EPA civil cases fall to 20-year low under Biden and more business news

EPA civil cases fall to 20-year low

Despite expectations that the Biden Administration might reverse a decline in environmental enforcement, the number of civil cases closed against polluters in fiscal 2022 was the lowest in at least two decades, according to new Environmental Protection Agency data.

The 72 civil enforcement cases against polluters concluded in court during the federal fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30 was the lowest number in at least 22 years, based on the annual reports that EPA releases for each fiscal year. For comparison, the Trump Administration closed an average of 94 cases per year, while the Obama Administration closed an average of 210 during its eight-year tenure, and the Bush Administration averaged 176 per year during its second term.

“This decline in environmental enforcement is dangerous, because it puts the health of downwind communities at risk from sometimes deadly pollution,” Eric Schaeffer, the executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project and former Director of Civil Enforcement at EPA, said in a statement Friday.

In fiscal year 2022, EPA also referred 88 cases to the Justice Department for civil prosecutions, the second-lowest number in 22 years (after 2020), and far lower than referrals made between 2001 and 2016.

VW to add 25 new EV models by 2030

Volkswagen plans to introduce 25 electric vehicle models to the American market by 2030 in order to try to more than double its share of the U.S. electric car market, the new head of Volkswagen of America said.

In an interview with Handelsblatt, Pablo Di Si said the German auto maker expects 50% of its sales from all brands in the United States to be electric vehicles by the year 2030.

“As a group, we currently have a market share of 4% in North America. That has to be much more,” said Di Si. “In the coming years we want to achieve a 5% market share, and then 10% in 2030.”

Currently, Audi and Porsche cars are sold in America in addition to Volkswagen models. The Volkswagen group also plans to revive the Scout brand to sell electric SUVs and pickups.

Volkswagen has invested more than $800 million to expand its Chattanooga assembly plant over the past three years to begin production of an all-electric ID.4 sports utility vehicle.

EU imposes more sanctions on Russia

The European Union said Friday its latest round of sanctions will hit Russia’s military-industrial complex, as well as people and groups that are attacking Ukrainian civilians or kidnapping children.

Valdis Dombrovskis, a European Commission vice-president, said the package will deal a blow to 168 “entities” — companies or state organizations — linked to the arms industry.

“This will ensure that key chemicals, nerve agents, night-vision and radio-navigation equipment, electronics and IT components that could be used by the Russian war machine cannot be freely traded,” said the European Council, which represents member states.

“To avoid circumvention, some Russian-controlled entities based in illegally annexed Crimea or Sevastopol are also included in the list,” it added in a statement.

The ninth package of EU punitive measures against Russia for its war in Ukraine was approved by EU leaders at a summit Thursday. It was formally adopted Friday by written procedure.

“After food and hunger, (Russia President Vladimir) Putin is now weaponizing the winter, by deliberately depriving millions of Ukrainians of water, electricity and heating,” said Josep Borrell, the bloc’s top diplomat. “We will continue targeting the economy and against those who are instrumental in this brutal war.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the package will “push the Russian economy and war machine further off the rails.”

Lobbyist spending up in Tennessee

The total amount spent by businesses, nonprofits and other interest groups to influence the Tennessee Legislature rose between $19.8 million and $49.2 million for lobbyists and related expenses in the first half of 2022, according to a report Friday by The Tennessee Journal.

Financial disclosures analyzed by The Tennessee Journal show lobbying spending was between 4.2% and 6% higher than the year-ago period. The reports show a range of spending activities.

“Employers of lobbyists must only disclose ranges of spending, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly how much money flows toward compensation and related expenses meant to “influence legislative or administrative action through public opinion or grassroots action,'” The Tennessee Joiurnal reported.

Tennessee lobbyists were paid between $18.8 million and $38.6 million in the first half of 2022, or 7% more than a year ago.

US expands blacklist for Chinese companies

The U.S. Department of Commerce is adding 36 Chinese companies to an export controls blacklist, citing concerns over national security.

The addition of the companies to the “entity list” means that export licenses will likely be denied for any U.S. company trying to do business with them. It signals a hardening of U.S. efforts to prevent China, especially its military, from acquiring advanced technologies such as leading edge computer chips and hypersonic weapons. That comes as the Biden administration is moving to beef up American manufacturing capabilities for semiconductors and other advanced technologies.

The list of changes to the entity list was published in the Federal Register.

US probes brakes on Cruise robotaxis

U.S. safety regulators are investigating reports that autonomous robotaxis run by General Motors’ Cruise can unexpectedly come to a halt, potentially stranding passengers.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened the probe after three reports of Cruise autonomous vehicles braking so hard that they were rear-ended by other vehicles. At the time, robotaxis were staffed by human safety drivers.

The agency also says it has multiple reports of Cruise robotaxis without human safety drivers becoming immobilized in San Francisco traffic, possibly stranding passengers and blocking lanes. There have been two reports of related injuries. Cruise says it’s cooperating in the probe and has driven nearly 700,000 autonomous miles with no life-threatening injuries or deaths.

Workers walk off jobs at 100 U.S. Starbucks

Starbucks workers around the U.S. have begun a three-day strike. The walkouts are part of their effort to unionize the coffee chain’s stores. Starbucks Workers United says more than 1,000 baristas at 100 stores are planning to walk out. The strike will be the longest in the year-old unionization campaign.

More than 264 of Starbucks’ 9,000 company-run U.S. stores have voted to unionize since late last year. Bargaining has begun but Starbucks hasn’t reached a contract agreement with the union at any store. Starbucks opposes the unionization effort. The company said Friday that the strikes were having a limited impact and most stores remained open.

— Compiled by Dave Flessner