[WIMS] Environmental HotSheet 4/15/15

 

National / International News

<> Obama legacy gets second legal test over 'goof' in climate rule - A congressional drafting error and clunky phrase is putting a second of President Barack Obama's signature endeavors in jeopardy. This time it's climate change -- if coal-mine operator Murray Energy Corp. and states led by West Virginia convince a panel of judges named by Republican presidents to agree with their reading, the EPA rules could be tossed before they are made final -- U.S. Appeals Court, D.C. Circuit will hear oral arguments Thursday. EPA's Carbon Pollution Standards - Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule

<> EPA Publishes 20th Annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory - U.S. EPA released its 20th Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks, showing a two percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2013 from 2012 levels, but a nine percent drop in emissions since 2005 -- covers seven key greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride.

<> Dow Launches 2025 Sustainability Goals to Help Redefine the Role of Business in Society - The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) announced a strategic set of commitments designed to redefine the role of business in society -- Dow's 2025 Sustainability Goals use a global lens to magnify the Company's impact around the world, driving unprecedented collaborations to develop a societal blueprint that will facilitate the transition to a sustainable planet and society. Dow 2025 Sustainability Goals

<> House Hearing On Draft Ratepayer Protection Act - The Energy and Power Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), held a hearing to examine the draft of the Ratepayer Protection Act that seeks to empower states to protect families and businesses from higher electricity rates and other harmful effects of EPA's proposed rule regulating carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants, referred to by the agency as the Clean Power Plan (CPP). Hearing Website - background, testimony, statements & webcast

<> House Hearing On draft of the bipartisan TSCA Modernization Act -  The House Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy, chaired by Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), made progress toward reforming the decades-old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by reviewing a draft of the bipartisan TSCA Modernization Act. Hearing Website - background, testimony, statements

<> Markup of The Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015, H.R. 1734 – Chairman Upton (R-MI) stated, " We figured out a practical solution by which state governments would be allowed to implement EPA's protective standards through state permit programs." H.R. 1734: Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015

<> EPA 2014 Highlights of Progress: Responses to Climate Change by the National Water Program - EPA has released a 2014 Highlights of Progress Report that provides a summary of major accomplishments addressing climate change and water by the EPA National Water Program and Regional water programs during 2014.

<> EPA Water Utility Response On-The-Go Mobile Website - EPA  has launched an innovative tool that consolidates and makes accessible from the fieldinformation and tools that water utility operators and their response partners may need during an emergency.

<> U.S. energy imports and exports to come into balance for first time since 1950s - (Wed, 15 Apr 2015) Projections in the Annual Energy Outlook 2015, released April 14, show the potential to eliminate net U.S. energy imports sometime between 2020 and 2030. Annual Energy Outlook 2015 (AEO2015)

<> Cap and Trade System to Limit Greenhouse Gas Pollution in Ontario - Ontario is joining other jurisdictions, including Québec and California, by imposing a hard ceiling on the pollution allowed in each sector of the economy -- known as cap and trade. . .

Federal Register Highlights  The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

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

Great Lakes News

<> Combined sewer overflows last week doubled 2014 amount - Combined sanitary and storm sewers in central Milwaukee and eastern Shorewood discharged an estimated 681.1 million gallons of storm water and sewage to local waterways April 9, according to Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District officials -- for comparison, the district reported 341 million gallons of total sewer overflows in all of last year, and more than 1.1 billion gallons of overflows in 2013

<> International Joint Commission Newsletter - Great Lakes Survey Results, Ice Breaking, and an Update on Lake Erie Algae and more

Michigan News

<> Gov. Rick Snyder signs bills preserving integrity of hunting and fishing by prohibiting use of drones - Unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, will be banned from interfering with hunting and fishing on Michigan lands, under bills signed by Gov. Rick Snyder -- Senate Bills 54 and 55, sponsored by state Sens. Tom Casperson and Phil Pavlov SB0054, SB0055 Governor signs Pavlov, Casperson bills banning use of drones to harass hunters or take game

