Thursday, April 30, 2015

[WIMS] Environmental HotSheet 4/30/15

 

National / International News

<> Senator McConnell Questions EPA Administrator on War On Coal - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pressed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy today during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing

<> EPW Republicans Block All Amendments to Strengthen Toxic Chemical Bill - Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, issued a statement after the Republicans' "stunning action" to block all of the amendments offered to strengthen the new Vitter toxic chemical bill.

<> Inhofe Announces Bipartisan Press Conference on Waters of the United States Rule - U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and others held a press conference Thursday at 10:45 AM EDT to announce legislation authored by Sens. Barrasso (R-WY) and Donnelly (D-IN) regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's and the Corps of Engineers' attempt to expand the definition of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS).

<> House hearing to review the National Forest System and active forest management – House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry statements, testimony, webcast

<> Senate ENR Hearing on the Administration's Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) - Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing with statements, testimony and webcast

<> House Hearing on The Impact of EPA's Proposed Ozone Standards on Rural America - House Science Subcommittee on Environment hearing background, statement, testimony and webcast

<> Science Academies of G7 Nations Call for Action on Antibiotic Resistance, Tropical Diseases, and the Future of the Ocean - Today the national science academies of the G7 countries issued three statements to their respective governments for discussion during the G7 summit to be held in Germany this June.

<> Phasing in Aquifer Storage and Recovery in the Everglades Could Help Answer Remaining Questions - Although uncertainties about ecological impacts are too great to justify near-term, large-scale implementation of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) in the Everglades, ASR could be phased in to answer several important scientific questions and provide some early restoration benefits, says a report from the National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council.

<> Bioenergy Technologies Office Peer Review Papers Available - BETO hosted the 2015 Project Peer Review from March 23–27, 2015 in Alexandria, VA -- More than 380 attendees participated in reviewing 190 of BETO's projects, representing more than $400 million in funding.

<> Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces New Private Funds to Make Investments in Rural America - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the launch of two new private funds, known as Rural Business Investment Companies (RBICs), which make equity investments in rural businesses. . .

 

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

<> EPA Environmental Appeals Board Re: FutureGen Industrial Alliance, Inc. - 4/28/15. Petitioners petitioned the Environmental Appeals Board to review four Class VI Underground InjectionControl permits that the U.S. EPA Region 5 issued to FutureGen Industrial Alliance, Inc. 
     In an Order denying review EAB rules that petitioners have identified no clear error of fact or law, abuse of discretion, or matter of policy warranting the Board's review under 40 C.F.R. § 124.19(a)(4). 

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).

<> Nothing We're Tracking Today (click for the complete Energy & EPA announcements)

Great Lakes News

<> Lake Huron Restoration Regional Meetings - 4 meetings/locations join colleagues to discuss restoration progress in the U.S. Lake Huron basin and hear about plans to develop the Lake Huron Lakewide Action and Management Plan (LAMP) under the newly updated U.S-Canadian Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. 

<> Mirages captured over the Great Lakes - A rare phenomenon was captured by a Michigan photographer -- a mirage of the Chicago skyline upside down across Lake Michigan.

<> Great Lakes water levels: One lake to be almost 1 foot higher this summer - Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are expected to be 11 inches higher this July as compared to last July, while the other Great Lakes should be lower than last summer.

Michigan News

<> NRC Concludes Hearing On Fermi New Reactor, Combined Licensed To Be Issued - NRC concluded its mandatory hearing on DTE Electric Company's (DTE) application for a Combined License (COL) at the Fermi site adjacent to the company's existing reactor near Newport Michigan -- finding the staff's review adequate to make the necessary regulatory safety and environmental findings, clearing the way for the NRC's Office of New Reactors to issue the license.

<> Are you ready? Tuesday kick's off the Summit & Conference ! - May 5-7, Kalamazoo. The Governor's Recycling Summit & MRC Conference marks the end of the first year of Governor Snyder's two year push to double Michigan's recycling rate and there's no time to waste. Proposal 1 - Vote absentee! 

<> Gov. Rick Snyder: City of Flint ready to move forward as financial emergency resolved – The Governor indicated that the financial emergency in the city of Flint has been resolved and a Receivership Transition Advisory Board has been appointed to ensure a smooth transition to local control and continued financial stability for the city

<> Volunteers needed in May for stewardship in southeastern Michigan - MDNR recently announced the May schedule of volunteer stewardship workdays at state parks in southeastern Michigan -- link to workday details, maps and directions on the MDNR website

<> Michigan mayor backs off call for fracking moratorium - Some colleagues said term-limited Mayor George Heartwell couldn't get support for something they called a non-issue for the city.

