WIMS Environmental HotSheet 5/16/14

 National / International News

 

<>Senate GOP Blocks EXPIRE Act Including $13+ Billion For Wind Credit (PTC) - In a 53-40 vote (requireing 60 votes for approval) Senate Republican voted to block the EXPIRE Act (H.R. 3474 Substitute) which included a number of Energy Provisions and a two-year extension of the Wind PTC estimated to cost $13.35 billion over 10 years

• Wyden Statement Regarding Floor Action on the EXPIRE Act
• McConnell: "By Stifling Debate and Amendments, Senate Democrats Have Put a Gag Order on the American People"
• Access a Summary of the EXPIRE Act
• GOP blocks tax breaks bill

<> EPA Proposes Updates to Emissions Standards for Refineries to Protect Nearby Neighborhoods - Proposed steps will protect public health and improve air quality and these cost-effective steps will have no noticeable impact on the cost of petroleum products at the approximately 150 petroleum refineries around the country.

<> EPW Committee Unanimously Approves Major Bipartisan Transportation Bill, MAP-21 Reauthorization Act

<> Regulators Applaud as U.S., Complying with Court Order, Suspends Nuclear-Waste Fees - For the first time in more than 30 years, consumers of nuclear power will not be charged for the nation's long-stalled nuclear-waste program. . .

<> What to watch in EPA's power plant carbon emissions proposal – From C2ES: On June 2, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to release its proposal to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing power plants. This proposal is a key element of President Obama's Climate Action. . .

<> As Emissions Fall, Greens Increasingly Embrace Shale Gas - For many years, environmental activists have pushed for bans, moratoria, or other restrictions on fracking, alleging the process is a. . .

<> How One State Cut its Carbon and Created Jobs - the new President of Union of Concerned Scientists and former commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection discusses the Massachusetts law that mandated electric utilities pursue "all cost-effective energy efficiency". . .

<> GAO-14-434, National Nuclear Security Administration: Agency Report to Congress on Potential Efficiencies Does Not Include Key Information, May 15, 2014 - The National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) report to congressional defense committees describes, but does not assess, the role of the nuclear security complex sites. The act required that NNSA's. . .

<> When Dow pushes, agencies jump - "This pesticide is toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates. Do not apply directly to water… Drift or runoff may be hazardous….The use of this chemical…may result in groundwater contamination." Does this sound like a green chemical. . .

• EPA Seeks Comment on Proposed Decision to Register Enlist - Comment period extended until June 30, 2014.

<> Groups Slam Federal Regulators over Flawed Environmental Review of Cove Point LNG Export Facility

<> Council of Canadians seeks to appeal Energy East ruling - May 15, 2014 - 4:01pm; the Canadian National Energy Board refuses to consider the upstream and downstream activities associated with the development of 'oil sands' or the end use of the oil to be transported.

<> Four SBIR Grants Awarded for Solid-State Lighting Technology - May 14, 2014Four SBIR Grants Awarded for Solid-State Lighting Technology The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science has awarded four Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants targeting advances. . .

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Friday, May 16, 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 5/15/14

National / International News

 

<> Report Highlights Urgent Need to Protect American Communities from Toxic Coal Ash Pollution - Sierra Club and Earthjustice joined national experts and local activists in releasing "Dangerous Waters: America's Coal Ash Crisis," a report that illustrates the ongoing damage and risks to public health from the toxic sludge left over when power plants burn coal.

<> Notice of Availability of External Peer Review Draft Aquatic Life Criterion for Selenium in Freshwater - EPA is requesting public comment on a draft updated national recommended aquatic life criterion for the pollutant selenium.

<> Join a White House Google+ Hangout with Energy Secretary Moniz & EPA Administrator McCarthy - Monday, May 19, 2014, at 1 p.m. ET for a live White House Google+ Hangout with Secretary Moniz and EPA. . .

<> Yearly Survey Shows Better Results for Pollinators, but Losses Remain Significant - May 15, 2014 – USDA: A yearly survey of beekeepers, released today, shows fewer colony losses occurred in the United States over the winter of 2013-2014 than in recent years, but beekeepers say losses remain higher. . .

