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DR Congo: Oil Company Operations Pose Grave Pollution Threat
NEW YORK, July 27 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following news:
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DR Congo: Oil Company Operations Pose Grave Pollution Threat
*
* Pollution linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo's only oil producer poses serious health risks to communities near its operations.
* Perenco, the oil company, has engaged in gas flaring and waste burning that have contributed to poor air quality and not prevented oil spills from wells and pipelines from leaking into the soil and riverbeds, contributing to health risks for nearby residents.
* The authorities should acknowledge ... Show Full Article NEW YORK, July 27 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following news: * * * DR Congo: Oil Company Operations Pose Grave Pollution Threat * * Pollution linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo's only oil producer poses serious health risks to communities near its operations. * Perenco, the oil company, has engaged in gas flaring and waste burning that have contributed to poor air quality and not prevented oil spills from wells and pipelines from leaking into the soil and riverbeds, contributing to health risks for nearby residents. * The authorities should acknowledgethe threat to people's health in oil concession areas, immediately report on pollution levels, and act to reduce population exposure.
(Kinshasa) - Pollution linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo's only oil producer poses serious health risks to communities near its operations, Human Rights Watch said today.
The Congolese government commissioned an environmental audit of the French-British oil and gas company Perenco's operations in December 2024 because of longstanding reports of pollution. However, it has not provided a timeline for the publication of the final audit report, published any interim findings, or publicly disclosed vital information about air, soil, and water quality.
"The Congolese government should immediately publish the interim findings of the environmental audit of Perenco's concession and disclose all environmental monitoring data," said Agathe Bounfour, senior fossil fuel researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Residents of nearby communities have a right to know the extent of pollution in their environment and the risks to their health."
In January 2026, a team of Human Rights Watch researchers interviewed 45 local residents, oil workers, health professionals, government officials, and environmental and public health experts in Muanda, where the operations are based, and in Kinshasa, the capital. Human Rights Watch also analyzed satellite imagery and geolocated videos and photographs received from local sources.
Perenco has engaged in gas flaring-the controlled burning of natural gas released during oil production-at five oil storage and processing sites close to residential communities. Human Rights Watch found that Perenco's gas flaring and waste burning have contributed to poor air quality on its concession, creating health risks for local residents. In one location, flaring occurred less than 80 meters from housing. Residents with respiratory illnesses living near these flaring sites told Human Rights Watch that they believed air pollution from these operations was responsible. Residents also described acute health symptoms, such as chest pain and nausea, that they linked to smoke from burning at a waste treatment facility two kilometers from a village.
Perenco has also not prevented oil spills from wells and pipelines from leaking into the soil and riverbeds, based on a Human Rights Watch site visit and interviews with community members. Independent studies conducted in 2013 and 2025 documented serious environmental contamination associated with oil operations in the area that exposed residents to gases, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and other compounds well-documented to be toxic and harmful to human health.
A villager in the Perenco concession area said: "Oil goes into the rivers where we swim." A man in his mid-40s who lives near a tank farm-an oil storage and processing facility-said: "When gas is flared at the tank farm, our eyes burn and we experience headaches and dizziness." The head of health personnel at a local hospital said that in his estimation, villages with oil infrastructure experienced "higher rates of respiratory conditions compared with areas where oil production is absent."
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which Congo is a party, guarantees the right to "the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health." The right to health obligates governments to ensure "the prevention and reduction of the population's exposure to... harmful chemicals or other detrimental environmental conditions that directly or indirectly impact upon human health."
The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the committee of experts that monitors the implementation of the covenant, has stated that this requires governments to take measures to prevent pollution by third parties, such as mining companies. A government's "failure to enact or enforce laws to prevent the pollution of water, air and soil by extractive and manufacturing industries" can constitute a violation of human rights law.
Congolese environmental law prohibits certain oil production and waste management practices that may harm public health or safety. However, the government has not regularly monitored air, water and soil quality in the Muanda area. In November 2025, the minister of hydrocarbons announced a one-year extension of the December 2024 contract of the environmental and fiscal audit of damage caused by the company's activities without providing a clear explanation for the renewal or committing to a specific release date.
Human Rights Watch wrote to the Congolese government in May 2026 seeking information on pollution prevention, remediation, monitoring, and oversight of Perenco's operations in Muanda, including access to the environmental audit, but has not received a response.
Perenco, in response to queries from Human Rights Watch, denied that its operations "would cause air, soil and water pollution or detrimental acute health conditions." The company stated that it considers scientific studies conducted on-site to be methodologically inadequate, and that it has invested in pollution prevention and local development initiatives, including health initiatives. It also said it had stopped flaring at 220 "flare points" within the concession and was fully cooperating with Congolese authorities in efforts to further reduce gas flaring.
The right to health obligates governments "to provide education and access to information concerning the main health problems in the community, including methods of preventing and controlling them." The UN Human Rights Committee has clarified that the right to information includes the right of access to information held by public bodies and to ensure easy, prompt, effective, and practical access to government-held information that is of public interest. Such information would include the results of an environmental audit such as the government-commissioned audit of Perenco's activities.
In its correspondence with Human Rights Watch, Perenco did not respond to questions regarding pollutant monitoring nor a request to share monitoring data. Likewise, the Congolese Ministries of Environment and Hydrocarbons did not respond to Human Rights Watch's request for information on measures taken to monitor environmental conditions in the region.
"The Congolese government needs transparency on oil pollution levels to meet its obligations to uphold the right to health and to fully enforce its laws," said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "The authorities should acknowledge the threat to people's health in oil concession areas, immediately report on pollution levels, and act to reduce population exposure."
#Perenco's Operations in Democratic Republic of Congo
The French-British oil and gas company Perenco is Congo's sole oil operator. The company operates both onshore and offshore oil extraction in a region that stretches along the country's narrow 37-kilometer coastline and encompasses dozens of villages and smaller informal settlements in the eastern part of Muanda city in Kongo Central province. The company retains exclusive exploration and production rights across nearly all onshore coastal blocks and the entirety of Congo's maritime area.
Previously published independent studies documented serious environmental contamination associated with oil operations in the area. A 2013 investigation report by the Congolese Senate, to which Human Rights Watch gained access, found elevated concentrations of the air pollutants sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide near gas flaring sites, as well as hydrocarbon contamination of groundwater and surface water and high concentrations of heavy metals.
A 2025 study by researchers from several universities in Congo and Cameroon found high levels of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soil surrounding oil extraction sites in the villages of Kinkazi, Kitombe, and Tshiende, which the researchers attributed to oil spills.
#Gas Flaring
Gas flaring involves burning gaseous byproducts generated during crude oil extraction. Flaring can take several forms: gas may be funneled into a vertical stack and burned at an elevation; directed through horizontal flare systems at hydrocarbon processing plants or refineries; or combusted at ground level in pits or near-surface installations, with burning occurring directly at the well site.
Gas flaring can produce several air pollutants that are detrimental to human health, including particulate matter, VOCs, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide, and black carbon. The health impacts associated with exposure to these common air pollutants from gas flaring increase as proximity to flaring sites increases.
Gas flaring is prohibited under Congolese law unless under exceptional circumstances and only with prior authorizationfrom the Hydrocarbons Ministry. Neither Perenco nor the Ministry responded to a Human Rights Watch request for information about whether the company is authorized to conduct gas flaring and, if so, the conditions under which that authorization was granted. However, Perenco wrote that it considers gas flaring "operationally necessary to ensure the continuity of oil production in the region of Muanda" and that "the competent Congolese authorities are... fully aware of the situation."
Human Rights Watch found, based on analysis of remote sensing data and witness accounts, that gas flaring occurred at five sites between January 2025 and March 2026 within Perenco's concession associated with oil storage and processing infrastructure, either vertically through stacks or horizontally.
During this period, daily flaring activity was detected at Kinkazi Tank Farm at a Perenco pipeline gathering point four kilometers southeast of Muanda city, and at another site in a residential area in the city's northeast. Signs of flaring were also detected at the Mibale Tank Farm near Tshiende and at the Liawenda Tank Farm. Several indications of ground flaring at the well level were also observed in 2025, while no evidence of ground flaring was identified from March to June 2026. Human Rights Watch was unable to conduct a remote sensing analysis of the flaring volumes at these sites due to the limitations of the data and heavy cloud cover of the area during this period.
The close proximity of gas flaring sites to villages and homes within Perenco's concession exposes residents nearby to significant health risks, Human Rights Watch said. Most of the population of the concession lives within five kilometers of one of the five main flaring sites. Much of the densely populated urban area of Muanda is included in this zone, and in northeast Muanda city, the nearest residents live less than 80 meters from the flaring site. Several villages, including Liawenda, Tshiende, Kinkazi, Mamputu, Kitombe, and Kimini, are also within three kilometers of active flaring sites. In Tshiende village and Kinkazi village, the nearest residents live approximately 1.3 kilometers and 2.5 kilometers, respectively, from the tank farm flaring sites.
In correspondence with Human Rights Watch, Perenco wrote that "220 flare points have been permanently extinguished and the corresponding sites in the Kinkazi and Kitombe areas have been restored." Perenco added that the company was "in discussions with the relevant Congolese authorities regarding gas valorization options [making use of the natural gas] that would, in due course, further reduce or eliminate gas flaring altogether."
#Oil Waste Burning
Perenco operates a 10-hectare waste treatment facility approximately two kilometers southeast of Kinkazi village. Human Rights Watch obtained, verified, and geolocated photographs and video footage of the facility and found that some oil waste is burned in open-air incinerators within the facility.
Congo's 2011 Law on the Fundamental Principles of Environmental Protection prohibits the disposal of waste in locations where it may generate unpleasant odors or harm the environment, public health, or public safety.
Kinkazi villagers interviewed reported respiratory illnesses that they attributed to smoke from the facility. A resident in his mid-40s said: "When they burn the waste at night in the area, the smells drift toward the village when there's wind," and that he experiences ''chest pain and a persistent cough." Another person in their mid-40s said: "We smell a lot of smoke; we experience nausea and headaches." Workers said that the company produces two main types of waste during oil drilling operations: oil mud, consisting mainly of drilling fluid residues, and paraffins, waxy hydrocarbon deposits from crude oil that accumulate inside pipelines and must be periodically removed. On-the-ground oil leaks also pollute the soil.
Photographs and videos from early 2026, verified by Human Rights Watch, show open burning tanks and incinerators within an area marked in a sign as a "paraffins treatment zone." Workers said that these tanks and incinerators are used to burn paraffin waste to dissolve it. "We bring a quantity of paraffin to burn every night," a Perenco worker said. "Gas-filled pipes are used, creating a flare, and after the paraffin is burned, it turns into sand."
A video taken in early 2026 and verified by Human Rights Watch verifies the description, showing tall flames rising from an open incinerator inside the facility at night. Kinkazi residents also reported fires at the facility every night. A palm vine cultivator, 40, from Kinkazi said: "At night, we smell smoke drifting toward the village. There is the smell of smoke, and it smells bad."
Daniel Bain, associate professor in the Geology and Environmental Science Department at the University of Pittsburgh, reviewed visual evidence collected by Human Rights Watch and noted that while "data on local air quality remains limited, areas around waste burning will have elevated volatile organic carbon and particulate matter content in the atmosphere."
#Water and Soil Pollution
Human Rights Watch found that Perenco has not prevented oil wells from spilling and leaching crude oil into the soil. Crude oil drilled from the ground is a complex mixture of thousands of chemical compounds and heavy metals, many of which are toxic and can be harmful to human health.
The country's 2011 Environmental Protection Law prohibits the discharge of waste or other substances that are likely to alter or degrade the quality of surface or groundwater, as well as any activity likely to cause pollution, erosion, or any other form of soil or subsoil degradation.
Several residents within the concession said that oil regularly overflows from wells during heavy rainfall, often near-and sometimes within-villages. "When it rains heavily and the water rises, oil spills next to it," a Tshiende resident said.
In several locations within the concession area, Human Rights Watch researchers observed and photographed unprotected wellheads covered with what appeared to be crude oil residues and oil traces on the surrounding ground.
Human Rights Watch researchers also observed pipelines from Perenco's oil extraction and processing facilities with visible signs of erosion, running beneath or alongside villages and agricultural land and sometimes crossing riverbeds. Nearby residents described past ruptures of these pipelines. "Pipelines cross rivers, and when one bursts, crude oil spills into the water," a Kinkazi resident said.
Oil industry workers said that these frequent leaks and overflows are the result of inadequate maintenance of oil infrastructure. One former employee said: "There is no regular maintenance of the pipes, and they only clean the big pipes, not the small ones. In case of high heat, the density decreases and it explodes." Bain, the University of Pittsburgh professor, also highlighted the lack of preventive measures, noting that drilling sites did not appear to be surrounded by earthen berms to contain spills.
The Congolese government does not undertake regular monitoring of environmental conditions in the region, Human Rights Watch said. However, a 2013 official Senate Committee investigation found contamination of groundwater and surface water in the region by hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Water samples from this investigation showed lead and mercury at levels exceeding the World Health Organization's guidelines for drinking water quality. Lead is a particularly harmful heavy metal: chronic exposure can harm the kidneys, cardiovascular system, and reproductive health, and contribute to anemia and hypertension. Mercury can harm the nervous, digestive, and immune systems, as well as the lungs, kidneys, skin, and eyes, with serious health effects possible even at low levels of exposure.
A 2025 study by several universities in Congo and Cameroon reported elevated levels of volatile organic compounds and hydrocarbons in soil near oil wells in the villages of Kinkazi, Kitombe, and Tshiende. The authors concluded that these pollutants posed potential risks to both ecosystems and human health and recommended soil remediation measures, together with the establishment of a long-term monitoring system for soil and groundwater quality.
In correspondence with Human Rights Watch, Perenco said that "infrastructure integrity and pollution prevention" were "central to its operations" and "structured around 'three fundamental principles': the systematic inspection of equipment and infrastructure, the technical and structural assessment of assets following each inspection, and repair or replacement operations when necessary." The company indicated that "since 2021, it had invested over [US]$100 million" in infrastructure integrity and maintenance operations and "decommissioned 35 km of onshore pipelines."
Perenco also indicated that "many sources of environmental harm" should be considered, such as "the daily use by the local population of waterways and rivers for the large scale washing of motor vehicles" or "frequent acts of vandalism and sabotage of its installations," as well as "the existence of extensive fuel trafficking between the DRC and Angola, involving the storage, transportation and sale of fuel in precarious conditions."
