WIMS Environmental HotSheet 3/27/14

National / International News

 

<> President Obama on energy exports to Europe & trade ageement -  ". . .the United States is blessed with some additional energy sources that have been developed in part because of new technologies, and we've already licensed, authorized the export of as much natural gas each day as Europe uses each day. . . The question is whether through our energy ministers and at the highest levels we're able to find ways in which we can accelerate this process of diversification, and this is something we're very much committed to. . ."

<> Importing Energy, Exporting Jobs. Can it be Reversed? - Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee hearing on natural gas exports; statements, testimony and webcast

• Sen. Landrieu: Natural Gas Exports Will Create Thousands of High-Paying Jobs, Support U.S. Allies
• Sen. Murkowski Touts Benefits of Expanding U.S. Energy Exports

<> Carbon dioxide in the tropical Pacific Ocean is increasing faster than expected - New NOAA research has revealed unprecedented changes in ocean carbon dioxide in the tropical Pacific Ocean over the last 14 years, influencing the role the oceans play in current and projected ..

<> Bishop Bill To Give Americans A Voice In Use Of Antiquities Act Passes The House - U.S. House of Representatives today passed H.R. 1459, the Ensuring Public Involvement in the Creation of National Monuments Act (222-201). 

• House Passes "Preventing New Parks" Bill – Sierra Club statement

<> WTO issues panel reports on China's rare earths exports - On 26 March 2014, the WTO issued the dispute panel reports in the case "China – Measures Related to the Exportation of Rare Earths, Tungsten, and Molybdenum"

• Sen. Murkowski Comments on WTO Rare Earths Ruling - Ranking Member Applauds Decision but Points to Larger Need…
• U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow applauded U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman for winning a case before the World Trade Organization

<> Senate EPW Hearing On MAP-21 Reauthorization - Senate Envireonment and Public Works Committee hearing on MAP-21 Reauthorization: State and Local Perspectives on Transportation Priorities and Funding. Testimony and webcast

• Boxer Statement: Hearing on MAP-21 Reauthorization: State and Local Perspectives on Transportation Priorities and Funding

<> NRC, DOE Officials to Meet April 7 to Discuss Yucca Mountain Groundwater Report - to discuss DOE's plans to update its 2009 technical report on groundwater impacts of the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, NV

<> Sen. Vitter Asks Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) for unbiased review of EPA's "flawed assessments" - letter relays Vitter's concerns with the continued lack of transparency by the EPA when creating and implementing air regulations and the associated health benefits

<> Testimony of EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy Before Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Proposed FY 2015 Budget - EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works today at a hearing to discuss EPA's proposed FY 2015 

<> Government Accounting Office Report Shows Limited Cost of Environmental Litigation - Center for Biological Diversity: A report released today by the Government Accountability Office  demonstrates that litigation brought by environmental groups is not the calamity-inducing threat to the National Forest system that House Republicans have repeatedly claimed for the past three years.

• Release Rep. Glenn 'GT' Thompson (R-PA) - Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry & link to testimony on the impact of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and related legislation on the U.S. Forest Service.

<> Chairman Upton: We Remain Vigilant Over All Emerging Threats to the Grid - As part of the committee's ongoing commitment to the safety and security of our nation's energy infrastructure, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) hosted a briefing on grid security issues, including the attack last spring on the Metcalf substation in San Jose, California.

<> California Senate Health Committee Passes Bill to Label Genetically Engineered Foods - Committee passage is critical first step in winning statewide GE labeling Today, the California Senate Health Committee passed SB 1381, a bill to require the labeling of genetically engineered foods in California. . .

