WIMS Environmental News Blogs

WIMS Environmental News Blogs   NOW THAT WE ARE ON OUR HOLIDAY BREAK IT'S A GREAT TIME TO CHECK OUT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS BLOGS

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We'll be back on Monday, January 5, 2015.

Supporting Water Projects that Communities Want

Subscribers & Readers Note: WIMS will not be publishing for the next two weeks of Christmas & New Years. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy & safe holiday season. We'll be back on Monday, January 5, 2015.

National / International News

<> Supporting Water Projects that Communities Want - When communities are involved in key water infrastructure projects, like with Kansas City's Blue River channel modification project, the Federal Government can speed up project approvals, cut costs, and support projects with the greatest economic and community benefits. Updated Principles, Requirements and Guidelines for Water and Land Related Resources Implementation Studies December 2014, CEQ final Interagency Guidelines - The Principles, Requirements and Guidelines (PR&G) revise and replace the 1983 Principles and Guidelines and constitute the comprehensive policy and guidance for Federal investments in water resources.

New York State Recommends Halt To High-volume Hydraulic Fracturing

<> New York State Recommends Halt To High-volume Hydraulic Fracturing - The state Department of Health has completed its public health review of high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) and Acting DOH Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker recommended that high-volume hydraulic fracturing should not move forward in New York State. Dr. Zucker announced his findings and recommendations today at a Cabinet Meeting in Albany saying, "I think it would be reckless to proceed in New York until more authoritative research is done. I asked myself, 'would I let my family live in a community with fracking?' The answer is no. I therefore cannot recommend anyone else's family to live in such a community either." New York's Fracking Prohibition Is the Right Decision - Union of Concerned Scientists say New York's decision to prohibit fracking is the right choice based on the right process. Earthjustice Hails Governor Andrew Cuomo's Historic Energy Leadership Governor Cuomo snubs jobs for New York families and the benefits of energy security - ALBANY, NY, December 17, 2014 ─ API New York State Petroleum Council Executive Director Karen Moreau said Governor Cuomo acted irresponsibly by issuing a statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing, putting the state's economy on a reckless path and ignoring the needs of New York families, economic opportunity, job creation, revenue to the government, and America's need for energy security. U.S. Chamber Energy Institute President and CEO Karen Harbert comments on New York's decision - "Governor Cuomo's announcement today that he will ban hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas resources is bad news for New York's citizens and economy. While neighboring cities and towns in Pennsylvania are benefiting from new jobs and badly needed new revenue, struggling communities in New York's Southern Tier will continue to be left out. . ."

President Obama Protects Alaska's Bristol Bay From Future Oil and Gas Drilling

<> President Obama Protects Alaska's Bristol Bay From Future Oil and Gas Drilling - President Obama designated the pristine waters of Bristol Bay as off limits to consideration for oil and gas leasing; the action safeguards one of the nation's most productive fisheries and preserves an ecologically rich area of the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska that is vital to the commercial fishing and tourism economy and to Alaska Native communities -- 40 percent of America's wild-caught seafood and a $2 billion annual fishing industry. Presidential Memorandum -- Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer Continental Shelf from Leasing Disposition - MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR  SUBJECT: Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer Continental Shelf from Leasing Disposition Consistent with principles of responsible public  Email: "What the President Just Did" - Earlier today, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell sent this message to the White House email list on President Obama's action to protect Bristol Bay. Didn't get it? Make sure you sign up for email updates here. 5 Things You Need to Know About Alaska's Bristol Bay - President Obama just took action to protect one of Alaska's most powerful economic engines and one of America's greatest national treasures: Bristol Bay.