#Environmental Monitoring
A representative of the Congolese Control Office (Office Congolais de Controle, OCC), a government agency that works with the Environment Ministry on environmental monitoring of the oil concession, spoke with Human Rights Watch.
The representative said that while the OCC conducts occasional inspections using portable equipment to measure air pollutants and soil contamination in several communities-including Liawenda, Banana, Mibale, Nsiafumu, and Makelekese-there was no regular government monitoring program. He said that while Perenco had installed air-quality monitoring sensors in several villages, the OCC had no access to the data.
In 2025, a committee from the Kongo Central regional parliament urged national authorities to "acquire and install national monitoring sensors... at sites across the province that are susceptible to pollution," and to "require all companies engaged in polluting activities to submit, on a monthly basis, monitoring data collected from surveillance sensors." Two provincial assembly members said that Perenco holds pollutant monitoring data for the concession but has not given the members access.
The head of a Muanda-based environmental organization said: "There is no public data available on pollutant measurement, which is why local NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] are trying to commission their own analyses."
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Original text here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/07/27/dr-congo-oil-company-operations-pose-grave-pollution-threat
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DR Congo: Oil Company Operations Pose Grave Pollution Threat
*
* Pollution linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo's only oil producer poses serious health risks to communities near its operations.
* Perenco, the oil company, has engaged in gas flaring and waste burning that have contributed to poor air quality and not prevented oil spills from wells and pipelines from leaking into the soil and riverbeds, contributing to health risks for nearby residents.
* The authorities should acknowledge ... Show Full Article NEW YORK, July 27 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following news: * * * DR Congo: Oil Company Operations Pose Grave Pollution Threat * * Pollution linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo's only oil producer poses serious health risks to communities near its operations. * Perenco, the oil company, has engaged in gas flaring and waste burning that have contributed to poor air quality and not prevented oil spills from wells and pipelines from leaking into the soil and riverbeds, contributing to health risks for nearby residents. * The authorities should acknowledgethe threat to people's health in oil concession areas, immediately report on pollution levels, and act to reduce population exposure.
(Kinshasa) - Pollution linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo's only oil producer poses serious health risks to communities near its operations, Human Rights Watch said today.
The Congolese government commissioned an environmental audit of the French-British oil and gas company Perenco's operations in December 2024 because of longstanding reports of pollution. However, it has not provided a timeline for the publication of the final audit report, published any interim findings, or publicly disclosed vital information about air, soil, and water quality.
"The Congolese government should immediately publish the interim findings of the environmental audit of Perenco's concession and disclose all environmental monitoring data," said Agathe Bounfour, senior fossil fuel researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Residents of nearby communities have a right to know the extent of pollution in their environment and the risks to their health."
In January 2026, a team of Human Rights Watch researchers interviewed 45 local residents, oil workers, health professionals, government officials, and environmental and public health experts in Muanda, where the operations are based, and in Kinshasa, the capital. Human Rights Watch also analyzed satellite imagery and geolocated videos and photographs received from local sources.
Perenco has engaged in gas flaring-the controlled burning of natural gas released during oil production-at five oil storage and processing sites close to residential communities. Human Rights Watch found that Perenco's gas flaring and waste burning have contributed to poor air quality on its concession, creating health risks for local residents. In one location, flaring occurred less than 80 meters from housing. Residents with respiratory illnesses living near these flaring sites told Human Rights Watch that they believed air pollution from these operations was responsible. Residents also described acute health symptoms, such as chest pain and nausea, that they linked to smoke from burning at a waste treatment facility two kilometers from a village.
Perenco has also not prevented oil spills from wells and pipelines from leaking into the soil and riverbeds, based on a Human Rights Watch site visit and interviews with community members. Independent studies conducted in 2013 and 2025 documented serious environmental contamination associated with oil operations in the area that exposed residents to gases, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and other compounds well-documented to be toxic and harmful to human health.
A villager in the Perenco concession area said: "Oil goes into the rivers where we swim." A man in his mid-40s who lives near a tank farm-an oil storage and processing facility-said: "When gas is flared at the tank farm, our eyes burn and we experience headaches and dizziness." The head of health personnel at a local hospital said that in his estimation, villages with oil infrastructure experienced "higher rates of respiratory conditions compared with areas where oil production is absent."
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which Congo is a party, guarantees the right to "the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health." The right to health obligates governments to ensure "the prevention and reduction of the population's exposure to... harmful chemicals or other detrimental environmental conditions that directly or indirectly impact upon human health."
The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the committee of experts that monitors the implementation of the covenant, has stated that this requires governments to take measures to prevent pollution by third parties, such as mining companies. A government's "failure to enact or enforce laws to prevent the pollution of water, air and soil by extractive and manufacturing industries" can constitute a violation of human rights law.
Congolese environmental law prohibits certain oil production and waste management practices that may harm public health or safety. However, the government has not regularly monitored air, water and soil quality in the Muanda area. In November 2025, the minister of hydrocarbons announced a one-year extension of the December 2024 contract of the environmental and fiscal audit of damage caused by the company's activities without providing a clear explanation for the renewal or committing to a specific release date.
Human Rights Watch wrote to the Congolese government in May 2026 seeking information on pollution prevention, remediation, monitoring, and oversight of Perenco's operations in Muanda, including access to the environmental audit, but has not received a response.
Perenco, in response to queries from Human Rights Watch, denied that its operations "would cause air, soil and water pollution or detrimental acute health conditions." The company stated that it considers scientific studies conducted on-site to be methodologically inadequate, and that it has invested in pollution prevention and local development initiatives, including health initiatives. It also said it had stopped flaring at 220 "flare points" within the concession and was fully cooperating with Congolese authorities in efforts to further reduce gas flaring.
The right to health obligates governments "to provide education and access to information concerning the main health problems in the community, including methods of preventing and controlling them." The UN Human Rights Committee has clarified that the right to information includes the right of access to information held by public bodies and to ensure easy, prompt, effective, and practical access to government-held information that is of public interest. Such information would include the results of an environmental audit such as the government-commissioned audit of Perenco's activities.
In its correspondence with Human Rights Watch, Perenco did not respond to questions regarding pollutant monitoring nor a request to share monitoring data. Likewise, the Congolese Ministries of Environment and Hydrocarbons did not respond to Human Rights Watch's request for information on measures taken to monitor environmental conditions in the region.
"The Congolese government needs transparency on oil pollution levels to meet its obligations to uphold the right to health and to fully enforce its laws," said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "The authorities should acknowledge the threat to people's health in oil concession areas, immediately report on pollution levels, and act to reduce population exposure."
#Perenco's Operations in Democratic Republic of Congo
The French-British oil and gas company Perenco is Congo's sole oil operator. The company operates both onshore and offshore oil extraction in a region that stretches along the country's narrow 37-kilometer coastline and encompasses dozens of villages and smaller informal settlements in the eastern part of Muanda city in Kongo Central province. The company retains exclusive exploration and production rights across nearly all onshore coastal blocks and the entirety of Congo's maritime area.
Previously published independent studies documented serious environmental contamination associated with oil operations in the area. A 2013 investigation report by the Congolese Senate, to which Human Rights Watch gained access, found elevated concentrations of the air pollutants sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide near gas flaring sites, as well as hydrocarbon contamination of groundwater and surface water and high concentrations of heavy metals.
A 2025 study by researchers from several universities in Congo and Cameroon found high levels of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soil surrounding oil extraction sites in the villages of Kinkazi, Kitombe, and Tshiende, which the researchers attributed to oil spills.
#Gas Flaring
Gas flaring involves burning gaseous byproducts generated during crude oil extraction. Flaring can take several forms: gas may be funneled into a vertical stack and burned at an elevation; directed through horizontal flare systems at hydrocarbon processing plants or refineries; or combusted at ground level in pits or near-surface installations, with burning occurring directly at the well site.
Gas flaring can produce several air pollutants that are detrimental to human health, including particulate matter, VOCs, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide, and black carbon. The health impacts associated with exposure to these common air pollutants from gas flaring increase as proximity to flaring sites increases.
Gas flaring is prohibited under Congolese law unless under exceptional circumstances and only with prior authorizationfrom the Hydrocarbons Ministry. Neither Perenco nor the Ministry responded to a Human Rights Watch request for information about whether the company is authorized to conduct gas flaring and, if so, the conditions under which that authorization was granted. However, Perenco wrote that it considers gas flaring "operationally necessary to ensure the continuity of oil production in the region of Muanda" and that "the competent Congolese authorities are... fully aware of the situation."
Human Rights Watch found, based on analysis of remote sensing data and witness accounts, that gas flaring occurred at five sites between January 2025 and March 2026 within Perenco's concession associated with oil storage and processing infrastructure, either vertically through stacks or horizontally.
During this period, daily flaring activity was detected at Kinkazi Tank Farm at a Perenco pipeline gathering point four kilometers southeast of Muanda city, and at another site in a residential area in the city's northeast. Signs of flaring were also detected at the Mibale Tank Farm near Tshiende and at the Liawenda Tank Farm. Several indications of ground flaring at the well level were also observed in 2025, while no evidence of ground flaring was identified from March to June 2026. Human Rights Watch was unable to conduct a remote sensing analysis of the flaring volumes at these sites due to the limitations of the data and heavy cloud cover of the area during this period.
The close proximity of gas flaring sites to villages and homes within Perenco's concession exposes residents nearby to significant health risks, Human Rights Watch said. Most of the population of the concession lives within five kilometers of one of the five main flaring sites. Much of the densely populated urban area of Muanda is included in this zone, and in northeast Muanda city, the nearest residents live less than 80 meters from the flaring site. Several villages, including Liawenda, Tshiende, Kinkazi, Mamputu, Kitombe, and Kimini, are also within three kilometers of active flaring sites. In Tshiende village and Kinkazi village, the nearest residents live approximately 1.3 kilometers and 2.5 kilometers, respectively, from the tank farm flaring sites.
In correspondence with Human Rights Watch, Perenco wrote that "220 flare points have been permanently extinguished and the corresponding sites in the Kinkazi and Kitombe areas have been restored." Perenco added that the company was "in discussions with the relevant Congolese authorities regarding gas valorization options [making use of the natural gas] that would, in due course, further reduce or eliminate gas flaring altogether."
#Oil Waste Burning
Perenco operates a 10-hectare waste treatment facility approximately two kilometers southeast of Kinkazi village. Human Rights Watch obtained, verified, and geolocated photographs and video footage of the facility and found that some oil waste is burned in open-air incinerators within the facility.
Congo's 2011 Law on the Fundamental Principles of Environmental Protection prohibits the disposal of waste in locations where it may generate unpleasant odors or harm the environment, public health, or public safety.
Kinkazi villagers interviewed reported respiratory illnesses that they attributed to smoke from the facility. A resident in his mid-40s said: "When they burn the waste at night in the area, the smells drift toward the village when there's wind," and that he experiences ''chest pain and a persistent cough." Another person in their mid-40s said: "We smell a lot of smoke; we experience nausea and headaches." Workers said that the company produces two main types of waste during oil drilling operations: oil mud, consisting mainly of drilling fluid residues, and paraffins, waxy hydrocarbon deposits from crude oil that accumulate inside pipelines and must be periodically removed. On-the-ground oil leaks also pollute the soil.
Photographs and videos from early 2026, verified by Human Rights Watch, show open burning tanks and incinerators within an area marked in a sign as a "paraffins treatment zone." Workers said that these tanks and incinerators are used to burn paraffin waste to dissolve it. "We bring a quantity of paraffin to burn every night," a Perenco worker said. "Gas-filled pipes are used, creating a flare, and after the paraffin is burned, it turns into sand."
A video taken in early 2026 and verified by Human Rights Watch verifies the description, showing tall flames rising from an open incinerator inside the facility at night. Kinkazi residents also reported fires at the facility every night. A palm vine cultivator, 40, from Kinkazi said: "At night, we smell smoke drifting toward the village. There is the smell of smoke, and it smells bad."
Daniel Bain, associate professor in the Geology and Environmental Science Department at the University of Pittsburgh, reviewed visual evidence collected by Human Rights Watch and noted that while "data on local air quality remains limited, areas around waste burning will have elevated volatile organic carbon and particulate matter content in the atmosphere."
#Water and Soil Pollution
Human Rights Watch found that Perenco has not prevented oil wells from spilling and leaching crude oil into the soil. Crude oil drilled from the ground is a complex mixture of thousands of chemical compounds and heavy metals, many of which are toxic and can be harmful to human health.
The country's 2011 Environmental Protection Law prohibits the discharge of waste or other substances that are likely to alter or degrade the quality of surface or groundwater, as well as any activity likely to cause pollution, erosion, or any other form of soil or subsoil degradation.
Several residents within the concession said that oil regularly overflows from wells during heavy rainfall, often near-and sometimes within-villages. "When it rains heavily and the water rises, oil spills next to it," a Tshiende resident said.
In several locations within the concession area, Human Rights Watch researchers observed and photographed unprotected wellheads covered with what appeared to be crude oil residues and oil traces on the surrounding ground.
Human Rights Watch researchers also observed pipelines from Perenco's oil extraction and processing facilities with visible signs of erosion, running beneath or alongside villages and agricultural land and sometimes crossing riverbeds. Nearby residents described past ruptures of these pipelines. "Pipelines cross rivers, and when one bursts, crude oil spills into the water," a Kinkazi resident said.
Oil industry workers said that these frequent leaks and overflows are the result of inadequate maintenance of oil infrastructure. One former employee said: "There is no regular maintenance of the pipes, and they only clean the big pipes, not the small ones. In case of high heat, the density decreases and it explodes." Bain, the University of Pittsburgh professor, also highlighted the lack of preventive measures, noting that drilling sites did not appear to be surrounded by earthen berms to contain spills.
The Congolese government does not undertake regular monitoring of environmental conditions in the region, Human Rights Watch said. However, a 2013 official Senate Committee investigation found contamination of groundwater and surface water in the region by hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Water samples from this investigation showed lead and mercury at levels exceeding the World Health Organization's guidelines for drinking water quality. Lead is a particularly harmful heavy metal: chronic exposure can harm the kidneys, cardiovascular system, and reproductive health, and contribute to anemia and hypertension. Mercury can harm the nervous, digestive, and immune systems, as well as the lungs, kidneys, skin, and eyes, with serious health effects possible even at low levels of exposure.
A 2025 study by several universities in Congo and Cameroon reported elevated levels of volatile organic compounds and hydrocarbons in soil near oil wells in the villages of Kinkazi, Kitombe, and Tshiende. The authors concluded that these pollutants posed potential risks to both ecosystems and human health and recommended soil remediation measures, together with the establishment of a long-term monitoring system for soil and groundwater quality.