<> Pro-Proposal 1 ad's claims go beyond facts, drawing a foul – "(Proposal 1) fixes Michigan's more than 1,000 dangerous bridges and repairs our roads, because a third of the fatal or serious accidents are due to poor roads" -- both claims are not entirely accurate.

<> Foul for misleading ads attacking Proposal 1 - "(Proposal 1) gives Michigan one of the highest sales taxes in the nation. Lansing politicians say the tax is for roads… but nearly forty percent goes to special interests." -- True but misleading; Should Proposal 1 pass, the sales tax would rise from 6 to 7 percent, joining five other states at that level, second-highest in the country.

<> Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail - Construction of Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail is rolling! The planned completion date for the new stretch of the trail from Glen Arbor to Port Oneida is June 1st, weather permitting. 

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 (4/29/15)

IN THE SENATE

HB 4441 of 2015 Environmental protection; other; water pollution, sewerage, solid waste, and recycling fees; extend sunset. [Passed, COMMITTEE]

HB 4448 of 2015 Natural resources; inland lakes; inland lakes and streams application fees; modify. [Passed, COMMITTEE]

 

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

[WIMS] Environmental HotSheet 4/29/15

National / International News

<> American Lung Association's 2015 'State of the Air' Report - More than four in 10 Americans - nearly 138.5 million people - live in counties where ozone or particle pollution levels make the air unhealthy to breathe, according to the American Lung Association's "State of the Air 2015" report

<> Universal LNG Solutions Inc. Unveils First Clean, Efficient Long-Distance Big Rigs - Universal LNG Solutions Inc. rolled out the first four trucks in a fleet of 95 of the most advanced liquefied natural gas (LNG) big rigs in the nation at the campus of Sancus Energy, an LNG technology leader -- the first in the country with the capability to haul 80,000 pounds of goods for more than 700 miles per fill-up, an unprecedented achievement that will change the face of long-distance trucking.

<> Vatican official calls for moral awakening on global warming - Increasing use of fossil fuels is disrupting Earth on an "almost unfathomable scale", a top Vatican official has said, warning that a "full conversion" of hearts and minds is needed if global warming is to be conquered.

<> Court Declares Vermont's Genetically Engineered Food Labeling Law Constitutional - Center for Food Safety (CFS) hailed the just-issued federal court decision from the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont affirming the constitutionality of Vermont's genetically engineered food labeling law, Act 120.

<> Farm Bureau to FAA: Farmers and Ranchers Will Soar with Agricultural Drones - The American Farm Bureau Federation told the Federal Aviation Administration that high-tech cameras and other airborne sensors give us important tools with which to reduce erosion and keep agricultural runoff to the absolute minimum -- important not just for farmers but for anyone else who cares deeply about the environment.

<> EPA To Decide On Public Reporting Of Oil And Gas Toxic Chemicals By October 30 - The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has entered a stay in a lawsuit that environmental organizations filed against U.S. EPA over the agency's failure to require the oil and gas industry to report its toxic emissions to the federal Toxics Release Inventory database -- EPA confirmed that it would respond to the groups' petition by October 30, 2015,

<> Extreme Rainfall Analyses Can Point to Right Size for Culverts - Across the contiguous United States, and especially in the Northeast, the amount of precipitation falling in very heavy events has increased significantly over the last century.

<> 88 Groups Say Rep. Whitfield's Pro-Polluter Bill Undermines Health and Climate Action - Eighty-eight leading conservation, Latino, health, scientific and environmental organizations today urged lawmakers to reject a bill to delay federal climate action authored by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), saying it would give polluters free rein to keep dumping unlimited amounts of dangerous carbon pollution into our air.

  • EPA's Pending Power Plant Rule Threatens the American Dream - Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) have introduced the Ratepayer Protection Act.
  • H.R. 2042 - To allow for judicial review of any final rule addressing carbon dioxide emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units before requiring compliance with such rule, and to allow States to protect households and businesses

<> "Prevented Planting" Crop Insurance Plows Up Wetlands, Wastes Billions - In the report, EWG analyzed payments under the "prevented planting" coverage option of the heavily subsidized federal crop insurance program and says, "Big payouts are going out every year to the same counties because farmers are trying to plant in seasonal wetlands that are usually too wet to plant in the spring. . ."