<> State board approves petition language to ban drilling - Michigan's Board of State Canvassers approved the format of petitions for a ballot campaign to ban hydraulic fracturing Tuesday, and the leader of the effort said volunteers will start collecting signatures on May 22 -- the group has 180 days from the start of petition circulation to collect 252,523 signatures. Michigan ban fracking ballot initiative petition format approved

<> Northern Michigan Green Infrastructure Conference June 4 - June 4 at Great Wolf Lodge and Conference Center in Traverse City for the Northern Michigan regional Green Infrastructure Conference which expands on the 2014 statewide conference to highlight a broad range of benefits and opportunities provided by Green Infrastructure (GI) planning and preservation in northern Michigan.

<> Free e-Waste Recycling Event April 23 - 25 – Businesses, nonprofits, & the public quickly and easily get rid of your electronic waste in an environmentally friendly manner. Bring your old, working or broken electronics, including computers, monitors, keyboards, mice, cables, televisions, VCRs-you name it. We'll take it all and responsibly and securely recycle it.

Michigan Legislative Tracking  Newly introduced bills and bills that are moving, if any, are listed below. Click on the bill number for complete status, full text, & analyses. Uppercase is Senate action; lowercase is House action. Otherwise, for a complete list of environmental legislation this session (click here).

 

Daily Activity (4/14/15)

IN THE SENATE

SB 0264 of 2015 Vehicles; fund-raising registration plates; fund-raising registration plates for National Wild Turkey Federation; create. [COMMITTEE]

IN THE HOUSE

HB 4441 of 2015 Environmental protection; other; water pollution, sewerage, solid waste, and recycling fees; extend sunset. [Committee]

 

[WIMS] Environmental HotSheet 4/14/15

 

National / International News

<> Explaining climate change science & rebutting global warming misinformation - Skeptical Science is website & mobile apps to explain what peer reviewed science has to say about global warming -- skeptic arguments are stated, documented and explored for their scientific integrity. Smart Phone Apps - For smart phone users, the rebuttals to all the skeptic arguments are also available on a number of mobile platforms. How scientists are annotating climate reporting - making use of a browser plugin from the nonprofit Hypothes.is to annotate climate journalism on the Web Climate Feedback - Scientific feedback for Climate Change information online

<> EIA's Annual Energy Outlook will be released later today - (Tue, 14 Apr 2015) At 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, EIA will release the Annual Energy Outlook 2015 (AEO2015), which presents long-term projections of energy supply, demand, and prices through 2040.

<> Appropriations Committee Releases Fiscal Year 2016 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill - The House Appropriations Committee released the fiscal year 2016 Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which will be considered in subcommittee tomorrow. Subcommittee Markup - FY 2016 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill – Link to website & background for tomorrow's hearing at 10:00 AM

<> GAO-15-522T, Government Efficiency and Effectiveness: Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication and Achieve Other Financial Benefits, April 14, 2015 - This statement discusses (1) new opportunities GAO identifies in its 2015 report; (2) the status of actions taken to address the opportunities GAO identified in its 2011-2014 reports; and (3) existing and new tools available to help executive branch agencies and Congress reduce or better manage fragmentation, overlap, and duplication. Senate Hearing: Reducing Unnecessary Duplication in Federal Programs: Billions More Could Be Saved GAO-15-49SP, Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication – 84-pages GAO-15-404SP, 2015 Annual Report: Additional Opportunities – 240-pages

<> Energy-Focused Trade Mission Will Yield Positive Effects for American Businesses and the Global Environment - The Department of Energy and Department of Commerce have teamed up for a joint trade mission to China focused on smart cities and green infrastructure.