<> First e-learning tool launched to prevent illegal trade in hazardous chemicals and waste - INTERPOL and the BRS Secretariat launch e-learning module to help law enforcement officers identify and prevent illegal trade in hazardous chemicals and wastes

 

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

 

<> Organized Village of Kake v. USDA - 3/26/14. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, Case No. 11-35517. The panel reversed the district court's order, which invalidated a 2003 United States Department of Agriculture regulation temporarily exempting the Tongass National Forest in Alaska from application of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

• Sen. Murkowski Welcomes Court's Affirmation of the Tongass' Exemption from the Roadless Rule - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today welcomed the Ninth Circuit Court

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Thursday, March 27, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Air Quality - Proposed Rule. EPA. Revision to the Regulatory Definition of Volatile Organic Compounds-Exclusion of 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) PDF | Text |

2. Air Quality - Direct Final Rule. EPA. Revision to the Regulatory Definition of Volatile Organic Compounds-Exclusion of 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) PDF | Text | 

 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 3/26/14

National / International News

 

<> EPA and Army Corps of Engineers Clarify Protection for Nation's Streams and Wetlands - U.S. EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jointly released a proposed rule to clarify protection under the Clean Water Act for streams and wetlands that form the foundation of the nation's water resources. The proposed rule will benefit businesses by increasing efficiency in determining coverage of the Clean Water Act.

• Here's What They're Saying About the Clean Water Act Proposed Rule - EPA summary of commenton the  release of the proposed rule 

<> G-7 Agrees To Strengthen Energy Security & Obama Says Accelerated U.S. Exports - We, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission met in The Hague. . . decided that G-7 Energy Ministers will meet to discuss ways to strengthen our collective energy security. . . We will suspend our participation in the G-8 until Russia changes course. . .

• Click here for the President's News conference remarks to be posted soon - discussion of energy exports and environmental standards in trade agreements

<> Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Hearing on EPA Budget - Full Committee hearing entitled, "Oversight Hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency's Fiscal Year 2015 Budget." Testimony of EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and webcast

<> $1.1 Billion to State Wildlife Agencies from Excise Taxes on Anglers, Hunters, and Boaters - Secretary Jewell announced $1.1 billion in excise tax revenues paid by sportsmen and sportswomen to state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies to fund fish and wildlife conservation and recreation projects across the nation. Michigan gets $35+ million

<> World's Largest Investors Launch Effort to Engage Global Stock Exchanges on Sustainability Reporting Standard for Companies - Sustainability advocacy group Ceres, in collaboration with BlackRock and other major institutional investors, today announced an initiative to engage global stock exchanges via the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) on a. . .

<> Coal Ash Ponds: How Power Companies Get a 'Bypass' on Regulations Against Pollution - When we think of electric power plants and pollution, we often think of air pollution and climate change, and especially when it comes to coal-fired power plants. But power plants are also huge polluters of our waterways. . .

<> 7 Million Deaths Annually Linked to Air Pollution-WHO Report - In new estimates released today, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that in 2012 around 7 million people died - one in eight of total global deaths as a result of air pollution exposure. This finding more than doubles previous estimates and confirms that air pollution is now the world's largest single environmental health risk. Reducing air pollution could save millions of lives.

<> The Natural Gas Revolution: Critical Questions for a Sustainable Energy Future - This report is part of Resources for the Future's (RFF) Natural Gas Initiative, a collaboration between RFF's Center for Energy Economics and Policy (CEEP) and RFF's Center for Climate and Electricity Policy (CCEP).

<> Strengthening Public-Private Partnerships to Reduce Cyber Risks to Our Nation's Critical Infrastructure - Senate Hearing of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; webcast and testimony

<> EPA Releases the Draft FY 2015 Addendum to the FY 2014 National Water Program Guidance for Public Comment - The draft National Water Program Guidance Addendum focuses on key changes to priorities, strategies, and measures from FY 2014. Public comments by April 4, 2014.

<> Water and Energy Nexus in Disasters Webinar Series: Coordination between Electric and Water Utilities - EPA will be hosting its second of four webinars focusing on the nexus between water and energy usage during disasters on April 2, 2014 from 1 to 2pm EST.  The webinar will feature two speakers from electric utilities and one speaker from a water utility who will share their experiences and recommendations for increasing coordination and communication between the two types of utilities. 

