Now that 2020 is officially here, Washington has turned it's attention to one thing... the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is turning 50! Although the agency is abuzz with birthday celebration plans, it was still a very busy week at the EPA.

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler kicked off the week in Marshall, Virginia, where he announced the EPA will be taking action on the Cleaner Trucks Initiative (CTI). Administrator Wheeler was joined by U.S. Congressman Denver Riggleman, Virginia State Delegate Michael Webert, and a variety of stakeholders. The CTI rulemaking will establish new, more stringent emission standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and other pollutants for highway heavy-duty engines.

Additionally this week, Administrator Wheeler joined President Trump and cabinet officials at the White House to voice support for the Council on Envrionmental Quality's (CEQ) proposed updates to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The proposed rule will clarify and simplify NEPA reviews, allowing EPA to provide more regulatory certainty.

EPA also kicked off several key campaigns this week, including National Radon Action Month and EPA's 50th Anniversary theme: "EPA at 50: Progress for a Stronger Future", and launched a unified website with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide a one-stop-shop for information about the actions the federal government is taking to oversee the development of agricultural biotechnology products.