WIMS Environmental HotSheet 4/8/14

 National / International News

 

<> Annual Energy Outlook 2014: Staged Roll-out Begins 4/7/14, Ends 4/30/14 - The projections in the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA's) Annual Energy Outlook 2014 (AEO2014) focus on the factors that shape the U.S. energy system over the long term.

<> EPA's Report on the Environment (ROE): External Review Draft – U.S. EPA's Report on the Environment (ROE) presents the best available indicators of national trends. . . The draft ROE 2014 website is available for public comment through April 27, 2014. For additional details see the Federal Register Notice.

<> Department of Energy Releases 2014 Strategic Plan - April 7, 2014Department of Energy Releases 2014 Strategic Plan Washington, D.C. - The Department of Energy today released its 2014 Strategic Plan, a comprehensive blueprint to guide the agency's core mission. .

<> Cable News Networks Portray Climate Science with Varying Accuracy - The scientific accuracy of climate change coverage varies significantly across the three major cable news networks, according to a new analysis from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS)

<> Rio Tinto Pulls Out Of Alaska Bristol Bay Pebble Project - Rio Tinto announced it will gift its 19.1 per cent shareholding in Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd (Northern Dynasty), owner of the Pebble Project, to two local Alaskan charitable foundations.

• Release from Northern Dynasty  on the announcement

<> DOE Publishes Notice of Public Meeting for Smart Grid-connected Buildings - April 8, 2014DOE Publishes Notice of Public Meeting for Smart Grid-connected Buildings The physical characterization of smart and grid-connected commercial and residential buildings end-use equipment and. . .

<> Sen. Hearing: Advanced Biofuels: Creating Jobs and Lower Prices at the Pump - Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, will convene the Committee hearing today to examine the role domestically-produced, advanced, non-food based biofuels are playing in creating jobs and strengthening the rural economy.

<> NRDC Report: Potentially Unsafe Chemicals in Food Threaten Public Health - (April 7, 2014) Federal protections to keep potentially unsafe chemicals out of our foods are woefully inadequate. . .

<> Environmental Groups Question Unexamined Impacts in Federal Evaluation of Constitution Pipeline Project - Ask for revisions subject to second round of public scrutiny A coalition of environmental groups will file comments today with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, taking issue with the Commission's draft 

<> Coast Guard report: Reckless behavior caused grounding of Shell's drill rig - Coast Guard report: Reckless behavior caused grounding of Shell's drill rigApr 7, 2014 The U.S. Coast Guard has spoken, and its message is clear: The Kulluk drill rig ran aground in Alaska because Shell recklessly. . .

<> Report: Four Years after BP Oil Spill, Wildlife Still Struggling - Dolphins and Sea Turtles Still Dying in High Numbers. A new report from the National Wildlife Federation looks at how fourteen species that depend on a healthy Gulf are faring in the wake of the BP oil spill.

 

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

 

<> Supreme Court: U.S. Supreme Court Rejects U.P. Eagle Mine Appeal - The High Court declined to hear the case of Huron Mountain Club v. Army Corps of Engineers, et al, without comment letting stand the 6^th Circuit decision

• HMC v. ACOE – 10/30/13. U.S. Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit, Case No. 12-2217

 Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Tuesday, April 8, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Nothing We're Tracking Today

 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 4/7/14

National / International News

 

<> IPCC starts meeting to finalize Working Group III report - April 7. Government representatives and scientists opened a five-day meeting today of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to finalize a report assessing the options for mitigating climate change, and the underlying technical, economic and institutional requirements.

<> Sen. Finance Committee Approves EXPIRE Act with Strong Bipartisan Vote - Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., led the Finance Committee today to pass bipartisan legislation renewing a set of provisions known as "tax extenders" that have expired or will expire at the end of this year.

• Sen Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, statement at a committee markup on the Expiring Provisions Improvement Reform and Efficiency (EXPIRE) Act

<> Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Announces Progress on 2014 Farm Bill Implementation - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced significant progress on implementing the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill) signed into law on February 7.

<> House Hearing: "Energy Independence: Domestic Opportunities to Reverse California's Growing Dependence on Foreign Oil" - GOP site with background, testimony, webcast

• GOP news release

<> Revealing rare earths: Economic report sheds light on rare earths' essential role - Whether it's energy-saving wind turbines, life-saving pacemaker devices, state-of-the-art advanced avionics or super sleek smartphones, rare earth elements play an important role in helping a variety of the latest technologies. . .