<> PV is already competitive against retail electricity in the commercial sector of major European markets - The results of the third issue of the study "PV Grid Parity Monitor", carried out by the consulting firm ECLAREON, sponsored by SunEdison, BayWa, and Gesternova, and in cooperation with Cooper Alliance, show that photovoltaic grid parity (the moment when PV LCOE becomes competitive with retail electricity prices, assuming that 100% of the electricity is self-consumed on-site)

<> New Report: Widely-Used Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments Are Unnecessary in Most Cases - Center for Food Safety today released a scientific literature review which reveals that neonicotinoid insecticide seed treatments offer little benefit, do not increase crop yields, and cause widespread environmental and economic damage.

<> American Meteorological Society seven minute video on the basics of climate change - An edited version of Paul Higgins, Director, AMS Policy Program,  on the basics of climate change from his appearance on 24 Hours of Climate Reality.

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Wednesday, March 26, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Climate, Air - Proposed Rule. EPA. Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Updates to HCFC Trade Language As Applied to Article 5 Countries; Ratification Status of Parties to the Montreal Protocol; and Harmonized Tariff Schedule Commodity Codes PDF | Text | 

2. Climate, Air - Direct Final Rule. EPA. Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Updates to HCFC Trade Language As Applied to Article 5 Countries; Ratification Status of Parties to the Montreal Protocol; and Harmonized Tariff Schedule Commodity Codes PDF | Text |

 

Click here for details on the WIMS Environmental HotSheet

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 3/25/14

National / International News

 

<> Today the Obama Administration proposed a landmark  rule that will clarify which types of water bodies are protected by the Clean Water Act -  National Wildlife Federation's response to the Environmental Protection Agency's announcement

(Note: at press time EPA had not yet released an announcement)

• HOW FAQs "Waters of the United States" rule - The Waters of the United States rule is being issued by the Obama Administration to clarify which waters are protected by the Clean Water Act. Once released, the public will have a period of up to 120 days to comment on the proposed rule.
• EPA Background Clean Water Act Definition of "Waters of the U.S."

<> Biofuel Trade Organizations Ask for Extension of Advanced Biofuel Tax Incentives - Biofuel trade organizations sent a letter to the Senate encouraging extension of critical advanced biofuel tax incentives.

<> IPCC starts meeting to finalize Working Group II report - Japan, 25 March – Government representatives and scientists on Tuesday opened a five-day meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to finalize a report assessing the impacts of climate change on human and natural systems, options for adaptation, and the interactions among climate changes, other stresses on societies, and opportunities for the future.

<> Energy Department Authorizes Jordan Cove to Export Liquefied Natural Gas - Energy Department Authorizes Jordan Cove to Export Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon Authorized to Export Liquefied Natural Gas to Non-Free Trade Agreement Countries. . .

• Following DOE Approval, LNG Opponents Call on Oregon's Governor to Protect the State's Rivers and Ratepayers

<> Upcoming Funding Opportunity for Water Power Manufacturing - March 24, 2014Upcoming Funding Opportunity for Water Power Manufacturing On March 24, 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a Notice of Intent to issue a funding opportunity titled "Water Power Manufacturing."

<> Designing Effective State Programs for the Industrial Sector - March 24, 2014 New SEE Action Publication "Industrial Energy Efficiency: Designing Effective State Programs for the Industrial Sector - an overview of U.S. industrial energy efficiency programs delivered by a variety of entities.

<> Coast Guard Update 5: Texas City "Y" incident response - TEXAS CITY, Texas — As of this evening, the Port of Houston remains closed. The Unified Command continues to assess the situation with oil in the channel to determine when vessel traffic can resume. There are 46 outbound. . .

<> Barnes & Thornburg's Due-Diligence Mini-Series - Next webinar: April 10; US EPA's All Appropriate Inquiry (AAI) regulatory updates and how it impacts use of Phase I ESA standards

<> Statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on National Agriculture Day - March 25, 2014—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today released the following statement. . .

<> USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack Announces Increased Opportunity for Producers as part of New Farm Bill - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced increased opportunity for producers as a result of the 2014 Farm Bill. A fact sheet outlining modifications including an increase of the guarantee amount on Conservation Loans from 75 to 80 percent and 90 percent for socially disadvantaged borrowers and beginning farmers. . .

<> New UNEP/IRP report confirms role of forests & forest products in fighting climate change - Geneva/Jakarta, 21 March 2014 – Building Natural Capital: How REDD+ Can Support a Green Economy, a report by the International Resource Panel (IRP) and the UN REDD Programme, outlines that forests, forest services and. . .

<> EPA Office of Inspector General Report - "EPA Needs to Improve Management of the Cross-Media Electronic Reporting Regulation Program in Order to Strengthen Protection of Human Health and the Environment," March 21, 2014.

<> EPA Office of Inspector General Report - "EPA's Information Systems and Data Are at Risk Due to Insufficient Training of Personnel With Significant Information Security Responsibilities," March 21, 2014.

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Tuesday, March 25, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Nothing We're Tracking Today

 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 3/24/14

National / International News

 

<> Heat-trapping gas concentrations top 400 ppm, two months earlier than last year - Over the last five days beginning on March 16, 2014, carbon dioxide levels have surpassed 400 parts per million at NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.

<> Update 3: Texas City "Y" incident response - Houston, Texas — Progress continued throughout the day Sunday in response to a bunker fuel spill in the Houston Ship Channel that resulted in the release of approximately 168,000 gallons of product.

<> World Water Day: U.S. Tech H2.O Shows the Present and Future of Water Innovation -  U.S. Department of State event and semi-finalists for the Securing Water For Food Grand Challenge For Development, a contest that encourages game-changing water technologies and new water management approaches.

<> Congressional Champions of the PTC and ITC warn colleagues they must act now to keep the U.S. wind industry robust - Senators Mark Udall (D-CO) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Reps. Steve King (R-IA) and Dave Loebsack (D-IA) circulated letters urging Congress to encourage more private investment by stabilizing the U.S. industry and averting another falloff like 2013's 92 percent drop in American wind power installations.

<> Udall, Grassley Lead Bipartisan Effort Urging U.S. Senate Finance Committee to Extend Job-Creating Wind Energy Tax Credits - U.S. Senators Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) pressed the U.S. Senate Finance Committee today to swiftly include extensions of the bipartisan and job-creating investment tax credit and production tax credit for wind energy in an upcoming tax-extenders package.

<> As Listener and Saleswoman, E.P.A. Chief Takes to the Road for Climate Rules - Source: NY Times - Ms. McCarthy is the chief architect and emissary of President Obama's plan to fight climate change.

<> Sulfur Oxides Integrated Plan for National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) - CASAC Augmented for the Sulfur Oxides Review Public Teleconference to Review EPA's Integrated Review Plan for the Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Sulfur Dioxide (External Review Draft available)

<> Making Oil-by-Rail Safer - The growth of North American oil production from unconventional sources has resulted in a dramatic expansion in the volume of crude oil shipped by rail. Unfortunately, as crude oil rail traffic has increased, so have rail accidents. . .

<> Supreme Court Rejects Coal Industry Attack on the EPA's Power to Protect Clean Water – Earthjustice: "Refuses to hear baseless case against the EPA for blocking extreme WV mountaintop removal mine" Today the Supreme Court denied the coal mining industry's request to hear a case against U.S. EPA. . . 

<> U.S. Navy's Dennis McGinn on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Power - Dennis McGinn, assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations, and the environment, discusses how the Navy is increasing efficiency and embracing new advanced energy sources will allow the Navy to reduce costs. . . 

<> On World Meteorological Day, UN rallies youth to take on climate change - Seeking to increase awareness among young people about climate change and mobilize them as champions for action. . .

• WMO Annual Climate Statement Highlights Extreme Events

<> DOE Announces Webinars on the Wave Energy Converter Prize, the Best of the Clean Cities Tools and Resources, and More - March 21, 2014DOE Announces Webinars on the Wave Energy Converter Prize, the Best of the Clean Cities Tools and Resources, and More EERE offers webinars to the public on a range of subjects, from adopting the latest. . . 