<> Global Platinum-Group Resources Estimated at More than 150K Metric Tons - Summary: From USGS the first-ever inventory and geological assessment of known and undiscovered platinum-group element (PGE) resources

<> Biodiesel Producers Hit Hard by Policy Uncertainty - Survey Finds Nearly Six in Ten Have Idled Production

<> Tropical cyclone 'maximum intensity' is shifting toward the poles - Over the past 30 years, the location where tropical cyclones reach maximum intensity has been shifting toward the poles in both the northern and southern hemispheres at a rate of about 35 miles. . .

<> Meeting the Elevation Needs of the Nation - Summary: Want to know how elevation will benefit your state? The USGS National Geospatial Program is advancing the 3D Elevation Program, known as 3DEP, in response to the growing need for high-quality three-dimensional. . .

<> Implications of Shale Gas Development for Climate Change - While natural gas can reduce greenhouse emissions when it is substituted for higher-emission energy sources, abundant shale gas is not likely to substantially alter total emissions without policies targeted at greenhouse gas reduction, Duke researchers find.

<> 64 Environmental and Community Groups File Petition Demanding Federal Limits on Toxic Oil & Gas Well Air Pollution

<> NRDC Hails New Approach to Expedite Permitting of Infrastructure Proposals - (May 14, 2014) -- The Obama administration unveiled a fresh approach toward reviewing and approving major construction projects on federal lands, such as roads, bridges and airports.

<> California's Thirst Shapes Debate Over Fracking - As concerns over environmental effects and water usage have grown, about a dozen local governments have voted to restrict or prohibit fracking in their jurisdictions.

<> Fuel Cell Project Selected for First Ever Technology-to-Market SBIR Award - May 14, 2014Fuel Cell Project Selected for First Ever Technology-to-Market SBIR Award EERE recently announced the selection of 40 small businesses for new Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards that total nearly. . .

<> EPA Extends Comment Period for Proposed New Safety Measures to Protect Farm Workers from Pesticide Exposure - U.S. EPA is extending the comment period for the proposed revisions to the agricultural Worker Protection Standard for an additional 60 days, until August 18, 2014. . .

<> National Day of Action on Keystone XL May 17 - "Three weeks after the powerful 'Reject and Protect' encampment in Washington, DC, and two weeks after release of the National Climate Assessment, Americans will take to bridges, beaches, refineries, and government offices to ask the president to reject the Keystone XL pipeline and other dirty fuel projects that threaten our communities and destabilize our climate."

<> Keystone Delays Fuel Push for Canada East Oil Pipeline - Delays by the U.S. in reviewingKeystone XL are helping build momentum for an oil pipeline toCanada's East Coast.

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Thursday, May 15, 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 5/14/14

National / International News

 

<> A Numbers-Based Case for Why It's Time to Act on Infrastructure - The United States was once known as a leader in infrastructure, and we're slipping -- The White House releases a new analysis that makes a numbers-based case for exactly why we need to invest in infrastructure right now — and what it's going to mean for all of us if Congress fails to act.

• FACT SHEET – Building a 21st Century Infrastructure: Modernizing Infrastructure Permitting

<> Sen. Hearing: Charting a Path Forward for the Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards Program - Testimony and webcast of Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

• GAO-14-608T, Critical Infrastructure Protection: Observations on DHS Efforts to Implement and Manage its Chemical Security Program, May 14, 2014 - In managing its Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a number of efforts underway to identify facilities that are covered by the program. . .

<> National Security and the Accelerating Risks of Climate Change - CNA Corporation's Military Advisory Board (MAB, 16 retired Generals and Admirals) re-examines the impact of climate change on U.S. national security in the context of a more informed, but more complex and integrated world.

• Climate Change Deemed Growing Security Threat by Military Researchers - Source: NY Times - The accelerating rate of climate change poses a severe risk to national security and acts as a catalyst for global political. . .

