WTO Appellate Body issues reports on rare earth disputes - On 7 August 2014, the WTO Appellate Body issued its reports in the case "China – Measures related to the exportation of rare earths
USDA Announces Final EIS for Corn and Soybean Plants Resistant to the Herbicide 2,4-D - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is issuing a final and a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on several genetically engineered (GE) products as part of its review to determine whether to deregulate them.
CEQ, EPA, GSA, and USPS Leaders to Discuss Sustainable Electronics - Leaders from the White House Council on Environmental Quality, U.S. EPA, GSA, and U.S. Postal Service, along with electronics industry stakeholders, are holding a meeting today Monday, August 4, 2014 to discuss progress on the National Strategy on Electronics Stewardship and participation in the U.S. Postal Service BlueEarth® Federal Recycling Program.
[Note: The latest release was not available at press time. It should be available soon from the link under "Recent Additions" for 8/4/14.]
Budget Issues: Opportunities to Reduce Federal Fiscal Exposures Through Greater Resilience to Climate Change and Extreme Weather - GAO Testimony before the Senate Budget Committee hearing entitled, The Costs of Inaction: The Economic and Budgetary Consequences of Climate Change
EPA Administrator Holding Media Call to Preview Public Hearings on Clean Power Plan - Today, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy will discuss the importance of public input on the proposed Clean Power Plan. Next week, there will be four, two-day public hearings in
President Obama: "Let's Build Some Bridges. Let's Build Some Roads." - President Barack Obama delivers remarks before he signs an executive action creating the Build America Investment Initiative during an event near the Interstate 495 Bridge at the
Remarks by the President at Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience Meeting – "We've got Democrats and Republicans and independents from all the across the nation. And we are here because we know that climate change is an undeniable scientific fact. . ."
House Passes H.R. 4923, the FY 2015 Energy & Water Appropriations Bill - On a bipartisan vote of 253-170, the bill totals $34 billion – a $50 million reduction from the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and an increase of $327 million above the President's request.
| <> Appropriations Committee Releases Fiscal Year 2015 Interior and Environment Bill - The House Appropriations Committee today released the fiscal year 2015 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, which will be considered in subcommittee tomorrow. The legislation includes funding for Department of the Interior, EPA, the Forest Service, and various independent and related agencies |
| <> EPA Air Chief Comments On Process For Climate Plan - "With all the coverage of EPA's Clean Power Plan, I wanted to take a few minutes or a few hundred words to tell you about the process we followed to write our 645-page proposal. The bottom line is that it is the product of many months of hard thinking and data analysis by EPA staff and substantial input from literally thousands of thoughtful stakeholders."
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National / International News
<> Supreme Court Greenlights California's Clean Fuels Plan - (June 30, 2014) – In a big win for the fight against climate change, the Supreme Court today declined oil and ethanol companies' request to review a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that upheld [release and background from Natural Resources Defense Council]
<> New York's highest court today upheld local bans on shale gas fracking - Local communities have triumphed over the fracking industry in a precedent-setting case decided today by the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court
<> Federal Wildlife Agencies Finalize Policy to Improve Implementation of Endangered Species Act - The Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service today announced a new policy to clarify the interpretation of the phrase "significant portion of its range" in the Endangered Species Act as it applies to decisions to list species as threatened or endangered.
<> State Energy Data System: Complete Set of State-Level Estimates Through 2012 - (Fri, 27 Jun 2014) Annual state-level estimates by energy source and sector of total energy production and consumption from 1960 through 2012 and prices and expenditures from 1970 through 2012. . .
<> Draft Science Advisory Board Report On Environmental Justice - Draft (6/27/2014) SAB Review of the EPA's Draft Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis. . .
<> American Chemistry Council Publishes 2014 Comprehensive Economic Profile of $812 Billion Business of American Chemistry - The American Chemistry Council (ACC) today issued its 2014 edition of the Guide to the Business of Chemistry.
<> ACORE Releases New Report: "Evolving Business Models for Renewable Energy" - For Immediate Release—June 23, 2014 NEW YORK, June 23, 2014 -- The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) today announced the release of a groundbreaking report titled Evolving Business Models for. . .
<> 2014 U.S. petroleum refinery update: capacity edges up, ownership shifts - (Mon, 30 Jun 2014) As of January 1, 2014, there were 139 operating refineries and three idle refineries with total atmospheric crude oil distillation capacity (ACDU) of 17.9 million barrels per calendar day (bbl/cd), a 101,000-bbl/cd increase in capacity from January 1, 2013. In 2013, four refineries changed ownership, continuing the trend of a handful of sales each year.
<> Cybersecurity for Energy Delivery Systems (CEDS) Peer Review August 5-7 - June 26, 2014Cybersecurity for Energy Delivery Systems (CEDS) Peer Review August 5-7 The Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) will hold a peer review of its Cybersecurity for Energy Delivery Systems (CEDS). . .
<> Highway Trust Fund Needs Immediate Intervention - The Highway Trust Fund (HTF), the federal government's primary account for funding the nation's highways, is going broke. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) estimates that the fund's balance will drop to zero by late August and stop payments altogether by late September if Congress does not approve a new cash injection.
<> Energy Department Sponsored Project Captures One Millionth Metric Ton of CO2 - Energy Department Sponsored Project Captures One Millionth Metric Ton of CO2 An Energy Department-funded project captured its millionth metric ton of carbon dioxide in Port Arthur, Texas.
<> Final Plan for Phase III of BP Early Restoration - The final Phase III plan proposes $627 million for 44 new early restoration projects across the Gulf states.
<> Corey v. Rocky Mountain Farmers Union – In the U.S. Supreme Court, appealed from the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Docket No. 13-1308. Petition denied with no comment.
<> Sierra Club v. EPA - 6/27/14. In the
<> Natural Resources Defense v. EPA - 6/27/14. In the
Comparable Fuels Exclusion is inconsistent with the plain language of section 6924(q), which requires that EPA establish standards applicable to all fuel derived from hazardous waste. . . and vacate the Comparable Fuels Exclusion."
Federal Register Highlights
The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Monday, June 30, 2014. (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).
1. Air Quality – Final Rule. U.S. EPA. Control of Air Pollution From Motor Vehicles: Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards PDF | Text |
2. Air Quality - Notice. U.S. EPA. Integrated Review Plans - Release of Integrated Review Plan for the Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Oxides of Nitrogen PDF | Text |
(click for the complete Energy & EPA announcements)
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