EPA Administrator Jackson to Travel to China

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, left, will travel to China from October 9 through October 14. This is the administrator’s first official visit to China, where she will highlight and build on a wide range of joint efforts aimed at addressing current and emerging environmental challenges, from sustainability to greenhouse gas pollution.

During the trip, Administrator Jackson will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with her counterpart from China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, open the Regional Air Quality Meeting in Beijing; visit the world’s largest electronic waste site; and host a town hall meeting with students at Sun Yat-sen University.

For 30 years, the United States and China have engaged in a wide range of cooperative activities aimed at increasing energy efficiency; reducing emissions of pollutants, toxics, and greenhouse gases; limiting threats to public health caused by pollution; and creating a foundation for long-term environmental sustainability. EPA and MEP have been at the forefront of environmental collaboration and are looking to build on past successes to jointly address environmental challenges.

HIGHLIGHTS OF ADMINISTRATOR JACKSON’S CHINA VISIT (all times local)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10

5:30 p.m. Joins MEP Minister Zhou Shengxian for renewal ceremony for EPA Memorandum of Understanding with MEP, Beijing, China

MONDAY, OCTOBER 11

9:30 a.m. Delivers opening remarks at Regional Air Quality Meeting, Beijing, China

4:30 p.m. Tours electronic waste site, Guiyu, China

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12

11:00 a.m. Holds town hall with university students on “30 Years of U.S.-China Cooperation on the Environment,” Guangzhou, China

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13

9:15 a.m. Delivers opening remarks at corporate environmental stewardship seminar, Shanghai, China

11:00 a.m. Attends event to highlight success of EPA-Shanghai EPB AirNow, International pilot project,
Shanghai, China

Center Trip To China 2007

Executive Order on Gulf Coast Restoration Task Force

President Obama Signs Executive Order Officially Forming Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force
EPA's Jackson to oversee national transition from emergency response to coastal recovery in the gulf

With an executive order in place setting up the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force to continue the recovery after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, EPA Administrator and Task Force Chair Lisa P. Jackson, left, today started a series of meetings in the region to focus on the next steps.

Jackson was a key part of the Obama Administration’s immediate response efforts following the oil spill, and her deep expertise in environment-related issues will be central in spurring actions that help to restore the region’s ecosystem while providing important support for the economy.


President Obama today signed the executive order formally creating the task force. Its mission is to coordinate efforts to implement restoration programs and projects in the gulf coast region. The task force also will coordinate with the Department of Health and Human Services on public health issues and with other federal agencies on ways to enhance the economic benefits that ecosystem restoration will bring to the region.

It will have five state representatives, appointed by the president upon recommendation of the governors of each gulf state, along with one senior official each from many federal departments and agencies, including the departments of Defense, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and Transportation. The task force may also include representatives from affected tribes.

The executive order follows the release last week of the long-term restoration proposal, written by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus -- an aggressive plan that included a call for dedicated funds to support the gulf coast’s environmental and economic recovery. Included in the Mabus report was a recommendation for Congress to authorize a Gulf Coast Recovery Council to manage the overall restoration efforts in the gulf coast. The president created the task force to enhance the coordination and implementation of important restoration efforts, even before Congress acts.

View the Executive Order

President Obama To Install Solar Panels On White House

The U.S. Energy Department of Energy and the Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair announced  plans today to install solar panels and a solar hot water heater on the roof of the White House Residence. These two solar installations will be part of a Department of Energy demonstration project showing that American solar technologies are available, reliable, and ready for installation in homes throughout the country. The announcement was made during CEQ's 2010 GreenGov Symposium, which is bringing together leaders from federal, state, and local governments, nonprofit and academic communities, and the private sector to identify opportunities around greening the federal government.

The PV system will convert sunlight directly to electricity. The solar hot water heater will have a solar collector facing the sun that will heat water for use in the White House residence. The Department of Energy will now begin a competitive procurement process to select the company responsible for the installations.

Financial incentives are available to residents to offset the initial costs of installing solar energy systems, including a 30% federal tax credit and additional state, local, and utility incentive programs to encourage the deployment of renewable energy. Visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency Web Site for additional information about state, local, and utility rebates for solar generation throughout the country.

The deployment of solar energy and other renewable energy sources will help expand U.S. clean energy manufacturing and create new jobs for American workers. As a result of investments under the Recovery Act, the solar energy industry is growing and solar resources can now be seen in communities nationwide. In the coming years, continued investments in innovation and cutting-edge solar technologies will help make solar energy cost-competitive with conventional electricity sources all across the country.

This announcement is made on the one-year anniversary of President Obama's Executive Order 13514 on Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, which called on the federal government to lead by example towards a clean energy economy and reduce, measure, and report direct and indirect greenhouse gas pollution. In support of this goal, the Department of Energy also released "Procuring Solar Energy: A Guide for Federal Facility Decision Makers" to support the use of solar energy throughout the federal government. The full guide. (DOE)

Jackson Meets With Stakeholders In New Orleans

EPA Administrator Travels to New Orleans to Meet with Environmental Groups, Local Leaders

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, left, will travel to New Orleans today to meet with environmental organizations and local leaders on the government’s gulf coast restoration efforts. As the recently-appointed chair of President Obama’s Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, Administrator Jackson will discuss environmental issues in the gulf and long-term recovery efforts.

The task force was commissioned to help create and maintain gulf coast ecosystems while providing economic support and addressing possible long-term health issues of residents. The initiative will work to provide long-term financial assistance to improve the region’s environment, economy and health.

