Lisa Jackson Decides To Step Down at EPA

STATEMENT BY EPA ADMINISTRATOR LISA P. JACKSON

ANNOUNCING HER LEAVING CABINET AFTER STATE OF UNION

"I want to thank President Obama for the honor he bestowed on me and the confidence he placed in me four years ago this month when he announced my nomination as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. At the time I spoke about the need to address climate change, but also said: “There is much more on the agenda: air pollution, toxic chemicals and children’s health issues, redevelopment and waste-site cleanup issues, and justice for the communities who bear disproportionate risk.” As the President said earlier this year when he addressed EPA’s employees, “You help make sure the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat are safe. You help protect the environment not just for our children but their children. And you keep us moving toward energy independence…We have made historic progress on all these fronts.” So, I will leave the EPA confident the ship is sailing in the right direction, and ready in my own life for new challenges, time with my family and new opportunities to make a difference."

EPA Milestones: 2009-2012

Since January 2009, EPA has taken a number of steps to ensure Americans’ health and environment are protected from the harmful effects of pollution in our air, land and water; and has put in place historic standards that will save tens of thousands of lives, prevent hundreds of thousands of asthma and heart attacks, and avert thousands of emergency room and hospital visits. With each action, EPA has engaged in a deliberative and extensive process, reviewing public comments and engaging all stakeholders to ensure that the standards are sensible, effective and scientifically and legally sound. Significant accomplishments during her term include: 

Improving Air Quality

Finalizing Clean Air Standards for Industrial Boilers, Incinerators and Cement Kilns

In December 2012, EPA finalized changes in Clean Air Act standards for boilers and certain incinerators, providing important public health protections.  While providing flexibility to industry for implementation, the standards will avoid up to 8,100 premature deaths, prevent 5,100 heart attacks and avert 52,00 asthma attacks per year in 2015.

Setting New Health-Based Standard for Fine Particle Pollution

In December 2012, EPA established the annual health standard for fine particle pollution (PM2.5), including soot, at 12 micrograms per cubic meter.  Fine particle pollution can penetrate deep into the lungs and has been linked to a wide range of health effects, including premature deaths, heart attacks and strokes as well as acute bronchitis and aggravated asthma among children.

Establishing First-Ever Standards on Mercury and Air Toxics from Power Plants

In December 2011, EPA finalized the first national standards for mercury, arsenic and other toxic air pollution from power plants. These new standards will avert up to 11,000 premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks and 130,000 asthma attacks every year.

Finalizing A Rule Helping States Reduce Air Pollution and Attain Clean Air Standards

In June 2011, EPA finalized the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, which protects the health of millions of Americans by reducing power plant emissions that cross state lines and contribute to ozone and fine particle pollution in other states. The rule will help to prevent 13,000 to 34,000 premature deaths, 15,000 nonfatal heart attacks, 19,000 hospital and emergency room visits, 1.8 million lost work days or school absences, and 400,000 aggravated asthma attacks. A federal court struck down this rule, but that decision is under appeal.

Setting the Nation’s First SO₂ Limits in Forty Years

Under Administrator Jackson, EPA strengthened the National Air Quality Standard for Sulfur Dioxide to better protect people’s health, especially those with asthma, children and the elderly. EPA estimates that meeting the new SO₂ standard will prevent 2,300 to 5,900 premature deaths associated with exposure to fine particle pollution and 54,000 asthma attacks a year.

Setting Historic Fuel Economy Standards

American families will save over $1.7 trillion at the pump -- nearly $8,000 per vehicle, as a result of the Obama Administration's historic fuel efficiency standards and first ever greenhouse gas standards for cars and light trucks through model year 2025. The Administration’s actions will protect our environment  while reducing America’s dependence on oil by an estimated 12 billion barrels, and, by 2025, reduce oil consumption by 2.2 million barrels per day – enough to offset almost a quarter of the current level of our foreign oil imports. In addition, the Administration set the first ever fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for trucks and busses, which will save American businesses approximately $50 billion in fuel costs.

Completing the Historic Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding

On December 7, 2009, the Administrator signed two distinct findings regarding greenhouse gases under section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act that established that the current and projected concentrations of the six key well-mixed greenhouse gases — carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) — in the atmosphere threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations and that the combined emissions of these well-mixed greenhouse gases from new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines contribute to the greenhouse gas pollution which threatens public health and welfare. These long-overdue findings cemented 2009’s place in history as the year when the United States Government began addressing the challenge of greenhouse-gas pollution.

