Friday, May 09, 2014

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 5/9/14

National / International News

 

<> FACT SHEET: President Obama Announces Commitments and Executive Actions to Advance Solar Deployment and Energy Efficiency - more than 300 private and public sector commitments to create jobs and cut carbon pollution by advancing solar deployment and energy efficiency

<> EPA Seeking Public Comment on Enhancing Transparency for Chemicals and Mixtures Used in Hydraulic Fracturing - EPA announced today that it will seek public comment on what information could be reported and disclosed for hydraulic fracturing chemicals and mixtures and the approaches for obtaining this information, including non-regulatory approaches. . .

<> Bipartisan Agreement on Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) conference report – Key House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans announce long-awaited agreement on bill to maintain ports and navigation routes for commerce and the movement of goods, provides flood control that protects lives

<> Senators announce markup date for reauthorization of Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) - May 15 at 10:00 AM to mark up long-term bipartisan legislation to fund and improve the nation's Federal-aid highway programs for six years at current funding plus inflation

<> "National Climate Change Viewer" Enables Focus on Future Climate-Driven Changes for U.S. Watersheds at Local Levels - Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell unveiled the National Climate Change Viewer, a climate-visualization website tool from the Interior Department's U.S. Geological Survey.

<> Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee Ozone Standard Review - Draft CASAC Review of the EPA's Second Draft Policy Assessment for the Review of the 19 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards

<> C2ES Comments on Proposed EPA Rules for New Power Plants - Summary of C2ES May 2014 comments on EPA's proposed "Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New Stationary Sources: Electric Generating Units."Read the full comments here. . .

<> U.S. Drought Monitor Update for May 6, 2014 - According to the May 6 U.S. Drought Monitor, moderate to exceptional drought covers 40.1% of the contiguous U.S.

<> Carbon Supply Cost Curves. Evaluating financial risk to oil capital expenditures - This analysis assists investors to continue their engagement with companies over carbon asset risk. It introduces the concept of a carbon supply cost curve to global oil projects

<> 14-030: NRC Seeks Comment on Supplement to Certification Rule for General Electric-Hitachi New Reactor Design - a supplement to the March 2011 proposed rule to certify General Electric-Hitachi's (GEH) Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor

<> Recycling is the primary energy efficiency technology for aluminum and steel manufacturing - (Fri, 09 May 2014) The production of iron, steel, and aluminum is a highly energy-intensive process. . . U.S. Energy Information Administration reports from its Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey

<> Secretary Jewell Announces Approval of Second Utility-Scale Solar Energy Project on American Indian Trust Land - May 8, 2014Secretary Jewell Announces Approval of Second Utility-Scale Solar Energy Project on American Indian Trust Land As part of the Obama Administration's efforts to build strong and prosperous tribal communities. . .

<> New Course Teaches Best Practices for Water Management for Federal Facilities - May 8, 2014 FEMP now offers Best Practices for Comprehensive Water Management for Federal Facilities, a new e-Training core course providing. . .

 

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

 

<> League of Wilderness Defenders/Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project v. Connaughton - In the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, Case No.13-35653. The Panel affirmed in part and reversed in part the district court's order, denying a motion to preliminarily enjoin the Snow Basin logging project -- with instructions to enter a preliminary injunction sufficient to protect the status quo while the USFS completes a supplemental environmental impact statement

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Friday, May 9, 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)