Officials Reach Deal On Trans-Pacific Partnership

<> Officials Reach Deal On Trans-Pacific Partnership - Pacific trade ministers have reached a deal on the most sweeping trade liberalization pact in a generation that will cut trade barriers and set common standards for 12 countries, an official familiar with the talks said on Monday. Trans-Pacific Partnership Ministers' Statement - "We, the trade ministers of Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam, are pleased to announce that we have successfully concluded the Trans-Pacific Partnership. . . To formalize the outcomes of the agreement, negotiators will continue technical work to prepare a complete text for public release. . ." Summary of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Final Agreement - The 12 Parties agree to effectively enforce their environmental laws; and not to weaken environmental laws in order to encourage trade or investment. . . the Parties commit to cooperate to address matters of joint or common interest, including in the areas of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and transition to low-emissions and resilient economies. Statement by the President on the Trans-Pacific Partnership White House FACT SHEET: How the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Boosts Made in America Exports, Supports Higher-Paying American Jobs, and Protects American Workers Hatch Statement on Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations  Wyden Statement on End of TPP Negotiations Environmentalists Praise Wildlife Measures in Trans-Pacific Trade Pact Sierra Club: Congress Should Reject Polluter-Friendly Trans-Pacific Partnership

EPA Strengthens Ozone Standards to Protect Public Health

<> EPA Strengthens Ozone Standards to Protect Public Health - Based on extensive scientific evidence on effects that ground-level ozone pollution has on public health and welfare, U.S. EPA has strengthened the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone to 70 parts per billion (ppb) from 75 ppb to protect public health. Final Rule & Complete Details On Regulatory Actions - Effective 60 days following publication in the Federal Register Smith Statement on Final EPA Ozone Regulation - Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) said, "This rule could be the most expensive regulation ever imposed on the American public. It will put millions of Americans out of work and cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars. U.S. Chamber: EPA's Tightened Ozone Standard Will Harm America's Economic Growth - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce  voiced its opposition to the EPA final new ground-level ozone standard saying the agency is ignoring calls from the business community and American workers who urged the agency to keep the standard at the current 75 ppb. New Ozone Rule Will Inflict Pain on Manufacturers - National Association of Manufacturers said the "the Obama Administration finalized a rule that is overly burdensome, costly and misguided." EPA final ozone rule helpful but insufficient for fracking-impacted communities EPA Rejects Doctors' Advice on Limits for Ozone Pollution - The new standard lowers the amount of ozone allowed in the air from 75 parts per billion to 70 parts per billion -- far weaker than the 60 parts per billion limit called for by the American Medical Association and numerous other leading health organizations. New EPA Ozone Standard Overdue – But Could Have Gone Further to Protect the Public

EPA Announces National Limits to Reduce Toxic Pollutants Discharged into Waterways by Steam Electric Power Plants

<> EPA Announces National Limits to Reduce Toxic Pollutants Discharged into Waterways by Steam Electric Power Plants - U.S. EPA finalized a rule that will reduce the discharge of toxic pollutants (e.g. mercury, arsenic, lead, and selenium) into America's waterways from steam electric power plants by 1.4 billion pounds annually, as well as reduce water withdrawal by 57 billion gallons per year, resulting in an estimated benefit of $463 million per year to Americans across the country -- effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent Guidelines - 2015 Final Rule Environmentalists Praise Long-Overdue EPA Regulations on Toxic Wastewater from Coal-Fired Power Plants New EPA Rule Brings Power Plant Water Toxic Standards into the 21st Century

Breaking the tragedy of the horizon - climate change and financial stability

<> Breaking the tragedy of the horizon – climate change and financial stability – A speech at Lloyd's of London by Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England (BoE): "There is a growing international consensus that climate change is unequivocal. . . Since the 1980s the number of registered weather-related loss events has tripled; and Inflation-adjusted insurance losses from these events have increased from an annual average of around $10bn in the 1980s to around $50bn over the past decade. . . So why isn't more being done to address it? Watch the speech

New Report Shows Domestic Offshore Wind Industry Potential, 21 Projects Planned in U.S. Waters

<> New Report Shows Domestic Offshore Wind Industry Potential, 21 Projects Planned in U.S. Waters - The Energy Department released a new report showing strong progress for the U.S. offshore wind market—including the start of construction of the nation's first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, one of 21 projects totaling 15,650 megawatts (MW) in the planning and development pipeline -- 13 projects totaling nearly 6,000 MW—enough to power 1.8 million homes—are in the more advanced stages of development, while 12 projects with more than 3,300 MW planned have announced a commercial operation date by 2020.