Business to partner with governments for the diffusion of game-changing low-carbon technology

<> Business to partner with governments for the diffusion of game-changing low-carbon technology - Geneva, December 12, 2014 - Business will work with governments to shape a novel technology and solutions agenda to support efforts for an ambitious climate agreement in Paris next year The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Road to Paris

Climate Agreement Inches Forward In Lima

<> Climate Agreement Inches Forward In Lima - A new 2015 agreement on climate change, that will harness action by all nations, took a further important step forward in Lima following two weeks of negotiations by over 190 countries. Nations concluded by elaborating the elements of the new agreement, scheduled to be agreed in Paris in late 2015, while also agreeing the ground rules on how all countries can submit contributions to the new agreement during the first quarter of next year. Decisions adopted by COP 20 and CMP 10 – Scroll down for Lima Call for Climate Action and all major actions More news from UNFCCC Lima COP20 website UN agrees way forward on climate change – but path is unclear (by Nicholas Stern) Paris climate summit faces tougher job after modest Lima deal Climate Talks Yield Plan to Spread Burden of Emission Cuts - Source: Wall Street Journal - The U.S. and other wealthy countries persuaded their developing-nation peers to advance a framework that for the first time would spread the burden of economically painful emission cuts across A Climate Accord Based on Global Peer Pressure - New York Times‎ - Shortly before 2 a.m. on Sunday, after more than 36 straight hours of negotiations, top officials from nearly 200 nations agreed to the first deal committing every country in the world to reducing the fossil fuel emissions that cause global warming Sierra Club Statement On The Conclusion of COP20 Negotiations Limping Home from Lima - Limping Home from LimaLIMA (December 14, 2014) – The U.N. climate talks in Lima, Peru wrapped up early Sunday morning, a day later than scheduled, with decisions that represent the bare minimum

House narrowly passes spending bill, averts government shutdown

<> House narrowly passes spending bill, averts government shutdown - The House of Representatives averted a government shutdown on Thursday, narrowly passing (219-206) a $1.1 trillion spending bill despite strenuous Democratic objections to controversial financial provisions. House Floor Action For December 11, 2014 for Omnibus bill debate Rogers: Omnibus Package Responsibly Funds the Federal Government, Avoids a Shutdown, Makes Good-Government Policy Changes - The bill includes full Appropriations legislation and funding for 11 of the 12 annual Appropriations bills through the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2015, including cuts and oversight of U.S. EPA - (SEE SUMMARY) Energy & Water Summary Interior & Environment Summary Access the complete 1600+ page funding bill Access details of the roll call vote by state

DAY 10: UN COP20 climate change summit

<> LIVE IN LIMA – DAY 10: UN COP20 climate change summit - Rolling commentary, news, analysis and video from the 20th Conference of the Parties to the UN Climate Convention in Lima, Peru John Kerry: climate change is now a security issue - US secretary of state will call on leaders at Lima talks to reach for an ambitious deal to fight climate change U.S. Center COP 20: How the U.S. Will Reach Its Emissions Target - Ashley Allen, takes questions from the audience during the event which will amplify President Obama's new commitments at the UN Climate Summit on global resilience, and invite NGOs, the private sector, and developing country partners to join in the new consortium on climate information for global resilience [1:30 PM EST] US Spending Bill Blocks Obama's UN Climate Fund $Billions - An "omnibus" spending bill to fund the federal government through October 2015 throws up roadblocks for the Obama administration's climate agenda, namely by blocking taxpayer dollars from going to the United Nations global warming fund.

LIVE IN LIMA - DAY 9: UN COP20 climate change summit

<> LIVE IN LIMA – DAY 9: UN COP20 climate change summit - Rolling commentary, news, analysis and video from the 20th Conference of the Parties to the UN Climate Convention in Lima, Peru From Lima to Paris: 10 stepping stones to a climate agreement Infographic: Mapping country alliances at the international climate talks - Under the surface of polite language and formal procedures, UN talks are more about realpolitik than they first appear. Every country is out to further their own domestic interests,

<> Green Climate Fund hits $10 bln goal, after Australia surprise - A new Green Climate Fund that aims to help poor nations cope with global warming reached a U.N. goal of $10 billion on Tuesday at global climate talks in Lima, helped by a surprise donation from Australia. Green Climate Fund hits USD 10 billion threshold - The Governments of Australia and Belgium today joined other nations in pledging to the Green Climate Fund, committing AU$ 200 million (Australia) and EUR 51.7 million (Belgium) to the Fund, respectively.