<> World Business Council for Sustainable Development calls for city leaders to work closer with businesses to meet sustainability goals - April 7, 2014 - The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has launched a new report calling for city leaders to work closer with businesses to meet sustainability goals. . . report on the findings of the Urban Infrastructure Initiative (UII)

<> US Wind Energy Output Breaks Records - Wind energy is breaking records across the U.S., thanks to long-needed transmission upgrades that are relieving congestion on the power grid and allowing more clean energy to reach consumers. . .

<> Wind Power Has Cut U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions by 4.4 Percent: Report - April 7 -- The growth of wind power in the United States is putting a significant dent in emissions, according to a forthcoming report from the American Wind Energy Association. Wind generation avoided 95.6 million metric tons. . .

<> Exclusive: Enbridge plans to re-export Canadian oil via United States - Enbridge is the first company to publicly confirm it holds a re-export permit and intends to use it. The company has to segregate the re-exports from any U.S. oil it carries in its pipelines.

<> Tired of climate doom and gloom? So are we. But don't despair – the age of clean renewable energy is gaining momentum - Did you read the news last week? The impacts of climate change are being felt all around the world. And it's going to get much worse if we carry on polluting our way into the future.It's frustrating. It's infuriating. And it makes you. . .

<> Is Minnesota the next battleground in the tar sands fight? - A trio of major pipeline projects proposed by Canadian fuel transporter Enbridge have been moving forward in Minnesota, mostly below the national radar.

<> CCAC Invests $10 Million in New Work to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants, Focuses on Human Health - The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) has agreed to expand actions in cleaner transport, alternative refrigeration, agriculture, municipal solid waste management and methane reduction in the oil and gas sector.

<> How the tech industry can help save the climate - The Internet we love, and the companies that run it, are at a crossroads in terms of where their energy comes from.. . . Facebook, Apple and Google have committed to 100 percent renewable energy, in response to users around the world who have asked them for a greener internet. . .

<> UN's Top Climate Change Official Calls on Oil and Gas Industry to Undertake Radical Transformation towards New, Sustainable Energy Mix - The UN's top climate change official Christiana Figueres on Thursday called on the oil and gas industry to undertake a radical transformation towards a new, sustainable energy mix in order to align itself with the physical and. . .

 

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

 

<> El Paso Natural Gas Company v. USA - 4/4/14. In the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, Case No. 12-5156. "This is a weighty case, involving numerous claims concerning environmental hazards at three sites on Navajo land near Tuba City, Arizona. . . Given the number of statutes, claims, and locations at issue, we have summarized below the issues on appeal and our holdings with respect to each question before the court.

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Monday, April 7, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Nothing we're tracking today

2. (Friday, April 4, 2014): AIR - Proposed Rule. U.S. EPA. Air Quality State Implementation Plans; Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Michigan; PSD Rules for PM2.5 PDF | Text |

 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 4/4/14

National / International News

 

<> Climate change will 'lead to battles for food', says head of World Bank - Jim Yong Kim urges campaigners and scientists to work together to form a coherent plan in the fight against climate change

• Complete Transcript of World Bank Group President - Jim Yong Kim's Speech at the Council on Foreign Relations with a lengthy and detailed Q&A following

<> Q&A: IPCC Official Christopher Field Discusses Latest Climate Change Report - What's Field's take on the IPCC's Working II report? Read Bloomberg BNA's Eric J. Lyman's exclusive interview.

<> Pew Report Finds That Global Clean Energy Investment Declined in 2013 - Global clean energy investment fell 11 percent to $254 billion, and renewable power generating capacity additions declined by 1 percent in 2013. . .

<> Exploring the Potential Business Case for Synergies Between Natural Gas and Renewable Energy - A report from The Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

<> EPA Awarding Close to $13 Million to Assist Small Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems Across the United States - U.S. EPA  is awarding $12.7 million in grants to help small drinking and wastewater systems --  those serving fewer than 10,000 people --  and to private well owners. The grantees. . .

<> Combating Climate Change: Secretary Hagel Hosts the U.S.-ASEAN Defense Forum - Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel hosts a roundtable meeting with defense ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 2, 2014. As this week's. . .

