Federal Independent Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal independent agencies
Featured Stories
IDB Supports Ecuador to Improve Electricity Supply
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Supports Ecuador to Improve Electricity Supply
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Board of Executive Directors has approved a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) of $1 billion aimed at improving electricity supply in Ecuador.
Within this new credit line, the Board also approved an initial individual operation for $270 million, along with a $30 million loan from the Clean Technology Fund. This financing seeks to support improvements in the reliability and capacity
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Supports Ecuador to Improve Electricity Supply
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Board of Executive Directors has approved a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) of $1 billion aimed at improving electricity supply in Ecuador.
Within this new credit line, the Board also approved an initial individual operation for $270 million, along with a $30 million loan from the Clean Technology Fund. This financing seeks to support improvements in the reliability and capacityof Ecuador's electricity transmission system.
The program backed by the new CCLIP will contribute, among other benefits, to reducing 1.3 million tons of CO2 emissions by displacing fossil fuels traditionally used to maintain electricity service quality. It will also enable more than 5,600 new households in the Ecuadorian Amazon region to connect to the grid by 2031.
The program will fund the modernization and digitalization of control centers and connection points for strategic power generation plants, increase transmission system capacity to interconnect new generation -- especially renewable -- and upgrade more than 700 km of transmission lines with advanced conductors.
Additionally, in the electricity distribution sector, substations will be reinforced, control centers modernized to better integrate distributed generation (such as in San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands), and projects financed to extend the grid and improve access in rural and underserved areas of the Ecuadorian Amazon.
This program is part of Amazonia Forever, an IDB Group initiative for sustainable development in the region, which aims to work together on forest and climate conservation and improve people's quality of life by offering economic alternatives.
The first operation for $270 million has a repayment term of 22.5 years, an 8-year grace period, an interest rate based on SOFR, and a local counterpart of $78.3 million.
The $30 million loan from the Clean Technology Fund has a repayment term of 20 years, an 8-year grace period, and an annual interest rate of 1.19%.
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website: www.iadb.org/en.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-supports-ecuador-improve-electricity-supply
IDB Approves Second Operation to Finance Metro of Bogota
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Approves Second Operation to Finance Metro of Bogota
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Board of Executive Directors has approved a second individual operation for $530 million under a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) aimed at supporting the development and implementation of the First Line of the Metro of Bogota (PLMB) in Colombia.
The program will benefit the 2.9 million inhabitants within the PLMB's area of influence, 96% of whom belong to low- and middle-income
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Approves Second Operation to Finance Metro of Bogota
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Board of Executive Directors has approved a second individual operation for $530 million under a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) aimed at supporting the development and implementation of the First Line of the Metro of Bogota (PLMB) in Colombia.
The program will benefit the 2.9 million inhabitants within the PLMB's area of influence, 96% of whom belong to low- and middle-incomehouseholds. Thanks to this initiative, residents in Bogota's southwestern corridor will improve their access to employment, health, and education opportunities located in the city's center and north, while also helping reduce environmental pollution.
Over the past 15 years, Bogota's administrations have prioritized the development of metro lines integrated with the public transportation system, considering them a structural axis of urban mobility.
The new operation for $530 million includes a 23-year amortization period, a 5.5-year grace period, and an interest rate based on SOFR.
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website: www.iadb.org/en.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-approves-second-operation-finance-metro-bogota
Office of Advocacy: It's Time to Release Massachusetts Fishermen From Red Tape
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy issued the following news release:
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It's Time to Release Massachusetts Fishermen from Red Tape
Faced with burdensome red tape brought on by bad trade deals, foreign-owned wind farms, and unfair cost-sharing programs, the American fishing industry finds itself struggling to put food on the table for fishermen and for Americans across the country.
In October, Chief Counsel for Advocacy Casey B. Mulligan had the opportunity to visit with independent fishermen from New Bedford and Gloucester, Massachusetts. He raised
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy issued the following news release:
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It's Time to Release Massachusetts Fishermen from Red Tape
Faced with burdensome red tape brought on by bad trade deals, foreign-owned wind farms, and unfair cost-sharing programs, the American fishing industry finds itself struggling to put food on the table for fishermen and for Americans across the country.
In October, Chief Counsel for Advocacy Casey B. Mulligan had the opportunity to visit with independent fishermen from New Bedford and Gloucester, Massachusetts. He raisedtheir concerns with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is a part of the executive branch that has especially burdened the fishing industry with unnecessary restrictions and excessive compliance costs.
Chief Counsel Mulligan also testified before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship last week to highlight needed reforms. Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts, ranking member on the committee, was unable to attend. Chief Counsel Mulligan regrets the missed opportunity to discuss the important regulatory reform needed to unburden small fishing businesses.