U.S.-China Joint Presidential Statement on Climate Change

<> U.S.-China Joint Presidential Statement on Climate Change - The two Presidents reaffirm their shared conviction that climate change is one of the greatest threats facing humanity and that their two countries have a critical role to play in addressing it -- The two Presidents also reaffirm their determination to move ahead decisively to implement domestic climate policies, to strengthen bilateral coordination and cooperation, and to promote sustainable development and the transition to green, low-carbon, and climate-resilient economies. FACT SHEET: The United States and China Issue Joint Presidential Statement on Climate Change with New Domestic Policy Commitments and a Common Vision for an Ambitious Global Climate Agreement in Paris FACT SHEET: U.S.-China Economic Relations Remarks by President Obama and President Xi of the People's Republic of China in Joint Press Conference Regarding the U.S.-China Joint Presidential Statement on Climate Change - John Kerry, Secretary of State

China to Announce Cap-and-Trade Program to Limit Emissions

<> China to Announce Cap-and-Trade Program to Limit Emissions - In what close observers are calling "a really big deal," President Xi Jinping of China will make a landmark commitment today to start a national program in 2017 that will limit and put a price on greenhouse gas emissions -- the move to create a so-called cap-and-trade system would be a substantial step by the world's largest polluter to reduce emissions from major industries, including steel, cement, paper and electric power. China Says It Will Start the World's Biggest Carbon Market by 2017 Follow Along: Official China State Visit - Today, President Obama welcomes Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, at the White House for an official State Visit -- a joint vision for an international agreement on climate change Senator Markey Hails Announcement of China Cap-and-Trade System to Cut Carbon Emissions EDF praises U.S.-China joint announcement on implementation of climate commitments Sierra Club statement: China to announce plans to limit climate pollution

Advancing Shared Values for A Better World

<> Advancing Shared Values for A Better World - White House Fact Sheet: the President hosted His Holiness Pope Francis at the White House and thanked him for the ways in which he is inspiring people around the world to embrace justice, mercy, and compassion, particularly toward those who have been marginalized. . . [including Protecting our common home; Promoting Climate Resiliency Around the World; Advancing Climate Justice and Preparedness at Home. . . After Pope's speech, House turns to bill that bars tallying "social cost" of carbon Pope on wrong side of history on climate change - Global warming policies are the real threat to the world's most vulnerable people - Ottawa, Canada-based International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC). At White House, Pope Appeals for Climate Change Action

New U-M Report on High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing in Michigan

<> New U-M Report on High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing in Michigan - Just Released: The Final Integrated Assessment Report and Executive Summary are now available -- a unique partnership involving several University of Michigan units, industry representatives, environmental organizations, and state regulators formed in 2012 in order to examine the multiple aspects of this gas extraction technique with an emphasis on impacts and issues related to the State of Michigan. MDEQ Director Wyant issues statement about Graham Sustainability Institute's final report on hydraulic fracturing - ". . .This report offers some useful information and options for state regulators to consider in the months and years ahead."

Senate Democrats to Unveil Climate Change Bill

<> Senate Democrats to Unveil Climate Change Bill - Though the measure will not pass the Republican-controlled Congress, Democrats say they hope that forcefully pushing for climate change policies could help them in 2016. Senate Democrats unveil climate-focused energy bill Senate Democrats to Unveil Broad Vision for Cleaner Energy Future Senate Dems to Unveil Ambitious Climate Bill Sierra Club: American Energy Innovation Act "a bold, ambitious vision" for Clean Energy and Climate Action AWEA statement: Wind energy ready to help US face energy challenges of 21st century

Threefold surge in companies disclosing carbon price shows climate change concerns going mainstream

