National / International News
<> EPA Publishes 19th Annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory - The Inventory, showing a 3.4 percent decrease in 2012 from 2011, is submitted annually to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
<> Department of Energy Issues Draft Renewable Energy and Efficient Energy Projects Solicitation to Foster Clean Energy Innovation - April 16, 2014; the solicitation is expected to make as much as $4 billion in loan guarantees available to help commercialize technologies that may be unable to obtain full commercial financing.
<> Parents Return Walgreens Products Tested for Toxic Chemicals - Concerned parents and health professionals descended on nearly 50 Walgreens stores nationwide today, saying the company has failed to take action on toxic chemicals in their products.
<> EPA Needs to Clarify Its Claim of "No Net Loss" of Wetlands - EPA Office of Inspector General report to determine how the U.S. EPA verifies that the application of the wetlands protection and restoration guidelines achieves "no net loss" of wetlands.
<> Vitter Announces Growing Support for Bipartisan TSCA Reform Bill - U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), top Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee, announced additional support for the Chemical Safety Improvement Act (CSIA), which he coauthored and introduced with the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.). Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) has taken over as the lead democratic Senator working with Vitter to reform the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
<> Energy Department Announces $10 Million for Technologies to Produce Advanced Biofuel Products from Biomass - April 15, 2014, Energy Department Announces $10 Million for Technologies to Produce Advanced Biofuel Products from Biomass.
<> Free Webinar on Water Quality Mobile Website "How's My Waterway" - EPA will be hosting a free webinar on April 23 from 1:00pm- 2:00pm Eastern Time to detail the new enhancements to How's My Waterway, a mobile friendly website that enables users to easily access water quality information for their local lakes, rivers, and streams.
<> BP Announces Active Shoreline Cleanup Operations from Deepwater Horizon Accident End - $14 billion and 70-million man-hours expended, 778 miles cleaned milestone marks major step toward honoring BP's commitment to the Gulf
<> Personal travel growth significantly influences projected transportation energy demand - (Wed, 16 Apr 2014) Personal travel, measured in light-duty vehicle miles traveled per licensed driver, reached 12,900 miles per year in 2007 and decreased to about 12,500 in 2012. This shift in travel behavior is important. . .
<> Clean Energy Investment Rises 9%, Led by Solar Power - April 16 -- Clean energy investment rose by 9 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier on surging demand for rooftop solar panels from the U.S. to Japan. New investment in renewable power and energy efficiency rose. . .
<> US highway construction fund could run dry by late August - Better Roads MagazineUS highway construction fund could run dry by late August -DOTReuters"The surface transportation program continues to outlay (funds) at a greater pace than receipts are coming in," the DOT said. . .
<> US Forest Service Finalizes Policy to Promote Year-Round Recreation on Ski Areas - WASHINGTON, April 15, 2014 - The U.S. Forest Service finalized policy guidelines that will open opportunities for ski areas to promote year-round recreation activities that are natural resource-based and that will create. . .
<> GAO Report: National Environmental Policy Act: Little Information Exists on NEPA Analyses, April 15, 2014 - GAO Found Government-wide data on the number and type of most National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyses are not readily available, as data collection efforts vary by agency. Requested by a number of GOP committee leaders.
<> Cybersecurity for Energy Delivery Systems (CEDS) Research Call - April 15, 2014Cybersecurity for Energy Delivery Systems (CEDS) Research Call The Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), on behalf of the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy. . .
<> White Stallion Energy Center v. U.S. EPA - 4/15/14: In the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, Case No. 12-1100, consolidated with over two dozen cases. The split Panel denied the challenges to EPA's emission standards for mercury and a number of listed hazardous air pollutants emitted by coal- and oil-fired electric utility steam generating units.
Federal Register Highlights
The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Wednesday, April 16, 2014. (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).
1. Nothing We're Tracking Today (click for the complete Energy & EPA announcements)
