WIMS Environmental HotSheet 3/10/14

<> On March 7, 2014, Secretary of State John Kerry issued instructions to all diplomats around the world on combating climate change - He stressed that success in this effort will require active leadership and participation from everyone in the State Department and at posts around the world.

<> In Response to Russian Aggression, Key Central European Nations Plead for U.S. Natural Gas Exports - In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the central European nations of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic yesterday sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) urging action to export more American natural gas to counter Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Energy security is not only a day-to-day issue for millions of citizens in our. . . 

<> Senators Speaking All Night to Urge Action on Climate Change - Immediately following votes on the evening of Monday, March 10 until approximately 9 am ET Tuesday, March 11, Senators from the Senate Climate Action Task Force will be holding the Senate floor to urge action on climate change.

<> Whitehouse Would Veto Two Anti-Regulatory Bills - The OMB Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has issued two policy memos recommending a veto of H.R.2641 & H.R.2824

• H.R.2641 - Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development Act of 2013
• H.R.2824 - Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America

<> Handbook Issued on NEPA and CEQA: Integrating Federal and State Environmental Reviews - March 7, 2014. Handbook Issued on NEPA and CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act): Integrating Federal and State Environmental Reviews The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the California Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) jointly issued a new handbook, NEPA and CEQA: Integrating Federal and State Environmental Reviews.

<> Handbook On Integrating NEPA With Historic Preservation Act - Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) issue the first handbook, to provide advice to Federal agencies, applicants, project sponsors, and consultants on how to take advantage of existing regulatory provisions to align the NEPA process and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Section 106 review process.

<> Demand response part of Army prep for climate change - In this interview with Kathleen Wolf Davis of Intelligent Utility, Richard Kidd, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy and Sustainability for the U.S. Army, describes the need for technologies and applications–demand response, smart grid, and microgrids, for example–to prepare our armed services for the impact of climate change.

<> First round of UN climate change negotiations in 2014 set to kick off in Bonn with Special Focus on Renewables and Energy Efficiency - This year's UN climate change negotiations kick off in Bonn this week, marking the beginning of an intense year of conferences and summits designed to lead to a meaningful, universal agreement in Paris in late 2015.

<> Science Advisory Board Issues Science Advice and EPA Priority Topics - SAB identified several areas where science advice would be helpful in advancing the agency's mission.

<> Survey Finds GE Contamination of Organic Farms - (Beyond Pesticides, March 10, 2014) New data finds that organic farmers are growing increasingly concerned with genetically engineered (GE) crops cross-pollinating and contaminating their fields. This contamination can lead to serious economic losses for organic farmers and has created tension between neighbors. The data comes at a critical time as USDA is advancing the. . . 

<> Colorado River Basin Study - Press release: There will not be enough water in the Colorado River in the near future to meet the demands of the more than 33 million people in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming who depend on it for drinking water, crops, ranching, tourism, energy and business. That's according to a new Colorado River Basin Water Supply and. . .

<> UEA research reveals four new man-made gases in the atmosphere - Scientists at the University of East Anglia have identified four new man-made gases in the atmosphere – all of which are contributing to the destruction of the ozone layer.

<> DOE Announces Webinars on the National Fuel Cell Technology Evaluation Center, Engaging Building Occupants to Reduce Energy Use, and More - March 7, 2014DOE Announces Webinars on the National Fuel Cell Technology Evaluation Center, Engaging Building Occupants to Reduce Energy Use, 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. Webinars are free; however, advanced. . .

<> Technical documents supporting the National Climate Assessment - Compiled by 13 government agencies as part of the U.S. Global Change Research Program and expected to be released in April, Island Press has published the full-length version of the reports, which focus on energy and infrastructure more broadly. Huffington Post article links to the reports.

<> The Effect of Renewable Energy Development on Carbon Emission Reduction: An Empirical Analysis for the EU-15 Countries - Institute for the Study of Labor http://ftp.iza.org/dp7989.pdf The increased concerns about climate change have made renewable energy sources an important topic of research. Several scholars have applied different methodologies to examine the relationships between energy consumption and economic growth of individual and groups of countries and to analyze the. . .

