WIMS Environmental HotSheet 1/29/14

<> President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address - Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans: Today in America, a teacher spent extra time with a student who needed it, and did her part to lift America's graduation rate to its highest level in more than three decades. An entrepreneur flipped on the lights in her tech startup, and did her part to add to the more than eight million new jobs our. . .

·  President Obama's 2014 State of the Union Address - President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 28, 2014 (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) Tonight, President Obama delivered the 2014 State of the Union Address to Congress and the nation. If you missed it, be sure to watch the enhanced broadcast of his address, featuring charts, 

·  The State of the Union Fact Sheet: Opportunity for All - The State of the Union Fact Sheet: Opportunity for All can be found here and below. Opportunity for All: Key Executive Actions the President Will Take in 2014 The President's top priority remains ensuring middle class 

<> Upton Responds to State of the Union Address - WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) issued the following statement this evening following President Obama's State of the Union address: "We face great challenges. . .

<> McConnell Comments on State of the Union Address - "If the President really wants a 'Year of Action,' there are plenty of good ideas that the two parties can agree on: passing House-approved jobs bills in the Senate designed to get Americans back to work, revenue-neutral tax reform, trade promotion legislation, and the Keystone pipeline. "The President also tried to put a positive spin on the disaster that is Obamacare, but the American. . .

<> Boehner Statement on the State of the Union Address - WASHINGTON, DC – House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement in response to the president's State of the Union Address and the Republican Address to the Nation. "In one of the great traditions of our. . .

<> Earthjustice Statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address - "We are encouraged that President Obama made climate change a centerpiece of his speech tonight. We applaud his commitment to facing this challenge, for the benefit of our children and grandchildren. . . While the President touted natural gas, we shouldn't be committing ourselves to a future fueled by gas. . .

<> Manufacturers: A Year for Action Must Translate to a Year for Growth -

National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons issued this statement in response to President Obama's State of the Union address. . .

<> ACC Comments on the President's 2014 State of the Union Address -

As President Obama embarks on his 'year of action,' we hope he will remember that promoting innovation is one of the most effective ways to grow our economy, create opportunity and transform society.

<> U.S. Chamber's Donohue Comments on State of the Union - U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue issued the following statement ahead of President Obama's State of the Union Address

<> T. Boone Pickens' Statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address and The Call for Expanded Use of Natural Gas in U.S. Transportation

<> Pathways to Near-Zero-Emission Natural Gas Heavy Duty Vehicles - report examining the critical role that ultra-low-emission heavy-duty (HD) natural gas engines can play in helping California achieve its air quality, climate protection and petroleum-displacement goals.

<> Obama on Energy and Climate Policy in 2014 State of the Union -

(InsideClimate News) Here are the parts of President Obama's 2014 State of the Union address that were about energy and climate change issues, taken from the delivered text. In his remarks, Obama defended his "all-of-the above" energy strategy—pursuing all power sources, fossil and clean fuels—crediting the policy with bringing the nation closer to energy independence. 

<> New Video on Abrupt Climate Change - Watch a new 4+ minute video on the findings of the recent National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council report Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change: Anticipating Surprises.

·  The Report

<> New Farm Bill Contains Massive Taxpayer Handouts To Big Ag, Last Minute Deal Removed Even Modest Taxpayer Savings - this bill would put taxpayers on the hook for another five years of billion-dollar handouts to huge, profitable agribusinesses.

·  Final Farm Bill: A mixed bag - Eleventh-hour changes — behind closed doors — stripped the bill of some real reforms that had already been agreed upon by both the House and Senate. 

·  Farm Bill To Amend Clean Water Act - a rider in the compromise Farm Bill that significantly weakens the Clean Water Act by exempting certain silvicultural activities from permitting under the Act's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. 

<> Is the Senate Energy Committee being handed to Big Oil? - A game of political musical chairs has set off a transition that will hand Big Oil the keys to the influential Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. What's worse, the whole thing is being orchestrated by democratic leadership in an attempt to help Senator Landrieu (D-LA) with her upcoming re-election campaign. As with most things these days, it all comes down to. . .