<> Draft Report - 5-12-14 Draft CASAC Ozone Review Letter - Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) Review of the EPA's Health Risk and Exposure Assessment for Ozone (Second External Review Draft – February, 2014)

• Panel background, meetings & documents

<> Senate EPW Committee Hearing: Nuclear Reactor Decommissioning: Stakeholder Views – Testimony, Statements & Webcast

<> Climate scientists need to set the record straight: There is a scientific consensus that human-caused climate change is happening - Nearly all climate scientists are convinced that human-caused climate change is occurring, yet half of Americans do not know or do not believe that a scientific consensus has been reached.

<> Webinar for Utilities on Climate Adaptation - EPA's Climate Ready Water Utilities program will host a webinar on May 28 at 1 to 2:15 p.m. EST  on financing water sector climate adaptation strategies. Guest speakers include Dave Wright from Southern Nevada Water Authority, Jeff Hughes from the UNC's Environmental Finance Center, and Kirsten Anderer from EPA's State Revolving Fund program.

<> Coral Reefs are Critical for Risk Reduction & Adaptation - Summary: Stronger storms, rising seas, and flooding are placing hundreds of millions people at risk around the world, and big part of the solution to decrease those risks is just off shore. A new USGS study finds. . .

<> What Are the Hottest Sectors for Next-Generation Energy Services? - From physical assets to analytics, there is an almost endless array of activity located at the grid edge. But when it comes to things like the areas with the most innovative companies, the analytics space is quite clearly in the lead for. . . 

<> USDA Announces First Citrus Greening Funding Allocations and Appointments to Citrus Disease Subcommittee - May 13, 2014 – United States Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced more than $1.5 million in funding to expand bio-control efforts to fight Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening. . .

 

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

 

<> WildEarth Guardians v. U.S. EPA - 5/13/14. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, Case No. 13-1212. Petitioners sought to require EPA to add coal mines to the regulated list of stationary source categories under the Clean Air Act. The Panel ruled: "We disagree. On the record before us, we find that EPA's action easily passes muster under the 'extremely limited' and 'highly deferential' standard that governs our review of an agency's denial of a rulemaking petition."

<> Coal River Energy, LLC v. Sally Jewell - 5/13/14. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, Case No. 13-5119. Appellant argued that the fee under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act was unconstitutional because the Export Clause of the Constitution states that "No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any state." The district court dismissed the case as untimely. The Panel affirmed.

<> United Fire & Casualty Company  v.  Titan Contractors Service, Inc - 05/13/14. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, Case No: 13-1307. The case involves whether coverage and defense were barred by the "absolute pollution exclusion" and regarding whether TIAH, an acrylic concrete sealant, would fall within the policy's definition of a pollutant. The majority Panel ruled that TIAH was a pollutant and remanded the case to the district court for further proceedings.

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Wednesday, May 14, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Toxics - Proposed Rule. U.S. EPA. Pesticides; Agricultural Worker Protection Standard Revisions; Extension of Comment Period 60 Days PDF | Text | 

2. (May 13, 2014) Water Quality - Notice of Data For Comment. U.S. EPA. Updated National Recommended Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Human Health PDF | Text |

 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 5/13/14

National / International News

 

<> Amid Pipeline and Climate Debate, Energy-Efficiency Bill Is Derailed - The bill, which had drawn unusual bipartisan support, died in the Senate in a standoff over the Keystone XL pipeline and plans for climate change regulations.

• Senator Shaheen On Defeat Of S.2262 On Energy Efficiency - "I'm disappointed the Senate failed [55-36] to advance my bipartisan plan to create almost 200,000 jobs, reduce pollution and save taxpayers billions. I worked hard with Senator Portman and a countless number of business and environmental interests to craft a smart, pragmatic energy bill because we knew that was in the best interests of our economy and our environment. . ."
• Senator Portman On Defeat Of S.2262 - ". . .yet another disappointing example of Washington's dysfunction.  It's a sad day in the U.S. Senate when more than 270 organizations- from business to environmental groups- can get behind a good, bipartisan effort, but we can't get votes on a few amendments to pass it.
• Landrieu-Flake requests to consider S.2262, Energy Efficiency, and S. 2280, Keystone Pipeline
• Complete Legislative Details & Roll Call For S.2262

<> Senators Boxer, Vitter, Carper, and Barrasso Release 6-Year Bipartisan Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill - the MAP-21 Reauthorization Act (S. 2322), long-term bipartisan legislation to fund and improve the nation's Federal-aid highway programs for six years at current funding plus inflation (bill & summary available).