In correspondence with Human Rights Watch, Perenco said that "infrastructure integrity and pollution prevention" were "central to its operations" and "structured around 'three fundamental principles': the systematic inspection of equipment and infrastructure, the technical and structural assessment of assets following each inspection, and repair or replacement operations when necessary." The company indicated that "since 2021, it had invested over [US]$100 million" in infrastructure integrity and maintenance operations and "decommissioned 35 km of onshore pipelines."
Perenco also indicated that "many sources of environmental harm" should be considered, such as "the daily use by the local population of waterways and rivers for the large scale washing of motor vehicles" or "frequent acts of vandalism and sabotage of its installations," as well as "the existence of extensive fuel trafficking between the DRC and Angola, involving the storage, transportation and sale of fuel in precarious conditions."
#Environmental Monitoring
A representative of the Congolese Control Office (Office Congolais de Controle, OCC), a government agency that works with the Environment Ministry on environmental monitoring of the oil concession, spoke with Human Rights Watch.
The representative said that while the OCC conducts occasional inspections using portable equipment to measure air pollutants and soil contamination in several communities-including Liawenda, Banana, Mibale, Nsiafumu, and Makelekese-there was no regular government monitoring program. He said that while Perenco had installed air-quality monitoring sensors in several villages, the OCC had no access to the data.
In 2025, a committee from the Kongo Central regional parliament urged national authorities to "acquire and install national monitoring sensors... at sites across the province that are susceptible to pollution," and to "require all companies engaged in polluting activities to submit, on a monthly basis, monitoring data collected from surveillance sensors." Two provincial assembly members said that Perenco holds pollutant monitoring data for the concession but has not given the members access.
The head of a Muanda-based environmental organization said: "There is no public data available on pollutant measurement, which is why local NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] are trying to commission their own analyses."
***
Original text here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/07/27/dr-congo-oil-company-operations-pose-grave-pollution-threat
CMMC Phase II Is Suspended. Your Cybersecurity Obligations Are Not.
AUBURN, Massachusetts, July 27 -- The Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership issued the following news:
[Category: Business]
* * *
CMMC Phase II Is Suspended. Your Cybersecurity Obligations Are Not.
*
By Hayley Steele, Associate Director of Market Intelligence & Strategic Programming, MassMEP
On July 13, 2026, the Department of Defense announced the immediate suspension of CMMC Phase II requirements, which had been scheduled to take effect November 10, 2026. For manufacturers who have been working toward certification, the phones started ringing. What does this mean? Do we stop? ... Show Full Article AUBURN, Massachusetts, July 27 -- The Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership issued the following news: [Category: Business] * * * CMMC Phase II Is Suspended. Your Cybersecurity Obligations Are Not. * By Hayley Steele, Associate Director of Market Intelligence & Strategic Programming, MassMEP On July 13, 2026, the Department of Defense announced the immediate suspension of CMMC Phase II requirements, which had been scheduled to take effect November 10, 2026. For manufacturers who have been working toward certification, the phones started ringing. What does this mean? Do we stop?Do we wait? Do we start over?
The short answer: keep going.
The suspension does not eliminate your cybersecurity obligations. It does not repeal the CMMC program rule. It does not release you from the requirements already embedded in your contracts. What it does is pause the November deadline for Phase II third-party assessments by Certified Third-Party Assessment Organizations (C3PAOs), and it launches a 60-day review of the program by a newly formed CMMC Reform Task Force.
Phase I self-assessments, SPRS scores, and all DFARS safeguarding requirements remain fully in force. If you handle Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), those obligations did not change on July 13.
Why the Suspension Happened
The DoD CIO cited two core problems. First, the compliance cost burden on small and mid-size manufacturers in the defense supply chain. SBA data projected future CMMC phases could cost small businesses more than $7 billion annually. Second, an assessor shortage that made the certification timeline functionally impossible at scale, with more than 100,000 companies needing assessments and roughly 100 authorized C3PAOs available to conduct them.
The goal of the review is to reform the program, not end it. Officials have not ruled out ending it entirely, but the direction of the suspension is toward fixing the process, not abandoning the requirement for cybersecurity protection of defense information. That distinction matters for how manufacturers should respond.
What This Means for Massachusetts Manufacturers
Massachusetts has a significant defense supply chain. Manufacturers across the Commonwealth, from prime suppliers to sub-tier contractors, have been working to understand and meet CMMC requirements. The suspension gives additional time. It does not give permission to stop.
The manufacturers who will be best positioned when Phase II does take effect, in whatever form the reform task force recommends, are the ones who used this window to continue the work. Gap assessments completed now are not wasted. System Security Plans developed now are not wasted. The documentation, the controls, the internal processes built toward CMMC compliance are the same work that protects your contracts and your data today, regardless of where the certification timeline lands.
Stopping because the deadline moved is the costliest thing a manufacturer can do. The False Claims Act risk that comes with certifying CMMC compliance while not actually meeting cybersecurity obligations did not go away with Phase II. The contractual requirements in existing DFARS clauses did not go away. The cyber threats targeting the defense industrial base did not go away.
What You Will Learn on August 12
MassMEP and Synagex are hosting a one-hour information session on August 12, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. to cut through the noise and give manufacturers a clear picture of where things stand and what to do next.
Whether you are already working through a gap assessment or just beginning your CMMC journey, this session is designed to meet you where you are. The agenda covers:
* What the July 13 announcement means, and what it does not
* Why continuing your CMMC preparation is still the right move
* How the suspension affects manufacturers at different stages of CMMC readiness
* Next steps based on what we know today
The session closes with a live Q&A with CMMC experts. This is one hour with people who have been working in this space every day and can answer your specific questions directly.
The Window Is Open. Use It.
The 60-day reform review is underway. The public RFI comment deadline is August 14, one day after our session. The task force will report its findings and recommendations shortly after. What comes next is not yet known.
What is known: manufacturers who stay the course on cybersecurity preparedness are protected regardless of where the policy lands. Those who step back and wait are exposed.
Register for the August 12 information session here and come with your questions.
***
Original text here: https://massmep.org/cmmc-phase-ii-is-suspended/
[Category: Business]
* * *
CMMC Phase II Is Suspended. Your Cybersecurity Obligations Are Not.
*
By Hayley Steele, Associate Director of Market Intelligence & Strategic Programming, MassMEP
On July 13, 2026, the Department of Defense announced the immediate suspension of CMMC Phase II requirements, which had been scheduled to take effect November 10, 2026. For manufacturers who have been working toward certification, the phones started ringing. What does this mean? Do we stop? ... Show Full Article AUBURN, Massachusetts, July 27 -- The Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership issued the following news: [Category: Business] * * * CMMC Phase II Is Suspended. Your Cybersecurity Obligations Are Not. * By Hayley Steele, Associate Director of Market Intelligence & Strategic Programming, MassMEP On July 13, 2026, the Department of Defense announced the immediate suspension of CMMC Phase II requirements, which had been scheduled to take effect November 10, 2026. For manufacturers who have been working toward certification, the phones started ringing. What does this mean? Do we stop?Do we wait? Do we start over?
The short answer: keep going.
The suspension does not eliminate your cybersecurity obligations. It does not repeal the CMMC program rule. It does not release you from the requirements already embedded in your contracts. What it does is pause the November deadline for Phase II third-party assessments by Certified Third-Party Assessment Organizations (C3PAOs), and it launches a 60-day review of the program by a newly formed CMMC Reform Task Force.
Phase I self-assessments, SPRS scores, and all DFARS safeguarding requirements remain fully in force. If you handle Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), those obligations did not change on July 13.
Why the Suspension Happened
The DoD CIO cited two core problems. First, the compliance cost burden on small and mid-size manufacturers in the defense supply chain. SBA data projected future CMMC phases could cost small businesses more than $7 billion annually. Second, an assessor shortage that made the certification timeline functionally impossible at scale, with more than 100,000 companies needing assessments and roughly 100 authorized C3PAOs available to conduct them.
The goal of the review is to reform the program, not end it. Officials have not ruled out ending it entirely, but the direction of the suspension is toward fixing the process, not abandoning the requirement for cybersecurity protection of defense information. That distinction matters for how manufacturers should respond.
What This Means for Massachusetts Manufacturers
Massachusetts has a significant defense supply chain. Manufacturers across the Commonwealth, from prime suppliers to sub-tier contractors, have been working to understand and meet CMMC requirements. The suspension gives additional time. It does not give permission to stop.
The manufacturers who will be best positioned when Phase II does take effect, in whatever form the reform task force recommends, are the ones who used this window to continue the work. Gap assessments completed now are not wasted. System Security Plans developed now are not wasted. The documentation, the controls, the internal processes built toward CMMC compliance are the same work that protects your contracts and your data today, regardless of where the certification timeline lands.
Stopping because the deadline moved is the costliest thing a manufacturer can do. The False Claims Act risk that comes with certifying CMMC compliance while not actually meeting cybersecurity obligations did not go away with Phase II. The contractual requirements in existing DFARS clauses did not go away. The cyber threats targeting the defense industrial base did not go away.
What You Will Learn on August 12
MassMEP and Synagex are hosting a one-hour information session on August 12, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. to cut through the noise and give manufacturers a clear picture of where things stand and what to do next.
Whether you are already working through a gap assessment or just beginning your CMMC journey, this session is designed to meet you where you are. The agenda covers:
* What the July 13 announcement means, and what it does not
* Why continuing your CMMC preparation is still the right move
* How the suspension affects manufacturers at different stages of CMMC readiness
* Next steps based on what we know today
The session closes with a live Q&A with CMMC experts. This is one hour with people who have been working in this space every day and can answer your specific questions directly.
The Window Is Open. Use It.
The 60-day reform review is underway. The public RFI comment deadline is August 14, one day after our session. The task force will report its findings and recommendations shortly after. What comes next is not yet known.
What is known: manufacturers who stay the course on cybersecurity preparedness are protected regardless of where the policy lands. Those who step back and wait are exposed.
Register for the August 12 information session here and come with your questions.
***
Original text here: https://massmep.org/cmmc-phase-ii-is-suspended/
Appeal Challenges Public Lands Data Center in Nevada
WASHINGTON, July 27 [Category: Biology] -- The Center for Biological Diversity posted the following news release:
* * *
Appeal Challenges Public Lands Data Center in Nevada
*
LAS VEGAS-The Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter today filed an administrative appeal challenging federal approval of the Townsite Data Center in Boulder City, Nevada.
The 167-megawatt data center, proposed by Skylar Capital Management, was approved by the Bureau of Land Management in June through an unorthodox permitting procedure that avoided any environmental review or public participation. ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 27 [Category: Biology] -- The Center for Biological Diversity posted the following news release: * * * Appeal Challenges Public Lands Data Center in Nevada * LAS VEGAS-The Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter today filed an administrative appeal challenging federal approval of the Townsite Data Center in Boulder City, Nevada. The 167-megawatt data center, proposed by Skylar Capital Management, was approved by the Bureau of Land Management in June through an unorthodox permitting procedure that avoided any environmental review or public participation.It is the first data center ever approved on public lands.
"It's an outrage that the Trump administration is giving away our public lands to hedge funds for data centers," said Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Public lands are for wildlife and clean water, for recreation and spiritual renewal. They're not meant for big tech companies to spew air pollution and suck down water for AI and the surveillance state."
The data center would be built on desert tortoise habitat in Eldorado Valley, southeast of Las Vegas. Water for the project would be sourced from within the parched Colorado River Basin. It is within the city limits of the small town of Boulder City, which is also filing an appeal.
Today's appeal says the BLM unlawfully sidestepped environmental review laws by using a prior authorization for a solar project at the same site to fulfill requirements for authorizing the data center. This meant the public never had an opportunity to review the data center plans or offer input before the BLM approved the project.
"Trump is sidestepping the law and shutting the public out of decisions about our public lands," said Olivia Tanager, executive director at the Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter. "By cutting the public out of the process, they're trying to hand over Nevada's desert to billion-dollar tech companies without anyone getting a say. If this isn't challenged, it won't stop in Boulder City -it will become the blueprint for data centers across public lands in the West. We're fighting to make sure that never happens."
Joining the appeal are several residents of Boulder City who would be harmed by the data center if it were constructed.
"I've heard myriad warnings about the negative impacts hyperscale AI data centers have had on small towns across the United States, but have yet to find a single town whose residents have thanked their government for bestowing one of these industrial behemoths upon them," said Brynn DeLorimier, a local business owner in Boulder City. "I believe placing such a facility in a water-starved desert where we see increasingly hot summers year over year is about the most shortsighted decision any level of government could possibly make. We don't want to see our utility rates skyrocket while our property values plummet, we don't want to see our tourism industry destroyed, we don't want to see our water supply contaminated, and we don't want the natural beauty of our desert to turn into an industrial wasteland."
Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduced a bill in Congress last week to prevent construction of data centers on all federal land.
***
Original text here: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/appeal-challenges-public-lands-data-center-in-nevada-2026-07-27/
* * *
Appeal Challenges Public Lands Data Center in Nevada
*
LAS VEGAS-The Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter today filed an administrative appeal challenging federal approval of the Townsite Data Center in Boulder City, Nevada.
The 167-megawatt data center, proposed by Skylar Capital Management, was approved by the Bureau of Land Management in June through an unorthodox permitting procedure that avoided any environmental review or public participation. ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 27 [Category: Biology] -- The Center for Biological Diversity posted the following news release: * * * Appeal Challenges Public Lands Data Center in Nevada * LAS VEGAS-The Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter today filed an administrative appeal challenging federal approval of the Townsite Data Center in Boulder City, Nevada. The 167-megawatt data center, proposed by Skylar Capital Management, was approved by the Bureau of Land Management in June through an unorthodox permitting procedure that avoided any environmental review or public participation.It is the first data center ever approved on public lands.
"It's an outrage that the Trump administration is giving away our public lands to hedge funds for data centers," said Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Public lands are for wildlife and clean water, for recreation and spiritual renewal. They're not meant for big tech companies to spew air pollution and suck down water for AI and the surveillance state."
The data center would be built on desert tortoise habitat in Eldorado Valley, southeast of Las Vegas. Water for the project would be sourced from within the parched Colorado River Basin. It is within the city limits of the small town of Boulder City, which is also filing an appeal.
Today's appeal says the BLM unlawfully sidestepped environmental review laws by using a prior authorization for a solar project at the same site to fulfill requirements for authorizing the data center. This meant the public never had an opportunity to review the data center plans or offer input before the BLM approved the project.
