WIMS Environmental HotSheet 5/8/14

National / International News

 

<> Is EPA Leadership Obstructing It's Own Inspector General? - Testimony from U.S. EPA and EPA's Office of Inspector General before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

<> U.S. DOT Takes New Emergency Actions as Part of Comprehensive Strategy to Keep Crude Oil Shipments Safe - Emergency order requires railroads transporting crude to notify state emergency response commissions; safety advisory urges use of tank cars with highest integrity

<> Administration strongly opposes H.R. 4438, which would permanently extend and expand the R&D credit - By making the R&D credit permanent without offsets, H.R. 4438 would add $156 billion to the deficit over the next 10 years.

• H.R. 4438 – American Research and Competitiveness Act of 2014

<> Energy Department Announces Innovative Offshore Wind Energy Projects - May 7, 2014, the Energy Department announced the selection of three pioneering offshore wind demonstrations to receive up to $47 million each over the next four years to deploy innovative, grid-connected systems in federal and state waters by 2017. . .

<> Sen. Reid blocks Keystone XL insertion in energy efficiency bill - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Wednesday blocked a Republican attempt to add a pipeline measure to an energy efficiency bill. . .

• Efficiency bill may be doomed because of Keystone XL politics

<> ERC Releases 2014 Directory of U.S. WTE Facilities - The Energy Recovery Council today released The 2014 ERC Directory of Waste-to-Energy Facilities, which provides information on the 84 waste-to-energy facilities in the United States. . .

<> Senate Finance Committee Hearing On New Routes for Funding and Financing Highways & Transit – Statements, testimony and webcast

<> GAO-14-407, Alternative Jet Fuels: Federal Activities Support Development and Usage, but Long-term Commercial Viability Hinges on Market Factors, May 07, 2014 - The federal government supports the development and use of alternative jet fuels through both broad and targeted initiatives. Broad national strategies promote the development of a variety of alternative fuels

<> National Farmers Union Dispels Myths Surrounding Clean Water Rule - We have noticed several misleading statements surrounding the Obama Administration's new clean water rule. This rule clarifies the extent of the Clean Water Act after two Supreme Court decisions created confusion.

<> EPA's Clean Water Act Policies: Fact vs. Fiction – Senate GOP Environment & Public Works blog posting

<> EPA Adds Seven Hazardous Waste Sites to Superfund's National Priorities List/Agency also proposes to add an additional five sites - Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adding seven hazardous waste sites that pose risks to people's health and the environment to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites.

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Thursday, May 8, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. (Tuesday, May 6, 2014) Energy, Pipeline - Notice of Data. U.S. DOT, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA); Pipeline Safety: Lessons Learned From the Release at Marshall, Michigan PDF | Text | 

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

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 5/7/14

National / International News

 

<> Take Your Pick! News Roundup for 3rd National Climate Assessment from Climate Nexus – Links to all the coverage from various media sources

• U.S. National Climate Assessment: Resources and media - The 2014 National Climate Assessment: Climate Change Impacts in the United States, was given final approval and released by the Obama administration today. "Climate change presents a major challenge for society,"

<> EIA releases complete Annual Energy Outlook 2014 report - (Wed, 07 May 2014) The U.S. Energy Information Administration will release today the full content of the Annual Energy Outlook 2014 ((AEO2014)

<> Americans Deserve a Broad Debate on Energy, But Senate Democrats Won't Allow It - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor calling on Senate Democrats to allow energy proposals that focus on helping the Middle Class: "Once again. . .

<> Substantial Improvements Made in EPA's IRIS Program - A new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council says that changes EPA has proposed and implemented into its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) process are "substantial improvements."

• National Research Council Releases Report Praising EPA's IRIS Program Enhancements - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) actions to improve its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program, which provides information on the health effects of environmental. . .

<> EPA Releases EnviroAtlas Ecosystem Mapping Tool - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released EnviroAtlas, a web-based interactive tool that integrates over 300 separate data layers, helps decision makers understand the implications of. . .

<> DOE Issues Request for Information on Fuel Cell Research and Development Needs - May 5, 2014DOE Issues Request for Information on Fuel Cell Research and Development Needs. . .

<> Leading Environmental and Conservation Groups and Deepwater Wind Announce Agreement to Protect Endangered Whales at Deepwater ONE Offshore Wind Farm Site - Agreement Will Reduce Noise Impacts on North Atlantic Right Whales

<> Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Announces Continued Progress on 2014 Farm Bill Implementation - May 7, 2014 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced continued progress during the first 90 days of implementing the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill), which President Obama signed. . .

• Chairwoman Stabenow Conducts Hearing to Examine USDA's Ongoing Implementation of 2014 Farm Bill

<> May Updates to the Climate Litigation Charts - Update #62 May 2014 Each month, Arnold & Porter and the Center for Climate Change Law collect and summarize developments in climate-related litigation, which we also add to our U.S. and non-US climate litigation charts. 