<> The Outlook for Renewable Energy - April 4 -- Renewable energy has now become a technology of choice for many Americans, accounting for nearly 40% of all new, domestic power capacity installed in 2013. Presently, renewable power capacity exceeds 190 GW. . . 68-page report from American Council On Renewable Energy

<> Exxon Agrees to Disclose Fracking Risks - (Wall Street Journal) Exxon Mobil Corp. agreed to publicly disclose more details on the risks of hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells, reversing a long-held opposition after negotiations with environmental groups and. . .

<> Neonic seed treatments don't add up - Purdue University presented hard data to support that 94% to 98% of corn seed in the U.S. is pre-treated with neonics. Bad news for pollinators, since we know neonics pose a threat to bees even at low levels.

• Christian Krupke - Purdue Agriculture - Purdue University

<> U.S. Government Announces $1 Billion for Abandoned Uranium Mine Clean Up on the Navajo Nation - funds to cleanup 10 percent of abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation

<> U.S. Government Announces $1.1 Billion for Henderson Perchlorate Clean Up - funds to cleanup a former chemical manufacturing site in Henderson, NV -- the largest perchlorate groundwater plume in the country which has contaminated Lake Mead, which feeds into the Colorado River, a major source of drinking water in the Southwest.

<> Global Status of GMO and Non-GMO Crops - Dr Mae-Wan Ho takes you behind the latest, most blatant scientific disinformation campaign to show how GMO crops have remained a minority sector in food production and shrinking from overwhelming consumer. . .

 

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

<> Supreme Court: McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission - Symposium: McCutcheon opens the door to massive party contributions, but four Justices continue to push back forcefully. Complete coverage, opinion, and all briefs

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Friday, April 4, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Water - Final Rule. U.S. EPA. Kraft Pulp Mills NSPS Review PDF | Text | 

 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 4/3/14

National / International News

 

<> Major News Outlets: Somber Reporting on 'Bleak' IPCC Study - The nation's largest and most influential daily news outlets give voice to increasingly troubling assessments from world's leading group of climate scientists. Some say the general 'tone' of the climate discussion is changing

<> EPA Fails Again to Protect Children from Pesticide Drift – Earthjustice: After five years, EPA's only response is that it will make no change to existing practices and plans  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced their response to a lawsuit pressing them to better protect. . .

<> EPA Honors 2014 Energy Star Partners of the Year - WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are honoring 127 organizations for their commitment to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. Includes General Motors Company (Detroit, MI) and Consumers Energy

<> Improvements to EPA Policies and Guidance Could Enhance Protection of Human Study Subjects - In response to a congressional request, EPA Office of Inspector General conducted this review to determine whether the Agency followed applicable laws, regulations, policies, procedures and guidance when it exposed human subjects to diesel exhaust emissions or concentrated airborne particles.

<> Small Business Review Panel: Medium- and Heavy-Duty Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standard - Page summary:  EPA is preparing to convene a Small Business Advocacy Review panel to provide input and recommendations for its upcoming proposed rule on Medium- and Heavy-Duty Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Nominations are requested by April 16, 2014.

• EPA Seeks Small Entity Participation on Upcoming Medium- and Heavy-Duty Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards - EPA is inviting small businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations to participate as Small Entity Representatives (SERs) for a Small Business Advocacy

<> Sen. Murkowski Reiterates Call to Lift Restrictions on Crude Exports - Ranking Member Testifies Before House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Benefits of Exports..

• Subcommittee Hearing: The Crude Truth: Evaluating U.S. Energy Trade Policy

<> ACC Comments On Chemical Safety And Drinking Water Protection Act Of 2014 - ACC supports Chemical Safety and Drinking Water Protection Act, urges TSCA reform

• Senate EPW Full Committee Business Meeting including S. 1961
• S. 1961

<> Technology innovators challenged to design next-generation air emission monitors - Environmental Defense Fund and five oil and natural gas companies are calling all engineers and technology developers to submit a proposal for the Methane Detectors Challenge

<> Galvanizing Clean Energy Investment in the United States - Center for American Progress: Since 2004, in fact, clean energy investment in the United States increased nearly 250 percent and reached $36.7 billion in 2013.

<> Sec. Moniz Discusses Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loans - Sec. Moniz Discusses Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loans U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz today highlighted key improvements to the Department's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan

<> New Report: Farm Energy Success Stories (3rd Edition) - ELPC's Farm Energy Success Stories (3rd Edition) features over a dozen projects from across the nation representing seven different technologies supported by the Farm Bill's Energy Title, which ELPC has long championed. . .

