WIMS Environmental HotSheet 5/20/14

 

National / International News

 

<> EPA Finalizes Standards to Protect Fish, Aquatic Life from Cooling Water Intakes - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized standards to protect billions of fish and other aquatic life drawn each year into cooling water systems at large power plants and factories.

• Vitter: EPA's Cooling Water Rule Newest Attack on Base Load Power

<> USDA Announces Availability of Loans and Grants to Support Rural Economic Development - May 20, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Department is accepting applications for loans and grants to support community development projects, business expansion and job. . .

<> Insurer's Climate Change Class Actions: More to Come? - Source: Reuters - A major insurance company is accusing dozens of localities in Illinois of failing to prepare for severe rains and flooding in lawsuits that are the first in what could be a wave of litigation over who should be liable for the possible costs of climate change.

<> EDF Climate Corps Expands Internationally, Focuses on Top Energy-Saving Opportunities - expansion into China, the world's largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions -- places specially trained graduate students in companies, cities and universities to save energy, money and the environment

<> Energy Department Awards $7 Million to Advance Hydrogen Storage Systems - The Energy Department announced $7 million for six projects to develop lightweight, compact, and inexpensive advanced hydrogen. . .

<> Vitter to McCarthy: EPA Must Correct Data Before Revising Ozone Standard - memoranda announcing that the Agency will not have the results of an analysis to be included in scientific assessments in support of EPA's lowered ozone standard before the Clean Air Act Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) Ozone Panel meeting.

<> GAO-14-618T, Nanomanufacturing and U.S. Competitiveness: Challenges and Opportunities, May 20, 2014 - Forum participants described nanomanufacturing as an emerging set of developments that will become a global megatrend: a technological revolution that is now in its formative phases but that man. . .

• House Subcommittee on Research and Technology Hearing

<> GMO Myths and Truths – Second Edition - Genetically modified crops and foods are neither safe nor necessary to feed the world, a new report by genetic engineers shows. Click to download report (5.5mb PDF) The second edition of GMO Myths and Truths

<> Shimkus: Yucca Mountain Should Move Forward - Last Friday marked a milestone for the Department of Energy's management of nuclear power. The agency ceased collecting nuclear waste fees from ratepayers in response to a court order that found DOE was not complying. . .

<> Hidden Greenland Canyons Mean More Sea Level Rise - Scientists at NASA and the University of California, Irvine (UCI), have found that canyons under Greenland's ocean-feeding glaciers are deeper and longer than previously thought, increasing the amount of Greenland's estimated. . .

<> GAO-14-435, Arctic Issues: Better Direction and Management of Voluntary Recommendations Could Enhance U.S. Arctic Council Participation, May 16, 2014 - What GAO Found The Arctic Council (Council) is a voluntary intergovernmental forum for Arctic States, with involvement of indigenous organizations and other stakeholders, to address various environmental and economic issues. . .

<> SEEC & Senate Environmental Groups to Host Event on Climate Threats - Washington, D.C. – May 20 evening, the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) and Senate Climate Action Task Force will host a panel discussion on the threat climate change poses to our health, security. . .

 

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

 

<> People of the State of California v. US Dept. of the Interior - 5/19/14. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, Case Nos. 12-55856 & 12-55956. The panel affirmed the district court's summary judgment in favor of federal defendants and intervenor water districts in an action challenging an environmental impact statement prepared by the Secretary of the Interior that analyzed the effects of water transfer agreements on the Salton Sea in southern California.

<> BP denied rehearing by 5th Circuit – 5/19/14. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, Case No. 13-30315 & consolidated cases. the Petition for Rehearing En Banc is DENIED. In the en banc poll, five judges voted in favor of rehearing.

• Additional information from The Legal Examiner

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Tuesday, May 20, 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 5/19/14

National / International News

 

<> Major U.S. public companies from all economic sectors now facing climate change related risks and costs - A new report from CDP indicates S&P 500 companies are seeing climate-change-related risks increase in urgency, likelihood and frequency, with many describing significant impacts already affecting their business operations. . .

<> Obama Bid to Cut Greenhouse Gases Divides Utility, Coal Industries - Bracing for greenhouse-gas rules from the Obama administration, two industries are staking out different positions. Coal companies are pledging to sue. Electric utilities are ready to talk.

<> Green Groups: Leaked Energy Text Exposes Trade With European Union Endangers Action on Climate - A draft negotiating text of energy provisions in the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the U.S. and the European Union was leaked online today, just as the fifth round of negotiations began in Washington, DC.

<> Exelon Pins Nuclear Hopes On Small Modular Reactors - Exelon CEO Chris Crane: "New nuclear plants being built in a competitive market is not in our future, unfortunately."

<> How Much Greenhouse Gas is Your State Emitting? - Climate change is an ever-growing concern for our planet. It is not a problem that is easily quantifiable or solvable, but we can start with awareness. We thought it would be interesting to see how much each state was contributing. . .

<> What Will the Supreme Court's Latest Climate-Change Case Mean? - David Doniger, Director, Climate and Clean Air Program, Washington, D.C. Sometime in the next few weeks, the Supreme Court will decide its third case on climate-changing carbon pollution in the last seven years. 

<> Appropriations Committee Releases the Fiscal Year 2015 Agriculture Appropriations Bill - The House Appropriations Committee today released the fiscal year 2015 Agriculture Appropriations. . .

<> Shell dismisses Carbon Bubble concept as 'alarmist' - Letter from senior executive to shareholders says oil and gas likely to dominate energy mix till 2050s

<> Billionaire Democrat Sets Eye on Senate Races - Tom Steyer, whom Republicans have depicted as a one-man special interest group, plans to raise $100 million to run campaigns on climate issues and efforts to block the Keystone XL pipeline.

<> Gov. Jerry Brown Discusses Role of Climate Change in California's 10 Wildfires in the Past Week - About 25,000 acres of land were scorched by the fires, causing. . .

<> Press Release: Secretary Jewell Announces $20 Million in WaterSMART Funding for Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects in Drought Stricken California - As part of the Obama Administration's continued effort to bring relief to California communities suffering from the historic drought, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation

<> New Game Consoles to Cost U.S. Consumers $1 Billion in Annual Electric Bills - (May 16, 2014) – The latest-generation game consoles are on track to cost American consumers $1 billion annually in utility bills--$400 million of that in standby mode when no one is using them. . .

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Monday, May 19, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

1. Water, Energy - Proposed Rule. U.S. EPA. Hydraulic Fracturing Chemicals and Mixtures PDF | Text | 

 

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 |