"Trump is sidestepping the law and shutting the public out of decisions about our public lands," said Olivia Tanager, executive director at the Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter. "By cutting the public out of the process, they're trying to hand over Nevada's desert to billion-dollar tech companies without anyone getting a say. If this isn't challenged, it won't stop in Boulder City -it will become the blueprint for data centers across public lands in the West. We're fighting to make sure that never happens."
Joining the appeal are several residents of Boulder City who would be harmed by the data center if it were constructed.
"I've heard myriad warnings about the negative impacts hyperscale AI data centers have had on small towns across the United States, but have yet to find a single town whose residents have thanked their government for bestowing one of these industrial behemoths upon them," said Brynn DeLorimier, a local business owner in Boulder City. "I believe placing such a facility in a water-starved desert where we see increasingly hot summers year over year is about the most shortsighted decision any level of government could possibly make. We don't want to see our utility rates skyrocket while our property values plummet, we don't want to see our tourism industry destroyed, we don't want to see our water supply contaminated, and we don't want the natural beauty of our desert to turn into an industrial wasteland."
Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduced a bill in Congress last week to prevent construction of data centers on all federal land.
***
Original text here: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/appeal-challenges-public-lands-data-center-in-nevada-2026-07-27/
Election Month Ruling By Supreme Court Regrettable
FAIRFAX, Virginia, July 27 [Category: Government/Public Administration] -- Americans for Limited Government posted the following news release:
* * *
Election Month Ruling By Supreme Court Regrettable
*
June 29, 2026, Fairfax, Va.-Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement on the Supreme Court's ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee :
"In an apparent bid to avert Democrats' threatened Supreme Court packing scheme, Republican-appointed justices John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett have apparently opted to just give Democrats ... Show Full Article FAIRFAX, Virginia, July 27 [Category: Government/Public Administration] -- Americans for Limited Government posted the following news release: * * * Election Month Ruling By Supreme Court Regrettable * June 29, 2026, Fairfax, Va.-Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement on the Supreme Court's ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee : "In an apparent bid to avert Democrats' threatened Supreme Court packing scheme, Republican-appointed justices John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett have apparently opted to just give Democratseverything they want including an election month voting where ballots are counted no matter how late they arrive after Election Day. Arguing there is no prohibition against late ballots, the nation's highest court has effectively made Election Day a dead letter. Now, the only resort for the American people who want to restore same-day voting is for Congress to pass another statute to clarify what federal law has already stated for more than a century was 'the day for the election...' This ruling is regrettable and will prove Stalin's maxim that it is not those who vote, but those who count the ballots that decide everything."
For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.
***
Original text here: https://getliberty.org/2026/06/election-month-ruling-by-supreme-court-regrettable/
* * *
Election Month Ruling By Supreme Court Regrettable
*
June 29, 2026, Fairfax, Va.-Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement on the Supreme Court's ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee :
"In an apparent bid to avert Democrats' threatened Supreme Court packing scheme, Republican-appointed justices John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett have apparently opted to just give Democrats ... Show Full Article FAIRFAX, Virginia, July 27 [Category: Government/Public Administration] -- Americans for Limited Government posted the following news release: * * * Election Month Ruling By Supreme Court Regrettable * June 29, 2026, Fairfax, Va.-Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement on the Supreme Court's ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee : "In an apparent bid to avert Democrats' threatened Supreme Court packing scheme, Republican-appointed justices John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett have apparently opted to just give Democratseverything they want including an election month voting where ballots are counted no matter how late they arrive after Election Day. Arguing there is no prohibition against late ballots, the nation's highest court has effectively made Election Day a dead letter. Now, the only resort for the American people who want to restore same-day voting is for Congress to pass another statute to clarify what federal law has already stated for more than a century was 'the day for the election...' This ruling is regrettable and will prove Stalin's maxim that it is not those who vote, but those who count the ballots that decide everything."
For media availability contact Americans for Limited Government at media@limitgov.org.
***
Original text here: https://getliberty.org/2026/06/election-month-ruling-by-supreme-court-regrettable/
AI Cybersecurity Incidents Show Self-Regulation Can't Work
WASHINGTON, July 27 [Category: Political] -- Public Citizen issued the following news release:
* * *
AI Cybersecurity Incidents Show Self-Regulation Can't Work
*
Following the reported OpenAI-Hugging Face cybersecurity incident, Nvidia, Microsoft, SpaceX, Palantir, and dozens of other technology companies announced a new voluntary AI safety alliance. The announcement comes amid growing debate over AI security, open-weight models, and the role of government oversight after reports that Hugging Face relied on a self-hosted open-weight model to defend against a rogue OpenAI model during the incident. ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 27 [Category: Political] -- Public Citizen issued the following news release: * * * AI Cybersecurity Incidents Show Self-Regulation Can't Work * Following the reported OpenAI-Hugging Face cybersecurity incident, Nvidia, Microsoft, SpaceX, Palantir, and dozens of other technology companies announced a new voluntary AI safety alliance. The announcement comes amid growing debate over AI security, open-weight models, and the role of government oversight after reports that Hugging Face relied on a self-hosted open-weight model to defend against a rogue OpenAI model during the incident.J.B. Branch, director of federal AI governance and technology policy for Public Citizen, released the following statement:
"The OpenAI-Hugging Face incident should permanently put to rest the illusion that voluntary industry initiatives are a substitute for government oversight. We have already witnessed Grok generate an explosion of nonconsensual deepfake imagery, and the Trump administration doubled down by allowing it access to Pentagon confidential records. Now OpenAI's frontier AI system engaged in a sophisticated hack that crossed a red line.
"The American people deserve more than voluntary promises from the companies racing to build powerful AI systems. Every time Congress chooses inaction, it is allowing Big Tech to continue conducting a high-stakes AI experiment on the world without meaningful guardrails. Congress must establish a comprehensive federal AI safety framework with mandatory safety testing, independent audits, incident reporting requirements, and regulators empowered to remove AI systems when they pose risks.
"We should not wait for a catastrophic failure before acting. The U.S. has both a moral obligation and a strategic responsibility to lead the world in responsible AI governance."
***
Original text here: https://www.citizen.org/news/ai-cybersecurity-incidents-show-self-regulation-cant-work/
* * *
AI Cybersecurity Incidents Show Self-Regulation Can't Work
*
Following the reported OpenAI-Hugging Face cybersecurity incident, Nvidia, Microsoft, SpaceX, Palantir, and dozens of other technology companies announced a new voluntary AI safety alliance. The announcement comes amid growing debate over AI security, open-weight models, and the role of government oversight after reports that Hugging Face relied on a self-hosted open-weight model to defend against a rogue OpenAI model during the incident. ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 27 [Category: Political] -- Public Citizen issued the following news release: * * * AI Cybersecurity Incidents Show Self-Regulation Can't Work * Following the reported OpenAI-Hugging Face cybersecurity incident, Nvidia, Microsoft, SpaceX, Palantir, and dozens of other technology companies announced a new voluntary AI safety alliance. The announcement comes amid growing debate over AI security, open-weight models, and the role of government oversight after reports that Hugging Face relied on a self-hosted open-weight model to defend against a rogue OpenAI model during the incident.J.B. Branch, director of federal AI governance and technology policy for Public Citizen, released the following statement:
"The OpenAI-Hugging Face incident should permanently put to rest the illusion that voluntary industry initiatives are a substitute for government oversight. We have already witnessed Grok generate an explosion of nonconsensual deepfake imagery, and the Trump administration doubled down by allowing it access to Pentagon confidential records. Now OpenAI's frontier AI system engaged in a sophisticated hack that crossed a red line.
"The American people deserve more than voluntary promises from the companies racing to build powerful AI systems. Every time Congress chooses inaction, it is allowing Big Tech to continue conducting a high-stakes AI experiment on the world without meaningful guardrails. Congress must establish a comprehensive federal AI safety framework with mandatory safety testing, independent audits, incident reporting requirements, and regulators empowered to remove AI systems when they pose risks.
"We should not wait for a catastrophic failure before acting. The U.S. has both a moral obligation and a strategic responsibility to lead the world in responsible AI governance."
***
Original text here: https://www.citizen.org/news/ai-cybersecurity-incidents-show-self-regulation-cant-work/
100 Days Out From Election Day, Reproductive Freedom for All Releases New Research Showing Abortion is Motivating Battleground Voters, Alongside $2 Million Organizing Investment
WASHINGTON, July 27 [Category: Political] -- Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly the NARAL Pro-Choice America) posted the following news release:
* * *
100 Days Out From Election Day, Reproductive Freedom for All Releases New Research Showing Abortion is Motivating Battleground Voters, Alongside $2 Million Organizing Investment
*
: Monday, July 27, 2026
Contact: media@reproductivefreedomforall.org
Washington, DC -With just under 100 days remaining until Election Day, Reproductive Freedom for All announced new research, conducted in partnership with Impact Research, showing that abortion ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 27 [Category: Political] -- Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly the NARAL Pro-Choice America) posted the following news release: * * * 100 Days Out From Election Day, Reproductive Freedom for All Releases New Research Showing Abortion is Motivating Battleground Voters, Alongside $2 Million Organizing Investment * : Monday, July 27, 2026 Contact: media@reproductivefreedomforall.org Washington, DC -With just under 100 days remaining until Election Day, Reproductive Freedom for All announced new research, conducted in partnership with Impact Research, showing that abortionremains a deeply salient issue for battleground voters and is a key factor in determining which candidates they will support in the 2026 election. The research comes as part of the organization's historic midterm strategy-My Body. My Ballot.-and shows that nearly half of likely voters in battleground states say a candidate's support for a national abortion ban is a dealbreaker, while eight in ten said that it is important that lawmakers protect access to reproductive healthcare. Linking abortion restrictions and soaring healthcare costs to Republicans' cuts to Medicaid is particularly potent.
The bottom line: Two-thirds of battleground voters are motivated to vote in November to make their support for reproductive healthcare clear.
Reproductive Freedom for All is hitting the ground running with this new research by announcing a new $2 million investment through the My Body. My Ballot. campaign in direct voter contact to mobilize voters to elect reproductive freedom champions and hold anti-abortion politicians accountable in the 2026 midterm elections. This includes six-figure investments in canvassing and volunteer engagement programs in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia, and a six-figure investment to support programming and member outreach in California. This funding will empower organizers across key battleground states to speak directly with voters about the stakes of the election and turn widespread support for reproductive freedom into action at the ballot box.
Throughout August, Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju will be hitting the road to join candidates, organizers, and advocates in Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada. As November nears, she will connect with voters face-to-face, highlight the stakes of this year's midterm elections, and mobilize support for reproductive freedom champions and abortion ballot initiatives ahead of November.
Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju released the following statement:
"In less than 100 days, voters will decide whether their rights and freedoms are protected, or pushed even further out of reach. Our new research shows that abortion moves voters and will help define the battleground races that will determine control of Congress.
The message from battleground voters is unmistakable: supporting a national abortion ban isn't just unpopular-it's a dealbreaker. Over the next 100 days, we will organize alongside our more than 4.5 million members and turn that support into power at the ballot box. Together, we will hold anti-abortion extremists accountable and secure leaders who work for the people-not Donald Trump."
This November presents a critical opportunity to secure state-level protections for abortion access, regain a majority in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, and send a clear message: supporting abortion bans and attacking reproductive freedom are disqualifying positions.
As Trump continues to pack the courts, his cabinet, and federal agencies with anti-abortion loyalists, his allies in Congress have enabled him every step of the way by confirming these extremists and ensuring they fall in line with Trump's national anti-abortion agenda. In 100 days, voters can make sure they are held accountable and that their leaders fight for their rights and freedoms at every level.
The research and $2 million organizing investment are part of Reproductive Freedom for All's historic My Body. My Ballot. campaign-a $23.5 million effort to mobilize voters, hold anti-abortion politicians accountable, and elect reproductive freedom champions in key races across the country.
For over 55 years, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels-including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave-for everybody. Reproductive Freedom for All is powered by its more than 4.5 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.
***
Original text here: https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/news/100-days-out-from-election-day-reproductive-freedom-for-all-releases-new-research-showing-abortion-is-motivating-battleground-voters-alongside-2-million-organizing-investment/
* * *
100 Days Out From Election Day, Reproductive Freedom for All Releases New Research Showing Abortion is Motivating Battleground Voters, Alongside $2 Million Organizing Investment
*
: Monday, July 27, 2026
Contact: media@reproductivefreedomforall.org
Washington, DC -With just under 100 days remaining until Election Day, Reproductive Freedom for All announced new research, conducted in partnership with Impact Research, showing that abortion ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 27 [Category: Political] -- Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly the NARAL Pro-Choice America) posted the following news release: * * * 100 Days Out From Election Day, Reproductive Freedom for All Releases New Research Showing Abortion is Motivating Battleground Voters, Alongside $2 Million Organizing Investment * : Monday, July 27, 2026 Contact: media@reproductivefreedomforall.org Washington, DC -With just under 100 days remaining until Election Day, Reproductive Freedom for All announced new research, conducted in partnership with Impact Research, showing that abortionremains a deeply salient issue for battleground voters and is a key factor in determining which candidates they will support in the 2026 election. The research comes as part of the organization's historic midterm strategy-My Body. My Ballot.-and shows that nearly half of likely voters in battleground states say a candidate's support for a national abortion ban is a dealbreaker, while eight in ten said that it is important that lawmakers protect access to reproductive healthcare. Linking abortion restrictions and soaring healthcare costs to Republicans' cuts to Medicaid is particularly potent.
The bottom line: Two-thirds of battleground voters are motivated to vote in November to make their support for reproductive healthcare clear.
Reproductive Freedom for All is hitting the ground running with this new research by announcing a new $2 million investment through the My Body. My Ballot. campaign in direct voter contact to mobilize voters to elect reproductive freedom champions and hold anti-abortion politicians accountable in the 2026 midterm elections. This includes six-figure investments in canvassing and volunteer engagement programs in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia, and a six-figure investment to support programming and member outreach in California. This funding will empower organizers across key battleground states to speak directly with voters about the stakes of the election and turn widespread support for reproductive freedom into action at the ballot box.
Throughout August, Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju will be hitting the road to join candidates, organizers, and advocates in Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada. As November nears, she will connect with voters face-to-face, highlight the stakes of this year's midterm elections, and mobilize support for reproductive freedom champions and abortion ballot initiatives ahead of November.
Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju released the following statement:
"In less than 100 days, voters will decide whether their rights and freedoms are protected, or pushed even further out of reach. Our new research shows that abortion moves voters and will help define the battleground races that will determine control of Congress.
The message from battleground voters is unmistakable: supporting a national abortion ban isn't just unpopular-it's a dealbreaker. Over the next 100 days, we will organize alongside our more than 4.5 million members and turn that support into power at the ballot box. Together, we will hold anti-abortion extremists accountable and secure leaders who work for the people-not Donald Trump."
This November presents a critical opportunity to secure state-level protections for abortion access, regain a majority in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, and send a clear message: supporting abortion bans and attacking reproductive freedom are disqualifying positions.
As Trump continues to pack the courts, his cabinet, and federal agencies with anti-abortion loyalists, his allies in Congress have enabled him every step of the way by confirming these extremists and ensuring they fall in line with Trump's national anti-abortion agenda. In 100 days, voters can make sure they are held accountable and that their leaders fight for their rights and freedoms at every level.
The research and $2 million organizing investment are part of Reproductive Freedom for All's historic My Body. My Ballot. campaign-a $23.5 million effort to mobilize voters, hold anti-abortion politicians accountable, and elect reproductive freedom champions in key races across the country.
For over 55 years, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels-including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave-for everybody. Reproductive Freedom for All is powered by its more than 4.5 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.
***
Original text here: https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/news/100-days-out-from-election-day-reproductive-freedom-for-all-releases-new-research-showing-abortion-is-motivating-battleground-voters-alongside-2-million-organizing-investment/
Scouting America Launches Competitive Gaming Merit Badge at the National Jamboree
IRVING, Texas, July 25 -- Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America) issued the following news release on July 24, 2026:
* * *
Scouting America Launches Competitive Gaming Merit Badge at the National Jamboree
New merit badge connects teamwork, leadership, digital citizenship, and technology skills through the rapidly growing world of competitive gaming
-
Scouting America today announced the launch of the Competitive Gaming merit badge at the National Jamboree, introducing Scouts to the exciting world of esports while emphasizing teamwork, communication, leadership, sportsmanship, ... Show Full Article IRVING, Texas, July 25 -- Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America) issued the following news release on July 24, 2026: * * * Scouting America Launches Competitive Gaming Merit Badge at the National Jamboree New merit badge connects teamwork, leadership, digital citizenship, and technology skills through the rapidly growing world of competitive gaming - Scouting America today announced the launch of the Competitive Gaming merit badge at the National Jamboree, introducing Scouts to the exciting world of esports while emphasizing teamwork, communication, leadership, sportsmanship,and responsible digital engagement.
The new merit badge reflects Scouting America's commitment to preparing young people for success in a rapidly evolving digital world. Through hands-on learning and competitive play, Scouts will explore the fundamentals of organized gaming, online safety, technology, strategy development, and the skills necessary to thrive both in and out of competition.
"Competitive gaming has become a global platform for collaboration, innovation, and skill development," said Ryan Moon, director of new programs at Scouting America. "The Competitive Gaming merit badge gives Scouts an opportunity to engage in an activity they are passionate about while learning critical life skills such as teamwork, communication, resilience, and ethical decision-making."
The merit badge debuted during the National Jamboree in West Virginia, where Scouts from across the country have the opportunity to participate in interactive activities, educational sessions, and competitive gaming experiences designed to highlight the badge's requirements and learning objectives.
The Competitive Gaming Merit Badge focuses on key areas including:
* Teamwork and effective communication
* Leadership and strategic thinking
* Digital citizenship and online safety
* Healthy gaming habits and wellness
* Technology and gaming systems
* Sportsmanship and ethical competition
* Career exploration within the gaming and technology industries
As esports continues to grow as a competitive, educational, and career-oriented field, the merit badge offers Scouts a structured way to understand the opportunities and responsibilities associated with gaming.
"Scouting has always evolved to reflect the interests and future opportunities facing young people," said Roger Krone, president and CEO of Scouting America. "By introducing the Competitive Gaming merit badge, we are meeting Scouts where they are while reinforcing the values that have defined Scouting for generations."
The National Jamboree provides an ideal setting for the merit badge launch, bringing together thousands of Scouts and leaders for one of the organization's premier events focused on adventure, leadership, innovation, and personal growth.
* * *
About Scouting America
Scouting America provides the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be "Prepared. For Life.(R)" Scouting America welcomes all of America's youth into its programs. Our goal is to give them fantastic experiences in the outdoors, and elsewhere, where they can grow with us in a safe environment. More than 130 million Americans have been through our programs since our founding, and nearly 1 million youth are served by 477,000 dedicated adult volunteers in local councils throughout the country. To learn more about Scouting America's mission, or to sign your child up for Scouting, visit www.BeAScout.org.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.scoutingnewsroom.org/press-releases/scouting-america-launches-competitive-gaming-merit-badge-at-the-national-jamboree/
[Category: Sociological]
* * *
Scouting America Launches Competitive Gaming Merit Badge at the National Jamboree
New merit badge connects teamwork, leadership, digital citizenship, and technology skills through the rapidly growing world of competitive gaming
-
Scouting America today announced the launch of the Competitive Gaming merit badge at the National Jamboree, introducing Scouts to the exciting world of esports while emphasizing teamwork, communication, leadership, sportsmanship, ... Show Full Article IRVING, Texas, July 25 -- Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America) issued the following news release on July 24, 2026: * * * Scouting America Launches Competitive Gaming Merit Badge at the National Jamboree New merit badge connects teamwork, leadership, digital citizenship, and technology skills through the rapidly growing world of competitive gaming - Scouting America today announced the launch of the Competitive Gaming merit badge at the National Jamboree, introducing Scouts to the exciting world of esports while emphasizing teamwork, communication, leadership, sportsmanship,and responsible digital engagement.
The new merit badge reflects Scouting America's commitment to preparing young people for success in a rapidly evolving digital world. Through hands-on learning and competitive play, Scouts will explore the fundamentals of organized gaming, online safety, technology, strategy development, and the skills necessary to thrive both in and out of competition.
"Competitive gaming has become a global platform for collaboration, innovation, and skill development," said Ryan Moon, director of new programs at Scouting America. "The Competitive Gaming merit badge gives Scouts an opportunity to engage in an activity they are passionate about while learning critical life skills such as teamwork, communication, resilience, and ethical decision-making."
The merit badge debuted during the National Jamboree in West Virginia, where Scouts from across the country have the opportunity to participate in interactive activities, educational sessions, and competitive gaming experiences designed to highlight the badge's requirements and learning objectives.
The Competitive Gaming Merit Badge focuses on key areas including:
* Teamwork and effective communication
* Leadership and strategic thinking
* Digital citizenship and online safety
* Healthy gaming habits and wellness
* Technology and gaming systems
* Sportsmanship and ethical competition
* Career exploration within the gaming and technology industries
As esports continues to grow as a competitive, educational, and career-oriented field, the merit badge offers Scouts a structured way to understand the opportunities and responsibilities associated with gaming.
"Scouting has always evolved to reflect the interests and future opportunities facing young people," said Roger Krone, president and CEO of Scouting America. "By introducing the Competitive Gaming merit badge, we are meeting Scouts where they are while reinforcing the values that have defined Scouting for generations."
The National Jamboree provides an ideal setting for the merit badge launch, bringing together thousands of Scouts and leaders for one of the organization's premier events focused on adventure, leadership, innovation, and personal growth.
* * *
About Scouting America
Scouting America provides the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be "Prepared. For Life.(R)" Scouting America welcomes all of America's youth into its programs. Our goal is to give them fantastic experiences in the outdoors, and elsewhere, where they can grow with us in a safe environment. More than 130 million Americans have been through our programs since our founding, and nearly 1 million youth are served by 477,000 dedicated adult volunteers in local councils throughout the country. To learn more about Scouting America's mission, or to sign your child up for Scouting, visit www.BeAScout.org.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.scoutingnewsroom.org/press-releases/scouting-america-launches-competitive-gaming-merit-badge-at-the-national-jamboree/
[Category: Sociological]
Save the Sound Applauds New Proposed Air Monitoring Requirement for Brookfield Compressor Station; Highlights New Carbon Monoxide Concerns
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, July 25 -- Save the Sound issued the following news release on July 24, 2026:
* * *
Save the Sound applauds new proposed air monitoring requirement for Brookfield compressor station; highlights new carbon monoxide concerns
Public hearing and comment critical to protect environment
-
Save the Sound is pleased by the announcement Friday that the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has opened a new public comment period on Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.'s proposed expansion of its Brookfield Compressor Station. Save the Sound is also pleased ... Show Full Article NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, July 25 -- Save the Sound issued the following news release on July 24, 2026: * * * Save the Sound applauds new proposed air monitoring requirement for Brookfield compressor station; highlights new carbon monoxide concerns Public hearing and comment critical to protect environment - Save the Sound is pleased by the announcement Friday that the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has opened a new public comment period on Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.'s proposed expansion of its Brookfield Compressor Station. Save the Sound is also pleasedthat DEEP has proposed adding air monitoring requirements for the Brookfield compressor station. However, Save the Sound is concerned that DEEP is also revising carbon monoxide emissions limits in a way that increases, rather than decreases, the impact to public health.
The new comment period allows Save the Sound and any other concerned residents to petition for an adjudicatory hearing challenging the permit.
Save the Sound first petitioned for an adjudicatory hearing more than ten months ago under the previous notice. Read more about the project and Save the Sound's concerns in the September 17, 2025 press release.
"We're encouraged that the Governor and DEEP have indicated they will require air quality monitoring," said Jessica Roberts, Connecticut staff attorney at Save the Sound. "But the state of Connecticut can't protect its residents, keep its air clean, and meet its greenhouse gas reduction obligations if it keeps allowing expansions of gas infrastructure without appropriate safeguards."
In a formal response issued Friday afternoon, DEEP replied to previous public comments. This response to comments will be available on DEEP's Adjudications website shortly as an attachment to the Hearing Officer Report for this matter. In addition, DEEP provided revised draft permits, which require Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems for nitrogen oxides at the site and raise the emissions limit for carbon monoxide.
"Requiring more consistent and advanced air quality monitoring is a critical step for transparency and public health, but we remain deeply concerned about this project's impacts, including its carbon monoxide emissions," said Roberts. "Brookfield already has elevated levels of ozone, which worsens asthma and bronchitis and can damage airways. Expanding the Brookfield Compressor Station to supply gas to New York needlessly burdens Connecticut residents, degrading their air quality and threatening their health and safety."
DEEP's notice of the 30-day public comment period can be viewed here. This notice also contains links to the revised draft permits for Iroquois. Save the Sound encourages all concerned Connecticut residents to look for more information and to submit comments.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.savethesound.org/2026/07/24/press-release-save-the-sound-applauds-new-proposed-air-monitoring-requirement-for-brookfield-compressor-station-highlights-new-carbon-monoxide-concerns/
[Category: Environment]
* * *
Save the Sound applauds new proposed air monitoring requirement for Brookfield compressor station; highlights new carbon monoxide concerns
Public hearing and comment critical to protect environment
-
Save the Sound is pleased by the announcement Friday that the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has opened a new public comment period on Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.'s proposed expansion of its Brookfield Compressor Station. Save the Sound is also pleased ... Show Full Article NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, July 25 -- Save the Sound issued the following news release on July 24, 2026: * * * Save the Sound applauds new proposed air monitoring requirement for Brookfield compressor station; highlights new carbon monoxide concerns Public hearing and comment critical to protect environment - Save the Sound is pleased by the announcement Friday that the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has opened a new public comment period on Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.'s proposed expansion of its Brookfield Compressor Station. Save the Sound is also pleasedthat DEEP has proposed adding air monitoring requirements for the Brookfield compressor station. However, Save the Sound is concerned that DEEP is also revising carbon monoxide emissions limits in a way that increases, rather than decreases, the impact to public health.
The new comment period allows Save the Sound and any other concerned residents to petition for an adjudicatory hearing challenging the permit.
Save the Sound first petitioned for an adjudicatory hearing more than ten months ago under the previous notice. Read more about the project and Save the Sound's concerns in the September 17, 2025 press release.
"We're encouraged that the Governor and DEEP have indicated they will require air quality monitoring," said Jessica Roberts, Connecticut staff attorney at Save the Sound. "But the state of Connecticut can't protect its residents, keep its air clean, and meet its greenhouse gas reduction obligations if it keeps allowing expansions of gas infrastructure without appropriate safeguards."
In a formal response issued Friday afternoon, DEEP replied to previous public comments. This response to comments will be available on DEEP's Adjudications website shortly as an attachment to the Hearing Officer Report for this matter. In addition, DEEP provided revised draft permits, which require Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems for nitrogen oxides at the site and raise the emissions limit for carbon monoxide.
"Requiring more consistent and advanced air quality monitoring is a critical step for transparency and public health, but we remain deeply concerned about this project's impacts, including its carbon monoxide emissions," said Roberts. "Brookfield already has elevated levels of ozone, which worsens asthma and bronchitis and can damage airways. Expanding the Brookfield Compressor Station to supply gas to New York needlessly burdens Connecticut residents, degrading their air quality and threatening their health and safety."
DEEP's notice of the 30-day public comment period can be viewed here. This notice also contains links to the revised draft permits for Iroquois. Save the Sound encourages all concerned Connecticut residents to look for more information and to submit comments.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.savethesound.org/2026/07/24/press-release-save-the-sound-applauds-new-proposed-air-monitoring-requirement-for-brookfield-compressor-station-highlights-new-carbon-monoxide-concerns/
[Category: Environment]
Pharma Looks to Cash in on Psychedelics as Patients Seek Alternatives to Psychotropic Drugs for Depression
FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, July 25 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following news:
* * *
Pharma Looks to Cash in on Psychedelics as Patients Seek Alternatives to Psychotropic Drugs for Depression
Eli Lilly's multibillion-dollar acquisition of a company that makes experimental psychedelic therapies marks the largest investment yet by a drugmaker in psychedelic medicine as a treatment for depression. But pharma's entry into the market raises questions about patents, ... Show Full Article FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, July 25 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following news: * * * Pharma Looks to Cash in on Psychedelics as Patients Seek Alternatives to Psychotropic Drugs for Depression Eli Lilly's multibillion-dollar acquisition of a company that makes experimental psychedelic therapies marks the largest investment yet by a drugmaker in psychedelic medicine as a treatment for depression. But pharma's entry into the market raises questions about patents,profits and the future of psychedelic therapy.
by Henrick Karoliszyn, DSW
Eli Lilly's multibillion-dollar acquisition of AtaiBeckley marks the largest pharmaceutical investment yet in psychedelic medicine, signaling a new phase for an industry once relegated to the margins of scientific research.
