ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT
SEPTEMBER 2026

Keep an eye on these stories!

EPA to repeal limits on greenhouse gas pollution from power plants

From Ground News (https://ground.news/). Read the news from multiple perspectives. See through media bias with reliable news from local and international sources. from Ground News, Published 9/14/2026 • United States • Updated 7 hours ago (as of 9/15/2026) – Click HERE for the full story.

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to repeal rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants, as Administrator Lee Zeldin claimed the action will remove industry costs and help "unleash" American energy.
• The EPA estimates the change saves industry over $300 billion, while adding an estimated 123 million metric tons of additional carbon emissions over the next decade.
• Administrator Zeldin targeted this rule in early 2025 as part of a deregulation effort; the Trump EPA argues greenhouse gases from fossil-fuel power plants "do not contribute significantly to dangerous pollution" under the Clean Air Act thresholds.
• An Associated Press examination found existing regulations could prevent 30,000 deaths and save $275 billion annually, while opponents warn dismantling protections will increase smog, mercury, and lead, raising health risks.
• Environmental and public health groups vowed to challenge the repeal in court; Vickie Patton, general counsel for the Environmental Defense Fund, said "Tearing down our national protections will have enormous costs."
• The repeal marks a fundamental shift from efforts by Democratic Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama to address climate change, while analysts note the action could permanently limit future administrations' ability to regulate power sector emissions.

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Protect Our Aquifer Petition for Fair Water Rates

From Protect Our Aquifer (https://www.protectouraquifer.org/)

(https://ujoin.co/campaigns/4007/actions/public?action_id=5838)

 Is it fair that the largest water users pay less per gallon than residents? MLGW is planning on raising our water rates in 2027. Sign the petition today and demand: Stop the steep regressive discount for industrial water users and reform rates into a fair, progressive structure. 

Points outlined in the petition:

• Memphis residents pay $0.32 per 100 gallons of water. Commercial water customers start paying $0.40, but the more they use the less they pay and can end up paying just $0.17 per 100 gallons – half of what we pay as residents.
• Commercial water users consume 52% of our total use per day – which can strain our systems, particularly during peak demand.
• Residents pay a full 9.25% sales tax on their water bills, while manufacturers only pay 1%. 
• Regressive rates disguise the real costs, overcharging light users and undercharging heavy ones, which undermines financial fairness and doesn’t incentivize conservation.

********************************************************************************Update on Memphis City Council Data Center Moratorium

From The Daily Memphian (https://dailymemphian.com/)

By Noah McLane, Contributions from Bill Dries, Daily Memphian

Updated: September 15, 2026 5:40 PM CT | Published: September 15, 2026 5:37 PM CT

A City Council proposal to ban new data centers in Memphis for a year was delayed Tuesday, Sept. 15, just hours before its third and final reading.

City Council member JB Smiley said he would delay the vote on his ordinance until Oct. 6 and will amend it to include items other City Council members suggested while also focusing on hyperscale data centers like SpaceXAI’s Colossus I and II. “I plan on putting out a more extensive moratorium that includes some of the information Dr. (Jeff) Warren wants, Councilor (Philip) Spinosa wants,” Smiley said. “I want to include all the ideas of this body.”

Doubt was cast on the moratorium’s effectiveness at a Sept. 1 meeting by Allan Wade, a City Council attorney, who questioned whether the body had the authority to ban data centers. “In my mind, the issue is not whether we have a moratorium on data centers; it’s how we regulate them,” said Warren, who introduced a version of the data center ordinance last meeting.

Smiley said the Council needs to “slow things down” when it came to the moratorium. But he said the new moratorium would extend its scope, not limit it.

The ordinance was sponsored by Smiley, Jerri Green, Michalyn Easter-Thomas and Council Chair Jana Swearengen-Washington. Green was not present at Tuesday’s meeting.

Spinosa, who introduced a regulatory approach to data centers, also pushed back the second reading of his proposal to Oct. 6.

His proposal would establish rules for data center development — water usage, noise and other environmental standards — that the moratorium would create time to develop.

Warren’s proposal was also pushed to Oct. 6 after having its first reading Sept. 1.

It has the same general goal as Spinosa’s plan but includes provisions requiring data centers to use recycled water and bar “routine evaporative and once-through cooling” systems.

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This information is compiled by League of Women Voters Memphis and Shelby County for educational purposes only. PDF is available below.