WHO: EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson
WHAT: Meetings with environmental organizations and local leaders
WHERE: 11:00 a.m. CST  OPEN PRESS

Meeting with Environmental Organizations
Greater Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church
5130 Chartres Street
New Orleans

1:00 p.m. CST  CLOSED PRESS

Meeting with Parish Presidents

United Nations Climate Change Conference Cancun - COP 16

The sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP16) and the sixth Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP) will be held in Cancun, Mexico, from November 29 to December 10, 2010.

The conference will include the thirty-third sessions of both the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), and the fifteenth session of the AWG-KP and thirteenth session of the AWG-LCA.

China Hosting U.N. Climate Change Conference in Tianjin

The latest United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference is taking place from Monday, October 4 to Saturday, October 9, 2010 at the Tiajin Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in the northeastern Chinese port city of Tianjin, China. The conference is a preparatory meeting for the United Nations summit in Cancun, Mexico to find a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, the international treaty on global warming that expires in 2012.  The 2009 climate-change summit in Copenhagen ended acrimoniously with a last-minute nonbinding accord brokered by the U.S. and China.

When the Kyoto treaty was signed in 1997, China and other developing countries were exempted from limits on greenhouse-gas emissions. The U.S., which opposed that exemption, never ratified the treaty. Last year, China passed the U.S. as the world's biggest energy user and biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. It is also on track to surpass Japan this year as the world's second-largest economy after the U.S.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson will travel to China from October 9 through October 14.

China, in collaboration with the Singapore government, is developing a district based on environmental urban planning called EcoCity. GreenGen, is also a power plant being built by a state-owned utility that will be the first commercial-scale plant to use a technology that turns coal into gas, making it easier to capture carbon. The homegrown Chinese technology is being licensed overseas.

In September, the United Steelworkers filed a complaint with U.S. trade officials claiming that China is unfairly subsidizing its clean-energy sector. Last week, 181 members of the U.S. House of Representatives wrote to President Barack Obama, urging his administration to address China's use of "unfair trade practices" to "globally dominate the green technology sector."

China committed last year to cut carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product by at least 40% from 2005 levels by 2020, and Chinese officials plan to enshrine that pledge into their 12th five-year economic plan, the country's economic blueprint set to start in 2011. However, China's failures are also drawing attention. Some analysts say that by 2030 China will have emitted more carbon in total than the U.S. ever had in history. (WSJ, 10/4/2010)

Center Trip To China 2007

U.N. Climate Change Schedule

4-9 Oct. 2010: Next round of UN climate talks in Tianjin, China.

9 Nov.-10 Dec. 2010: UN climate conference in Cancún, Mexico (COP16). Objective is to advance negotiations on basis of Copenhagen Accord. No binding agreement is expected.

28 Nov.-9 Dec. 2011: UN climate conference in Johannesburg, South Africa (COP17). Possible date for approving new international climate treaty.

United Airlines and Continental Airlines Merge

The legal closing of the merger of United Airlines with Continental Airlines has been completed, creating the world's leading airline.  Both United® Mileage Plus® and Continental OnePass® miles and programs remain unchanged.

When flying United, you should continue to use united.com or contact a United customer service representative for any assistance you might need. For flight check-in, use united.com, United kiosks or United ticket counters at the airport.

When flying Continental, you should continue to use continental.com or contact a Continental customer service representative for any assistance you might need. For flight check-in, use continental.com, Continental kiosks or Continental ticket counters at the airport.

Integrating two airlines is complex and should take between 12 and 18 months.  More information, including FAQs, is available at united.com. (Source: Email letter from Jeff Smisek, President & CEO, United Airlines.

Food Safety Bill Could Be Dangerous For U.S. Economy

S. 510: 12 Reasons Why The Food Safety Bill From Hell Could Be Very Dangerous For The U.S. Economy

The following are 12 reasons why S. 510 could be absolutely disastrous for small food producers and for the U.S. economy....

#1 All food production facilities in the United States will be required to register with the U.S. government. No food will be allowed to be grown, distributed or sold outside this bureaucratic framework unless the FDA allows it.

#2 Any food that is distributed or sold outside of U.S. government control will be considered illegal smuggling.

#3 The FDA will hire an army of new inspectors to enforce all of the new provisions in the bill.

#4 The FDA will be mandated to conduct much more frequent inspections of food processing facilities.

#5 The fees and paperwork requirements will be ruinously expensive for small food producers and organic farms.

#6 S. 510 would place all U.S. food and all U.S. farms under the Department of Homeland Security in the event of a major "contamination" or an "emergency". What exactly would constitute a "contamination" or an "emergency" is anyone's guess.

#7 S. 510 mandates that the FDA facilitate harmonization of American food laws with Codex Alimentarius.

#8 S. 510 imposes an annual registration fee on any facility that holds, processes, or manufactures food. It also includes draconian fines for paperwork infractions of up to $500,000 for a single offense. Just one penalty like that would drive a small food producer out of business.

#9 S. 510 would give the FDA tremendous discretion to regulate how crops are grown and how food is produced in the United States. Basically, small farmers and organic farmers will now be forced to farm exactly how the federal government tells them to. It is feared that the U.S. government would soon declare that many organic farming methods are "unsafe" and would outlaw them. In addition, there is the very real possibility that at some point the U.S. government could decide that the only "safe" seed for a particular crop is genetically modified seed and would require all farmers to use it.

#10 S. 510 will give the FDA the power to impose a quarantine on a specific geographic area. Basically the FDA would have the power to stop the movement of all food in an area where a "contamination" has been identified. This would be very close to being able to declare martial law.

#11 S. 510 will give the FDA the power to conduct warrantless searches of the business records of small food producers and organic farmers, even if there has been no evidence at all that a law has been broken.