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).

<> Nothing We're Tracking Today (click for the complete Energy & EPA announcements)

Great Lakes News

<> Tom Melius Appointed New Commissioner of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission - The President has appointed Midwest Regional Director, Tom Melius, as the Federal Commissioner of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission -- the position has remained vacant since 2010.

Michigan News

<> EPA to share several cleanup plans for Kalamazoo River Superfund Project - EPA, working with Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, is planning to share cleanup plans in the coming months for several areas or "operable units" of the Kalamazoo River.

<> Ozone levels grow worse in West Michigan, improve in Detroit - West Michigan's ozone level was ranked as the 18th most polluted region in the country, according to State of the Air 2015.

<> Michigan House OKs budget that cuts Detroit aid - The Michigan House on Tuesday passed a $37.8 billion general government spending plan that slashes state revenue sharing for Detroit by $4.1 million — four months after Michigan's largest city emerged from bankruptcy -- a 59-51, the Republican-controlled House approved the omnibus budget, which includes about $8.1 billion in state general fund spending

<> What's next for Michigan's energy transformation? - Michigan may have already harvested its low-hanging fruit on renewable energy; opportunities exist to greatly expand cleaner energy sources statewide, but they will come with more challenges.

<> State-licensed commercial fishing up more than 5 percent in value from previous year - MDNR recently released data from its 2014 state-licensed commercial fishing season indicating that combined, the state-licensed commercial fishery caught nearly 3,414,000 pounds of fish with an estimated wholesale dockside value of more than $5.8 million prior to processing, marketing and retail sales.

<> MDEQ Celebrates Air Quality Awareness Week - Each day is dedicated to a different air quality topic and steps you can take to minimize your impact.

<> Watershed Center & NMEAC Appeal Boardman Lake Variance - The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay and the Northern Michigan Environmental Council (NMEAC) today filed a claim of appeal in Grand Traverse County Circuit Court of the March 10, 2015 decision by the City of Traverse City Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) for a variance to the Boardman Lake building setback.

<> Grand Rapids Town Hall on Energy Policy - Join Michigan LCV and West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC) for a Town Hall next Monday (May 4) from 6:30 to 8 PM in Grand Rapids.

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 (4/28/15)

IN THE SENATE

SB 0301 of 2015 Environmental protection; recycling; consumer electronic waste; expand to include cellular telephones and tablet computers. [COMMITTEE]

IN THE HOUSE

SB 0217 of 2015 Property tax; classification; reference to qualified forest in qualified agriculture definition; remove. [Committee]

HB 4441 of 2015 Environmental protection; other; water pollution, sewerage, solid waste, and recycling fees; extend sunset. [3rd Read]

HB 4448 of 2015 Natural resources; inland lakes; inland lakes and streams application fees; modify. [3rd Read]

 

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

[WIMS] Environmental HotSheet 4/28/15

National / International News

<> SAB Review of the EPA's Draft Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis - The Science Advisory Board (SAB) reviewed EPA's the draft report titled Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis ("EJTG").

<> GAO Report on DOE Loan Programs: Current Estimated Net Costs Include $2.2 Billion in Credit Subsidy, Plus Administrative Expenses - GAO-15-438, April 27, 2015. The Loan Guarantee Program (LGP) and the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan programS support certain renewable or innovative energy technologies --  the loan portfolio and the portfolio's current status and more

<> USDA Awards $3.8 Million in Grants for Nanotechnology Research - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced more than $3.8 million in funding to support grants focused on using nanotechnology to find solutions to societal challenges such as food security, nutrition, food safety, and environmental protection.

<> The Arctic Council's Iqaluit Meeting: Nine Things You Need to Know A short summary of highlights from the April 24 Arctic Council ministerial gathering in Iqaluit

<> New "Cool Roof Time Machine" Will Accelerate Cool Roof Deployment - "By reducing product rating time to three days from three years, our new ASTM standard practice will speed the introduction of high-performance cool roofs not only in the United States, but around the world."

<> Energy Department Announces $10.5 Million for Next-Generation Marine Energy Systems – The funding to support the design and operation of innovative marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) systems through survivability and reliability-related testing of these systems.

<> NRC Issues Final Environmental Impact Statement for Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant License Renewal - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued its final supplemental environmental impact statement for the proposed renewal of the operating license for the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant located in Oak Harbor, about 23 miles east of Toledo, which concludes there are no environmental impacts that would preclude renewing the plant's license.