The deal, valued at approximately $2.8 billion upfront with up to $1 billion in additional milestone payments, gives Lilly control of AtaiBeckley's experimental psychedelic therapies, including BPL-003, a fast-acting nasal spray containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) being studied for treatment-resistant depression.
AtaiBeckley announced in October 2025 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted BPL-003 Breakthrough Therapy designation, a status intended to accelerate development of treatments for serious conditions when early evidence suggests substantial improvement over existing options.
"Millions of people are still searching for relief and desperately need a therapy that works," said Dr. Carole Ho, president of Lilly Neuroscience. Advancing AtaiBeckley's therapies, she said, gives Lilly "a real chance to change that."
The company's purchase comes as pharmaceutical companies increasingly move into a field that has attracted growing scientific interest but remains controversial because of questions surrounding commercialization, access, intellectual property -- and whether corporate development will preserve the therapeutic models that shaped psychedelic research.
A turning point for psychedelic medicine
The Lilly-AtaiBeckley acquisition follows another major pharmaceutical investment in the sector. In 2025, AbbVie agreed to acquire Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals' experimental depression treatment Bretisilocin (GM-2505) in a deal worth up to $1.2 billion.
Bretisilocin targets the brain's 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, the same receptor involved in the effects of classic psychedelics such as psilocybin and LSD.
Together, the deals suggest that major drugmakers increasingly view psychedelic compounds as a potential new category of mental health treatments.
Rayyan Zafar, Ph.D., a neuropsychopharmacologist at Imperial College London and member of the Centre for Psychedelic Research and Neuropsychopharmacology group, said the Lilly acquisition could help move psychedelics closer to popular medical use by making them "de-risked" for mental health utilization.
Pharmaceutical investment could extend past drug development by encouraging dialogue about insurance coverage and healthcare infrastructure needed to deliver new treatments, Zafar said.
"Beyond psychedelic clinical trials, it could also help stimulate broader discussion around reimbursement pathways and stimulate other public healthcare systems to begin preparing for rollout," he added.
A new business opportunity -- and new concerns
The pharmaceutical industry's interest in psychedelics comes as companies search for new treatments in a mental health market full of patients who have not responded adequately -- or have been harmed by -- existing medications.
It also positions pharmaceutical giants to cash in.
Richard C. Deth, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said Lilly's acquisition appears designed to establish a foothold in an emerging financial space.
"Clearly Lilly is buying to create a position in anticipation of an expanding market for these types of compounds," Deth said.
Drugwatch senior writer Terry Turner said pharmaceutical companies are entering the field because of both commercial opportunity and unmet medical need.
"With Big Pharma companies, profit is always part of it, no question," Turner said. "And there is a gold rush going on with psychedelics right now."
He added that the combination of increased government attention, scientific interest and patients seeking alternatives has created momentum for the industry.
"Add all that up, and you've got a perfect storm pushing psychedelics from the lab into mainstream mental health care," Turner said.
'Enormous financial incentive to build intellectual property around psychedelics'
A central concern surrounding the pharmaceutical industry's entrance into psychedelics is how companies will protect their investments and build exclusive trademarks around substances that often exist in nature -- and what that means for patients.
Experts say companies generally cannot patent naturally occurring psychedelics in their original forms. However, they will seek intellectual property protections for modified compounds, delivery systems, manufacturing methods and specific medical uses.
Shannon Hughes, Ph.D., co-founder of Elemental Psychedelics, said patent strategies are central to the pharmaceutical business model.
"They're clearly trying to patent certain psychedelics," Hughes said. "Drug analogs of MDMA, DMT, LSD and psilocybin are being patented. Pharma companies wouldn't enter the psychedelic business if they couldn't patent the molecule."
Hughes said naturally occurring compounds such as psilocybin and DMT cannot typically be patented in their natural state, so companies must create new intellectual property around pharmaceutical versions.
"Commercialization hinges on monopolization," Hughes said. "Without patents, major pharmaceutical firms would not invest billions into late-stage clinical trials."
She pointed to the BPL-003 nasal spray as an example of how companies are creating proprietary psychedelic medicines.
"AtaiBeckley's lead candidates -- such as BPL-003, an intranasal synthetic form of 5-MeO-DMT, and VLS-01, a buccal film of DMT -- are specifically engineered, patented drug products designed to create defensible market monopolies," Hughes said.
Brag Burge, founder of Integration Communications, a public relations firm specializing in psychedelic organizations, told The Defender pharmaceutical companies are not looking to control the substances themselves but to take over a multi-faceted approach to applying them.
"The commercial strategy is generally not to claim ownership over a naturally occurring psychedelic itself, but to patent new compounds, synthesis processes, formulations, delivery systems, combinations, and specific medical uses," he said.
"There is an enormous financial incentive to build intellectual property around psychedelics, especially if that intellectual property can produce a treatment that is easier to manufacture, administer, insure or scale."
How will pharma alter the psychedelic experience?
The development of pharmaceutical psychedelics may also change how these substances are experienced.
Unlike traditional psychedelic experiences, which may last several hours and often involve extensive preparation and integration, some new compounds are designed to shorten the duration of the psychedelic state to fit within existing healthcare systems.
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a nonprofit launched four decades ago to advocate for beneficial uses of psychedelic substances and marijuana, told The Defender they fear the overall healing potential for psychedelics could be lost in the Lilly-like takeovers.
"It's good because a traditional pharma company sees value in the substances and the research being done in the psychedelic ecosystem," the group said in a statement to The Defender. "It's worrisome because we see therapy being left behind, and just the psychedelics being their main interest. So we can wait and see what and how they roll it out, but be ready to put pressure on them if it ends up being something far from the therapy-assisted focus we've researched and supported."
Hughes said the psychedelic experience itself could also be altered with Big Pharma involvement.
"Pharmaceutical development of psychedelic molecules inherently removes the psychedelic ingredient from its natural biological context (the plant, fungus, or animal) as well as from its cultural context of use," she said.
"This extraction from context changes how we interact with the drug and how its effects are experienced. It may even change the effects themselves, as what we consider to be the psychedelic ingredient might also be dependent on the myriad other known and unknown compounds that make up the plant system."
She added:
"This is an experiment that we've done over and over, and generally the outcomes do not go in our favor. We extracted nicotine from the tobacco plant -- both the chemical of nicotine and its traditional cultural and contextual use as a medicine -- and we put it into the hands of industry.
"The outcome is addiction and chronic illness. We extracted opium from the poppy, and cocaine from the coca leaf. Might we be repeating this pattern by extracting or synthesizing psilocybin from the psilocybin-containing mushroom, and so on with other psychedelics?"
Altering psychedelic compounds could create unintended consequences
Researchers and companies developing psychedelic medicines emphasize that controlled pharmaceutical formulations may improve consistency and safety.
Critics argue that changing the compounds or shortening psychedelic experiences could introduce new risks.
Turner said early trials of BPL-003 have reported mostly mild to moderate side effects, including nausea, temporary blood pressure increases and nasal irritation.
However, he said some risks may become apparent only after widespread use.
"As far as severe side effects go, you don't often find out what those may be until a pharmaceutical is on the market for a while and a large number of people have been taking it," Turner said.
Hughes said altering psychedelic compounds could create unintended consequences.
"We also don't understand the entourage effects involved in the whole plant or fungus," she said. "Removing one ingredient that we think is 'the' important ingredient and using it in isolation can absolutely create unforeseen risks and side effects."
She said shorter, more intense psychedelic experiences could create additional challenges.
"Shortened, hyper-intense psychedelic experiences can lead to acute distress, disorientation or destabilization if a patient is discharged too quickly without adequate psychological preparation, grounding and relational support," Hughes said.
Burge said researchers should continue evaluating not only whether psychedelic medicines work, but how they work and what elements of the experience contribute to outcomes.
"Every psychedelic has side effects, meaning effects beyond the main outcome being sought," Burge said.
He noted that the subjective psychedelic experience itself can be part of the therapeutic process.
"Some researchers and companies describe hallucinations as an unwanted side effect, while others believe the subjective experience -- including visions, emotions, memories and changes in perspective -- might be central to how psychedelic therapy works," Burge said.
A $7 billion market by 2032?
Despite ongoing debate, investors and analysts expect the psychedelic medicine sector to expand.
Bloomberg estimates the psychedelic-treatment market could reach approximately $7 billion in annual sales by 2032.
In recent years, Johnson & Johnson's Spravato (esketamine) nasal spray became the only FDA-approved psychedelic-derived medicine for treatment-resistant depression.
First approved in 2019 for use with an oral antidepressant, the drug received expanded FDA approval in January 2025 as the first and only standalone (monotherapy) treatment for adults with treatment-resistant depression.
Spravato reported $468 million in first-quarter 2026 sales, up 46% year over year.
Meanwhile, other psychedelics have shown promise for treating mental health issues.
Compass Pathways reported positive six-month Phase 3 trial data showing its investigational synthetic psilocybin treatment, COMP360, delivered quick and lasting benefits for patients with treatment-resistant depression, reinforcing results from an earlier trial.
The company said 39% of patients receiving the 25-milligram dose achieved a clinically meaningful reduction in depression symptoms by week six after two doses and maintained that benefit through at least week 26.
COMP360 also continued to demonstrate a generally well-tolerated safety profile with no new safety findings, the company said.
Compass said the results strengthen its rolling New Drug Application with the FDA, with final submission expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. If approved and rescheduled by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the company expects to launch COMP360 in the first half of 2027.
At the same time, lawmakers continue to advance legislation related to psychedelic substances as interest grows in their potential use for treating mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April directing federal agencies to accelerate the review of certain psychedelic therapies, including ibogaine.
While several states have approved research funding, pilot programs or regulated therapeutic access, federal law continues to classify most psychedelics as Schedule I controlled substances.
The FDA did not respond to requests for comment.
* * *
Henrick Karoliszyn, DSW, is an investigative reporter for The Defender.
* * *
Original text here: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/big-pharma-cash-in-psychedelics-alternative-treatment-depression-psychotropic-drugs/
[Category: Health Care]
* * *
Pharma Looks to Cash in on Psychedelics as Patients Seek Alternatives to Psychotropic Drugs for Depression
Eli Lilly's multibillion-dollar acquisition of a company that makes experimental psychedelic therapies marks the largest investment yet by a drugmaker in psychedelic medicine as a treatment for depression. But pharma's entry into the market raises questions about patents, ... Show Full Article FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, July 25 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following news: * * * Pharma Looks to Cash in on Psychedelics as Patients Seek Alternatives to Psychotropic Drugs for Depression Eli Lilly's multibillion-dollar acquisition of a company that makes experimental psychedelic therapies marks the largest investment yet by a drugmaker in psychedelic medicine as a treatment for depression. But pharma's entry into the market raises questions about patents,profits and the future of psychedelic therapy.
by Henrick Karoliszyn, DSW
Eli Lilly's multibillion-dollar acquisition of AtaiBeckley marks the largest pharmaceutical investment yet in psychedelic medicine, signaling a new phase for an industry once relegated to the margins of scientific research.
The deal, valued at approximately $2.8 billion upfront with up to $1 billion in additional milestone payments, gives Lilly control of AtaiBeckley's experimental psychedelic therapies, including BPL-003, a fast-acting nasal spray containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) being studied for treatment-resistant depression.
AtaiBeckley announced in October 2025 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted BPL-003 Breakthrough Therapy designation, a status intended to accelerate development of treatments for serious conditions when early evidence suggests substantial improvement over existing options.
"Millions of people are still searching for relief and desperately need a therapy that works," said Dr. Carole Ho, president of Lilly Neuroscience. Advancing AtaiBeckley's therapies, she said, gives Lilly "a real chance to change that."
The company's purchase comes as pharmaceutical companies increasingly move into a field that has attracted growing scientific interest but remains controversial because of questions surrounding commercialization, access, intellectual property -- and whether corporate development will preserve the therapeutic models that shaped psychedelic research.
A turning point for psychedelic medicine
The Lilly-AtaiBeckley acquisition follows another major pharmaceutical investment in the sector. In 2025, AbbVie agreed to acquire Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals' experimental depression treatment Bretisilocin (GM-2505) in a deal worth up to $1.2 billion.
Bretisilocin targets the brain's 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, the same receptor involved in the effects of classic psychedelics such as psilocybin and LSD.
Together, the deals suggest that major drugmakers increasingly view psychedelic compounds as a potential new category of mental health treatments.
Rayyan Zafar, Ph.D., a neuropsychopharmacologist at Imperial College London and member of the Centre for Psychedelic Research and Neuropsychopharmacology group, said the Lilly acquisition could help move psychedelics closer to popular medical use by making them "de-risked" for mental health utilization.
Pharmaceutical investment could extend past drug development by encouraging dialogue about insurance coverage and healthcare infrastructure needed to deliver new treatments, Zafar said.
"Beyond psychedelic clinical trials, it could also help stimulate broader discussion around reimbursement pathways and stimulate other public healthcare systems to begin preparing for rollout," he added.
A new business opportunity -- and new concerns
The pharmaceutical industry's interest in psychedelics comes as companies search for new treatments in a mental health market full of patients who have not responded adequately -- or have been harmed by -- existing medications.
It also positions pharmaceutical giants to cash in.
Richard C. Deth, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said Lilly's acquisition appears designed to establish a foothold in an emerging financial space.
"Clearly Lilly is buying to create a position in anticipation of an expanding market for these types of compounds," Deth said.
Drugwatch senior writer Terry Turner said pharmaceutical companies are entering the field because of both commercial opportunity and unmet medical need.
"With Big Pharma companies, profit is always part of it, no question," Turner said. "And there is a gold rush going on with psychedelics right now."
He added that the combination of increased government attention, scientific interest and patients seeking alternatives has created momentum for the industry.
"Add all that up, and you've got a perfect storm pushing psychedelics from the lab into mainstream mental health care," Turner said.
'Enormous financial incentive to build intellectual property around psychedelics'
A central concern surrounding the pharmaceutical industry's entrance into psychedelics is how companies will protect their investments and build exclusive trademarks around substances that often exist in nature -- and what that means for patients.
Experts say companies generally cannot patent naturally occurring psychedelics in their original forms. However, they will seek intellectual property protections for modified compounds, delivery systems, manufacturing methods and specific medical uses.
Shannon Hughes, Ph.D., co-founder of Elemental Psychedelics, said patent strategies are central to the pharmaceutical business model.
