Subscribe by June 30, 2014
to avoid disruption in service
(click here)
National / International News
<> Boxer Statement: Press Conference with Transportation Leaders to Signal Highway Trust Fund Facing a Mayday Situation – "Today, we are facing a mayday situation, and I am here to send an SOS call to Congress and the American people. We are on the verge of a Transportation Government Shutdown. . . MAP-21, expires on September 30th, and without action to extend the Highway Trust Fund, all payments to states stop on October 1st.
<> EPA Releases Final Risk Assessment on Trichloroethylene (TCE)/ Agency begins process to address potential human health risks - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final risk assessment for trichloroethylene (TCE). The assessment identified health risks from TCE exposures to consumers using spray aerosol. . .
<> Major-US-companies-facing-climate-change-related-risks-and-costs -
Major U.S. public companies from all economic sectors now facing climate change related risks and costs, a new report from Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). . . a State-by-State analysis of the business response to climate change, shows companies across America are factoring global warming into their business planning because they see climate action as a prudent way to build competitive advantage for their firms nationally and globally.
<> Senators: EPA is Cherry-Picking Science in New Chemical Risk Assessment - U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), top Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee sent a letter to Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator of the U.S. EPA regarding how the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) conducts chemical risk assessments. . .
<> APGA Expresses Opposition to Udall-Landrieu LNG Export Legislation - On June 25, American Public Gas Association expressed concern to Chairman Landrieu (D-LA) of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and Senator Udall (D-CO)—also of the committee—regarding their recently introduced legislation. . . "As every study on the issue has shown, exporting LNG increases the domestic price of natural gas. This means that whether you are a homeowner, small business, or large industrial enterprise, exporting LNG increases the prices you pay for not just energy but also the goods and services that have the cost of energy built into them. . ."
- S.2494 - Natural Gas Export Promotion Act of 2014 Legislative Details
- House Approves Bill to Boost Gas Exports, Create Jobs - The House of Representatives today approved H.R. 6, the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act, by a bipartisan vote of 266 to 150.
- H.R.6 - Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act Legislative Details
<> Calling on Congress to Eliminate Outdated and Duplicative Reporting Requirements - Every year, Congress requires Federal agencies to produce thousands of written reports and plans on far ranging topics. While these reports and plans often provide useful information for legislative decision-making, oversight, and public. . .
<> New Energy Efficiency Standards for Furnace Fans to Reduce Carbon Pollution, Help Americans Save on Energy Bills - The new standard for furnace fans will help reduce harmful carbon pollution by up to 34 million metric tons – equivalent to the annual electricity use of 4.7 million homes – and save Americans over $9 billion in home electricity bills through 2030.
<> Senators Push Administration for Expanded Offshore Drilling in Next 5-Year OCS Leasing Plan - U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), top Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee sent a letter to Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Department of Interior, regarding the Department's oil and gas leasing plan for 2017 through 2022 on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
<> Sportsmen: Energy bill would gut leasing reforms - Hunters, anglers reject assault on balanced energy development and the public's right to speak out on decisions affecting their lands. . .
<> Request for Information for Environmental Impact Minimization Technologies and Field Testing Opportunities - June 25, 2014. The Energy Department's Wind Program is seeking feedback from the wind industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders regarding a potential funding opportunity to advance the readiness of environmental impact minimization technologies through investments in technology development and field testing.
<> NREL and General Motors Announce R&D Partnership to Reduce Cost of Automotive Fuel Cells - The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and General Motors (GM) are partnering on a multiyear, multimillion dollar joint effort to accelerate the reduction of automotive fuel cell stack costs through fuel cell. . .
<> Carbon Storage in U.S. Eastern Ecosystems Helps Counter Greenhouse Gas Emissions Contributing to Climate Change - Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell released a new report showing that forests, wetlands and farms in the eastern United States naturally store 300 million tons of carbon a year (1,100 million tons of CO2), which is nearly 15 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions EPA estimates the country emits each year or an amount that exceeds and offsets yearly U.S. car emissions.
<> New tests find bee-killing pesticides in 51% of "bee-friendly" plants from garden centers across U.S. and Canada - Metro Detroit plants found to contain the hazardous pesticide [DETROIT, MI]– Many "bee-friendly" home garden plants sold at Home Depot (NYSE: HD), Lowe's (NYSE: LOW) and Walmart (NYSE: WMT) have been pre-treated with pesticides. . .
U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions
<> Asarco LLC v. Goodwin - 6/25/14. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, Case No. 13-3954. The Panel concluded that the district court properly dismissed Asarco's direct contribution claims because they are barred by the applicable three‐year statute of limitations, and that its subrogation claims were properly dismissed because Asarco is not a subrogee.
Federal Register Highlights
The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Day, Month, date, 2014. (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).
1. Hazardous Waste - Final Rule - Revisions to the Export Provisions of the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Rule PDF | Text |
(click for the complete Energy & EPA announcements)