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 3/7/14

<> Last Day to Comment on Keystone XL Final Environmental Impact Statement - Today, is the final day to submit public comments on the Presidential approval of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. Closing at Midnight, the 30-day comment period followed the U.S. State Department's release of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). 

<> D.C. Council Resolution To Prohibit Fracking – Unanimous Sense of the Council of the District of Columbia that the United States Forest Service should prohibit horizontal hydraulic fracturing in the George Washington National Forest to protect regional water quality and supply. . .

• More on the Council of the District of Columbia

<> Three lessons from climate leaders - Charting a path to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can be a challenge. Changing the perceptions and habits of employees, customers, and stockholders isn't easy. But if done effectively, it can bring award-winning results. Fifteen organizations and two. . .

<> NRC Seeks Public Comment on Draft Strategic Plan - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public comments on its draft Strategic Plan, covering Fiscal Year 2014-2018. The draft provides a blueprint for the agency to plan, implement and monitor work needed to achieve the NRC's mission for the next four years.

<> NRDC Report: U.S. Nuclear Safety Regulators Ignore Severe Accident Hydrogen Explosion Risks Despite Fukushima Tragedy - (March 7, 2014)—Three years after hydrogen explosions wreaked havoc in the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is still not adequately protecting American nuclear reactors from the risk of similar hydrogen blasts in a severe accident, according to a new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

<> EPA and CEC Partners announce winners of the NAPECA grant program - $1.2 million in community grants awarded to environmental projects across North America - Montreal – U.S. EPA, Environment Canada, and the Mexico Ministry for Environment and Natural Resources, awarded $1.2 million in grants under the Council of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) North American Partnership for Environmental Community Action (NAPECA) program. These grants will support communities in addressing a wide range of. . . 

<> NRC Issues Annual Assessments for Nations Nuclear Plants - annual assessment letters to the nation's 100 operating commercial nuclear power plants regarding their performance in 2013. As of the end of December, 89 plants were in the two highest performance categories.

<> Who's talking about the $100B manufacturing investment milestone - The American Chemistry Council recently announced that potential new U.S. chemical industry investment spurred by shale gas has surpassed $100 billion. The nearly 150 projects that have been reported – restarts, expansions, and brand new facilities – could create an estimated $81 billion per year in new chemical industry output and 637,000 permanent jobs by 2023.

<> ARTBA Hails Industry Victory As EPA Withdraws "One-Size-Fits-All" Approach on Stormwater Regulations - Originally, EPA had wanted to include a single, uniform standard for runoff on all construction sites. . .

• (From Yesterday's HotSheet) - WATER – Final Rule. U.S. EPA. Effluent Limitations, Guidelines and Standards: Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Construction and Development Point Source Category PDF | Text |

<> NEB Approves Line 9B Reversal and Line 9 Expansion with Conditions - Canada's pipeline regulator, the National Energy Board (NEB), has approved the flow reversal and expansion of Enbridge's Line 9B between Westover, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. NEB previously approved the project to reverse Line 9A between Sarnia, Ontario and Westover

<> 91 Illinois Communities Powered by 100% Green Electricity - March 7: NORMAL, Ill. – Ninety-one communities in Illinois have achieved 100 percent renewable electricity for their residents, says a new report released today by the Environmental Law & Policy Center, Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund, LEAN Energy US, the Illinois Solar Energy Association, and George Washington University. . .

<> U.S. and Mexico to Send Water into Colorado River Delta - Description:The U.S. and Mexican sections of the International Boundary and Water Commission today announced plans for a pilot environmental "pulse flow" of water into the long-depleted delta of the Colorado River.

<> The elephant, the blind, and the intersectoral intercomparison of climate impacts - When decision makers discuss anthropogenic climate change, they often ignore the mighty elephant in the room, namely the question of what global warming really means on the ground -- PNAS paper.

<> Fuel economy hit record-high last month - For the fifth straight month, gas mileage of new vehicles sold in the U.S. topped 25 mpg and was at a record-high 25.2 mpg in ...

<> NASA Radar Demonstrates Ability to Foresee Sinkholes - New analyses of NASA airborne radar data collected in 2012 reveal the radar detected indications of a huge sinkhole before it collapsed and forced evacuations near Bayou Corne, La.