"They're clearly trying to patent certain psychedelics," Hughes said. "Drug analogs of MDMA, DMT, LSD and psilocybin are being patented. Pharma companies wouldn't enter the psychedelic business if they couldn't patent the molecule."
Hughes said naturally occurring compounds such as psilocybin and DMT cannot typically be patented in their natural state, so companies must create new intellectual property around pharmaceutical versions.
"Commercialization hinges on monopolization," Hughes said. "Without patents, major pharmaceutical firms would not invest billions into late-stage clinical trials."
She pointed to the BPL-003 nasal spray as an example of how companies are creating proprietary psychedelic medicines.
"AtaiBeckley's lead candidates -- such as BPL-003, an intranasal synthetic form of 5-MeO-DMT, and VLS-01, a buccal film of DMT -- are specifically engineered, patented drug products designed to create defensible market monopolies," Hughes said.
Brag Burge, founder of Integration Communications, a public relations firm specializing in psychedelic organizations, told The Defender pharmaceutical companies are not looking to control the substances themselves but to take over a multi-faceted approach to applying them.
"The commercial strategy is generally not to claim ownership over a naturally occurring psychedelic itself, but to patent new compounds, synthesis processes, formulations, delivery systems, combinations, and specific medical uses," he said.
"There is an enormous financial incentive to build intellectual property around psychedelics, especially if that intellectual property can produce a treatment that is easier to manufacture, administer, insure or scale."
How will pharma alter the psychedelic experience?
The development of pharmaceutical psychedelics may also change how these substances are experienced.
Unlike traditional psychedelic experiences, which may last several hours and often involve extensive preparation and integration, some new compounds are designed to shorten the duration of the psychedelic state to fit within existing healthcare systems.
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a nonprofit launched four decades ago to advocate for beneficial uses of psychedelic substances and marijuana, told The Defender they fear the overall healing potential for psychedelics could be lost in the Lilly-like takeovers.
"It's good because a traditional pharma company sees value in the substances and the research being done in the psychedelic ecosystem," the group said in a statement to The Defender. "It's worrisome because we see therapy being left behind, and just the psychedelics being their main interest. So we can wait and see what and how they roll it out, but be ready to put pressure on them if it ends up being something far from the therapy-assisted focus we've researched and supported."
Hughes said the psychedelic experience itself could also be altered with Big Pharma involvement.
"Pharmaceutical development of psychedelic molecules inherently removes the psychedelic ingredient from its natural biological context (the plant, fungus, or animal) as well as from its cultural context of use," she said.
"This extraction from context changes how we interact with the drug and how its effects are experienced. It may even change the effects themselves, as what we consider to be the psychedelic ingredient might also be dependent on the myriad other known and unknown compounds that make up the plant system."
She added:
"This is an experiment that we've done over and over, and generally the outcomes do not go in our favor. We extracted nicotine from the tobacco plant -- both the chemical of nicotine and its traditional cultural and contextual use as a medicine -- and we put it into the hands of industry.
"The outcome is addiction and chronic illness. We extracted opium from the poppy, and cocaine from the coca leaf. Might we be repeating this pattern by extracting or synthesizing psilocybin from the psilocybin-containing mushroom, and so on with other psychedelics?"
Altering psychedelic compounds could create unintended consequences
Researchers and companies developing psychedelic medicines emphasize that controlled pharmaceutical formulations may improve consistency and safety.
Critics argue that changing the compounds or shortening psychedelic experiences could introduce new risks.
Turner said early trials of BPL-003 have reported mostly mild to moderate side effects, including nausea, temporary blood pressure increases and nasal irritation.
However, he said some risks may become apparent only after widespread use.
"As far as severe side effects go, you don't often find out what those may be until a pharmaceutical is on the market for a while and a large number of people have been taking it," Turner said.
Hughes said altering psychedelic compounds could create unintended consequences.
"We also don't understand the entourage effects involved in the whole plant or fungus," she said. "Removing one ingredient that we think is 'the' important ingredient and using it in isolation can absolutely create unforeseen risks and side effects."
She said shorter, more intense psychedelic experiences could create additional challenges.
"Shortened, hyper-intense psychedelic experiences can lead to acute distress, disorientation or destabilization if a patient is discharged too quickly without adequate psychological preparation, grounding and relational support," Hughes said.
Burge said researchers should continue evaluating not only whether psychedelic medicines work, but how they work and what elements of the experience contribute to outcomes.
"Every psychedelic has side effects, meaning effects beyond the main outcome being sought," Burge said.
He noted that the subjective psychedelic experience itself can be part of the therapeutic process.
"Some researchers and companies describe hallucinations as an unwanted side effect, while others believe the subjective experience -- including visions, emotions, memories and changes in perspective -- might be central to how psychedelic therapy works," Burge said.
A $7 billion market by 2032?
Despite ongoing debate, investors and analysts expect the psychedelic medicine sector to expand.
Bloomberg estimates the psychedelic-treatment market could reach approximately $7 billion in annual sales by 2032.
In recent years, Johnson & Johnson's Spravato (esketamine) nasal spray became the only FDA-approved psychedelic-derived medicine for treatment-resistant depression.
First approved in 2019 for use with an oral antidepressant, the drug received expanded FDA approval in January 2025 as the first and only standalone (monotherapy) treatment for adults with treatment-resistant depression.
Spravato reported $468 million in first-quarter 2026 sales, up 46% year over year.
Meanwhile, other psychedelics have shown promise for treating mental health issues.
Compass Pathways reported positive six-month Phase 3 trial data showing its investigational synthetic psilocybin treatment, COMP360, delivered quick and lasting benefits for patients with treatment-resistant depression, reinforcing results from an earlier trial.
The company said 39% of patients receiving the 25-milligram dose achieved a clinically meaningful reduction in depression symptoms by week six after two doses and maintained that benefit through at least week 26.
COMP360 also continued to demonstrate a generally well-tolerated safety profile with no new safety findings, the company said.
Compass said the results strengthen its rolling New Drug Application with the FDA, with final submission expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. If approved and rescheduled by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the company expects to launch COMP360 in the first half of 2027.
At the same time, lawmakers continue to advance legislation related to psychedelic substances as interest grows in their potential use for treating mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April directing federal agencies to accelerate the review of certain psychedelic therapies, including ibogaine.
While several states have approved research funding, pilot programs or regulated therapeutic access, federal law continues to classify most psychedelics as Schedule I controlled substances.
The FDA did not respond to requests for comment.
* * *
Henrick Karoliszyn, DSW, is an investigative reporter for The Defender.
* * *
Original text here: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/big-pharma-cash-in-psychedelics-alternative-treatment-depression-psychotropic-drugs/
[Category: Health Care]
Human Rights Watch Issues Commentary: Uganda's Military Forcibly Disappears Opposition Politician
NEW YORK, July 25 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following commentary on July 23, 2026, by Horn of Africa Director Laetitia Bader:
* * *
Uganda's Military Forcibly Disappears Opposition Politician
Political Opponents, Critics Face Arrests
-
It has been 13 days since armed soldiers seized Muwanga Kivumbi, a deputy president for the National Unity Platform, Uganda's main opposition party. He has not been heard from since and the authorities have yet to account for his whereabouts.
On July 10, the day after a court released Kivumbi on bail on politically related ... Show Full Article NEW YORK, July 25 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following commentary on July 23, 2026, by Horn of Africa Director Laetitia Bader: * * * Uganda's Military Forcibly Disappears Opposition Politician Political Opponents, Critics Face Arrests - It has been 13 days since armed soldiers seized Muwanga Kivumbi, a deputy president for the National Unity Platform, Uganda's main opposition party. He has not been heard from since and the authorities have yet to account for his whereabouts. On July 10, the day after a court released Kivumbi on bail on politically relatedterrorism charges, armed plainclothes and uniformed soldiers dragged him from his car at a police roadblock on the outskirts of Kampala and drove off with him to an unknown location. A victim of an enforced disappearance at the hands of Ugandan soldiers, his safety and life remain at risk as long as the military are holding him beyond the protection of the law.
Kivumbi's family filed a habeas corpus application this week, asking the authorities to immediately release him, but a judge declined to do so and instead ordered the government to "conclude investigations" into his disappearance and provide a response within a week. During the proceedings, the police denied they are holding Kivumbi.
Kivumbi had been detained in prison since January 22, 2026, when authorities arrested him, Jolly Jackline Tukamushaba, and Lina Zedriga Waru, two other deputy presidents from the opposition party, following the January 14 general elections. The authorities released Tukamushaba and Waru after holding them incommunicado for several days, but charged Kivumbi with terrorism for allegedly orchestrating and executing "a violent attack" on a police station and a polling station, an accusation he denied, and remanded him to prison before his release on bail on July 9.
Ugandan security agencies regularly re-arrest people shortly after courts have granted them bail or acquitted them on politically related charges.
Kivumbi's enforced disappearance is one of several unlawful detentions of government critics and opponents in recent weeks by the Ugandan military and a crime under international law. An enforced disappearance occurs when state authorities or their agents detain a person and refuse to acknowledge the detention or reveal the person's fate or whereabouts, placing them outside the protection of the law, as has happened in Kivumbi's case. He, like other victims of enforced disappearances, is at a heightened risk of torture and other grave abuses.
The Ugandan authorities should immediately disclose Kivumbi's whereabouts, release him, and end their assault on political opposition and criticism.
* * *
Laetitia Bader is the Horn of Africa director at Human Rights Watch. She has investigated conflict related abuses, including abuses against children and internally displaced persons in Somalia, and focused on issues of political repression, including mistreatment of political detainees. Before joining Human Rights Watch she worked on the rights of human rights defenders in the East and Horn of Africa region and worked at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Uganda. She holds a master's in international affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and Sciences-Po in Paris, specializing in human rights, and holds a bachelor's in history from University College London (UCL). She is bilingual in French and English, and speaks Italian and Spanish.
***
Original text here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/07/23/ugandas-military-forcibly-disappears-opposition-politician
* * *
Uganda's Military Forcibly Disappears Opposition Politician
Political Opponents, Critics Face Arrests
-
It has been 13 days since armed soldiers seized Muwanga Kivumbi, a deputy president for the National Unity Platform, Uganda's main opposition party. He has not been heard from since and the authorities have yet to account for his whereabouts.
On July 10, the day after a court released Kivumbi on bail on politically related ... Show Full Article NEW YORK, July 25 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following commentary on July 23, 2026, by Horn of Africa Director Laetitia Bader: * * * Uganda's Military Forcibly Disappears Opposition Politician Political Opponents, Critics Face Arrests - It has been 13 days since armed soldiers seized Muwanga Kivumbi, a deputy president for the National Unity Platform, Uganda's main opposition party. He has not been heard from since and the authorities have yet to account for his whereabouts. On July 10, the day after a court released Kivumbi on bail on politically relatedterrorism charges, armed plainclothes and uniformed soldiers dragged him from his car at a police roadblock on the outskirts of Kampala and drove off with him to an unknown location. A victim of an enforced disappearance at the hands of Ugandan soldiers, his safety and life remain at risk as long as the military are holding him beyond the protection of the law.
Kivumbi's family filed a habeas corpus application this week, asking the authorities to immediately release him, but a judge declined to do so and instead ordered the government to "conclude investigations" into his disappearance and provide a response within a week. During the proceedings, the police denied they are holding Kivumbi.
Kivumbi had been detained in prison since January 22, 2026, when authorities arrested him, Jolly Jackline Tukamushaba, and Lina Zedriga Waru, two other deputy presidents from the opposition party, following the January 14 general elections. The authorities released Tukamushaba and Waru after holding them incommunicado for several days, but charged Kivumbi with terrorism for allegedly orchestrating and executing "a violent attack" on a police station and a polling station, an accusation he denied, and remanded him to prison before his release on bail on July 9.
Ugandan security agencies regularly re-arrest people shortly after courts have granted them bail or acquitted them on politically related charges.
Kivumbi's enforced disappearance is one of several unlawful detentions of government critics and opponents in recent weeks by the Ugandan military and a crime under international law. An enforced disappearance occurs when state authorities or their agents detain a person and refuse to acknowledge the detention or reveal the person's fate or whereabouts, placing them outside the protection of the law, as has happened in Kivumbi's case. He, like other victims of enforced disappearances, is at a heightened risk of torture and other grave abuses.
The Ugandan authorities should immediately disclose Kivumbi's whereabouts, release him, and end their assault on political opposition and criticism.
* * *
Laetitia Bader is the Horn of Africa director at Human Rights Watch. She has investigated conflict related abuses, including abuses against children and internally displaced persons in Somalia, and focused on issues of political repression, including mistreatment of political detainees. Before joining Human Rights Watch she worked on the rights of human rights defenders in the East and Horn of Africa region and worked at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Uganda. She holds a master's in international affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and Sciences-Po in Paris, specializing in human rights, and holds a bachelor's in history from University College London (UCL). She is bilingual in French and English, and speaks Italian and Spanish.
***
Original text here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/07/23/ugandas-military-forcibly-disappears-opposition-politician
Environment America Research & Policy Center Statement: Plug-in Solar Takes Step Forward With First National Safety Certification
WASHINGTON, July 25 -- Environment America Research and Policy Center issued the following statement on July 24, 2026:
* * *
STATEMENT: Plug-in solar takes step forward with first national safety certification
Certification of micro-inverters brings plug-in solar closer to being widely available
-
DENVER - Two companies, Hoymiles and APSystems, recently announced that their micro-inverters for plug-in solar systems were certified as complying with national product safety standards. The certification was done by the nationally recognized testing laboratory, CSA Group. The inaugural safety standard ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 25 -- Environment America Research and Policy Center issued the following statement on July 24, 2026: * * * STATEMENT: Plug-in solar takes step forward with first national safety certification Certification of micro-inverters brings plug-in solar closer to being widely available - DENVER - Two companies, Hoymiles and APSystems, recently announced that their micro-inverters for plug-in solar systems were certified as complying with national product safety standards. The certification was done by the nationally recognized testing laboratory, CSA Group. The inaugural safety standardfor plug-in solar, UL 3700, was adopted in December of 2025.
Micro-inverters convert energy from solar panels (direct current or DC) into electricity that can be used to power appliances in a home (alternating current or AC).
As of July 2026, no whole-system plug-in solar kit (sold in one box that includes a panel, inverter and plug) has received UL 3700 certification from a nationally recognized testing laboratory.
In response, Johanna Neumann, senior director of the Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy at Environment America Research & Policy Center, released this statement:
"Many Americans would prefer to harness the rays of the sun in their backyard to help power their homes, rather than paying utility companies for power generated by burning fossil fuels many miles away.