• Access legislative details

<> Committee Leaders Seek Information on DOE's Management of SPR - House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders today wrote to Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz regarding the management of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) 

<> EPA Announces $3.6 Million in Environmental Job Training Grants to Provide Unemployed Residents with Job Opportunities Cleaning Up and Reducing Pollution Nationwide - The grants, which include one to the City of Detroit fund training programs that provide unemployed and under-employed individuals with the comprehensive skills and certifications needed to enter full-time careers in the environmental field.

<> Taking on the challenges of an increasingly electrified world - IEA report says business-as-usual approach must be overhauled to cope with global shift to electricity -- a new report indicates that actively managing this transformation is the only way to ensure we meet global energy security and climate goals economically

<> Fireside Chat: Lessons from Fire Ecology and Post-fire Landscapes - Dominick DellaSala, Chief Scientist of Geos Institute stated, "Contrary to popular belief, most large wildfires are not catastrophes of nature, as many plant and wildlife species depend on them to restore habitat in short supply and to replenish soil nutrients."

<> BTLaw Alert On EPA's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule - Barnes & Thornburg LLP has issued an Environmental Law Alert entitled, "Which Way is the Wind Blowing? U.S. Supreme Court Upholds EPA's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule"

<> GAO-14-290, Army Corps of Engineers: Actions Needed to Further Improve Management of Hopper Dredging, April 10, 2014 - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has taken actions to address GAO's 2003 recommendations for improving information related to hopper dredging -- a dredge type that performs much of the dredging in ports and harbors.

<> NCDC Releases April 2014 U.S. Climate Report - The average temperature for the contiguous United States during April was 51.7°F, 0.7°F above the 20th century average.

<> Year-in-Review: 2013 Energy Infrastructure Events and Expansions Now Available - May 12, 2014. Year-in-Review: of the Energy Department's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability

<> Consider Clashing Scientific and Societal Meanings of 'Collapse' When Reading Antarctic Ice News - Two new studies chart an irreversible loss of West Antarctic ice, but over many centuries.

<> Two New Studies Address the Ongoing Plight of Honeybees - Once again, new reports have surfaced providing more evidence that the destructive use of pesticides in large-scale agriculture. . .

 

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

 

<> In Defense of Animals v. US Dept. of the Interior – 5/12/14. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, Case No. 12-17804. The panel affirmed the district court's summary judgment in favor of federal defendants in an action alleging that the roundup, or gather, of wild horses and burros from the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area on the California-Nevada border violated the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Tuesday, May 13, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Air Quality - Proposed Rule. U.S. EPA. Air Quality State Implementation Plans; Approvals and Promulgations: Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin; Infrastructure SIP Requirements for the 2008 Lead NAAQS PDF | Text | 

(click for the complete Energy & EPA announcements)

 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 5/12/14

National / International News

 

<> Remarks by the President on American Energy - The President discusses energy issues at a Walmart facility in Mountain View, California

• The Roof of the White House - John Podesta, Counselor to the President, sent the following message to the White House email list. In the email, he highlights the solar panels on the White House roof, as well as the outstanding solar progress our country is making.
• President Obama Announces Commitments and Executive Actions to Advance Solar Deployment

<> New Energy Efficiency Standards for Electric Motors and Walk-in Coolers and Freezers to Save on Energy Bills and Reduce Carbon Pollution - New Energy Efficiency Standards for Electric Motors and Walk-in Coolers and Freezers to Save on Energy Bills and Reduce Carbon Pollution. These standards combined will help reduce harmful carbon pollution by up to 158 million metric tons.

<> Better Buildings Challenge to Cut Energy Waste Grows by 1 Billion Square Feet - Better Buildings Challenge to Cut Energy Waste Grows by 1 Billion Square Feet Building on President Obama's Climate Action Plan and the Administration's Better Buildings Challenge. . .