#12 Opponents of S. 510 believe that it would eliminate the right to clean and store seed. Therefore, control of the U.S. seed supply would be further centralized in the hands of Monsanto and other multinational corporations.

(The Economic Collapse Blog) [Provided by Karen Blagburn-Editorial, Writing, and Design Services 202.413.8049]

EPA Calls for $491 Million For Chesapeake Bay Cleanup

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling for $491 million in funding and projects ranging from cutting farm and suburban runoff to rebuilding oyster reefs. EPA announced the plan in response to an executive order last year by President Barack Obama, putting the federal government at the helm of a previously state-led effort. Federal officials urged Congress to approve the funding proposed Thursday.

The plan includes $72 million in financial and technical assistance to help farmers with voluntary conservation practices in key areas; $20 million to the states and the District of Columbia for runoff control; $30 million for land protection; projects to restore fish migration along 67 miles of streams; and bay bottom mapping to help identify the best areas for oyster restoration. Of the $491 million, $153 million in USDA programs has already been authorized. Of the rest, Siglin estimated the increase over current programs to total tens of millions of dollars.

EPA officials announced that plans filed by Washington and Maryland constituted a strong start, but said five other bay watershed states — Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and New York — must strengthen theirs or face tighter federal regulation.  State officials, meanwhile, have expressed concerns about the restoration strategy. The six states are all or partly in the bay’s watershed and pollution from many of their rivers and streams ultimately reaches the bay, promoting oxygen-robbing algae blooms and harmful sediment. Decades of pollution and habitat loss have taken their toll on commercially important oyster and crab populations, other marine life and bay grasses.

In addition to the annual action plan, the presidential order requires federal agencies to publish an annual progress report assessing the implementation of the action plan and recommending steps to improve the restoration process.  The federal strategy, among other steps, calls for tightening of permits for wastewater treatment plants, storm water systems and other pollution sources. The new permit for Washington’s Blue Plains wastewater treatment plant, for example, calls for cutting nitrogen emissions nearly in half, and to help meet that goal the plant plans to break ground in a few months on a $950 million enhanced nitrogen removal facility. (The Daily Record, Associated Press, 9/30/2010)

EPA Helps Launch Global Methane Initiative in Mexico City

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Mexico’s Ministry of Environment along with thirty-six other countries, the European Commission, the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank launched a new Global Methane Initiative that urges stronger international action to address near-term climate change. The initiative expands on existing global efforts to reduce emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, while providing significant clean energy, human health, environmental and economic benefits. EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, Gina McCarthy, represented the agency at the meetings that took place September 30 and October 1 in Mexico City.

The United States is pledging $50 million over the next five years to the Global Methane Initiative and is seeking similar pledges from other developed countries, to support implementing methane emissions reduction projects and technologies. EPA estimates that an enhanced global effort to reduce methane emissions could achieve reductions of more than 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent – about the same as the annual emissions from more than 280 million cars.

The initiative will build on the existing structure and success of the Methane to Markets Partnership, an international partnership launched in 2004, while enhancing and expanding its efforts and encouraging new financial commitments from developed country partners. All the representatives at the meeting affirmed that the work of the initiative will continue to ensure international cooperation in a manner that is supportive of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The Center endorsed the Methane-To-Markets Partnership during the Bush administration.

The Methane to Markets Partnership is one of the most effective international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, growing from 14 to 38 country partners, representing approximately 70 percent of global methane emissions today. More than 1,000 public and private sector organizations are members of the project network and have helped the program to leverage nearly $480 million in investment from private companies and financial institutions.

More information about the Global Methane Initiative

More information about EPA’s International Priorities

EPA & DOT 2017-2025 Car/Truck Fuel Economy Standards

EPA and DOT Announce Next Steps toward Tighter Tailpipe and Fuel Economy Standards for Passenger Cars and Trucks

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced they will begin the process of developing tougher greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for passenger cars and trucks built in model years 2017 through 2025. This will build on the success of the first phase of the national program covering cars from model years 2012-2016.

In a May 21, 2010 memorandum, President Obama directed EPA and DOT issue a Notice of Intent (NOI) that would lay out a coordinated plan, to propose regulations to extend the national program and to coordinate with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in developing a technical assessment to inform the NOI and subsequent rulemaking process.

Consistent with the presidential memorandum, the NOI includes an initial assessment for a potential national program for the 2025 model year and outlines next steps for additional work the agencies will undertake. Next steps include issuing a supplemental NOI that would include an updated analysis of possible future standards by November 30, 2010. As part of that process, the agencies will conduct additional study and meet with stakeholders to better determine what level of standards might be appropriate. The agencies aim to propose actual standards within a year.

The national program is intended to save consumers money by cutting down on fuel costs, improve our nation’s energy security by reducing dependence on petroleum, and protect the environment by reducing greenhouse gas pollution that leads to climate change. Climate change is the single greatest long-term global environmental challenge. Cars, SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks are responsible for 57 percent of U.S. transportation petroleum use and almost 60 percent of all transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions.

The results of the interim technical assessment are summarized in the NOI and presented in a separate document, which NHTSA, EPA and CARB are also jointly releasing today. To achieve further annual greenhouse gas reductions, the automotive industry could choose from a variety of advanced technologies.

The assessment also considers the costs and effectiveness of applicable technologies, compliance flexibilities available to manufacturers, potential impacts on auto industry jobs, and the infrastructure needed to support advanced technology vehicles. This assessment was developed through extensive dialogue with automobile manufacturers and suppliers, non-governmental organizations, state and local governments, and labor unions.

