Friday, January 10, 2014

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 1/10/14

<> Presidential Memorandum -- Establishing a Quadrennial Energy Review - MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES SUBJECT: Establishing a Quadrennial Energy Review Affordable, clean, and secure energy and energy services are essential for improving U.S. economic productivity, enhancing our quality of life, protecting our environment, and ensuring our Nation's security.

·   Obama Administration Launches Quadrennial Energy Review - First QER Will Focus on Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure Today, President Obama signed a Memorandum directing his Administration to conduct a Quadrennial Energy Review (QER).  This first QER will focus on the development of a comprehensive strategy for the infrastructure involved in transporting, transmitting, and delivering energy.

·   New Steps to Strengthen the Nation's Energy Infrastructure - Today, President Obama signed a memorandum establishing the federal government's first Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) process, fulfilling an important commitment from his Climate Action Plan and ensuring that federal energy policies continue to meet the nation's economic, environmental, and security goals. Over the next four years, the QER will provide a comprehensive 

<> House Approves Committee Legislation to Modernize Environmental Law and Increase State Authority - WASHINGTON, DC – The House of Representatives approved H.R. 2279 by a vote of 225 to 188. The legislation is a product of a series of bills advanced by the Energy and Commerce Committee, including the Reducing Excessive Deadline Obligations Act, the Federal and State Partnership for Environmental Protection Act, and the Federal Facility Accountability Act. 

<> Whitfield and Manchin Introduce Bipartisan Electricity Security and Affordability Act - WASHINGTON, DC – Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) formally introduced the Electricity Security and Affordability Act today in the House and Senate. The lawmakers put forward a draft of the legislation last fall to offer a reasonable alternative to the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed greenhouse gas standards 

<> Rockefeller and Wyden Demand Investigation, Review of Crude Oil Transportation Safety Practices and Regulations - WASHINGTON, D.C.— In the wake of a series of explosive train derailments containing crude oil – including two in the last two weeks – Senators John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), Chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, wrote a letter to. . .

<> Chairman Boxer and Senator Sanders Op-ed: Congress Should Put a Price on Carbon Pollution

<> Is China really committed to addressing climate change? - Source: RTCC - What do Chinese leaders and energy experts really think about climate change? It's a critical question, as without a strong low-carbon drive from China there is no chance of the planet avoiding dangerous levels of global warming.

<> Energy Committee Senators Demand Interior Nominee End Flawed Rulemaking - U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Rob Portman (R-OH) and Mike Lee (R-UT) called on the Department of the Interior (DOI) nominee Janice Schneider to commit to ensuring that the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) does not "rig" job loss estimates associated with OSM's proposed stream rule.

<> Energy Department Updates Home Energy Scoring Tool for Advancing Residential Energy Performance - January 9, 2014Energy Department Updates Home Energy Scoring Tool for Advancing Residential Energy Performance As part of the Energy Department's commitment to helping families across the U.S. save money by saving energy, the Department announced today its first major software update to the Home Energy Scoring Tool. . .

<> Deadline Extended for Public Comment On BP Spill Restoration  - The Trustees have released a draft plan for the third phase of Early Restoration. The draft plan proposes more than $625 million in new early restoration projects across theGulf states

<> DeFazio, Holt, Pallone, and Garcia Express Concern Over Impacts of Offshore Oil Exploration - For Immediate Release: January 9, 2014 Contact: Jen Gilbreath (Resources),  DeFAZIO EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER IMPACTS OF OFFSHORE OIL EXPLORATION Washington, D.C. –Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-OR), ranking member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, led a letter to the Department of the Interior (DOI) and NOAA. . .

<> GAO-14-187R, Air Emissions: Status of Regulatory Activities and Permitting on Alaska's Outer Continental Shelf, January 09, 2014 -The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012, amended the Clean Air Act to transfer regulatory authority for air emissions on the outer continental shelf (OCS) off Alaska's north coast, including the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the Department of the Interior. Since the act was passed on December 23, 2011, there has been limited activity 

<> Texas Supreme Court Favors Landowner Over TransCanada in Keystone XL Eminent Domain Case - The Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of landowner Julia Trigg Crawford, ordering TransCanada to submit information by Feb. 6 as the justices weigh arguments to hear the case regarding eminent domain abuse.