<> Development of Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resources in the Appalachian Basin: Workshop Summary – A summary of a workshop convened by the National Research Council to examine the geology and unconventional hydrocarbon resources of the Appalachian Basin; technical methods for producing unconventional hydrocarbons and disposing of wastewater; the potential effects of production on the environment; relevant policies and regulations; and priorities for future scientific and engineering research.

<> Entrepreneurs Looking For 'Windfall' Cash In On Climate Change - Journalist McKenzie Funk looks into how some entrepreneurs and even some nations stand to benefit from a changing climate.

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 1/28/14

<> Energy Choices 2014 – The Choices We Face for a Strong & Secure America- the report developed three critical policy considerations surrounding the United States' energy choices.  Energy Security, Economic Stability, and Environmental Sustainability are all examined in light of three primary energy sources: fossil fuels, nuclear power, and renewable power.

<> Boehner Statement on Farm Bill Agreement - WASHINGTON, DC - House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement on the House-Senate agreement on the Farm Bill: "The House-Senate agreement announced this evening is a positive step in the right direction.  The measure will not only save taxpayers approximately $23 billion, it also includes important reforms to both farm and food stamp programs. 

• Chairwoman Stabenow Announces Bipartisan Agreement on Final Farm Bill- U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today announced a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on a five-year Farm Bill that will reform farm programs, reduce the deficit, and help farmers and businesses create jobs in agriculture, our state's second-largest industry. The bill includes major reforms like eliminating the. . .

<> Newly Disclosed Documents Show FDA Allows Livestock Antibiotics Use Despite "High Risk" to Humans - WASHINGTON (January 27, 2014) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) quietly allowed 30 potentially harmful antibiotics, including 18 rated as "high risk," to remain on the market as additives in farm animal feed and water – despite an internal review that raised significant red flags, according to agency records obtained by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

<> Groundbreaking Legal Agreement to End Use of Toxic Flame Retardant in Foam Furniture and Children's Products - The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) announced groundbreaking legal agreements that for the first time aim for an end to the use of harmful flame retardant chemicals in foam furniture and children's foam products from major companies. The agreement with Playtex (Energizer Personal Care), West Elm (Williams Sonoma), Britax and 11 other companies 

<> Market Efficiency and the U.S. Market for Sulfur Dioxide Allowances: Working Paper 2014-01 – From the Congressional Budget Office; Focusing on the U.S. sulfur dioxide allowance market, this paper models allowance prices to determine the influence of market fundamentals and administrative announcements on allowance price level and volatility.

<> Statement by Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz on 2013 Solar Jobs Census - Statement by Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz on 2013 Solar Jobs Census Secretary Moniz issued a statement on the 2013 Solar Jobs Census. The U.S. solar industry employed 142,698 Americans as of November 2013. This figure includes the addition of 23,682 solar workers over the previous year. . .

<> Air Resources Board issues nearly $1 million in fines for failures to report greenhouse gas emissions - The California Air Resources Board has announced nearly $1 million in penalties against three companies for late or inaccurate reporting of their greenhouse gas emissions for 2011. This action marks the second time the Air Resources Board has issued fines for violations of California's Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting regulation.

<> FERC staff issues Energy Infrastructure Update for December 2013

<> Groups Sue Feds for Putting Whales and Dolphins in Crosshairs throughout Southern California and Hawaiian Waters - LOS ANGELES (January 27, 2014) –The federal government illegally granted the U.S. Navy permission to harm marine mammals nearly ten million times in Southern California and Hawaii over the next five years, according to a lawsuit filed today by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).  The permitting agency, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), finalized rules last. . .

<> FEMA: Caught Between Climate Change and Congress - The agency has needed Congress to approve extra disaster relief funds every year over roughly the past decade to handle mounting climate-related damage. By Katherine Bagley Thanks to climate change, extreme weather disasters have hammered the United States with increasing frequency in recent years—from drought and wildfires to coastal storms and flooding.

<> Local Climate Solutions - What can an individual city or town do to fight climate change? A lot! View these slides from a presentation by ILSR's Director of Democratic Energy John Farrell to the Northfield Climate Summit on January 18, 2014, to see what one small Minnesota town has done, what other steps it can take as part of the state's GreenStep Cities program, and model local actions from around the 

<> State-sponsored Wolf Killing Ends in Idaho - Faced with a looming deadline to defend its actions before a federal appeals court, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) announced it is halting its wolf extermination program in the Middle Fork region of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.