<> March 24, 1989 : Exxon Valdez Disaster in Alaska - Before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico, there was the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska, at the time the nation's largest oil spill. The 987-foot tanker. . .

<> 22nd Festival, March 18-30, 2014, Washington, DC - The theme of the 2014 Festival, Our Cities, Our Planet, will examine the challenges posed by Earth's urban environments and the efforts of the world's cities to balance environmental and economic needs.

 

Federal Register Highlights 

 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Monday, March 24, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

1. Nothing We're Tracking Today

 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 3/21/14

<> World Water Day Celebrations kick off in Tokyo - webcast available - On Friday 21 March, the UN-Water World Water Day celebrations continue in Tokyo, Japan with discussions and debates, the official launch of the World Water Development Report. . .

<> Ethanol Industry files to take LCFS fight to United States Supreme Court - Following the January decision by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to deny rehearing en banc in the litigation regarding California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy are today petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court for certiorari to make a final determination relating to the constitutionally flawed LCFS.

<> CRS Report: Nuclear Energy: Overview of Congressional Issues - Congressional Research Service. March 14, 2014. The policy debate over the role of nuclear power in the nation's energy mix is rooted in the technology's fundamental characteristics.

<> The Truth About Nuclear Power - Part Three - Subtitle: Nuclear power plants cost far too much to construct.  The instant cost plus inflation, escalation, and interest on loans adds up to more than $10,000 per kW. 

<> The Future of Nuclear Power in Tennessee - We are excited to announce that the CASEnergy Coalition is going to be in Tennessee next week! We're looking forward to a number of visits and meetings, including a stop at the University of Tennessee, with leaders in the. . .

<> CRS Report: Cars, Trucks, and Climate: EPA Regulation of Greenhouse Gases from Mobile Sources - Congressional Research Service. March 13, 2014. The standards, which will affect trucks beginning with the 2019 model year, are to be proposed by March 2015 and finalized a year later.

<> House To Vote On "No More National Parks" Bill - Responding to President Obama's decision last week to protect a stretch of California's Coast near Point Arena as a new national monument, the House of Representatives is planning to vote next week to overturn a 108 year-old law that presidents of both parties have used to protect iconic American places, including the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, and Arches National Park. The bill, H.R. 1459, aims to block presidents from using the Antiquities Act of 1906. . .

• H.R. 1459

<> U.S. and South Africa Hold Bilateral Discussion on Building a More Sustainable Energy Future - U.S. and South Africa Hold Bilateral Discussion on Building a More Sustainable Energy Future Pretoria — U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman and South African Minister of Energy Ben Martins met yesterday. . .

<> Four Ways Tokyo's Smart Meter Plan Breaks New Ground - Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s 27-million-unit smart meter project isn't just about smart meters. It's also about creating an end-to-end, citywide energy management platform, meant to link meters, utility enterprise platforms and...

<> Former White House CEQ official Guzy discusses future of air regulations - After leaving his post as deputy director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality earlier this year, how is Gary Guzy now advising industry clients to prepare for the Obama administration's air regulations? 

<> USDA Announces Growth of U.S. Organic Industry and Additional USDA Support Available with New Farm Bill - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced new figures today that show the organic industry continues to grow domestically and globally, with over 25,000 certified organic operations in more than 120 different countries around the world.

<> Ban hails impact of UN climate change treaty, urges renewed commitment to ideals - Over the past 20 years, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has galvanized the world to seek multilateral solutions to the grave threat of climate change. . .

<> Water Management In Post Conflict Countries Critical To Peacebuilding And Economic Recovery New Study - According to the study, some 1.8 billion people are expected to face absolute water scarcity in the next decade.

<> Exxon agrees to disclose 'unburnable carbon' reserves - Oil giant will explore how tougher climate change laws could affect its long term strategy. . .