 

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National / International News

<> Building a Global Low-Carbon Technology Pathway - At COP 20 in Lima, Peru, Department of Energy staff will discuss actions we're taking to help implement the United States' commitments to fight global climate change. U.S. Center at COP20 LIVE IN LIMA – DAY 8: UN COP20 climate change summit - Rolling commentary, news, analysis and video from the 20th Conference of the Parties to the UN Climate Convention in Lima, Peru

<> Lima climate talks: What progress can be made at COP 20? - As the talks enter their second and final week, some of the developments outside of the spotlight are raising concerns even as the US-China bilateral agreement continues to be the basis for broader optimism.

<> Washington takes heat at UN talks over targets - Quizzed by rich and poor countries about its efforts against global warming, President Barack Obama's envoys sought to explain how exactly the U.S. plans to cut emissions 17 percent by 2020 based on 2005 levels.

<> Unleashing Climate Data and Innovation for more Resilient Ecosystems – Dec. 9. Dr. John P. Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy in a blog post announced that the Department of Interior and other Executive Branch agencies and offices were releasing, on climate.data.gov, new troves of government data on water and ecosystems, as well as new geospatial tools, as part of the President's Climate Data Initiative.

<> Study: Methane emissions from natural gas production are lower than previously estimated - December 9, 2014 – A major field study by the University of Texas and sponsored by the Environmental Defense Fund and natural gas producers found that methane emissions from development and production of natural gas are down from previous studies and now represent only 0.38 percent of production.

<> Updated Study Finds Sixty-five Percent of Industrial Carbon Pollution Produced by 90 Entities - Sixty-five percent of all heat-trapping emissions from fossil fuels and cement can be traced to just 90 entities, according to the Climate Accountability Institute (CAI), which has updated a first-of-its-kind database that accounts for historic emissions from major carbon producers in the oil, natural gas, coal, and cement industries.

<> Summary and Presentations from "Estimating the Benefits and Costs of Distributed Energy Technologies" Workshop Now Available - The workshop was intended as an early step toward the development of widely-accepted concepts and methods for conducting valuation studies regarding the impacts of deploying distributed energy technologies.

<> Now Available: Smart Grid Investments Improve Grid Reliability, Resilience, and Storm Responses (November 2014) - Smart grid technologies are helping utilities to speed outage restoration following major storm events, reduce the total number of affected customers, and improve overall service reliability to reduce customer losses from power disruptions.

<> Dr. Ellen Williams Confirmed as Director of ARPA-E - Dr. Ellen Williams was confirmed by the United States Senate on Monday, December 8, 2014 as the Director of the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) -- a novel program that funds high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private-sector investment.

<> Researchers offer new insights into predicting future droughts in California - According to a new NOAA-sponsored study , natural oceanic and atmospheric patterns are the primary drivers behind California's ongoing drought. NOAA Study on California Drought Focuses on Rain, Report Author Acknowledges More Research Needed on Temperatures

<> NCDC Releases November 2014 U.S. Climate Report - During November, the average contiguous U.S. temperature was 39.3°F, 2.4°F below the 20th century average.

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

<> Supreme Court Denies Youth Climate Advocates Public Trust Climate Suit - The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a case (No. 14-405) brought by representatives of Our Children's Trust seeking  protection of essential natural resources for the benefit of future generations under the public trust doctrine.

Federal Register Highlights  The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

<> RENEWABLE ENERGY - Proposed Rule. U.S. EPA - Delay in Issuing 2014 Standards for the Renewable Fuel Standard Program

<> CLIMATE, AIR - Proposed Rule. U.S. EPA - Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule: 2015 Revisions and Confidentiality Determinations for Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems

(click for the complete Energy & EPA announcements)

Great Lakes News

<> H.R.5764 - Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2014 - House debate may begin on the GLRI Act of 2014 which would formally authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for five years at up to $300 million annually. Regional groups support congressional action authorizing Great Lakes restoration - Download  HR 5764 – GLRI Group Letter – December 2014 Seven regional Great Lakes groups weighed in today with the Great Lakes congressional delegation in support of legislation being considered this week

<> Great Lakes conference coming to Falls in 2016 - The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative will hold its 2016 annual meeting in Niagara Falls.