More information on the NOI, the technical assessment

Submitting Comments

President Obama & The Jann Wenner Rolling Stone Interview

"Obama in Command: The Rolling Stone Interview"

The following is an article from the October 15, 2010 issue of Rolling Stone, available on newsstands on October 1, 2010.

By Jann S. Wenner
Sept 28, 2010

Excerpts

There's no doubt that the infrastructure and the financing of the Tea Party come from some very traditional, very powerful, special-interest lobbies. I don't think this is a secret. Dick Armey and FreedomWorks, which was one of the first organizational mechanisms to bring Tea Party folks together, are financed by very conservative industries and forces that are opposed to enforcement of environmental laws, that are opposed to an energy policy that would be different than the fossil-fuel-based approach we've been taking, that don't believe in regulations that protect workers from safety violations in the workplace, that want to make sure that we are not regulating the financial industries in ways that we have.

When Ken Salazar came in, he said to me, "One of my top priorities is cleaning up MMS." It was no secret. You had seen the kind of behavior in that office that was just over-the-top, and Ken did reform the agency to eliminate those core ethical lapses — the drugs, the other malfeasance that was reported there. What Ken would admit, and I would admit, and what we both have to take responsibility for, is that we did not fully change the institutional conflicts that were inherent in that office. If you ask why did we not get that done, the very simple answer is that this is a big government with a lot of people, and changing bureaucracies and agencies is a time-consuming process. We just didn't get to it fast enough.

Having said that, the person who was put in charge of MMS was fired. We brought in Michael Bromwich, who by every account is somebody who is serious about cleaning up that agency. We are committed to making sure that that place works the way it is supposed to. But when I have somebody like Ken Salazar, who has been an outstanding public servant, who takes this stuff seriously, who bleeds when he sees what was happening in the Gulf, and had started on a path of reform but just didn't get there as fast on every aspect of it as needed to be, I had to just let him know, "You're accountable, you're responsible, I expect you to change it." I have confidence that he can change it, and I think he's in the process of doing so.

What I would agree with is that climate change has the potential to have devastating effects on people around the globe, and we've got to do something about it. In order to do something about it, we're going to have to mobilize domestically, and we're going to have to mobilize internationally.

During the past two years, we've not made as much progress as I wanted to make when I was sworn into office. It is very hard to make progress on these issues in the midst of a huge economic crisis, because the natural inclination around the world is to say, "You know what? That may be a huge problem, but right now what's a really big problem is 10 percent unemployment," or "What's a really big problem is that our businesses can't get loans." That diverted attention from what I consider to be an urgent priority. The House of Representatives made an attempt to deal with the issue in a serious way. It wasn't perfect, but it was serious. We could not get 60 votes for a comparable approach in the Senate.

One of my top priorities next year is to have an energy policy that begins to address all facets of our overreliance on fossil fuels. We may end up having to do it in chunks, as opposed to some sort of comprehensive omnibus legislation. But we're going to stay on this because it is good for our economy, it's good for our national security, and, ultimately, it's good for our environment.

Understand, though, that even in the absence of legislation, we took steps over the past two years that have made a significant difference. I will give you one example, and this is an example where sometimes I think the progressive community just pockets whatever we do, takes it for granted, and then asks, "Well, why didn't you get this done?"

We instituted the first increase in fuel-efficiency standards in this country in 30 years. It used to be that California would have some very rigorous rule, and then other states would have much weaker ones. Now we've got one rule. Not only that, it used to be that trucks weren't covered, and there were all kinds of loopholes — that's how SUVs were out there getting eight miles a gallon. Now everybody's regulated — not only cars, but trucks. We did this with the agreement of the auto industry, which had never agreed to it before, we did it with the auto workers, who had never agreed to it before. We are taking the equivalent of millions of cars off the road, when it comes to the amount of greenhouse gases that are produced.

Is it enough? Absolutely not. The progress that we're making on renewable energy, the progress that we're making on retrofitting buildings and making sure that we are reducing electricity use — all those things, cumulatively, if we stay on it over the next several years, will allow us to meet the target that I set, which would be around a 17 percent reduction in our greenhouse gases.

But we're going to have to do a lot more than that. When I talk to [Energy Secretary] Steven Chu, who, by the way, was an unsung hero in the Gulf oil spill — this guy went down and helped design the way to plug that hole with BP engineers — nobody's a bigger champion for the cause of reducing climate change than he is. When I ask him how we are going to solve this problem internationally, what he'll tell you is that we can get about a third of this done through efficiencies and existing technologies, we can get an additional chunk through some sort of pricing in carbon, but ultimately we're going to need some technological breakthroughs. So the investments we're making in research and development around clean energy are also going to be important if we're going to be able to get all the way there. Am I satisfied with what we've gotten done? Absolutely not.

Rolling Stone, October 2010

Larry Bohlen Starts New Marketing Ecologically Green Gold

Green Leaf Gold, a new company founded by Larry Bohlen, right, is dedicated to bringing Fair Trade certified, ecologically mined gold to the growing ethical jewelry market. Investors, employees, customers and the environment will all benefit from clean and ethical practices that focus on the triple bottom line – people, profit and the planet.

Green Leaf Gold offers two ways to invest – equity and promissory notes. Equity provides a chance to participate fully in the upside potential of the company. Equity is anticipated to appreciate at a rate faster than the rise in the price of gold. Promissory notes provide a novel lower risk investment opportunity.  Notes will earn the higher amount of a fixed interest rate, or a rate equal to the annual increase in the price of gold.