"In my confirmation hearing, I pledged to visit small businesses where they are," said Mulligan. "Today, I am committing to do just that in New Bedford, MA, because the input of small fishing businesses is too urgent to put off for another day. We have extended an invitation to Senator Markey to join us, and I hope that together we can find adequate regulatory relief."
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Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration is an independent voice for small business within the executive branch. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy directs the office. The Chief Counsel advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policymakers. Economic research, policy analyses, and small business outreach help identify issues of concern. Regional Advocates and an office in Washington, DC, support the Chief Counsel's efforts. For more information on the Office of Advocacy, visit advocacy.sba.gov or call (202) 205-6533.
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Original text here: https://advocacy.sba.gov/2025/11/25/its-time-to-release-massachusetts-fishermen-from-red-tape/
National Gallery of Art: Beneath the Surface - Mining and American Photography
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release:
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Beneath the Surface: Mining and American Photography
Dependent on precious metals from its inception, photography has always been intertwined with the natural resources that are fundamental to modern industrialized life. Beneath the Surface: Mining and American Photography is the first exhibition to exclusively examine how photographers from the mid-19th century to today have powerfully captured the effects of resource extraction on the land and communities of the United States. Featuring some 150 photographs
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release:
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Beneath the Surface: Mining and American Photography
Dependent on precious metals from its inception, photography has always been intertwined with the natural resources that are fundamental to modern industrialized life. Beneath the Surface: Mining and American Photography is the first exhibition to exclusively examine how photographers from the mid-19th century to today have powerfully captured the effects of resource extraction on the land and communities of the United States. Featuring some 150 photographsthat span 185 years, this exhibition focuses especially on the subterranean removal of the minerals and fossil fuels that power this country's economy and industry. Together, these works demonstrate how photographers have drawn on changing technology and unique visual strategies to rise to the challenge of picturing these colossal industries.
Made for a variety of purposes, ranging from commercial boosterism and celebration of technical advancement to social documentation and community activism, the pictures in the exhibition shed light on how photography has revealed the costs of extraction and who benefits from its success. Divided into six broad, chronological sections that contextualize the complex history of photography and extraction, from daguerreotypes of the Gold Rush to large-scale, immersive photographs made in the last decade, Beneath the Surface highlights how artists have used photography to explore the relationship between extraction, society, and the environment.
This exhibition is curated by Diane Waggoner, curator of photographs, National Gallery of Art, and Kristen Gaylord, Herzfeld Curator of Photography and Media Arts, Milwaukee Art Museum.
The exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Art, in collaboration with the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.
Major support for the exhibition has been provided by the Center for Contemporary
Documentation.
The exhibition is also made possible through the leadership support of the Trellis Charitable Fund.
Additional support for this exhibition was provided by Nion McEvoy and Leslie Berriman.
Exhibition Tour
National Gallery of Art, Washington, May 23-August 23, 2026
Milwaukee Art Museum, October 23, 2026-January 17, 2027
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, February 14-May 9, 2027
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Original text here: https://www.nga.gov/press/beneath-surface-mining-and-american-photography
FACT CHECK: EPA Debunks False Claims that Agency Recently Approved "Forever Chemical" Pesticides
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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FACT CHECK: EPA Debunks False Claims that Agency Recently Approved "Forever Chemical" Pesticides
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WASHINGTON - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention experts with decades of experience in pesticide evaluation, today issued a comprehensive fact-check addressing dangerous misinformation circulating about EPA's recent pesticide approvals.
Yesterday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin corrected the record Exit EPA's website on the fake news from
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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FACT CHECK: EPA Debunks False Claims that Agency Recently Approved "Forever Chemical" Pesticides
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WASHINGTON - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention experts with decades of experience in pesticide evaluation, today issued a comprehensive fact-check addressing dangerous misinformation circulating about EPA's recent pesticide approvals.
Yesterday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin corrected the record Exit EPA's website on the fake news fromDemocrats and their media allies. In an X post, Administrator Zeldin reaffirmed the EPA's unwavering commitment to rigorous, science-based standards and full compliance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The Administrator made clear that protecting American families remains the top priorityensuring that every approved pesticide undergoes thorough safety evaluation and poses no health risks when used as directed.