<> Senators Stabenow and Markey Lead Bipartisan Group of 22 Senators Urging President Obama to Consider the Impact of Large-Scale Natural Gas Exports on American Manufacturing, Families - U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Energy Committee and co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Manufacturing Caucus, and Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce. . .

<> NRC Prioritizes Detailed Earthquake Risk Analysis For Central and Eastern U.S. Reactors - The NRC requires the sites, including Bridgman, MI, to submit their detailed risk analysis by June 30, 2017

<> Carbon Pollution Standards for Existing Power Plants: Key Challenges - C2ES Analysis says: EPA faces a number of policy challenges as it develops its guidelines for carbon pollution standards for existing power plants.

<> NCDC Introduces the National Temperature Index Page - NCDC developed the U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN). NCDC's National Temperature Index page allows users to compare temperature anomalies, or departures from average, using multiple datasets. . .

<> NARUC Joins State Groups in Encouraging EPA to Allow Energy Efficiency in 111d Compliance - The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners has signed onto principles with two State government associations (the National Association of State Energy Officials, and the National Association of Clean Air Agencies) over how energy efficiency programs could be used as part of a way to comply with upcoming federal emission reduction requirements.

<> On Migratory Bird Day, UN taps tourists to help protect world's original long-distance travelers - May 10, 2014 – On this year's World Migratory Bird Day, the United Nations is spotlighting the role sustainable tourism can play in conserving one of the world's true natural wonders: the spectacular movements of migratory birds along their flyways. 

<> GAO-14-238, Oil and Gas: Updated Guidance, Increased Coordination, and Comprehensive Data Could Improve BLM's Management and Oversight - A report to a number of Democratic requesters

<> Pesticides, Not Mites or Pathogens, Major Cause of Honey Bee Decline - (Beyond Pesticides, May 12, 2014) A study published in the Bulletin of Insectology substantially undercuts chemical industry arguments that neonicotinoid pesticides are not the primary contributing factor in Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

<> United States, Canada, and Mexico Submit North American HFC Phase Down Amendment to the Montreal Protocol - If adopted, it could yield reductions of over 90 gigatons of carbon dioxide-equivalent through 2050, roughly equivalent to two years of current annual emissions of all greenhouse gases.

<> National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program RFP - EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality is soliciting proposals nationwide for projects that achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions in terms of tons of pollution produced by diesel engines and diesel emissions exposure, particularly from fleets operating in areas designated by the Administrator as poor air quality areas. Closing deadline 6/17/14.

<> Cities in India Among the Most Polluted, W.H.O. Says - The findings question why so much attention is focused on China when New Delhi is the most polluted city, followed by three other cities in India.

<> New China-UNEP Agreement to Boost South-South Cooperation on Climate Change Adaptation - In a new high-level agreement - endorsed today in Nairobi by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner - UNEP and China agree to harness their "strengths, capacities and resources" to assist countries of the Global South combat climate change.

<> Back to the future to determine if sea level rise is accelerating - Scientists have developed a new method for revealing how sea levels might rise around the world throughout the 21st century to address the controversial topic of whether the rate of sea level rise is currently increasing.

 

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

 

<> National Association of Manufacturers v. U.S. EPA - May 9. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, Case Nos. 13-1069 & 13-1071. The Panel said: "In 2013, EPA tightened the primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards, or NAAQS, for fine particulate matter. The National Association of Manufacturers and other industry groups challenge that decision. Consistent with the general principle that the Clean Air Act gives EPA substantial discretion in setting the NAAQS, we deny the petitions for review.

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Monday, May 12, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Wildlife - Proposed Rule. Commerce Department. Endangered and Threatened Species: Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat; Implementing Changes to the Regulations for Designating Critical Habitat PDF | Text | 

 

2. Wildlife - Proposed Rule. Commerce Department. Endangered Species Act: Interagency Cooperation-Endangered Species Act of 1973, as Amended; Definition of Destruction or Adverse Modification of Critical Habitat PDF | Text | 

(click for the complete Energy & EPA announcements)