Science Board Backs EPA Science on Mountaintop Removal

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) independent Science Advisory Board (SAB) released their first draft review of EPA’s research into the water quality impacts of valley fills associated with mountaintop mining. In their draft review, the SAB supports EPA’s scientific research and agrees with EPA’s conclusion that valley fills are associated with increased levels of conductivity (a measure of water pollution for mining practices) in downstream waters, and that these increased levels of conductivity threaten stream life in surface waters.

The SAB reviewed EPA’s draft report “A Field-Based Aquatic Life Benchmark for Conductivity in Central Appalachian Streams,” which uses field data to derive an aquatic life benchmark for conductivity. The benchmark is intended to protect 95 percent of aquatic species in streams in the Appalachian region influenced by mountaintop mining and valley fills. Based on that science, EPA released guidance in April designed to minimize irreversible water quality impacts caused by mountaintop mining.

Following the completion of the external peer review and review of public comments, the report will be revised and published as a final report.

A growing body of scientific literature, including previous and new studies performed by EPA, show significant damage to local streams that are polluted with the mining runoff from mountaintop removal. To protect water quality, EPA has identified a range of conductivity (a measure of the level of salt in the water) of 300 to 500 microSiemens per centimeter that is generally consistent with protecting life in Appalachian streams. The maximum benchmark conductivity of 500 microSiemens per centimeter is a measure of salinity that is roughly five times above normal levels. (EPA)

Renewable Energy Stardard (RES) replaces Cap & Trade

The standard formerly known as the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS) has morphed into the Renewable Energy Standard (RES) and many now want RES to be a Clean Energy Standard (CES).  Prince should glad he is not an energy lobbyist.

On Tuesday, Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS)  introduced a stand-alone RES bill (S. 3813 - ‘‘Renewable Electricity Promotion Act of 2010’’) that would mandate 15% of power to be generated by renewables — not 20% like the climate bill. At introduction there were 25 co-sponsors and four of the co-sponsors are Republicans. The bill would amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish a Federal renewable electricity standard.

According to Clean Technica [hat tip for map]:

States that already meet or exceed Renewable Energy Standards of 15% by 2021 would not be held back by the latest Democratic attempt to pass nationwide legislation requiring that utilities at least provide a minimum supply of clean energy. Many states already have requirements that exceed the 15% by 2020 requirement. However, that misses the intent of the bill. This bill pretty much just addresses just the 15 coal states that don’t have any RES legislation, the states that are the equivalent of “clunkers.”

At least five of the 15 get over 90% of their electricity from coal.  Hard-core coal states are not going to suddenly embrace clean power, like the Green States do. This is why it doesn’t matter that the new RES is not at the cutting edge of Renewable Energy Standards. Federal policy is not needed to drive the Green states. On the contrary, it is needed to finally get the 90% coal-powered Kentuckys and Alabamas to try clean energy.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is proposing a Clean Energy Stardard (CES) that would expand the definition of renewable energy to include nuclear and clean coal. Graham's proposal could draw away support from the Bingaman-Brownback bill, especially Republicans from states that generate large amounts of electricity from nuclear and coal.

Casey Trees Is Moving [see their notice below]

The Center wishes you good luck in your beautiful new location

Small Business Jobs and Credit Act Contains BioFuels Provision

The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 (H.R. 5297) contains a provision on biofuels in Title V: Tax Provisions,  Subtitle B: Revenue Provisions,  (Sec. 532) that:

"Excludes any fuel with an acid number greater than 25 from the definition of "cellulosic biofuel" for purposes of the tax credit for alcohol used as fuel."

Quality control of bio diesel fuel (BDF) on acid number is important since the number increases when the fuel itself deteriorates or BDF in production in line is not conforming. (Kyoto KEM)

However, the Senate failed to extend the biofuels tax credit amendment, which could render the quality of the fuel moot in terms of tax treatment.  Usually made from byproducts of soybean processing for cattle feed, biodiesel received a $1 per gallon credit, which expired at the end of 2009. The subsidy has been in place since 2004 and was last extended in October 2008. Stay tuned.  Congress will revisit the tax credit and will probably seek retroactive approval to include 2010. (PhysOrg, 1/11/2010)

Statement of President Obama on Final Passage of the Small Business Jobs Bill of 2010:

"The small business jobs bill passed today (Sept 23) will help provide loans and cut taxes for millions of small business owners without adding a dime to our nation’s deficit. After months of partisan obstruction and needless delay, I’m grateful that Democrats and a few Republicans came together to support this common-sense plan to put Americans back to work." President Obama signed the bill into law on September 27, 2010.

Obama Administration Moves Long-Term Gulf Plan Forward

Mabus recovery plan focuses on funding, governance, involvement

EPA Administrator to lead ecosystem task force

The Obama administration has put forward an aggressive restoration plan, including a call for dedicated funds, to help strengthen the gulf region’s environment, economy, and health following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Ray Maybus

The restoration plan, written by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, was submitted to the president today. A key recommendation in the report is that Congress dedicates a significant amount of any civil penalties obtained from parties responsible for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill into a Gulf Coast Recovery Fund to go toward addressing long-term recovery and restoration efforts in the gulf. The president has decided to follow this recommendation, and congressional action is critical to the overall effort.

To manage the funds and to coordinate recovery projects, the Mabus report recommends that Congress authorize a Gulf Coast Recovery Council. As designed, the recovery council would include representatives from the states and federally recognized gulf tribes. The recovery council would work to ensure that local governments and citizen stakeholders also play a critical role.

Lisa Jackson

The president will not let the recovery process wait until Congress acts to approve the recovery council. He soon will sign an executive order to establish the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force. A bridge to the recovery council, this intergovernmental advisory body will coordinate restoration programs and projects in the gulf region. It will focus on efforts to create more resilient and healthy gulf coast ecosystems, while also encouraging support for economic recovery and long-term health issues. Given her extensive environmental experience, ability to work successfully with stakeholders, and roots in the gulf coast region, the president has named Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson to serve as task force chair.