<> Secretary Vilsack Announces Rural Schools Payments - April 27, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that $285 million will go to 41 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico this year in support of local schools and roads as part of the Congressional two-year reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act.

<> EPA Administrator to Give Keynote Address at Columbia University's Global Energy Summit in NYC - The event will be live-streamed at 1:15 PM EDT with link available and she will discuss the President Obama's Climate Action Plan

<> How Israeli Desalination Technology Is Helping Solve California's Devastating Drought - With the Pacific Ocean abutting their shores, water desalination may be the much-needed solution for Californians; but desalination has its disadvantages, the chief ones being the high costs and the potential environmental damage -- a $1 billion desalination project is already underway in San Diego County – which will be the largest seawater desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

<> Allen v. The Boeing Co. - 4/27/15. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, Case No. 15-35162. Plaintiffs sued Boeing and Landau Associates in State court alleging that for over forty years they released toxins into the groundwater around its facility in Auburn, Washington and failed in their investigation and remediation.
     In a dispute over whether State or Federal Court was appropriate the Appeals Court ruled in part, "We hold that Plaintiffs' action does not come within the local single event exception to CAFA, and that, therefore, the district court has federal jurisdiction under CAFA." [Class Action Fairness Act]

<> California Dump Truck Owners Association V. Mary Nichols - 4/27/15. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, Case No. 13-15175. At issue is whether the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) approval of the regulation as part of California's state implementation plan (SIP) divested the district court of subject matter jurisdiction under the Clean Air Act.
     The Appeals Court ruled that because the court of appeals has exclusive jurisdiction over such challenges pursuant to § 307(b)(1), the district court lacked jurisdiction. Appellees' petition for rehearing and petition for rehearing en banc are denied.

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).

<> Nothing We're Tracking Today (click for the complete Energy & EPA announcements)

Great Lakes News

<> Regional groups urge EPA to declare Western Lake Erie Watershed impaired - A coalition of 30 environmental, farm, grass-roots and other organizations from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, requested U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to initiate urgent protective actions for Lake Erie, including declaring the western basin an impaired watershed.

<> Western Lake Erie Basin: CAFO Manure Input for 2014 - Total CAFO Animals (all species) in Western Lake Erie Watersheds = 10,780,450; Total CAFO Annual Manure (liquids and solids) in Western Lake Erie Watersheds = 4,940,084,855 lbs

<> Asian carp identification key - Ontario is working to keep aquatic invaders like Asian carps out of the Great Lakes. It is now illegal in Ontario to possess live bighead, silver, grass, or black carp as well as other invasive fish species. 

Michigan News

<> Snyder to decide on presidential run in next few months - Gov. Rick Snyder said Monday he plans to decide whether to run for president "in the next couple of months or so."

<> MDEQ awards grants to 13 local governments to host river cleanups - MDEQ and Great Lakes Commission announced nearly $25,000 in grants ($500 to $5,000) to fund river, stream and creek cleanup events for volunteers around the state.

<> New executive order moves to improve Michigan's energy future - "The cheapest energy is the energy not used, and each homeowner lowering their own usage lowers the cost for everyone"

<> New Renewable Operating Permit (ROP) actions for comment - Public Notice, Staff Reports, Draft ROPs, ROP Renewal Applications -- comment deadline May 20, 2015

<> Energy policy debate is missing the point, advocates say - Three energy-related policies have been proposed by Republicans. Another is proposed by Democrats. But their focus remains firmly on savings for consumers and how to increase energy production.

<> All Trails Day Unites Trail Enthusiasts - Snowmobilers, ORV Riders, Hikers, Bicyclists, Equestrians, and Water Trail enthusiasts will gather at the Michigan State Capitol on today to work on trail issues with each other and with their state lawmakers.

<> State officials unconcerned about failing water-policy grade - The Alliance for Water Efficiency's most recent scorecard gave Michigan a mere three points out of the possible 40 for water efficiency and policy -- compare that to places such as fellow Great Lakes state Wisconsin with 15.5, Rhode Island's 20, or California's 29.

<> Today's property lines are based on the 200-year-old "Michigan meridian" - This month marks the 200th birthday of something that helped make Michigan the state we know today -- the bicentennial of the Michigan meridian -- the north-south line was the reference point for the Michigan Survey.

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).