News from around the nation.

EPA head says he'll roll back dozens of environmental regulations, including rules on climate change; Environmental groups sue over permit for West Virginia valley fills; Doubling down on care: Ohio's push for caregiver tax relief; Uncertain future of Y-12 complex under Trump administration threatens jobs, economy.

Transcript

The Public News Service Thursday afternoon update.

I'm Mike Clifford.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that it will begin the process of dismantling dozens of Biden-era rules, touching issues as varied as electric vehicles, coal plants and clean water.

That from the Washington Post.

They report, "In a flurry of news releases, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency will roll back some of Biden's most consequential climate and environmental regulations.

He specifically cited rules aimed at speeding the nation's shift to electric vehicles, slashing planet-warming emissions from power plants and safeguarding waterways from harmful pollution."

Next, a Knoxville environmental group is raising concerns over federal budget cuts and their impact on jobs at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

Our Kathleen Shannon reports.

The Trump administration briefly laid off workers at the complex but called them back the next day.

Kambe Cartelay of the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance warns the cuts, including layoffs at the Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration, are troubling.

She advocates shifting jobs from weapons production to environmental cleanup, citing ongoing efforts to address groundwater contamination, though she says cost overruns and major concerns remain unaddressed.

"One of these cuts, we feel, should be the uranium processing facility being constructed to replace all these old, deteriorating buildings at Y-12.

The budget for that keeps skyrocketing.

And this is one of the largest construction projects in Tennessee history."

Initially, the project was expected to cost $6.5 billion and be finished by this year.

And in a significant development for family caregivers across the USA, AARP is spearheading initiatives at both federal and state levels to provide tax relief for those caring for loved ones.

The organization is championing the Credit for Caring Act, which proposes a $5,000 federal tax credit, while also pursuing similar legislation at the state level in Ohio.

AARP Ohio State Director Jenny Carlson says it's a comprehensive approach to supporting the 48 million Americans who serve as family caregivers.

"We're doubling down on this initiative.

We feel strongly that it's going to work on the national level.

We are turning our attention to state law, working towards swift package so that family caregivers can take advantage of it for their 2026 returns."

Farrah Siddiqui reporting.

And next to West Virginia, where environmental groups are suing the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers, arguing the agency failed to consider residents' health when it gave the stamp of approval for the creation of four valley fills on a 1,000-acre surface mine in Raleigh County.

Vernon Halton with the nonprofit Coal River Mountain Watch says the region experienced severe flooding in the '90s and early 2000s and says more valley fills will involve dumping rocks, minerals and waste into nearby waterways, putting their lives at risk.

"It's going to permanently endanger the people whose homes are in the valleys below."

More than 2,000 miles of headwater streams have been buried due to mountaintop removal.

This is public news service.

Missoula and its 75,000 residents have seen a rapid change in industry in recent years, and groups in the community are finding creative ways to adapt.

After the 2008 recession disrupted the area's timber-focused manufacturing economy, groups launched the Missoula Economic Partnership, or MEP, to focus on new sectors.

Construction was added to the list after the pandemic caused a statewide housing shortage.

MEP is currently supporting a pilot program from GRIT, or Girls Represented in Trades, called Women's Workforce Montana.

Nollie Anderson-Hendron is GRIT's program specialist.

"We're really marketing that program towards young women who are just coming into the workforce, single mothers who might be looking for a career change, or any woman who is just looking for a way into construction.

It's a very well-paying field."

According to Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis, Montana has seen a 10 percent population growth, but only a 7 percent growth in housing.

I'm Kathleen Shannon.

And as federal funding for climate initiatives face deep cuts, nonprofits and philanthropic organizations are stepping into the breach, calling out the urgent need for private support to address what they see as an existential crisis.

The issue took center stage Wednesday in Orlando at the Climate Correction Conference.

With federal grants paused or canceled due to recent executive orders and legal challenges, nonprofits grapple with uncertainty, making private philanthropy more critical than ever.

Dawn Sheriffs is with the Environmental Defense Fund.

We don't have time.

In fact, one of the things that Environmental Defense Fund is sort of known for is that we don't have an endowment because we don't feel we have the time to wait in the battle on climate change to have money sitting in a bank.

We need to get our greenhouse gas emissions down now so that we have a planet to fight for.

Sheriffs says it's time to rethink philanthropic giving.

She says there's a critical need for strategic multi-year funding rather than one-time donations to sustain climate efforts.

I'm Tramell Gomes.

And finally, Republicans in D.C. remain focused on greatly reducing federal spending.

But a backlash is mounting in congressional districts, including Minnesota, and some constituents feel ignored.

The dramatic downsizing of federal agencies, programs, and services has led to heightened concern about the impact on a host of populations.

Grand Rapids resident Brian Roman says he's worried about the possibility of steep Medicaid cuts.

He says even if it's uncomfortable for House Republicans, they still should have face-to-face conversations.

There's a lot of pent-up anger and frustration and I think that the only way to alleviate that is to start having honest dialogue.

Roman's congressman, 8th District Republican Pete Stalber, cannot be reached for comment.

Protesters have gathered outside his office to demand a town hall.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service.

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