<> Announcement: Request for Proposals for 2014 Pollution Prevention Grant Program– U.S. EPA has released a Request for Proposals for the 2014 Pollution Prevention (P2) grant competition.

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 1/27/14

<> Closer To Sealing the Farm Bill Deal? - As we head into the second half of January, House and Senate negotiators inch closer to finalizing the 2014 Farm Bill.  At least one of the lead negotiators has said that he expects the bill to be reported out of the Farm Bill Conference Committee during the final week of January.  However, it is not hard to imagine that negotiations might last into February. Dairy Dairy policy remains one of the. . .

·  Farm Bill Developments - David Rogers reported yesterday at Politico that,  "House farm bill conferees are being alerted to a likely meeting Monday morning at which the Agriculture Committee leadership is hoping to finalize agreement on a conference report that can come to the floor next week.

<> Study: Statutory 2014 RFS Levels Can be Met Through Increased E85 & E15 Consumption, Carryover RINs - A new study by Informa Economics entitled "Analysis of the Potential Use of Biofuels toward the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2014" shows the originally intended Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) 2014 blending requirements can be reached through expanded consumption of E85 and E15, as well as judicious use of carryover RIN credits. 

<> Farm Bureau Expresses Opposition to RFS Proposal - American Farm Bureau Federation this week stated its opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency's 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard requirements, which would scale back the total amount of biofuels that must be blended into the nation's gasoline supply. AFBF responded to EPA's Federal Register notice for public comment.

<> NTSB calls for tougher standards on trains carrying crude oil- The National Transportation Safety Board today issued a series of recommendations (see Safety Recommendation Letters R-14-001-003 and R-14-004-006) to the Department of Transportation to address the safety risk of transporting crude oil by rail. In an unprecedented move, the NTSB is issuing these recommendations in coordination with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

<> DOE Announces Webinars on the National Geothermal Data System, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Benefits for Tribal Communities, and More - DOE Announces Webinars on the National Geothermal Data System, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Benefits for Tribal Communities, and More EERE offers webinars to the public on a range of subjects, from adopting the latest energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies to training for the clean energy workforce.

<> National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee (NCADAC); Notice Of Open Meeting - National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee (NCADAC); Notice Of Open Meeting. This notice sets forth the schedule of a forthcoming meeting of the DoC NOAA National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee (NCADAC).Time and Date: The meeting will be held February 20, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time 

<> States closer to western mines have lower coal costs - In 2012, the top-five states for total expenditures on out-of-state coal delivered to the electric power sector each spent more than $1.5 billion. Texas spent the most for out-of-state coal, followed by Illinois, North Carolina, Georgia, and Michigan.

<> Davos 2014: Achim Steiner insider diary - Achim Steiner, executive director of UNEP, sees much progress, but Davos is but one moment on the long road to change

<> Growing demand for cropland threatens environment, UN agency reports - If demand for new land on which to grow food continues at the current rate, by 2050, high-end estimates are that area nearly the size of Brazil could be ruined, with vital forests, savannahs and grassland lost, the United Nations today warned in a new report.

<> Visuallizing Why US National and US State Governments' GHG Reductions Commitments Are Now Woefully Inadequate in Light Of Recent Science - The US commitment to reduce its ghg emissions made in Copenhagen in 2009 of 17% below 2005 by 2020 and commitments of even those US state governments who have shown some leadership on climate change are now woefully inadequate in light of the most recent climate change science. . .

<> UK Department of Energy & Climate Change - The Government is today publishing the Community Energy Strategy and I will be depositing copies of it in the Libraries of the House. This is the first ever Community Energy Strategy published by a UK Government.

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 1/24/14

<> Barack Obama says U.S. generates 'more natural gas than anybody' - PolitiFact.com checks it out. . .