BOTTOM LINE: EPA-Approved Single Fluorinated Compounds Are NOT Forever Chemicals and Pose No Safety Concerns When Used According to Label Instructions
FACT #1: It was Actually the Biden EPA That Officially Ruled Single Fluorinated Compounds Are NOT PFAS or "Forever Chemicals"
In 2023, EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics officially defined PFAS, after conducting a comprehensive public rulemaking process, as chemicals containing two or more fluorinated carbons. This deliberate exclusion of single fluorinated carbons was based on extensive scientific evidence and public input demonstrating that molecules with only one fluorinated carbon lack the persistence and bioaccumulation properties that are commonly associated with forever chemicals. The recent false claims that EPA approved a "forever chemical" represents a fundamental misunderstanding of chemistry and toxicology.
FACT #2: No Human Health Risks of Concern Identified When Used According to Label
EPA's rigorous evaluation process found no human health risks of concern when these approved pesticides are used according to their approved labels. This assessment included:
* Comprehensive toxicity studies across multiple species and life stages
* Specific evaluation of children's safety and developmental effects
* Assessment of reproductive and chronic health impacts
* Environmental fate and exposure analysis
FACT #3: Extensively Studied and Safer Than Alternatives
These modern pesticides underwent the same gold-standard scientific evaluation required for all EPA pesticide registrations under FIFRA, including studies mandated by 40 CFR 158. The compounds represent significant safety improvements over older alternatives.
We've moved away from truly problematic chemicals like organochlorines - DDT, dieldrin - that actually do persist and bioaccumulate. These newer, approved single fluorinated carbons are precisely the safer alternatives that modern agriculture has long been seeking.
There has also been some confusion as to whether these compounds are the same as those that are commonly used to fluoridate drinking water. These compounds are NOT the same and would have no fluoridation uses; they just happen to contain fluorine atoms, like many other naturally occurring and synthetic compounds.
FACT #4: Historical Precedent Across Multiple Administrations
Dozens of pesticides containing single fluorinated carbons have been registered over the past several decades by both Republican and Democrat administrations, including:
* The Biden Administration's 2023 registration of fluazaindolizine, a pesticide containing single fluorinated carbon
* Dozens of similar approvals spanning multiple previous administrations
* International approvals by the European Union, Canada, Australia, and other countries with stringent safety standards
FACT #5: Consumer Choice
For consumers who remain concerned despite the safety data, organic products remain available and popular. However, in the interest of full disclosure and total transparency, it must also be noted:
* Organic farming also relies on pesticides for crop protection
* Some organic-approved pesticides have higher toxicity profiles than modern synthetic alternatives
* Organic does not mean pesticide-free
FACT #6: Why Pesticides Matter for Food Security
Pesticides serve critical functions in modern agriculture:
* Protecting crops from devastating pests and diseases
* Ensuring affordable, abundant food supply that provides healthy and nutritious meals to all Americans
* Preventing crop losses that would increase food prices
* Reducing the need for additional farmland through improved yields
* Reducing soil erosion and loss of soil nutrients
International Scientific Consensus Confirms Safety
The safety of these single fluorinated carbons has been validated by regulatory agencies worldwide, including:
* European Union (known for stringent environmental standards)
* United Kingdom
* Canada
* Australia
* Brazil, Argentina, New Zealand, and South Korea
Journalists have a responsibility to investigate the source and accuracy of claims before publication. Simply repeating activist talking points without examining their scientific basis or political motivations disserves the public and undermines trust in evidence-based regulation. Read more information about Pesticides Containing a Fluorinated Carbon.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/fact-check-epa-debunks-false-claims-agency-recently-approved-forever-chemical
EPA Order will Help Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority Comply with Safe Drinking Water Act
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Order will Help Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority Comply with Safe Drinking Water Act
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Atlantic City, N.J. \- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an order directing the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority (ACMUA) to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)'s Lead and Copper Rule. A 2025 investigation by EPA revealed violations of federal and state drinking water requirements, which include inadequate tap water sampling practices. On October 27, 2025,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Order will Help Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority Comply with Safe Drinking Water Act
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Atlantic City, N.J. \- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an order directing the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority (ACMUA) to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)'s Lead and Copper Rule. A 2025 investigation by EPA revealed violations of federal and state drinking water requirements, which include inadequate tap water sampling practices. On October 27, 2025,EPA issued an order requiring the ACMUA to update its lead and copper sampling plans and conduct two consecutive rounds of sampling in 2026, as well as improve monitoring and reporting.
"Ensuring that water systems provide safe drinking water to consumers is fundamental to EPA's mission," said EPA Regional Administrator Michael Martucci. "In this instance, we have collaborated with our counterparts in New Jersey to identify violations and establish a definitive course of action for Atlantic City's public utility to meet its obligations under the law."