<> Early climate adapters show warming world how to cope - We still cannot predict exactly how climate change will affect each part of the world, but the people on the front lines are showing others how to adapt

<> Council of Canadians celebrates a bittersweet victory for the Experimental Lakes Area - April 1, The Council of Canadians is applauding the transfer of the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) to the International Institute of Sustainable Development but continues to decry the Harper government's. . .

• Deal near to save freshwater research station Ottawa tried to shut down - An agreement to transfer the operation of Canada's world-renowned freshwater research station to an international environmental think tank is expected to be finalized on Monday…

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Thursday, April 3, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Nothing We're Tracking Today

 

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 4/2/14

National / International News

 

<> Secy. Kerry Remarks at the U.S.- EU Energy Council Meeting - Remarks at the U.S.-EU Energy Council Meeting of John Kerry Secretary of State Brussels, Belgium April 2, 2014

<> House Committee Hearing On The Fiscal Year 2015 EPA Budget - GOP hearing notice, background, statements, testimony and webcast

• Dems website with documents, background, statements, testimony and webcast

<> House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin introduced the fiscal year 2015 House Republican budget - Today the House Budget Committee will mark up the proposal.

• Details of the GOP budget proposal
• Sierra Club Statement on Ryan Budget

<> Wyden, Hatch Announce Markup of Job-Protecting Tax Extenders Package - Senate Finance Committee will markup the package that includes provisions that would benefit individuals, families, and small businesses, incentivize innovative research and development, and promote alternative and renewable energy initiatives, among others

• Sierra Club Urges Senate Finance Committee to Save Clean Energy Jobs

<> Oil Spills and Car-Stopping Contaminated Gasoline – Open Ethanol Letter Takes on API Ads - (April 2, 2014) Today's editions of the New York Times and Politico have published a good-humored, but factual takedown of Big Oil's false, hypocritical attacks against clean, renewable ethanol.

<> d-CON Manufacturer Sues California to Stop Rat Poison Restrictions - (Beyond Pesticides, April 2, 2014) Just last week it was announced that California ruled to remove from store shelves several rodenticide products identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as unsafe for 

<> BTLaw Alert: EPA Proposes Rulemaking: Revising the Regulatory Definition of "Waters of the United States" - The 370-page proposal should be published in the Federal Register soon, starting a 90-day comment period

<> Supreme Court to Decide Whether CERCLA Statute Can Revive Otherwise Time-Barred Toxic Tort Suit - The Supreme Court will hear oral argument in CTS Corp. v. Waldburger, 723 F.3d 434 (4th Cir. 2013), cert. granted, 134 S. Ct. 896 (U.S. Jan. 10, 2014) (No. 13-339), on April 23, 2014. (Marten Law News)

<> Near Record-Low California Snowpack Measurement Warns of Greater Water Supply Challenges Ahead - LOS ANGELES (April 1, 2014) – Critically low California snowpack measurement was reported today by the state's Department of Water Resources (DWR) in its annual April snow survey, revealing the  snowpack. . .

<> As Earthquakes Strike Los Angeles Area, Oil Industry's Fracking Wastewater - Los Angeles County has 64 active or new oil-industry wastewater disposal wells, according to a recent report from the Center for Biological Diversity and other organizations. On Shaky Ground: Fracking, Acidizing, and Increased Earthquake Risk in California, found more than 800 of these oil-industry wastewater wells near recently active faults across California.

<> House Passes the Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2014 - The House of Representatives passed H.R. 2413, the Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2014. The bill passed under a suspension of the rules and had strong bipartisan support from members. . .

• H.R.2413

<> 2014 Notice of DOT TIGER Funding Availability - Applications for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Discretionary Grants must be submitted through Grants.gov. by April 28; Webinar series also announced. . .

<> Net energy imports in 2013 lowest in more than 20 years - Apr 2, 2014. Total U.S. net imports of energy, measured in terms of energy content, declined in 2013 to their lowest level in more than two decades.

<> UC Davis and Honda Unveil Smart Home For a Zero-Carbon Future - Honda and the University of California, Davis aren't particularly known for constructing homes, but an ambitious project places the two entities at the forefront of designing homes capable of producing more renewable energy. . . 

<> PHMSA Seeking Pipeline Research Projects from Colleges and Universities - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has announced an academic research program that will offer a total of $500,000 to non-profit institutions of higher learning as part of the agency's pipeline research and development program.

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Wednesday, April 2, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Nothing We're Tracking Today