<> Study: Less lake effect snow, more rain near Great Lakes as climate changes - The Great Lakes region could see less lake effect snow and more rain by the late 21st century, a new study suggests

<> The man with the salmon plan - One biologist's radical dream for the Great Lakes came true when millions of salmon were brought in from the Pacific. Perhaps no single person has had a bigger impact on the Great Lakes as we know them than former Michigan DNR Director Howard Tanner.

<> Ohio group takes on toxic algae head on - Environmental, government and clean water officials are collaborating to find ways to reduce harmful algal blooms.

<> Microbeads Threaten Great Lakes Water Quality & Wildlife - Microbeads are in many of today's most popular personal care items. If one of the product ingredients is "polyethylene" or "polypropylene," it likely has microbeads.

Michigan News

<> Gov. Snyder applauds project recommendations of Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund board - Gov. Rick Snyder today applauded the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund board of trustees' recommendation to the Legislature that 69 recreational development projects and land acquisitions totaling $24.7 million be funded in 2015.

<> DNR receives $1.2 million grant to expand Hunting Access Program - Voluntary Public Access-Hunting Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) federal grant to enhance the state's Hunting Access Program with an emphasis on Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program land, habitat restoration and more opportunities for youth and apprentice hunting -- public comment sought until Jan. 7, 2015 on adoption of environmental assessment

<> Velsicol Burn Pit Superfund Site - Formerly known as Gratiot County Golf Course, five acres of land in St. Louis, Michigan, added to the NPL in 2010, the site is now eligible for federal cleanup funding -- comments are being accepted until Jan. 24, 2015.

<> MDEQ cleans up near-record number of leaking petroleum storage tanks - Just one closure shy of its all-time record, the DEQ cleaned up 488 leaking underground storage tanks during fiscal year 2014.

<> New House Analysis For SB791(H1) - Senate Bill 791 would amend multiple sections of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA, PA 451 of 1994) that relate to leaking underground storage tanks including the creation of a separate account to pay for corrective action to be taken on leaking underground tanks and the revision of eligibility requirements that must be met by claimants.

<> New House Analysis For SB753 - Senate Bill 753 would amend Section 3109 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA) by exempting municipalities from remedy or penalty resulting from unauthorized discharge of raw sewage under certain circumstances.

<> MIOSHA Awards First of $500,000 in Matching Grants to Reduce Workplace Hazards - The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) announced the first five small Michigan businesses to receive a matching grant to improve workplace safety and health

<> Isle Royale National Park's wolf woes spur bigger questions of managing wilderness - Park managers are considering options ranging from doing nothing to a genetic rescue.

<> EPA to discuss continued cleanup of Kalamazoo River Superfund site at Dec. 11 public meeting - Options being considered for next summer's Kalamazoo River cleanup will be the topic of a public meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo River Superfund Project

<> DEQ Informational Meeting on Detroit Incinerator - The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will be holding an informational meeting, December 11, 2014 at 6:30 PM, regarding the Detroit Renewable Power consent judgment, specific to their odor issues. Detroit Renewable Power consent judgment Detroit Renewable Energy (DRE) Website

<> Natural Resources Commission to meet Thursday in Lansing

<> How to pay for old Kent County landfills: Property tax or surcharge on trash bill? - The Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce wants county leaders to reconsider a proposed $3 annual fee.

Michigan Legislative Tracking  Newly introduced bills and bills that are moving, if any, are listed below. Click on the bill number for complete status, full text, & analyses. Uppercase is Senate action; lowercase is House action. Otherwise, for a complete list of environmental legislation this session (click here).

 

Daily Activity (12/8/14)

IN THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE

HB 4038 of 2013 Natural resources; nonnative species; bush autumn olive; include on restricted species list. [Presented to Governor]