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| National / International News |
| <> EPA Provides Training to Help Communities Prepare for Climate Change - EPA today released an online training module to help local government officials take actions to increase their communities' resiliency to a changing climate. |
| <> EPA Issues Health Advisories to Protect Americans from Algal Toxins in Drinking Water - EPA issued health advisory values that states and utilities can use to protect Americans from elevated levels of algal toxins in drinking water -- Children: 0.3 micrograms per liter for microcystin and 0.7 micrograms per liter for cylindrospermopsin; Others: 1.6 micrograms per liter for microcystin and 3.0 micrograms per liter |
| <> Senators Urge USDOT to Immediately Strengthen Oil Train Disclosure Rule - U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Al Franken (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) sent a letter urging U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx to enact stronger disclosure requirements on railroads regarding shipments of highly flammable Bakken crude oil. |
| <> Seeking Public Input on the Sustained National Climate Assessment - A Request for Information (RFI) issued by the White House seeks public input on next steps for the U.S. National Climate Assessment -- The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is seeking what scientific information on climate change, impacts, and responses would be most valuable for future assessment activities; how to more effectively communicate findings; and how Assessment can better connect with other assessment efforts |
| <> New on GlobalChange.gov: Climate Change Indicators - A new section of GlobalChange.gov features indicators of climate change that can communicate how the environment is changing, identify risks, and inform decisions about policy, planning, and resource management. |
| <> EPA Announces Availability of Clean Diesel Grants for Communities Across the Country - EPA announced the availability of $13.5 million in grant funding to help governments and nonprofit organizations switch to cleaner diesel engines -- grants up to $2.14 million each. |
| <> Implications of higher domestic crude production for U.S. refining - (Thu, 07 May 2015) In response to multiple requests over the past years, EIA is developing a series of analyses that address the implications of current limitations on crude oil exports for prices, including both world and domestic crude oil and petroleum product prices, and for the level of domestic crude oil production and refining activity. |
| <> Oil and Gas Resources: Interior's Production Verification Efforts and Royalty Data Have Improved, but Further Actions Needed - GAO-15-39, April 07, 2015. GAO recommends that Interior meet its established time frames for updating its onshore measurement regulations, reconvene its gas and oil measurement team, and schedule and complete the review of the implementation of its commingling agreement guidance, among other things. I |
| <> Bicameral Lawmakers Call on Interior Department to Stop Natural Gas Waste - A group of House and Senate lawmakers asked the Interior Department to limit the unnecessary releases of natural gas from oil and gas wells on public lands in light of a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finding that federal officials have not improved natural gas capture standards despite two previous reports urging reforms. |
| <> Alberta Election Results Cast Further Doubt on Keystone XL - ousted leaders from the Progressive Conservative party in favor of the more left-leaning New Democratic Party. |
| 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). |
| CLIMATE, AIR QUALITY - Proposed Rule. U.S. EPA - Prevention of Significant Deterioration Permitting for Greenhouse Gases: Providing Option for Rescission of EPA-Issued Tailoring Rule Step 2 Prevention of Significant Deterioration Permits |
| CLIMATE, AIR QUALITY - Direct Final Rule. |
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| <> Ontario Deep Geologic Nuclear Repository Project Report - The Report of the Joint Review Panel for the proposed Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) for Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste project at the Bruce nuclear site, within the Municipality of Kincardine, Ontario -- the federal government will now review the Panel's report before issuing a decision statement on whether the project may proceed.
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| <> PCBs, mercury in St. Lawrence River fish - Marcel Pinheiro, of the University of Waterloo, said the research into the brown bullhead -- a small catfish species -- shows elevated levels of PCBs and mercury. |
| <> Lake Michigan unlikely to ever return to its natural state, scientists say - Lake Michigan has been almost exclusively a man-made ecosystem for nearly a century, according to fisheries biologists. |
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| <> MDEQ grants $2.8 million for scrap tire market development - The award of $2.8 million in grants to 21 recipients to help develop new markets for scrap tires covers three types of projects -- Road projects involve using rubber-modified asphalt; research projects; & equipment projects |
| <> Groups Say MDEQ CAFO Permit Change: Important but Small Change in Nutrient Pollution - Permit change takes a small step toward addressing massive nutrient pollution entering Michigan's waterways, in particular Lake Erie. |
| <> 6 things we learned (and 3 things we didn't) from Proposal 1 debacle - Gov. Rick Snyder has not been able to sway fellow GOP leaders to his vision for road repair financing The embarrassingly lopsided defeat of Proposal 1, the linchpin of a plan to raise money to repair Michigan's roads and bridges, offered some expected and unexpected lessons for state leaders. |
| <> New Michigan Pipeline Secrecy Bill Slammed; Industry Proposal Would Hide Safety Records - Citizens groups, including Sierra Club, Clean Water Action and FLOW, sharply criticized proposed legislation introduced that would permanently block public access to pipeline safety records in Michigan, including for high-risk pipelines running through the Straits of Mackinac operated by Enbridge, Inc.
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| <> MDNR seeks input on plans for State Game Areas in southwestern Michigan - MDNR is seeking public input on several draft master plans for state game areas located in the southwestern region of the state -- draft master plans are available online |
| <> MDNR invites volunteers to participate in Hoosier Valley shooting areas cleanup - MDNR will host a cleanup from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, May 17, at the informal shooting areas in Blair Township south of Traverse City |
| <> Experts baffled by rare Great Lakes region earthquake - What caused the earthquake this weekend, and why did it happen now? Do experts have an answer? "The short answer is no, we do not," said Larry Ruff, a seismologist with the |
| 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 (5/6/15) |
| IN THE HOUSE |
| HB 4093 of 2015 Appropriations; zero budget; department of environmental quality; provide for fiscal year 2015-2016. Creates appropriation act. [2nd Read] |
| HB 4540 of 2015 Civil rights; public records; public body records, documents, or information disclosable under freedom of information act; exempt critical energy infrastructure and cybersecurity-related information. [Committee] |
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