<> Secretary Jewell to Make Major Announcements Related to Tribal Energy Development - As part of President Obama's Climate Action Plan to cut carbon pollution and create clean energy jobs, on Wednesday, May 7, 2014, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will make several major announcements related to energy. . . 1:00 pm MST – Announcement

<> Does "global warming" mean it's warming everywhere? – NOAA: It's only when we "zoom out" to the planet-wide scale that trends in surface temperature are obvious: despite a few, rare areas experiencing cooling, the vast majority of places across the globe are warming.

<> Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About Offshore Wind Energy - Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About Offshore Wind Energy Learn more about efforts to develop America's vast offshore wind resources.

<> Oil-by-rail exports to the US up by 900 per cent - May 7, 2014 - 9:48am The Globe and Mail reports, "New National Energy Board figures show that oil-by-rail exports have risen more than 900 per cent in less than two years...

<> Plan Bee: we can live without pesticides! - Today Greenpeace launched a solutions report, Plan Bee - living without pesticides. It illustrates concrete ways to protect our bees and agriculture and proves the large-scale feasibility of ecological farming.

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Wednesday, May 7, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

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

 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 5/6/14

National / International News

 

<> USGCRP Releases National Climate Assessment, Launches New Website - Today, delivering on the legal mandate and the President's Climate Action Plan, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) released the Third National Climate Assessment, the most comprehensive, authoritative, transparent scientific report on U.S. climate change impacts ever generated.

<> "We find no evidence that it's [climate change] a high priority for Americans" -- Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup Poll, said in an interview. "They are much more concerned about more proximate issues such as jobs and the economy."

<> UN chief warns still 'too many sitting on the fence', urges bold leadership on climate change - May 5, 2014 – With the ominous and costly impacts of climate change profoundly evident, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today that too many stakeholders are still "sitting on the fence", and he challenged participants at a climate conference in Abu Dhabi to help him build persuasive political arguments to convince policymakers that the time for bold action is now.

<> Siemens presents the Study: "Connecting Possibilities – Scenarios for Optimizing Energy Systems" - The study covers individual scenarios of Europe, Russia, USA, China, Saudi Arabia, Republic of Korea to make it clear that there is huge savings potential when it comes to sustainable, secure and, above all, cost-efficient energy supplies.

<> NWF Sues State Dept. to Uncover New England Tar Sands Pipeline Proposal Documents - State Department Has Failed to Comply With FOIA Request for Almost Two Years. . .

<> Introducing ACEEE's new and improved State and Local Policy Database - The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) new State and Local Policy Database includes comprehensive information on energy efficiency policies currently implemented at the state and local level.

<> Senator Jay Rockefeller initiative to advance the commercial deployment of clean coal technologies - Charting a broader path for the future of West Virginia coal—while recognizing the need to limit greenhouse gas emissions -- two bills introduced by Rockefeller — the Carbon Capture and Sequestration Deployment Act of 2014 and the Expanding Carbon Capture through Enhanced Oil Recovery Act of 2014

• S.2287
• S.2288

<> UN partners with private sector to map disaster risks for local communities - New technologies that enable communities to visualize disaster risk and take action, are to be made available for cities worldwide as a result of collaboration between Esri and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).

<> USDA Announces Effort to Cut Energy Costs for Farmers, Ranchers, Rural Small Businesses - May 5, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is seeking applications from rural small businesses and agricultural producers for funding to make energy efficiency improvements. . .

<> 12 minutes of mesmerizing climate models - If you're a nerd for climate science, you won't want to miss this TED talk by Gavin Schmidt, a climatologist and climate modeler at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York.. . .

<> Report: Who's in Danger? - A new report from the Environmental Justice and Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform (co-sponsored by Coming Clean and the Center for Effective Government) answers that question -- More than 134 million Americans live in the danger zones around 3,433 facilities

<> GWP Launches New Global Strategy: Towards 2020 - The strategy, Towards 2020, outlines a new direction for the Global Water Partnership (GWP) with the goals of catalyzing change, sharing knowledge, and strengthening partnerships for a water secure world.

<> HOT articles in Green Chemistry - Take a look at the latest selection, which are free for you to read for the next four weeks! Polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a reusable solvent medium for an asymmetric organocatalytic Michael addition.

<> Following the Money: Energy Dollars Hard at Work on Capitol Hill - Is the alternative energy industry losing the influence-peddling war to fossil fuels? Perhaps you caught the editorial in Sunday's New York Times. . .

 

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

 

<> Monroe Energy, LLC v. U.S. EPA - 5/6/14. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, Case No. 13-1265. The case involves challenges the 2013 Renewable Fuel Standards issued pursuant to section 211(o) of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7545(o). Petitioners contends that the rule must be vacated and the Panel denied the petition for review.