<> How Can Communities Leverage a Better Energy Future? – Episode 17 of Local Energy Rules - How can a community take control of its energy future from a 100-year monopoly electric utility?  Citizens of Boulder, CO, are testing answers to that question, trying to discover how a single city can do more for its economy and the environment with more power over its energy system. At the core of their efforts is a grassroots campaign to form a city-owned utility, an effort that faced an. . .

<> Judge Orders Duke Energy to Immediately Eliminate Sources of Coal Ash Groundwater Pollution - A North Carolina judge ruled Thursday that Duke Energy must take immediate action to eliminate the source of groundwater pollution at the company's coal ash dumps that are scattered across the state. The ruling, made by Wake County Judge Paul Ridgeway, stems from legal action taken by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) in 2012, 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 3/6/14

<> EPA Extends Comment On Proposed GHG Rule From New EGUs – U.S. EPA announced that the period for providing public comments on the January 8, 2014, proposed "Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From New Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units" and on the February 26, 2014, notice of data availability soliciting comment on the provisions in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, is being extended by 60 days.

<> ACEEE Statement on the Passage of the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2014 (HR 2126) – March 5, 191 Republican and 184 Democratic members of the House joined to pass the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2014 (HR 2126), sponsored by Representatives David McKinley (R-WV) and Peter Welch (D-VT). The bill includes several provisions to save energy in buildings: The Better Buildings Act to encourage commercial building tenants to save energy. . . 

• H.R.2126

<> House Votes to Block Historic Safeguards Against Carbon Pollution - (March 6, 2014) – The House today passed a destructive bill to block the first-ever national safeguards against carbon pollution, which would represent a major weakening of the Clean Air Act, the Natural Resources Defense Council said.

• H.R.3826
• Recorded vote: 229 - 183 (Roll no. 106)

<> EPA's IG responds to memo from agency's Deputy Administrator challenging 'context' of responses to Sen. Vitter's questions

• February 27, 2014, Memo from agency's Deputy Administrator

<> Groups Sue EPA for Disclosure of Pesticide Inert Ingredients on Product Labels - (Beyond Pesticides, March 6, 2014)  Yesterday, Center for Environmental Health, Beyond Pesticides, and Physicians for Social Responsibility, represented by Earthjustice, filed a complaint against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to complete rulemaking that would require pesticide manufacturers to disclose the inert ingredients on their pesticide product. . . 

<> Keystone Supporter Ed Schultz Now Opposes The Pipeline, Tells President Obama To Go To Nebraska - Ed Schultz, host of MSNBC's The Ed Show, has changed his mind and become the latest prominent opponent of approving the Keystone XL pipeline. Schultz had angered Keystone opponents by taking the State Department environmental analysis at face value, arguing that the oil is going to come out of Alberta anyways, and the pipeline could be better for the climate. The report left. . .

<> Coal Companies and Subsidiaries to Spend Estimated $200 Million on Treatment and System-wide Upgrades to Reduce Water Pollution - Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (Alpha) , one of the nation's largest coal companies, Alpha Appalachian Holdings (formerly Massey Energy), and 66 subsidiaries have agreed to spend an estimated $200 million to install and operate wastewater treatment systems and to implement comprehensive, system-wide upgrades to reduce discharges of pollution from coal mines in KY, PA, TN, VA, & WV

• Greens, Allies Not Impressed by EPA, Alpha NR Clean Water Violation Settlement

<> Energy Department Announces $10 Million for Innovative Commercial Building Technologies and Unveils New Commercial Buildings 101 Video - March 5, 2014Energy Department Announces $10 Million for Innovative Commercial Building Technologies and Unveils New Commercial Buildings 101 Video The Energy Department today announced a $10 million funding opportunity to help demonstrate and deploy energy efficiency technologies for commercial buildings, including projects that will bring next generation building. . 

<> Using climate data to protect growers and ranchers - Working with private companies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency uses precipitation data from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center as part of an insurance program for ranchers and those who grow hay or other livestock forage. This video describes how it works.

<> EIA now delivers coal data through new interactive browser - (Thu, 06 Mar 2014) Last week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration launched an interactive, online Coal Data Browser that brings together in a single tool comprehensive data on the U.S. coal industry.