<> API: Industry has led safety improvements for blowout preventers - April 13, 2015 – Proposed federal regulations released today for well control and blowout preventers (BOPs) follow upon wide-ranging work by industry to improve offshore safety, said American Petroleum Institute. Proposed Well Control Regulations to Ensure Safe and Responsible Offshore Oil and Gas Development - Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced proposed regulations to better protect human lives and the environment from oil spills.

<> House Subcommittee Hearing: The Crude Oil Export Ban: Helpful or Hurtful? – Hearing website with witness testimony

<> This cement alternative absorbs CO2 like a sponge - Cement has been called the foundation of modern civilization, the stuff of highways, bridges, sidewalks and buildings of all sizes -- but its production comes with a huge carbon footprint.

<> The Guide to Sustainable Homes 2015 - The second edition of the British Blue & Green Tomorrow's Guide to Sustainable Homes exploreS how homes are adapting to cope with the changing environment and the sustainable steps that can be implemented.

<> All-Out Media Campaign: The Guardian Goes Activist - The Guardian newspaper, based in the U.K, decisively pro-action stance on climate change is a break with conventional media insistence on 'objectivity.' Or is it?

Federal Register Highlights  The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

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

Great Lakes News

<> Stabenow, Peters Introduce Resolution Opposing Storage of Nuclear Waste in Great Lakes Basin - U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced a Senate resolution (S.RES.134) urging the administration to oppose a Canadian proposal to build a permanent nuclear waste repository in the Great Lakes Basin.  S.RES.134

<> Fish follow edges of erratic dead zones in Great Lakes - Dead zones caused by oxygen depletion can be extremely variable and fast-moving in Lake Erie, but fish tend to cluster around the zone edges, according to new research from the United States Geological Survey.

<> Great Lakes Mud - Residents living near sediment remediation projects can now stay up-to-date on cleanup goals and milestones with GreatLakesMud.org. Developed by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, the comprehensive website provides information on waterways selected for cleanup and restoration through the Great Lakes Legacy Act.

<> Utility to cut sulfur emissions at Lake Superior coal plant - The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has come to an agreement with Minnesota Power on a timeline to update a sulfur dioxide (SO2) air pollution permit for Taconite Harbor Energy Center in Schroeder.

<> Film covering threat of incoming invasive carp into Great Lakes to be shown in Trenton - The eye-opening film will show viewers the threat and complicated fight against the Asian carp, an invasive species of fish that's making its way toward the Great Lakes.

Michigan News

<> Reminder: Governor's Recycling Summit & Conference May 5-7, Register Now! - Kalamazoo Radisson; Register by 5pm, April 14th and save

<> Reminder: MDEQ Wastewater Treatment Technology Webinar - April 23, 10:00 - 11:30 AM. The webinar explores general wastewater treatment technologies and teaches the physical, chemical and biological process of wastewater treatment.

<> MI Earth Day Fest highlights sustainable efforts of businesses and community organizations to make Earth Day every day - Upon Earth Day's 45th anniversary on April 22, the city of Rochester is hosting its 10th annual MI Earth Day Fest -- attracting more than 50,000 unique guests each year.

<> Greening of Detroit plans to plant 4,000 trees across city this year - Associated Press - A nonprofit that supports urban reforestation efforts is planting about 4,000 trees across Detroit this year and has new software to track its plantings.

<> Electricity competition may be on way out in Michigan - Michigan's experiment with partially deregulating its electricity market could be over -- bills to rescind the law which allows 10% of DTE Energy and Consumers Energy customers to leave for an alternate (i.e., cheaper) supplier are moving through the State House.

<> Take Cover Michigan: Statewide Tornado Drill on April 16

Michigan Legislative Tracking  Newly introduced bills and bills that are moving, if any, are listed below. Click on the bill number for complete status, full text, & analyses. Uppercase is Senate action; lowercase is House action. Otherwise, for a complete list of environmental legislation this session (click here).