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Tuesday, May 6, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

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

 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 5/5/14

National / International News

 

<> Preserving North America's Bird Nursery - With spring migration in full flight, a new report urges greater protection for an avian haven -- the sprawling billion-plus-acre boreal forest that spans the continent from Alaska across Canada to Newfoundland and Labrador.

<> Ahead of SGs Climate Summit, Leaders Gather in Abu Dhabi to Discuss Concrete Measures and Commitments - A high-level two-day meeting will help leaders from across governments, business and civil society prepare to take action on climate change at the UN Secretary-General's (SGs) Climate Summit in September. . .

• UN Climate Chief: Raise Support Now for Accelerating Global Climate Action - Communities across the developing world have a wealth of local knowledge and ingenuity to adapt more successfully to climate change but they urgently need greater international support to unlock their ambitions. . .

<> UN Report on Fukushima - Cancer levels are likely to remain stable - A new UN report released today.  The report is titled Levels and Effects of Radiation Exposure Due to the Nuclear Accident After the 2011 Great East-Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR).

<> U.S. ethanol imports from Brazil down in 2013 - (Mon, 05 May 2014) U.S. imports of sugarcane ethanol from Brazil fell by 40% last year, to 242 million gallons. Because Brazil is the largest source of ethanol imports into the United. . .

<> Draft CASAC Air Monitoring and Methods Report - Review of EPA's Recommendation for an Additional Federal Reference Method for Ozone: Nitric Oxide-Chemiluminescence (5/1/14 Draft)

• Background, Meetings & Documents

<> EPA OIG Compliance With Retention Incentive Regulations and Policies - Although the EPA authorized retention incentive pay to Beale until 2003, the agency continued to make retention incentive payments to him until 2013.

<> Collin O'Mara Appointed President and CEO of National Wildlife Federation - "Collin is a tireless leader with a deep understanding of conservation issues and a strong, entrepreneurial. . .

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

<> Los Angeles County Flood Control District v. NRDC - 5/5/14. In the U.S. Supreme Court, Case No. 13-901. Appealed from the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Petition DENIED.

• Supreme Court Allows Major Southern California Water Quality Victory to Stand - (May 5, 2014) – NRDC release: A decision today by the U.S. Supreme Court will protect millions of people living near and visiting Los Angeles rivers and beaches from the harmful effects of water pollution.

<> City of Pomona v. SQM North America Corp - 5/2/14. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, Case Nos. 12-55147 & 12-55193. The case involves excessive levels of the chemical perchlorate were found in a city's water system. The Panel ruled, "Because the district court abused its discretion by not allowing a jury to resolve contested but otherwise admissible expert testimony, we reverse the district court's order of exclusion, affirm the district court's denial of the defendant's motion for summary judgment on other issues, and remand for trial."

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Monday, May 5, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

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

 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 5/2/14

National / International News

 

<> Greenhouse gases continued rising in 2013; 34 percent increase since 1990 - NOAA's latest Annual Greenhouse Gas Index (AGGI), released today, Friday, May 2, 2014, shows that the warming influence from human-emitted gases continued to increase in 2013. This trend that began with the Industrial Revolution of the 1880s has accelerated in recent decades. . .

<> New Interactive Map Showing National Ambitions to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions - From UNFCC... The global ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions must be raised rapidly to meet the goal of staying below an average 2 degree temperature rise. You can check to see what individual countries themselves have put forward as their current levels of ambition on this new, interactive map.

<> Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) Leads Fight Against EPA's Expansion of Clean Water Act - More than 200 members of the House of Representatives, from both parties, are joining together and telling EPA and Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to back off its plan to expand federal control under the Clean Water Act (CWA).

<> House Democrats Introduce the Green Bank Act of 2014 - H.R.4522 would authorizing direct financing support for priority clean energy and energy efficiency projects across the United States, this legislation also recognizes and reflects the growing Green Bank movement occurring in our states by authorizing the Green Bank to partner with and provide seed funding to state clean energy financing institutions.

<> USDA Announces New Landmark Conservation Initiatives - ORRTANNA, Pa., May 1, 2014 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that applications are now being accepted for new, landmark conservation initiatives created by the 2014 Farm Bill.

<> GAO-14-375, Defense Transportation: DOD Needs to Take Actions to Improve the Transportation of Hazardous Material Shipments, May 01, 2014 - GAO Found The handling, labeling, and packaging of hazardous materials (HAZMAT) shipments are governed by a complex framework of statutes and regulations prescribed by multiple civilian and military entities. . .

<> GAO-14-367, DOE Loan Programs: DOE Should Fully Develop Its Loan Monitoring Function and Evaluate Its Effectiveness, May 01, 2014 - GAO Found The Department of Energy (DOE) has not fully developed or consistently adhered to loan monitoring policies for its loan programs. In particular, DOE has established policies for most loan monitoring activities. . .