·   An interview with President Obama with the New Yorker's David Remmick - Q.: Mr. President, when the Copenhagen pact was signed, our carbon emissions were about the same as the Chinese. Now the Chinese are double ours -- double. And you've now had meetings with the Chinese leadership, and you know the forces that impinge on them in terms of development and lifting people out of poverty. But, as I think I remember you saying, if India and China develop at our rate we'll be "four feet underwater." THE PRESIDENT: Yes, we've got problems.

<> Secret draft text for the entire TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) Environment Chapter and the corresponding Chairs' Report - The Environment Chapter covers what the Parties propose to be their positions on: environmental issues, including climate change, biodiversity and fishing stocks; and trade and investment in 'environmental' goods and services.

<> EPA Reconsiders 2013 RFS Cellulosic Biofuel Obligation – Recognizes Phantom Fuels - American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) President Charles T. Drevna issued the following statement on EPA's agreement to reconsider the 2013 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) cellulosic biofuel obligation in response to AFPM's October 2013 petition:

<> Members of Congress Write EPA Administrator in Support of RFS - The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) thanks the Senators

<> 14-003: NRC Revises Review Schedule for Waste Confidence Environmental Study and Final Rule- The new schedule envisions publication of the rule and GEIS on storage of spent nuclear fuel at the nation's commercial nuclear power plants no later than Oct. 3, instead of September 2014.

<> Yes, things are very bad at Fukushima but it's not the Apocalypse - There have been a number of news stories recently about the radiation escaping into the ocean at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that have raised great concern. Some are worried about how escaping radiation may or may not be affecting ocean eco-systems around the world. Since Greenpeace has been working on the Fukushima nuclear crisis since it first began in March 2011, we can offer some thoughts on people's concerns.

<> 2013 Global Temperature Recap - ANIMATION: The globally averaged temperature for 2013 tied as the fourth warmest year since record keeping began in 1880, according to NOAA scientists. It was the 37th consecutive year with a global temperature above the 20th-century average. This animation starts with the 2013 difference from average temperature and continues through monthly temperature anomaliies for. . .

<> A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall - Question: What's the quickest way to convince a community that it needs to invest in resilience to climate change? Answer: Show them exactly what would happen if a monster storm dropped a foot of rain on them. From NOAA's Sea Grant program.

<> H.R. 2824, Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America - As ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on November 14, 2013. . .

<> Farm Bill in sight? - The new year started with promises of long overdue Congressional action on the Farm Bill. Some sticking points are still being negotiated, but it now looks likely that the House and Senate versions of the bill will be reconciled in the coming weeks.

<> Secretary Jewell, Director Ashe Announce $16.5 Million in Grants to Conserve Coastal Wetlands - coastal watersheds (includes Great Lakes) in the U.S. are experiencing a net annual loss of about 80,160 acres according to a new study by the Service

<> Major trade powers pledge free trade in green goods - DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - The world's biggest trading powers committed on Thursday to achieving global free trade in environmental goods, though they gave no timeline for a deal they said would boost the fight against climate change.

<> Groups Sue Canadian Government Over GE Salmon - Suit charges failure to consider invasiveness threat, puts wild salmon and environment at risk January 20, 2013--Center for Food Safety, Food & Water Watch, and Friends of the Earth-US commend Ecojustice, Ecology Action Centre, and Living Oceans Society for challenging the Canadian federal government's approval of AquaBounty's genetically engineered (GE) salmon.

·   Groups Call on Obama to Require National GE Labeling Laws

The 'No More Tears' Shampoo, Now With No Formaldehyde - The only hint that something is different inside millions of bottles of Johnson's Baby Shampoo arriving on store shelves are two words: "Improved Formula." The shampoo has the same amber hue, the same sudsy lather and -- perhaps most important -- the same familiar smell that, for generations of Americans, still conjures memories of childhood bath time. 

<> Lord Stern: I should have been fiercer in climate change review - Source: Guardian - Global temperatures are set to be 4-5C higher in the next century and governments are fooling themselves if they think this will only have a modest impact on their economies, says Stern. . .

<> Massive Hanford Test Reactor Removed - Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor removed from Hanford's 300 Area - Hanford's River Corridor contractor, Washington Closure Hanford, has met a significant cleanup challenge on the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site by removing a 1,082-ton nuclear test reactor from the 300 Area.

