say shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but maybe the secret of it is that it actually is: Democrats and Republicans have very different ideas about how to pay for it. That’s the highlight of our conversation with Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), chairman of a key environmental subcommittee in the House.

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No Tears from Environmentalists if NAFTA Is Done May 03, 2017

Show notes

It looks like NAFTA might be going away, or at the very least getting significantly altered. Are environmentalists worried that the controversial deal's environmental provisions will vanish along with it? Actually no. This week, we hear from Bloomberg BNA international reporter Dean Scott on why the green movement never really liked NAFTA and why it wouldn't be that upset if the Trump administration defenestrated the trade deal.

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Why Is Water So Cheap? (Hint: It’s Not) Apr 04, 2017

Show notes

This week on our environmental policy podcast Parts Per Billion we begin the first in a series on drinking water—specifically, how do we pay for the drinking water infrastructure upgrades the country badly needs? We pose that question to Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on a key environmental subcommittee in the House. He says without a big infusion of federal cash, incidents like the ongoing contamination crisis in Flint, Mich., could become commonplace.

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The Looming Trade War Trump May... Prevent? Mar 21, 2017

Show notes

The EPA is in a tough place; it's got a deadline coming up in a few days to decide whether it should ban an insecticide used by farmers around the globe. If it does ban the bug killer, that would harm farmers in other countries that want to import their fruits and veggies to the U.S., and it may prompt those other countries to retaliate in ways that harm U.S. farmers. But, if the Trump administration decides not to ban chlorpyrifos, it will be going against mounting scientific evidence—much of it compiled by Trump’s predecessor—indicating that chlorpyrifos isn't safe.

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Who Is Neil Gorsuch? Mar 07, 2017

Show notes

This week on Parts Per Billion, we’re going to be asking the question that everyone on Capitol Hill is going to be asking in a few days: Who is Neil Gorsuch? If he’s confirmed and takes Antonin Scalia’s long-empty seat, how will that change the way the court rules on environmental issues?

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Will Border Wall Harm Environment? Does That Matter? Feb 21, 2017

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Will Donald Trump's wall along the U.S.-Mexico border harm the environment? (Maybe) Will the Trump administration be able to bring its wall into compliance with environmental laws? (Probably not) Will that prevent it from actually building the wall? (Nope)

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Air Pollution's Not Just for Cities Anymore Feb 07, 2017

Show notes

Think air pollution only happens in big cities on hot summer days? Think again. This week on Parts Per Billion, we speak with Bloomberg BNA's Patrick Ambrosio about the surprising winter air problems some rural areas are facing and how these problems are scrambling environmental politics.

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Confirming All of the Presidents Men Jan 24, 2017

Show notes

Confirmation season is in full swing at the U.S. Senate, and that's where we are this week. We head to the marble halls of the Greatest Deliberative Body in the World to speak with Bloomberg BNA's Brian Dabbs. He tells us whether lawmakers will confirm Donald Trump's nominees to lead the EPA, Department of Energy and other agencies, and about what the Democrats' chances are in blocking them. (Hint: not good)

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Coming to You From the Newsroom, It's 2017 Jan 10, 2017

Show notes

To give you a sense of what will be coming down the pike in 2017, this week’s episode ventures out of typical our recording studio and directly into the Bloomberg BNA newsroom. There, we talk with the reporters who live and breathe their environmental policy beats and let them set the stage for a year that will see a new president and a new Congress come into office.

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Celebrating the Holidays with Chemicals Dec 27, 2016

Show notes

This week, we're taking a holiday look back at one of our favorite episodes from earlier this year on the implications of the new chemicals law. What will the law mean for big companies, small companies and for you and me?

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