The task force will be expected to coordinate with the Department of Health and Human Services on public health issues and with the Department of Commerce and other federal departments and agencies, as appropriate, on ways to improve the economic impact of ecosystem restoration.

The Mabus report recommends continued support for individuals, families, and businesses to help them navigate the claims process, and to give assistance to communities to identify additional needs. It urges a media campaign – paid for by the oil spill’s responsible parties – to help restore public confidence in the seafood industry and promote tourism in the area. The report examines ways that the gulf can take advantage of opportunities in emerging industries. The report also identifies critical needs for health and human services across the region and recommends continued engagement with the nonprofit sector.

In June, as the urgent oil spill response efforts were still underway, President Obama tapped Secretary Mabus, a former governor of Mississippi and a son of the gulf, to develop the framework for long-term recovery. The president was clear that he wanted the plan to come from the gulf, and not be imposed from Washington, D.C. on the gulf. Mabus spent countless hours hearing from thousands of local residents, businesses, and elected officials to create the foundation for this report.

Full report to the president

Chloramine+Lead Pipes+Fluoride=Contaminated Tap Water

From an  article by Olga Naidenko, Environmental Working Group Senior Scientist

American water utilities are increasingly switching to chloramines, a mixture of chlorine and ammonia, for final disinfection of drinking water. Chloramine was supposed to be a "safer" water disinfectant than chlorine because it reduces formation of toxic chlorination byproducts. A 2005 survey by the American Water Works Association found that approximately a third of all utilities now use chloramines. Water disinfection byproducts are associated with increased risk of cancer and possibly adverse effects on the development of the fetus, so minimizing their levels in drinking water is a good thing. Yet, chloramines drastically increase the leaching of lead from pipes.

Two thirds of the U.S. municipal water supply is artificially fluoridated in an effort to prevent tooth decay. But fluoridation additives in tap water are not the same form of fluoride as found in toothpaste. Typically, water is fluoridated with fluorosilicic acid (FSA) or its salt, sodium fluosilicate, collectively referred to as fluorosilicates. In contrast, fluoride in toothpaste is usually in form of simple sodium fluoride salt, NaF.

Fluorosilicates have a unique affinity for lead. In fact, lead fluorosilicate is one of the most water-soluble forms of lead.  When fluorosilicates in water pass through lead-containing pipes and metal fixtures, the fluorosilicates extract high levels of soluble lead from leaded-brass metal parts. Researchers have found that the mixture of the two chemicals: disinfectant (whether chlorine or chloramine) with fluorosilicic acid has a drastically increased potency, leaching amazingly high quantities of lead. This lead goes into our drinking water and right on into our bodies, where they wreak havoc by poisoning our heart, kidneys and blood, causing irreversible neurological damage and impairing reproductive function.

Chlorine and chloramine are probably here to stay for some time. On the other hand, fluoride, or, specifically, water fluoridation with fluorosilicates, is quite dispensable. There is clear evidence that fluoride dental products significantly reduce the incidence of cavities. In contrast, a substantial and growing body of peer-reviewed science suggests that ingesting fluoride in tap water does not provide any additional dental benefits other than those offered by fluoride toothpaste and may present serious health risks.

In case of fluoridation and chloramines, what emerges at the end of the pipe (our faucets) is a potentially highly hazardous mixture of fluorosilicates, lead, and residual levels of disinfectants. To protect the health of our families today, we can buy a water filters to remove heavy metals and disinfection byproducts from my drinking water with a simple pitcher filter.

Water treatment chemistry is still insufficiently understood by scientists and specific water quality outcomes depend on the particular chemical interactions found in each water treatment and distribution system. To protect the health of the entire nation, we really need to consider if our current methods of water treatment can withstand scientific scrutiny, or whether they should be re-assessed so as to provide safe, healthy tap water to all Americans. (EWG EnviroBlog, 7/13/2009) [Provided by Karen Blagburn-Editorial, Writing, and Design Services 202.413.8049]

Energy Now: Clean Skies TV Changes Its Name & Time

Clean Skies TV is changing its name to "Energy Now" and shifting its time from 9:30 a.m on Sunday before "This Week" to 11:00 a.m. on ABC's WJLA TV 7 following "This Week."

Energy Now will cover energy and environmental issues and will still be hosted by Susan McGinnis, left, and feature the regular cast of great reporters (Tyler Suiters, Lee Patrick Sullivan, etc), as well as expert contributors.

EPA Cracks Down on Pollution From Chesapeake Bay States

The Environmental Protection Agency is threatening to punish five mid-Atlantic states with rules that could raise sewer bills and put new conditions on construction because they failed to meet deadlines to cut pollution by 2000 and 2010. Now, the deadline has been moved to 2025. [That's a threat? Sounds like the usual punt to us.]

EPA recently told Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware and New York, which together account for more than 70 percent of the pollution that causes "dead zones" in the bay, that their plans contained "serious deficiencies" and said it could force them to make up the difference with expensive new measures.

The Chesapeake's most problematic pollutants, nitrogen and phosphorus, wash downstream in treated sewage, fertilizer and animal manure. In the water, they fuel unnatural algae blooms, which suck out the oxygen that fish, crabs and oysters rely on.


Federal and state governments have been trying to fix these problems since 1983. They have spent more than $5 billion, but 27 years later, nitrogen has been cut by only about half the amount required. And a study showed phosphorus pollution going up, not down, in eight of nine major Chesapeake tributaries.