<> Report Exposes How the TTIP Could Expand Fracking in U.S. and Europe - As the U.S. and European Union (EU) governments continue negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), environmental organizations are growing more concerned about a loophole that could leave the door open for expanded fracking in both regions. According to a report released today from Friends of the Earth Europe, the Sierra Club. . .

<> Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data, Now Available by Smart Phone - WRI is launching a fully mobile-accessible version of its Climate Analysis Indicators Tool, or CAIT 2.0.

<> The Economic Benefits of Green Infrastructure - U.S. EPA report -- A Case Study of Lancaster, PA. Cities across the US are using green infrastructure to meet water quality goals and provide more livable communities. . .

<> Free e-Course: Everything You Need to Know About Climate Change in a Nutshell - new UN CC:Learn e-Course on climate change; self-paced e-learning course covers 6 modules including climate science, policy, adaptation, mitigation, finance and planning.

<> EPA Did Not Conduct Thorough Biennial User Fee Reviews - A report from EPA's Office of Inspector General (OIG); Report No. 14-P-0129

<> GLOBE launches Climate Legislation App and digital edition of 4th Climate Study - 4th edition of GLOBE Climate Legislation Study now available on the Apple App Store and on the GLOBE website. The App aims at making all GLOBE publications accessible in a mobile format starting with the 700-page 4th edition of the GLOBE Climate Legislation 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 3/5/14

<> President Obama Announces His 2015 Budget - President Barack Obama signs copies of the FY 2015 Budget as Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Director, Office of Management and Budget, and OMB staff look on in the Oval Office, March 4, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) Today, after sending his 2015 budget to Congress, President Obama visited a local elementary school to discuss what he called a "roadmap" for the. . .

·        Remarks by the President Announcing the FY2015 Budget

·  The President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2015

·  Fact Sheet: Building a Clean Energy Economy, Improving Energy Security, and Taking Action on Climate Change

<> EPA's FY 2015 Budget Proposal Focuses on Delivering Core Environmental and Health Protections-  The Obama Administration proposed a Fiscal Year 2015 (FY 2015) budget of $7.890 billion for U.S. EPA. This request is $309.9 million below the EPA's enacted level for Fiscal Year 2014. . .

·  100-page EPA FY 2015 Budget in Brief

·  Detailed EPA FY 2015 Congressional Justification Available March 11

<> President Proposes $11.9 Billion FY2015 Budget for Interior - Secretary Jewell announced President Obama's fiscal year 2015 budget request of $11.9 billion for the Department of the Interior, saying it makes key investments to maintain 

<> President Requests $711.0 Million for Fossil Energy Programs- March 4, 2014President Requests $711.0 Million for Fossil Energy Programs President Obama's FY 2015 budget seeks $711.0 million for the Office of Fossil Energy (FE) to advance technologies related to the reliable, efficient, affordable and environmentally sound use of fossil fuels as well as manage the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and Northeast Home Heating oil Reserve to provide. . .

·  Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Justification documents to support Department of Energy Budget Request to Congress 

<> Vitter: President's Spending Agenda Lacks Necessary Reforms, Accountability for EPA

<> President Obama's Irresponsible Budget By the Numbers - Speaker Boehner's Press Office: Today, President Obama released his 2015 budget, which Speaker Boehner called "perhaps his most irresponsible" yet. The plan would spend too much, borrow too much, and tax too much, growing government at the expense of the middle class. Below is a joint analysis of the numbers behind the president's budget, courtesy of Republicans on the House and Senate Budget. . .

<> Green Investments: National Environmental Groups Highlight Impact of Federal Budget Cuts on Conservation and Natural Resources - Green Investments: National Environmental Groups Highlight Impact of Federal Budget Cuts on Conservation and Natural ResourcesMichael ReinemerMar 4, 2014Washington Citing damage to the environment, the economy, drinking water supplies and more, The Wilderness Society, along with other national groups across the U.S., is urging the President and Congress to end. . . 