A series of inquiries and inspections between 2022 and 2025 found that the system has not met specific drinking water requirements, including failing to establish proper sampling and reporting practices under the SDWA. In addition to requiring ACMUA to update its sampling plans, the system is also required to conduct follow-up activities if the action levels are exceeded and to notify consumers of their lead monitoring results.
The action was taken in consultation with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and after discussion with the ACMUA. EPA is also offering continued technical assistance to the ACMUA to help the water system comply.
For more information about the requirements of the lead and copper rule, visit EPA's Lead and Copper Rule website.
Follow EPA Region 2 on X Exit EPA's website, Instagram Exit EPA's website, and visit our Facebook Exit EPA's website page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
25-057
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-order-will-help-atlantic-city-municipal-utilities-authority-comply-safe-drinking
EPA Issues Final Rule to Extend Unrealistic Biden-era Compliance Deadlines for Oil and Gas Industry, Saves Hundreds of Millions in Costs
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Issues Final Rule to Extend Unrealistic Biden-era Compliance Deadlines for Oil and Gas Industry, Saves Hundreds of Millions in Costs
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WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin is taking final action on the agency's July 2025 Interim Final Rule (IFR) to extend several compliance deadlines in the Biden-Harris Administration's Clean Air Act (CAA) rules for the oil and gas industry - commonly known as OOOOb/c. By providing more realistic timelines
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Issues Final Rule to Extend Unrealistic Biden-era Compliance Deadlines for Oil and Gas Industry, Saves Hundreds of Millions in Costs
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WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin is taking final action on the agency's July 2025 Interim Final Rule (IFR) to extend several compliance deadlines in the Biden-Harris Administration's Clean Air Act (CAA) rules for the oil and gas industry - commonly known as OOOOb/c. By providing more realistic timelinesfor owners and operators of new and modified oil and natural gas sources, the Trump EPA is taking an important step in unleashing America's domestic energy supply. The action will impact hundreds of thousands of oil and gas sources across the country and save an estimated $750 million over 11 years in compliance costs.
"The previous administration used oil and gas standards as a weapon to shut down development and manufacturing in the United States," said EPA Administrator Zeldin. "By finalizing compliance extensions, EPA is ensuring unrealistic regulations do not prevent America from unleashing energy dominance. We produce energy better and cleaner than so many other countries around the world, yet Americans have been punished by flawed, ideologically driven regulations. Today, the Trump EPA is taking decisive, corrective action."
In July 2025, EPA issued an IFR extending compliance deadlines in the 2024 New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emissions Guidelines for OOOOb/c. This IFR included extending the deadline to meet certain requirements related to control devices, equipment leaks, storage vessels, process controllers, and covers/closed vent systems for 18 months following the publication of the IFR in the Federal Register. This remains unchanged in today's final rule. Also remaining unchanged are the 18-month extensions given to states to create plans for reducing methane emissions from existing oil and natural gas sources and for the implementation of the 2024 rule's "super emitter" program, which requires third parties using EPA-approved remote-sensing technology to provide EPA with data on potential large leaks.
Following a public comment period and a public hearing on the July 2025 IFR, EPA is extending the November 28, 2025, deadline for net heating value continuous monitoring requirements and alternative performance test (sampling demonstration) option for flares and enclosed combustion devices by 180 days. This addresses the supply chain, personnel, and laboratory limitations identified by commenters, which made compliance with the requirements in the 2024 final rule infeasible. The IFR previously had extended this to 120 days. To ensure clarity, EPA is providing 360 days from the effective date of this final action for owners and operators to submit all annual NSPS OOOOb reports that were originally due prior to this deadline. Subsequent reports are due no later than 90 days after the end of each annual compliance period. These changes do not alter any provisions specifying the annual compliance period.
Today's final action also includes all responses to public comments received on the IFR, as well as testimonies from the public hearing. To read the final rule and related materials, visit EPA's website for the oil and natural gas rules.
Background
On March 8, 2024, the Biden-Harris EPA announced NSPS and Emissions Guidelines for oil and natural gas operations under CAA sections 111(b) and 111(d) (40 CFR part 60, subparts OOOOb/c). On March 12, 2025, Administrator Zeldin announced that the agency is reconsidering Clean Air Act regulations for the oil and gas industry to unleash energy dominance and continue the Nation's trajectory as a leader in energy while remaining committed to fulfilling EPA's statutory obligations and protecting the environment. The Trump EPA IFR, which was published on July 31, 2025, was the first of several actions EPA is taking to relieve the regulatory burden for owners and operators of new and modified oil and natural gas sources across the country.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-issues-final-rule-extend-unrealistic-biden-era-compliance-deadlines-oil-and-gas