[WIMS] Environmental HotSheet 4/13/15

 

National / International News

<> Renewable Fuels Volume Standards Timeline Announced - A proposed consent decree in litigation brought against EPA by, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), would establish a schedule for issuing Renewable Fuel Standards for 2014 and 2015 The Proposed Consent Decree - EPA intends to issue a Federal Register Notice allowing the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed consent decree.

<> NTSB Recommendations For Rail Tank Cars With Flammable Liquids  - The National Transportation Safety Board today issued four urgent recommendations calling for more robust and fire-resistant rail cars to be produced to safely carry flammable liquids such as crude oil and ethanol.

<> Coal-Tar-Sealant Runoff Causes Toxicity and DNA Damage - Runoff from pavement with coal-tar-based sealant is toxic to aquatic life, damages DNA, and impairs DNA repair, according to two studies by the U.S. Geological Survey published in the journals Environmental Science and Technology and Science of the Total Environment.

<> A Trip to Yucca Mountain - A bipartisan congressional delegation, led by Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL), on Thursday [last week] traveled to the desert of Nevada to visit the Yucca Mountain nuclear storage site -- nearly $15 billion has been spent toward development of the nuclear waste repository and nearly a billion more is spent each year as the Yucca project remains stalled.  Background, hearings & information on Yucca Mtn. since 2011

<> Mercury threat to Arctic wildlife - Alarm bells are ringing for Arctic wildlife with the discovery that mercury levels in the feathers of ivory gulls have increased almost 50-fold over 130-year period

<> Climate Change May Pose Substantial Future Risk to Sagebrush Habitat in Southwestern Wyoming - Climate change may pose a substantial future risk for sagebrush habitat in southwestern Wyoming, and thus adversely affect the regional summer habitat and nesting areas of sage-grouse, according to a new study by the United States Geological Survey.

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

<> Coalition for Responsible Regulation, et al., v. EPA - 4/10/15. In the U.S. Court of Appeals D.C. Circuit, Case No. 09-1322. Order issued that this court's judgment filed June 26, 2012, be amended in accordance with the Supreme Court's decision. See UARG v. EPA, 134 S. Ct. at 2449 (affirming in part and reversing in part). Appeals Court Upholds EPA Authority to Require Carbon Pollution Limits at Power Plants, Factories and Other Large Industrial Facilities Coalition for Responsible Regulation v. U.S. EPA – Original 6/26/12 decision & 12/20/12 denial for en banc rehearing. Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA, 134 S. Ct. 2427 (2014)

<> Hawkes Co., Inc.  v.  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - 4/10/15. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, Case No. 13-3067. The Corps' issuance of an Approved Jurisdiction Determination that plaintiffs' property constitutes "waters of the United States" within the meaning of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, thereby requiring plaintiffs to obtain a permit to discharge dredged or filled materials into the "navigable waters, was a final agency action for purposes of the Administrative Procedure Act, and the district court erred in dismissing the case for lack of a final agency action.

Federal Register Highlights  The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

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

Michigan News

<> Rover Pipeline suing Washtenaw County landowners for surveying rights - Rover Pipeline LLC, the company behind a planned natural gas pipeline that could run through Washtenaw County has sued several landowners to gain access to their property for surveys.

<> Snyder wants power grid that connects Michigan peninsulas -

<> Fracking opponents try again on ban ballot initiative - A grassroots organization, the Committee to Ban Fracking in Michigan, is starting its second effort to get the issue before voters -- in 2012 and 2013, members tried to collect the 250,000 signatures needed to put a ban on the ballot, but came up far short — getting about 70,000 -- the group will need to collect 252,523 valid signatures by June 1, 2016, Committee to Ban Fracking

<> Improvements scheduled to expand North Western State Trail – MDNR announced that the Alanson-to-Mackinaw City segment of the North Western State Trail will be improved and under construction this summer.

Michigan Legislative Tracking  Newly introduced bills and bills that are moving, if any, are listed below. Click on the bill number for complete status, full text, & analyses. Uppercase is Senate action; lowercase is House action. Otherwise, for a complete list of environmental legislation this session (click here).