<> Senate Hear On Propane Shortages This Winter - Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing entitled, Short on Gas: A look into the propane shortages this winter -- testimony and webcast

<> Senate & House Bills Call For Free-Market Energy Reform - Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced a bill that restores free-market competition to America's energy sector by eliminating all tax credits for both renewable and traditional energy sources -- Energy Freedom & Economic Prosperity Act  -- companion to legislation -- H.R.259 -- originally sponsored by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) in the House

<> Cost of Fighting Wildfires in 2014 Projected to be Hundreds of Millions of Dollars over Amount Available - May 1, 2014--According to a Congressionally-mandated report, the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior (DOI) are projected to spend over $470 million more than is available to fight. . .

<> U.S. Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to hold public discussions on navigational aid technology and the future of America's waterways - The U.S. Coast Guard, along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will hold public discussions nationwide on navigational aid technology and how it will. . . June 12: DoubleTree Hotel, Port Huron, MI

<> VIDEO: Administrator McCarthy Highlights Clean Air Efforts During Asthma Awareness Month / Agency Honors Community-Focused Asthma Programs - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing the start of Asthma Awareness Month and highlighting the agency's efforts to improve air quality, protect public health, and take action to. . . 

<> The Supreme Court's Air Pollution Decision Is Wrong, But Don't Blame The Court - The Obama administration's war on coal scored a big win in the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. Six of the Court's nine justices went out of their way to uphold the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's far-reaching. . .

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Friday, May 2,, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Air, Energy, Climate - Proposed Rule. U.S. EPA. Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: 2013 Cellulosic Biofuel Standard PDF | Text |

2. Air, Energy, Climate - Final Rule. U.S. EPA. Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: 2013 Cellulosic Biofuel Standard PDF | Text | 

(click for the complete Energy & EPA announcements)

 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 5/1/14

National / International News

 

<> American Lung Association "State of the Air 2014" Shows Half the U.S. Lives with Unhealthy Air - Nearly half of all Americans – more than 147 million – live in counties in the U.S. where ozone or particle pollutions levels make the air unhealthy to breathe

<> Coalition Calls for Vote on Shaheen-Portman Energy Efficiency Bill - As bipartisan momentum builds behind Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rob Portman's (R-OH) efforts to pass a comprehensive energy efficiency bill, a coalition of 85 business, industry, environmental and public interest groups are urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring the bipartisan legislation to the floor for a vote.

• Motion to proceed to S.2262, Energy Savings and Industrial Competitive Act of 2014 - After the Senate convened, Senator Reid moved to proceed to S.2262, the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitive Act of 2014

<> Committee Approves Legislation to Expedite LNG Exports - The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved H.R. 6, the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act, by a bipartisan vote of 33 to 18. . .

• GOP Meeting details, votes and background
• DEMS Meeting details, votes, and background

<> States already scaling back planned work for next year in anticipation of funding crisis - Congressional inaction on saving the nation's transportation fund would have tangible impacts on projects planned for next year and beyond, forcing many long-awaited projects to halt indefinitely as soon as this summer. 

<> CASAC Review of EPA's Welfare Risk and Exposure Assessment for Ozone – Draft consensus responses to the agency's charge questions and individual comments from the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee Ozone Review Panel

• Review Panel Background, Process & Meetings

<> Strategies for Mitigating Climate Change in Agriculture - a California Environmental Associates and Climate Focus authored report, finds that annual carbon emissions from global agriculture can be reduced by as much as 50 to 90 percent by 2030.

<> EPA Awards $860,000 to Communities to Reduce Water Pollution, Build Resilience to Climate Change – U.S. EPA) today announced $860,000 to help 14 communities expand their use of green infrastructure to reduce water pollution and boost resilience to the impacts of. . .

<> EPA Seeks Comment on Proposed Decision to Register Enlist Duo Herbicide Containing the Choline Salt of 2,4-D and Glyphosate - EPA is making available for a 30-day public comment period a proposed regulatory decision to register Enlist Duo containing glyphosate and the choline salt of 2,4-D for use in controlling weeds. . .

<> NASA's Carbon-Counting Spacecraft Arrives at Launch Site - A NASA spacecraft designed to make precise measurements of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere is at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., to begin final preparations for launch. . .

<> Up-Front Information for emission reduction contributions in the 2015 Agreement under the UNFCCC - outlines which general elements of up-front information are required for all types of mitigation contributions under the new agreement to make them transparent, comparable and quantifiable, and describes additional requirements for specific types of contributions.

<> Why 5 Utilities Quietly Dumped ALEC and Others Won't Even Speak of the Lobbying Group - Some of the nation's largest utilities have quietly distanced themselves from the secretive, climate-denying lobbying group...

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Thursday, May 1,, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

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