<> API: Obama Budget Adds to Deficit of New Ideas, Repeats Calls for $97 Billion Oil & Gas Tax Hike - March 4, 2014 – The president's FY 2015 budget proposal contains no new ideas in the oil and natural gas sector, recycling earlier calls for tax hikes that would hurt job creation, energy production, and government revenue, said API President and CEO Jack Gerard.

<> External peer review of draft health effects documents for PFOA and PFOS - U.S. EPA is initiating an external peer review of the agency's draft human health effects documents for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS).

<> GAO-14-74, Climate Change: Energy Infrastructure Risks and Adaptation Efforts - According to assessments by the National Research Council (NRC) and the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), U.S. energy infrastructure is increasingly vulnerable to a range of climate change impacts -- particularly infrastructure in areas prone to severe weather and water shortages. Climate changes are projected to affect infrastructure. . .

<> DOE issues Finding of No Significant Impact for the Environmental Assessment on Resumption of Transient Testing of Nuclear Fuels and Materials at Idaho National Laboratory

<> Preparing Now for Our Climate Future – CEQ indicates: Our climate is changing.  We are not just seeing global increases in air and ocean temperatures, we are seeing changes across the United States:  extended periods of unusual heat, a greater number of heavier downpours, more severe regional drought and wildfires in parts of the American West, permafrost thawing in Alaska, ocean acidification, and sea-level rise threatening coastal

<> Webinar for Water Utilities on Planning for Climate Change Impacts - On March 19 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET, EPA's Climate Ready Water Utilities program will host a webinar to help water utilities analyze risk and make decisions under uncertainty when planning for climate change.

<> Webinar: Who caused climate change? - Is it possible that the courts could one day find that large-scale greenhouse gas emitters have "caused" rising sea-levels, extreme weather events and other climate-related damages?  The problem of causation is one of the most challenging for lawyers interested in lawsuits for climate-related damages. Friday, April 11. 

<> EPA Stops Illegal Import of Vehicles That Fail to Meet Pollution Standards - A Chinese powersports company and its related U.S. distributor have agreed to recall and replace fuel tanks that will better control gasoline vapors in approximately 1,000 vehicles and take other steps to control pollution stemming from the illegal import of over 12,000 recreation...

<> NREL Aims to Improve Building Energy Performance with New Web-Based Tool - The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has developed a web-based tool to help consumers better understand the energy performance of building-related products. The Technology Performance Exchange™ (TPEx™) is a portal that helps manufacturers and other organizations that measure and test products easily share performance data with. . .

<> NREL Examines Solar Policy Pathways for States - The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has published a report that aligns solar policy and market success with state demographics. By organizing the 48 contiguous states into four peer groups based on shared non-policy characteristics, the NREL research team was able to contextualize the impact of various solar policies on photovoltaic (PV). . .

<> The NRC's Annual Regulatory Information Conference Goes Mobile - The NRC is now offering a new mobile-friendly website loaded with information about this year's Regulatory Information Conference – the RIC.

<> Greenpeace report says that ageing nuclear reactors threaten a new era of risk for Europe - Paris, 5 March 2014 – A new report commissioned by Greenpeace from an independent group of nuclear energy experts (1) has exposed the decrepit state of Europe's nuclear reactors showing that ageing is an urgent issue in most European countries that have nuclear power plants. Analysis for the report shows that 44% of European nuclear reactors are over thirty years old.

<> API urges focus on the strategic importance of U.S. LNG exports- March 5, 2014 ─ Recent unrest in Ukraine has sparked renewed calls for the Department of Energy to quickly approve long-delayed exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG). API Director of Upstream and Industry Operations Erik Milito welcomed the focus on LNG exports and reiterated that U.S. exports would serve as a valuable option for U.S. allies in Europe and. . .

<> Energy-Efficiency Measure Is a Win-Win for Manufacturers - March 4, 2014 – National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Relations Aric Newhouse issued this statement in support of passage of H.R. 2126, the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2014, which would promote a number of energy-efficiency measures:

·  H.R.2126 - Better Buildings Act of 2013

<> Manufacturing Coalition Announces Principles for Effective Alternative Assessments - A diverse coalition of manufacturing associations unveiled a set of principles that will help establish a meaningful, effective program for assessing chemicals in consumer products and identifying possible alternatives.