Last May, President Obama signed an executive order that shifted the EPA's role from collaborator to cop.
As of this month, states were required to submit plans for cutting pollution before 2025. When those plans came in, several states admitted that they were not sure how they would do it.

EPA noted that two plans - submitted by the District and Maryland - had "deficiencies," requiring minor corrections. But for the five states that take up the rest of the Chesapeake's 64,000-square-mile watershed, the agency found serious faults. The agency gave the states until Nov. 29 to fix these flaws. If they don't, it said, the result could be requirements that sewage plants be upgraded to remove more pollutants, or that urban areas could be forced to corral storm water with measures like "rain barrels," or grass buffers. Over the next 45 days, they will hold 18 public hearings on the Chesapeake in all six watershed states and the District. (Wash Post, 9/25/2010)

EPA Approves Trash Limit For Anacostia River

The Environmental Protection Agency approved the first multi-jurisdictional trash limit for the Anacostia River last week under the Clean Water Act, requiring the District and Montgomery and Prince George's counties to accelerate up their cleanup efforts. EPA wants an extra 600 tons of trash a year removed from the Anacostia River.  If a locality does not meet or attempt to meet the requirements within its five-year management plan, it could face a penalty of $37,500 a day per violation, according to the Clean Water Act.

Skimmer boats owned and operated by the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority already take about 400 tons of trash out of the Anacostia each year. Earth Day volunteers for the Anacostia Watershed Society removed 25 tons from the river in April.

There are about 15 pollution limits in place to reduce fecal bacteria, nitrogen and other pollutants in the water. But trash has always been a very visible and steady problem in the highly urbanized watershed. Storm water systems permits are key element of the plan. Jurisdictions are given one year to figure out how to clean up their system under the permit. Annual reports are required to ensure the plan is working, which allows for modifications, if necessary.

The Washington, DC Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) has begun a $2.6 billion project, the largest the authority has built, to reduce nitrogen and trash flowing to the river from its combined sewer overflow system. The project will construct Metro-size tunnels to hold the overflow during rainstorms until there is enough capacity at Blue Plains to treat the storm water.

The D.C. Council approved 5-cent tax on plastic bags has led to a 66 percent reduction in plastic bags in the water. The District spends about $6 million a year on litter removal. Montgomery County spends about $3.1 million a year on picking up litter. (Wash Post, 9/26/2010)

EPA Requiring CO2 Plans in State Implementation Plans (SIPs)

The Environmental Protection Agency is taking more steps to implement its greenhouse gas Tailoring Rule, which will restrict emissions from new and modified large stationary sources such as power plants and petroleum refineries beginning January 2, 2011. On September 2, 2010, the agency released two draft rules for implementing the agency’s new permitting requirements under the Clean Air Act’s Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program.[1] Meanwhile, Congress is expected to vote this fall on proposals to block or delay EPA’s regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under existing Clean Air Act requirements, and litigation over EPA’s rules moves forward. But unless the courts or Congress intervene, limits on GHG emissions on stationary source will begin to go into effect early next year.

The first of the actions EPA released this month is a proposed determination that the Clean Air Act implementation plans (State Implementation Plan or SIPs) in thirteen states are “substantially inadequate” because their PSD programs do not apply to new or modified greenhouse gas-emitting sources. EPA would require that non-compliant states issue revised SIPs within 12 months of issuance of the final rule (slated for early December 2010). In its second rule, EPA proposes assuming responsibility for PSD permitting for greenhouse gas emissions for those states that do not timely submit compliant SIPs, via a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP).

FULL ARTICLE - Marten Law

States with “Substantially Inadequate” SIPs

• Alaska
• Arizona (excluding Maricopa County, Pima County, and Indian Country)
• Arkansas
• California (Sacramento Air Quality Management District only)
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Idaho
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Nebraska
• Nevada (Clark County only)
• Oregon
• Texas

Marten Law

Chinese Dominate Precious Metals

China Controlling Rare Earth Elements

China's control over supplies of so-called rare-earth elements includes a group of 17 metallic elements with magnetic properties suited for high-tech applications such as computer hard drives and digital cameras. Rare-earth elements are also key to "green" technology: Energy-efficient light bulbs use europium and yttrium, while hybrid car batteries and wind-power turbines use neodymium. While rare-earth ore deposits are found around the globe, China's dominates the mining and processing of these elements. According to an April 2010 Government Accountability Office report, China now produces approximately 97% of the world's rare-earth oxides, the raw materials that can be further refined into metals and blended into alloys that can be made into finished components.

Rare Earth Oxides

Rare-earth metals have important military applications because of their magnetic strength, which allows for extraordinary miniaturization of components. The fins that steer precision bombs, for instance, have samarium-cobalt permanent magnet motors. The motors that run the rudder and tail fins on a high-performance fighter aircraft like the Air Force F-22 Raptor are built with lightweight, rare-earth magnets. Neodymium is found in the solid-state lasers used to designate targets. (WSJ, 9/23/2010)

Orlan Johnson, Chairman, Securities Investor Protection Corp

Orlan Johnson, Zina Johnson, Barack Obama
Orlan Johnson, 48, is the Chairman of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), having been confirmed to that position in February 2010. He is also a partner in the Business Department of Saul Ewing in Washington, DC. He has in-depth and practical experience in mergers and acquisitions, stock and asset acquisitions and dispositions, corporate financing, joint ventures, proxy contests and tender offers, and general corporate governance matters. Mr. Johnson was an original member of Obama national finance committee and served on campaign policy committees related to transportation insfrastructure, finance/banking and energy issues.