<> Washington Post Drops Climate Hawk Ezra Klein, Adds Climate Confusionist Blog Volokh Conspiracy

<> New Website Helps Identify Bumblebees and Protect Pollinators - A new website launched yesterday allows people to be directly involved in protecting bumblebees throughout North America. BumbleBeeWatch.org

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 1/23/14

<> Supreme Court Briefs Filed in Carbon Pollution Permits Case - David Doniger, Policy Director, Climate and Clean Air Program, Washington, D.C. On Tuesday, NRDC and other environmental groups filed their brief in the latest Supreme Court case about climate change.  This case, called Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA, will decide whether the Clean Air Act's permitting requirements apply to major industrial sources of the carbon pollution that. . .

• Docket, Briefs & News

<> TransCanada's Keystone Pipeline's Southern Leg to Begin Transporting Oil to U.S. Gulf Coast - TransCanada announced today the start up of the 485-mile southern segment of the Keystone XL, now called the Gulf Coast Pipeline, which runs from Cushing, OK, to refineries on the Gulf Coast of Texas. In anticipation of TransCanada's announcement, Texas landowners launched a new oversight network today, Texas Pipeline Watch, to arm landowners and citizens along the route. . .

<> Business Rallies Action on Climate Change at World Economic Forum in Davos- The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and partners will engage in several high-profile events to rally action on key sustainability issues -- including climate change and water security -- among the world's top business leaders.

<> Wind's Outlook Remains Strong - The following op-ed by T. Boone Pickens ran in the Des Moines Register on Wednesday, January 21, 2014. In 2008, I launched the Pickens Plan to help get America off OPEC oil. Our reliance on Middle East oil has been the number one threat to our national security and economy. Thanks to advances in the oil industry's discovery and recovery technologies, the U.S. energy picture is. . .

<> The Social Benefits of Carbon - America has long relied on fossil fuels for economic growth and technological advancement. The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) released a study, "The Social Costs of Carbon? No, The Social Benefits of Carbon," which demonstrates the vast benefits valuable fossil fuels, like coal, play in our day-to-day lives. The study demonstrates that reliable and affordable energy from fossil fuels not only provides. . .

<> The State of the Climate - C2ES' Eileen Claussen: As President Barack Obama prepares to deliver his State of the Union address, we believe it's a good time to take a look at the state of our climate: the growing impacts of climate change, recent progress in reducing U.S. emissions, and further steps we can take to protect the climate and ourselves. . .

<> Global Warming, Winter, and the President's Climate Action Plan -

Dan Lashof, Program Director, Climate & Clean Air, Washington, D.C. It's snowy and cold today in the Eastern United States. Yesterday NASA and NOAA announced that 2013 was among the 10 hottest years on record globally. Last week, I testified at a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing titled "Review of the President's Climate Action Plan," but Senators. . . 

<> CA Governor Brown Delivers 2014 State of the State Address - The Governor renewed his call for all Californians to conserve water, laid out the key elements of the state's long-term water plan and noted the work ahead to fight climate change and build on historic reforms to the state's school funding and criminal justice systems.

<> Cleantech venture APATEQ announces its first oil-water separation product- delivery for a large customer in Europe. The unit will treat produced water from oil production and hydraulic fracturing, requiring virtually no chemicals for operation using a proprietary technology. The Luxembourgish water and wastewater specialist expects extensive follow-up orders after successful field tests of the initial unit.

<> "Litigation Forecast 2014: What Corporate Counsel Need to Know for the Coming Year," a Crowell & Moring LLP publication – Includes environmental and energy sections

<> Developing nations express dismay at "disappointing" EU climate package - Small Island States and Least Developed Countries say science demands higher level of ambition than 40% target. . .

• Europe, Facing Economic Pain, May Ease Climate Rules - Source: NY Times - For years, Europe has tried to set the global standard for climate-change regulation, creating tough rules on emissions, mandating more use of renewable energy sources and arguably sacrificing some economic growth in the name of saving the planet. 

<> A united call for action on climate change (by Kofi Annan)

<> American solar employers condemn China's retaliatory trade action against U.S. industry - The Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM) protested the government of China's imposition of duties against U.S. and Korean producers of polysilicon, the main raw material for production of photovoltaic solar cells and panels.