<> Threefold surge in companies disclosing carbon price shows climate change concerns going mainstream - Corporations behind everyday brands of toothpaste, soup, light-bulbs, gasoline, cars and computers are assigning a price to their carbon emissions to offset the costs and risks of their greenhouse gas production, according to new disclosures provided to CDP, the global non-profit which gathers environmental data on behalf of investors -- major multinationals including Allergan, Campbell's Soup, Colgate-Palmolive, Stanley Black & Decker, Exxon Mobil, General Electric, Nestle, Microsoft, and Nissan are among the 437 companies included in CDP's new report. Report: Putting a price on risk: Carbon pricing in the corporate world

47 Senators, Introduce Resolution to Nullify Expanded WOTUS Definition

<> 47 Senators, Introduce Resolution to Nullify Expanded WOTUS Definition - U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), along with 46 Senate co-sponsors, introduced a joint resolution disapproving the rule submitted by EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) that expands the scope of federal authority over land and waterways in the United States under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, commonly known as WOTUS. The Joint Resolution On WOTUS

Senate EPW Oversight Hearing on the Cause, Response, and Impacts of EPA's Gold King Mine Disaster

<> Senate EPW Oversight Hearing on the Cause, Response, and Impacts of EPA's Gold King Mine Disaster - Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Majority & Minority statements, Member remarks, testimony of Gina McCarthy, EPA Administrator and webcast

EPA Updates Gold King Mine Response Website with Sampling Results, Documents

<> EPA Updates Gold King Mine Response Website with Sampling Results, Documents - EPA has posted new surface water and sediment sampling results, along with additional documents related to the Gold King Mine incident.

U.S. - China Climate Leaders Summit

<> Fact Sheet: U.S. – China Climate Leaders Summit - The U.S. – China Climate Leaders Summit fulfills a key element of the U.S.-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change by Presidents Obama and Xi last November, and helps to ensure that the ambitious actions to address climate change that both leaders committed to will be implemented at the state and local level, where they matter most. U.S.-China Climate Leaders' Declaration Cities And States From The World's Biggest Emitters Just Pledged New Carbon Reductions EDF, China Climate Leader Hail New Era of U.S.-China Climate Cooperation

State Perspectives: How EPA's Power Plan Will Shut Down Power Plants

<> State Perspectives: How EPA's Power Plan Will Shut Down Power Plants - The House Science Committee, Subcommittee on Environment hearing on EPA's Clean Power Plan -- background, statements, testimony [OR, OH, TX] DEMS statements & webcast GOP gropes for way to kill climate rule States Object to EPA Power Plan

62 Billion Winter Recreation Industry Presses For COP21 Climate Deal

<> $62 Billion Winter Recreation Industry Presses For COP21 Climate Deal - Over 92 global brands, 53 resorts, 50 professional athletes, 13 snow sports trade groups and associations have signed a letter to President Obama, to send him to Paris with our collective support -- we'll deliver this letter to The White House in October.

D.C. Circuit Court Says "No" to Emergency Stay for the Clean Power Plan

<> D.C. Circuit Court Says "No" to Emergency Stay for the Clean Power Plan - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit  denied two petitions seeking an emergency stay of the Clean Power Plan, the historic clean air standards that will reduce climate-disrupting air pollution from power plants In re: State of West Virginia, et al. Federal Court Again Rejects Arkansas Attorney General's Attempt to Stop Clean Power Plan

Reducing freshwater use in hydraulic fracturing and thermoelectric power plant cooling

<> GAO Report: Water in the energy sector: Reducing freshwater use in hydraulic fracturing and thermoelectric power plant cooling -  In this report, GAO assessed advanced and emerging technologies that can reduce water use in hydraulic fracturing and thermoelectric power plant cooling -- also the impact of regional differences in thermoelectric power generation on water use in water-stressed versus unstressed areas of the United States was examined

Government Shutdown Looms

<> Government Shutdown Looms – With just 10 legislative work days to resolve issues, in his weekly address the  President stressed that to continue the country's progress, Congress needs to avoid a government shutdown that would hurt middle-class Americans and pass a responsible budget before the end of September. Prospect of Another Shutdown Looms as Congress Girds for Fights Over Spending Ted Cruz to Star in Government Shutdown, the Sequel