Prior to joining Saul Ewing, Mr. Johnson was Of Counsel at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, where he served as co-head of its regulatory practice in the Washington, DC office. Before that, he served for nine years as a Staff Attorney and Branch Chief in the Division of Investment Management for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In this capacity, his primary responsibilities included advising the Commission on the regulation of exempt utility companies and utility companies registered under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935.

In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Johnson is an adjunct professor of law at Howard University School of Law where he teaches Securities Regulation classes.

Johnson is married to Zina Johnson, a gospel musician. They have three children, Nia, Adam and Jair and live in Bowie. (Wash Post, Gerson Lehman Group)

Johnson has a J.D. from the Howard University School of Law, 1987 and received his B.A. from Andrews University in 1984.

Green DMV Starts "The Green Faith Project"

GREEN DMV is working with faith based organizations of various denominations to fight poverty and pollution in our Nation's Capitol. Introducing "The Green Faith Project."

Green DMV is non-profit organization seeking to promote clean energy and green jobs in low-income communities across America as a pathway out of poverty. The organization was founded and self-funded by cofounders, Philip O'Neal and Rhon Hayes in 2007. The initial focus is our nation's capital and the Washington Metropolitan Area (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia - DMV) to help influence policy change in the region that will spur sustainable green job growth and equitable environmental policies.

Pledge To America: Environmental Perspective

The Center supports some provisions of the GOP's "Pledge To America" and we oppose other measures included in the proposal.

Support:

We pledge to honor families, traditional marriage, life, and the private and faith-based organizations that form the core of our American values.

Our plan stands on the principles of smaller, more accountable government; economic freedom; lower taxes; fiscal responsibility; protecting life, American values, and the Constitution; and providing for a robust national defense.

Permanently Stop All Job-Killing Tax Hikes, Give Small Businesses a Tax Deduction,
Rein In the Red Tape Factory in Washington, DC, Repeal Job-Killing Small Business Mandates, Act Immediately to Reduce Spending, Cut Government Spending to Pre-Stimulus, Pre-Bailout Levels, Establish a Hard Cap on New Discretionary Spending, Cut Congress’ Budget, Hold Weekly Votes on Spending Cuts, End Government Control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Purchase Health Insurance Across State Lines, Permanently Prohibit Taxpayer Funding of Abortion,

Oppose:

We offer a plan to repeal and replace the government takeover of health care. (The Center supports the Obama Health Care Plan)

We will fight to increase access to domestic energy sources and oppose attempts to impose a national "cap and trade" energy tax. (The Center supports Cap & Trade)

What Makes Your School Green? Video Contest

Share your story, win cool prizes, and change the world!

From September 15th to October 27th, YouthNoise is teaming up with Link TV and the
Redford Center to host the Green Schools Media Challenge.

The contest is a project of Youth Building Healthy Communities, a campaign where young leaders use their community organizing skills to fight health disparities and improve their neighborhoods. The Green Schools Media Challenge highlights high school and college students who are taking action to green their schools. This could include documenting scenes from the
school garden, proposing energy-efficient lighting in classrooms, explaining how to start an Environmental Club, or creating posters in art class to inform students about healthy food options. Students from across the US will share their stories and solutions, and inspire others to get involved and make an impact, too.

The contest begins on September 15th and runs through October 27th. During the challenge, students will upload video or photo entries with short text descriptions. Winners will be determined by online voting and a judging panel that consists of celebrities, activists, and filmmakers.

The winning films or photo entries will be featured at the Redford Center Green Schools
Summit in Sundance, Utah and aired to millions on Link TV. Winners will also receive fun
prizes, such as autographed CDs from hip-hop artists, a new outfit from Scifen, messenger
bags, and eco-friendly school supplies.

For more information

U.S. Chamber To Host Conversation on Energy Taxes

U.S. Chamber Energy Institute Hosts Call on Economic Consequences of Proposed Energy Taxes

On Wednesday, September 22 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, Karen Harbert, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy, will host a conference call to discuss the potential economic consequences of tax increases on the U.S. energy industry currently being proposed by Obama administration and some Members of Congress.

Harbert will moderate the call and discuss the impact that new taxes would have on the U.S. energy sector and the more than 9 million U.S. jobs it supports. Joining her will be IHS CERA Chairman Daniel Yergin and Chief Energy Strategist David Hobbs, authors of the newly released report -- Fiscal Fitness: How Taxes at Home Help Determine Competiveness Abroad. The report examines the tax policies of the 10 countries that are home to the largest international oil companies and finds the United States ranks near the bottom as a home base for overseas oil and gas investment.

Additionally, Pam Olson, tax partner at Skadden, Arps and former assistant secretary for tax policy at the U.S. Department of Treasury will be on the call to provide additional analysis of the tax code and the impact of the proposed tax increases.

WHO: Karen Harbert, President and CEO of the Institute for 21st Century Energy
Daniel Yergin, Chairman of IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates
David Hobbs, Chief Energy Strategist for IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates
Pam Olson, Tax Partner at Skadden, Arps; and Former Assistant Secretary for
Tax Policy at the U.S. Department of the Treasury

WHAT: Conference call with reporters to discuss proposed energy taxes

WHEN: Wednesday, September 22 at 10:00 a.m. EDT

WHERE: Dial-in number: (866) 892-8705 Passcode: 1485421

RSVP: Credentialed members of the media are invited to attend. To register, email
or call 202-463-5945. For more information about
the forum, visit.

The mission of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy is to unify policymakers, regulators, business leaders, and the American public behind a common sense energy strategy to help keep America secure, prosperous, and clean. Through policy development, education, and advocacy, the Institute is building support for meaningful action at the local, state, national, and international levels.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.