"America is now one step closer to a national safety certification for plug-in solar kits. I hope it is a matter of months, not years until Americans can go to a store, buy a solar kit and plug it in at home with the same ease and peace of mind as plugging in a toaster."
* * *
Original text here: https://environmentamerica.org/center/media-center/statement-plug-in-solar-takes-step-forward-with-first-national-safety-certification/
[Category: Environment]
* * *
STATEMENT: Plug-in solar takes step forward with first national safety certification
Certification of micro-inverters brings plug-in solar closer to being widely available
-
DENVER - Two companies, Hoymiles and APSystems, recently announced that their micro-inverters for plug-in solar systems were certified as complying with national product safety standards. The certification was done by the nationally recognized testing laboratory, CSA Group. The inaugural safety standard ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 25 -- Environment America Research and Policy Center issued the following statement on July 24, 2026: * * * STATEMENT: Plug-in solar takes step forward with first national safety certification Certification of micro-inverters brings plug-in solar closer to being widely available - DENVER - Two companies, Hoymiles and APSystems, recently announced that their micro-inverters for plug-in solar systems were certified as complying with national product safety standards. The certification was done by the nationally recognized testing laboratory, CSA Group. The inaugural safety standardfor plug-in solar, UL 3700, was adopted in December of 2025.
Micro-inverters convert energy from solar panels (direct current or DC) into electricity that can be used to power appliances in a home (alternating current or AC).
As of July 2026, no whole-system plug-in solar kit (sold in one box that includes a panel, inverter and plug) has received UL 3700 certification from a nationally recognized testing laboratory.
In response, Johanna Neumann, senior director of the Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy at Environment America Research & Policy Center, released this statement:
"Many Americans would prefer to harness the rays of the sun in their backyard to help power their homes, rather than paying utility companies for power generated by burning fossil fuels many miles away.
"America is now one step closer to a national safety certification for plug-in solar kits. I hope it is a matter of months, not years until Americans can go to a store, buy a solar kit and plug it in at home with the same ease and peace of mind as plugging in a toaster."
* * *
Original text here: https://environmentamerica.org/center/media-center/statement-plug-in-solar-takes-step-forward-with-first-national-safety-certification/
[Category: Environment]
EBC Rhode Island Chapter Announces New Chapter Vice Chair
BROOKLINE, Massachusetts, July 25 -- The Environmental Business Council of New England issued the following news:
* * *
EBC Rhode Island Chapter Announces New Chapter Vice Chair
EBC is pleased to announce that Christian F. Capizzo, Senior Counsel with EBC Member Adler Pollock & Sheehan, P.C., is now leading the EBC Rhode Island Chapter as Vice Chair. Please join EBC in welcoming Christian to this position. The Vice Chair meets routinely with the Chapter Chair and Leadership Team members to identify topics for future EBC programs.
Christian Capizzo, Senior Counsel, Adler Pollock & Sheehan, ... Show Full Article BROOKLINE, Massachusetts, July 25 -- The Environmental Business Council of New England issued the following news: * * * EBC Rhode Island Chapter Announces New Chapter Vice Chair EBC is pleased to announce that Christian F. Capizzo, Senior Counsel with EBC Member Adler Pollock & Sheehan, P.C., is now leading the EBC Rhode Island Chapter as Vice Chair. Please join EBC in welcoming Christian to this position. The Vice Chair meets routinely with the Chapter Chair and Leadership Team members to identify topics for future EBC programs. Christian Capizzo, Senior Counsel, Adler Pollock & Sheehan,100 Westminster Street, 16th Floor, Providence, RI 02903, (401) 274-7200 | capizzo@apslaw.com
Christian's Bio:
Recognized for his ability to unify disparate groups and facilitate change, Christian concentrates his practice in the areas of environmental and energy law, land use and public sector/governmental services. With over 25 years of experience, Christian guides clients through the complex ever-changing world where energy/environmental regulations and business intersect.
Christian handles a diverse range of complex environmental matters including enforcement, regulatory and compliance issues, renewable energy projects including large scale solar and offshore wind projects, real estate development, state and federal environmental enforcement actions, environmental due diligence associated with mergers and acquisitions, environmental remediation including brownfields, coastal/waterfront violations, permitting and waterfront property rights. He represents clients before the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, the Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board, as well as before the town/city zoning boards, planning boards and conservation commissions in towns and municipalities across New England.
Christian also represents landowners and project developers in real estate transactions, renewable energy development deals, and financing transactions associated with these projects. He plays an integral role evaluating and mitigating environmental risks relating to development projects and business transactions, as well as providing key strategy on renewable energy projects.
Prior to joining the firm, Christian served in the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office where he had a proven track record of successfully litigating high profile criminal and civil cases. He led the State's Environmental Crimes Task Force, handling litigation on environmental issues impacting Rhode Island. Christian worked closely with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the Coastal Resources Management Council, serving as outside legal counsel handling enforcement matters, drafting legislation, and negotiating diverse environmental matters. Christian has also worked closely with the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Department of Agriculture and various state agencies and attorney generals throughout the United States.
Christian is nationally recognized for developing and implementing environmental and energy training programs and is a sought-after presenter on a myriad of topics with a focus on emerging and complex energy and environmental issues and trends.
* * *
Original text here: https://ebcne.org/news/ebc-rhode-island-chapter-announces-new-chapter-vice-chair-2/
[Category: Environment]
* * *
EBC Rhode Island Chapter Announces New Chapter Vice Chair
EBC is pleased to announce that Christian F. Capizzo, Senior Counsel with EBC Member Adler Pollock & Sheehan, P.C., is now leading the EBC Rhode Island Chapter as Vice Chair. Please join EBC in welcoming Christian to this position. The Vice Chair meets routinely with the Chapter Chair and Leadership Team members to identify topics for future EBC programs.
Christian Capizzo, Senior Counsel, Adler Pollock & Sheehan, ... Show Full Article BROOKLINE, Massachusetts, July 25 -- The Environmental Business Council of New England issued the following news: * * * EBC Rhode Island Chapter Announces New Chapter Vice Chair EBC is pleased to announce that Christian F. Capizzo, Senior Counsel with EBC Member Adler Pollock & Sheehan, P.C., is now leading the EBC Rhode Island Chapter as Vice Chair. Please join EBC in welcoming Christian to this position. The Vice Chair meets routinely with the Chapter Chair and Leadership Team members to identify topics for future EBC programs. Christian Capizzo, Senior Counsel, Adler Pollock & Sheehan,100 Westminster Street, 16th Floor, Providence, RI 02903, (401) 274-7200 | capizzo@apslaw.com
Christian's Bio:
Recognized for his ability to unify disparate groups and facilitate change, Christian concentrates his practice in the areas of environmental and energy law, land use and public sector/governmental services. With over 25 years of experience, Christian guides clients through the complex ever-changing world where energy/environmental regulations and business intersect.
Christian handles a diverse range of complex environmental matters including enforcement, regulatory and compliance issues, renewable energy projects including large scale solar and offshore wind projects, real estate development, state and federal environmental enforcement actions, environmental due diligence associated with mergers and acquisitions, environmental remediation including brownfields, coastal/waterfront violations, permitting and waterfront property rights. He represents clients before the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, the Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board, as well as before the town/city zoning boards, planning boards and conservation commissions in towns and municipalities across New England.
Christian also represents landowners and project developers in real estate transactions, renewable energy development deals, and financing transactions associated with these projects. He plays an integral role evaluating and mitigating environmental risks relating to development projects and business transactions, as well as providing key strategy on renewable energy projects.
Prior to joining the firm, Christian served in the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office where he had a proven track record of successfully litigating high profile criminal and civil cases. He led the State's Environmental Crimes Task Force, handling litigation on environmental issues impacting Rhode Island. Christian worked closely with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the Coastal Resources Management Council, serving as outside legal counsel handling enforcement matters, drafting legislation, and negotiating diverse environmental matters. Christian has also worked closely with the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Department of Agriculture and various state agencies and attorney generals throughout the United States.
Christian is nationally recognized for developing and implementing environmental and energy training programs and is a sought-after presenter on a myriad of topics with a focus on emerging and complex energy and environmental issues and trends.
* * *
Original text here: https://ebcne.org/news/ebc-rhode-island-chapter-announces-new-chapter-vice-chair-2/
[Category: Environment]
Americans for Tax Reform: EU Hits Google With a $1 Billion Fine
WASHINGTON, July 25 -- Americans for Tax Reform posted the following commentary on July 23, 2026, by Jack Sepulvado:
* * *
EU Hits Google with a $1 Billion Fine
In the latest episode of its digital tax craze, the EU forces Google to pay Euros890 million ($1 billion) under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). By targeting one of the world's largest tech companies, Europe sends a message innovation is not welcome.
On July 23, the EU announced that Google had violated the DMA by giving preferential treatment to its own services. This meant that Google advertised its own services more frequently. Instead ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 25 -- Americans for Tax Reform posted the following commentary on July 23, 2026, by Jack Sepulvado: * * * EU Hits Google with a $1 Billion Fine In the latest episode of its digital tax craze, the EU forces Google to pay Euros890 million ($1 billion) under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). By targeting one of the world's largest tech companies, Europe sends a message innovation is not welcome. On July 23, the EU announced that Google had violated the DMA by giving preferential treatment to its own services. This meant that Google advertised its own services more frequently. Insteadof Google's fast, well-integrated hotels, flights, shopping, services, users will now be prompted utilize third-party products. Ironically, this results in higher prices for users. For example, when Google cannot display travel plans through Google Flights--directly linked to airline websites--users must navigate intermediaries that impose an extra fee on top of the flight ticket.
The EU also found that Google had violated "anti-steering" measures by not sufficiently informing users of alternative app stores on Google Play. To comply with the DMA, Google will have to devote significantly more content on its own app store to lower-quality alternatives with slower services. A similar rule limiting Google's use of AI on Google Play lowers protections for consumers from malicious online activity.
The DMA limits large tech companies' ability to innovate by allowing competitor products and services to operate with their devices. Since taking effect in 2023, this has taken a toll on Europe's access to new technology. For example, Apple withheld the launch of Apple Intelligence in Europe over fears of the DMA's interoperability requirements. While the rest of the world enjoyed cutting-edge tech, Europe was stuck with second-rate services.
The DMA is detrimental to Europe's economic growth. The Computer and Communications Industry Association estimated that the Act would deprive the economy of Euros114 billion every year as a result of degraded personalization features and higher transaction costs.
The DMA is one part of Europe's targeting of digital commerce. The other is the onslaught of digital services taxes (DST) that also fall disproportionately on U.S. companies, costing them nearly $3 billion per annum. By using high revenue threshold, these taxes only apply to American tech firms, such as Meta, Apple, and Microsoft. The Tholos Foundation confirmed that the vast majority of DST-paying firms in Spain and Tukey were American and that U.S. firms generated over 90% of the UK's DST revenue.
These exorbitant costs are unlikely to remain with the targeted companies, though. Firms pass the burden onto consumers through higher marketplace fees, advertising charges, and app store commissions. In practice, this makes DSTs a hidden tax on digital activity and the consumers who rely on it, not just on corporate revenue.
As the saying goes, "American innovates, China imitates, and Europe regulates." As long as EU lawmakers are focused on denying their people access to new technology, Europe's economy will continue to plateau. The Trump Administration must act now to put an end to European looting of successful American companies.
* * *
Original text here: https://atr.org/eu-hits-google-with-a-1-billion-fine/
[Category: Political]
* * *
EU Hits Google with a $1 Billion Fine
In the latest episode of its digital tax craze, the EU forces Google to pay Euros890 million ($1 billion) under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). By targeting one of the world's largest tech companies, Europe sends a message innovation is not welcome.
On July 23, the EU announced that Google had violated the DMA by giving preferential treatment to its own services. This meant that Google advertised its own services more frequently. Instead ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 25 -- Americans for Tax Reform posted the following commentary on July 23, 2026, by Jack Sepulvado: * * * EU Hits Google with a $1 Billion Fine In the latest episode of its digital tax craze, the EU forces Google to pay Euros890 million ($1 billion) under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). By targeting one of the world's largest tech companies, Europe sends a message innovation is not welcome. On July 23, the EU announced that Google had violated the DMA by giving preferential treatment to its own services. This meant that Google advertised its own services more frequently. Insteadof Google's fast, well-integrated hotels, flights, shopping, services, users will now be prompted utilize third-party products. Ironically, this results in higher prices for users. For example, when Google cannot display travel plans through Google Flights--directly linked to airline websites--users must navigate intermediaries that impose an extra fee on top of the flight ticket.
The EU also found that Google had violated "anti-steering" measures by not sufficiently informing users of alternative app stores on Google Play. To comply with the DMA, Google will have to devote significantly more content on its own app store to lower-quality alternatives with slower services. A similar rule limiting Google's use of AI on Google Play lowers protections for consumers from malicious online activity.
The DMA limits large tech companies' ability to innovate by allowing competitor products and services to operate with their devices. Since taking effect in 2023, this has taken a toll on Europe's access to new technology. For example, Apple withheld the launch of Apple Intelligence in Europe over fears of the DMA's interoperability requirements. While the rest of the world enjoyed cutting-edge tech, Europe was stuck with second-rate services.
The DMA is detrimental to Europe's economic growth. The Computer and Communications Industry Association estimated that the Act would deprive the economy of Euros114 billion every year as a result of degraded personalization features and higher transaction costs.
The DMA is one part of Europe's targeting of digital commerce. The other is the onslaught of digital services taxes (DST) that also fall disproportionately on U.S. companies, costing them nearly $3 billion per annum. By using high revenue threshold, these taxes only apply to American tech firms, such as Meta, Apple, and Microsoft. The Tholos Foundation confirmed that the vast majority of DST-paying firms in Spain and Tukey were American and that U.S. firms generated over 90% of the UK's DST revenue.
These exorbitant costs are unlikely to remain with the targeted companies, though. Firms pass the burden onto consumers through higher marketplace fees, advertising charges, and app store commissions. In practice, this makes DSTs a hidden tax on digital activity and the consumers who rely on it, not just on corporate revenue.
As the saying goes, "American innovates, China imitates, and Europe regulates." As long as EU lawmakers are focused on denying their people access to new technology, Europe's economy will continue to plateau. The Trump Administration must act now to put an end to European looting of successful American companies.
* * *
Original text here: https://atr.org/eu-hits-google-with-a-1-billion-fine/
[Category: Political]