[WIMS] Environmental HotSheet 4/23/15

 

National / International News

<> Remarks by the President on the Impacts of Climate Change – ". . .2014 was the planet's warmest year on record; fourteen of the 15 hottest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century --  Yes, this winter was cold in parts of our country, including Washington; some people in Washington helpfully used a snowball to illustrate that fact -- But around the world, in the aggregate, it was the warmest winter ever recorded. . ."

<> New Report Recommends Ways to Improve Consumer Adoption of Plug-in Electric Vehicles - Vehicle cost, current battery technology, and inadequate consumer knowledge are some of the barriers preventing widespread adoption of plug-in electric vehicles, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council.

<> In Milestone, Energy Department Projects Safely and Permanently Store 10 Million Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide - In a landmark accomplishment, the U.S. Department of Energy is announcing that a group of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects supported by the Department have safely captured 10 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) – the equivalent of removing more than 2 million passenger vehicles from the nation's roads for one year.

<> New Insight on Ground Shaking from Man-Made Earthquakes - The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) released a report today that outlines a preliminary set of models to forecast how hazardous ground shaking could be in the areas where sharp increases in seismicity have been recorded -- the increase has been linked to industrial operations that dispose of wastewater by injecting it into deep wells.

<> USDA Announces Water Quality and Energy Efficiency Projects Across Rural America -, April 22, 2015 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack celebrated Earth Day by announcing support for projects to improve rural water and wastewater services, promote renewable energy, and promote the efficient use of energy resources through the Rural Development's Water and Environmental Program (WEP).

<> 10 Animals the President's Trade Deal Will Help Protect from Illegal Wildlife Trafficking – Elephants, Tigers, Rhinos, Hammerhead Sharks, Sea Turtles, Pangolins and more. .

<> Another New Arrangement from EPA Designed to Settle Some Older Scores - Barnes & Thornburg LLP has issued an Environmental Alert on EPA's new compendium of guidance on the use of financial assurance mechanisms in CERCLA settlement agreements and unilateral administrative orders EPA Guidance: Financial Assurance in Superfund Settlements and Orders

<> DOE Collects Civil Penalties for Failure to Certify Consumer Refrigeration Products - DOE's Office of Enforcement recently resolved enforcement actions against seven companies that failed to submit required reports to certify that their refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and/or freezers comply with federal energy conservation standards -- assessed civil penalties of $8,000 per manufacturer for first-time violators and civil penalties ranging from $16,000 to $20,000 per manufacturer for companies with a history of noncompliance.

<> Research Suggests Pesticide Is Alluring and Harmful to Bees - Research by European scientists raised fresh questions on Wednesday about the impact on bees of neonicotinoids, a ubiquitous and controversial class of pesticides whose future use was restricted this month by EPA. . .

<> Droning On Over Nuclear Power Plants - Last fall, unidentified drones breached restricted airspace over 13 of France's 19 nuclear power plants in a seemingly coordinated fashion -- security experts haven't yet identified who was responsible for the French flyovers, but with the prices of drones falling and their popularity rising, the potential threat will likely continue to grow.

<> OMB Analyzes House Republican Funding Bills Compared to Administration Key Priorities - The bills released so far, along with the targets for the remaining bills, show that the Republican budget funding levels will force cuts compared to the President's Budget in areas important to the economy and the middle-class, ranging from research to education to environmental protection, as well as in national security priorities, ranging from peacekeeping and foreign assistance to the base defense budget.

<> EPA's Energy Star Launches "Flip Your Fridge" Initiative - U.S. EPA's Energy Star program is announcing its new "Flip Your Fridge" initiative today, which demonstrates the benefits Americans would see by recycling older refrigerators and replacing them with Energy Star certified models.

<> FHWA Names Environmental Excellence Award Recipients for 2015 - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) revealed this year's Environmental Excellence Award recipients -- selected by an independent panel, the awards are the agency's biennial recognition of innovative efforts to preserve the environment while enhancing America's highways.

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

<> NY Rep. Higgins seeks federal aid to upgrade Great Lakes wastewater treatment plants - The bill would provide the EPA with money that would be passed on to publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in the Great Lakes region which would be equipped with "nutrient-removal technology." Higgins Announces Legislation to Protect the Great Lakes, Update Water Infrastructure - The Great Lakes Nutrient Removal Assistance Act would provide the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with $500 million of funding to upgrade publicly-owned wastewater treatment plants in the Great Lakes basin with nutrient removal technology. H.R. 1955: To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide assistance for nutrient removal technologies to States in the Great Lakes System

Michigan News

<> Snyder, dodging direct question about presidential bid: If you have a choice, choose a governor over a senator - Tom Henderson - Gov. Rick Snyder changed the subject Wednesday morning when asked if there is any chance he will run for the Republic presidential nomination, saying: "My interest right now is on the roads."

<> Senator Stabenow Applauds Announcement of More Than $8 Million for Michigan Water Projects - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, applauded the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) announcement that three Michigan projects -- 2 in Standish Township in Arenac County and in the Village of Mesick in Wexford County -- will receive $8,397,000 to support necessary improvements to local water and wastewater systems.

<> Midwest Energy News: Critics say Michigan utility aims to 'monopolize' community solar - Michigan's first proposed large-scale community solar program is coming under fire from clean-energy advocates who say it would prevent independent third parties from developing their own programs. MPSC Docket: Consumers Energy Company Case: 17752

<> Community tree-planting grants available through DNR, DTE Energy Foundation partnership - The DTE Energy Foundation and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources are partnering once again to fund tree-planting projects across Michigan -- a total of $175,000 is available in matching grants of up to $4,000 each, to be awarded on a competitive basis.

<> Spring weather has bears, other wildlife on the move - The MDNR reminds residents that black bears are among those animals that are now awake and have left their dens -- at this time of the year, wildlife officials receive many calls about bear sightings and bears damaging bird feeders, trash cans and grills.

<> National Park Service director to announce new park funding and initiative for Detroit April 24 - Earlier this week, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Director Jarvis announced a $325,000 grant to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and private partners to renovate and revitalize the 50+-acre athletic complex at Belle Isle Park -- a MDNR matching grant makes a total investment in the athletic complex of $650,000.

<> Detroit Zoo looks to turn animal waste into energy with biodigester crowdfunding campaign - Detroit Zoo launches crowdfunding campaign through MEDC's Public Spaces Community Places initiative to turn animal waste into energy

<> Only 2 weeks til Recycling 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.

<> Michigan Sierra Club Chapter Update: April 19, 2015 – Latest news and activities from the Michigan Chapter

<> Recycling Cart Donation Program - Earth Day Launch Happy Earth Day!  Zero Waste Detroit and Michigan Environmental Council are launching a recycling cart donation program.  Individuals and business can donate a recycling cart(s) for those in need of help in paying the one-time $25 fee for Detroit's curbside recycling program

<> Former EPA official gives clean, green car talk for Earth Day – Speaking at the University of Michigan, Margo Oge U.S. EPA's former director of the the Office of Transportation Air Quality said, the landmark 2012 Clean Air Act was the nation's first action focusing on greenhouse gases, with the goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2025. . .

<> New perspectives on how ecological communities are assembled - What do you get when you combine two Michigan State University professors -- a professor who literally wrote the book on community ecology and another who has more than 40 years experience as a leader in the field of evolutionary biology?

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).