Protecting America’s Waters

Restoring America’s Waterbodies

EPA is working to restore and revitalize America’s waterbodies across the nation, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Everglades, the Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson served as chair of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Taskforce, which released its final strategy for long term restoration for the Gulf Coast in late 2011. The Chesapeake Bay, as the largest bay in the U.S. and third largest in the world, is assessed as a $1 trillion resource. At the end of 2010, EPA received plans from states in the Chesapeake Bay region to meet the pollution diet goals the agency outlined as necessary for the protection of the Bay. Additionally, the Great Lakes provide some 30 million Americans with drinking water and underpin a multi-billion dollar economy. President Obama has proposed significant funding as part of his Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades.

Releasing a National Clean Water Strategy

In April 2011, the Obama Administration released a national clean water framework and reaffirmed its commitment to the health of our nation’s waters. The administration’s framework outlines a series of actions underway and planned across federal agencies to ensure the integrity of the waters Americans rely on every day for drinking, swimming, and fishing, and that support farming, recreation, tourism and economic growth.

Urban Waters Federal Partnership

In June 2011, EPA announced a new federal partnership that aims to stimulate regional and local economies, create local jobs, improve quality of life, and protect Americans’ health by revitalizing urban waterways in under-served communities across the country.

Strengthening Chemical Safety

Protecting Families from Lead, Mercury and PCBs

EPA took a number of steps to protect the public from harmful chemicals like lead, mercury and PCBs.  

Lead: Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes.  In 2010 and 2011, EPA implemented and broadened its rule that requires the use of lead-safe work practice standards by the renovation, repair, and painting industries.    

Mercury: EPA has finalized rules to phase out or ban the use of mercury in a range of measuring devices (thermometers, barometers, etc.) and other products.  Mercury exposure at high levels can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system of people of all ages.  

PCBs: EPA is also working to determine whether approved uses of PCBs should be limited or banned.  PCBs are man-made chemicals that were used in hundreds of industrial and commercial products until they were banned in 1979 and can cause damage to people's immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, endocrine system in addition to other health effects.

 

Taking Long-Overdue Action on Ten Chemicals Found in Everyday Products

EPA set into motion a series of action plans which lay out concrete steps EPA intends to take to address the risks associated with chemicals commonly used in this country. So far, EPA has prepared action plans on ten chemicals:  phthalates; Bisphenol A (BPA); long-chain perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs); penta, octa, and decabromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs); short-chain chlorinated paraffins; benzidine dyes; hexabromocyclododecane; and nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates TDI and MDI. These chemicals are commonly used in everyday products that people can be regularly exposed to and have been linked to or known to cause a range of health effects from reproductive and developmental problems to cancer. 

Expanding Chemicals Testing for Endocrine Disruption

EPA has identified a list of over 100 chemicals that will be screened for their potential to disrupt the endocrine system.  Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interact with and possibly disrupt the hormones produced or secreted by the human or animal endocrine system, which regulates growth, metabolism and reproduction.  Testing is underway on a subset of these chemicals and additional tests will be ordered in the future. 

Removing Confidentiality Claims for More than 150 Chemicals
In order to ensure the public has as much information as possible about the health and the environmental impacts of chemicals; EPA has made public the identities of more than 590 chemicals associated with health and safety studies that had been claimed confidential by industry.  EPA continues to expand the information available to the public on chemicals. 

Cleaning Up Our Communities

Revitalizing Contaminated Sites

EPA has continued work to redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and help create jobs through EPA’s brownfields program. In 2011, EPA’s brownfields program leveraged 6,447 jobs and $2.14 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funds. EPA under President Obama has also invested $1 million evaluating the feasibility of developing renewable energy production on Superfund, brownfields, and former landfill or mining sites.

Expanding the Conversation on the Environment and Working for Environmental Justice

Ensuring Environmental Justice for Americans

Plan EJ 2014, released on September, 14, 2011, is EPA’s roadmap for considering how pollution may isproportionately impact communities, particularly low-income, minority and tribal communities. By considering environmental justice in agency rulemaking, permitting, enforcement, and community-based actions, EPA is working to protect the health of every American.

Expanding Outreach to New Groups

EPA has continued to amplify new voices in the environmental conversation, including faith-based groups, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Girl Scouts, the Green Sports Alliance, the Moms Clean Air Task Force, Moms Rising, and Mocha Moms, tribal colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions and historically black colleges and universities.

California Cap & Trade Program

By 2013, California electrical power generators and utilities, as well as other greenhouse gas emitters, must comply with an emissions cap mandated by the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB’s) adoption of new regulations. California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires a reduction of greenhouse emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

The law vests considerable power in CARB to adopt policies and regulations.  The act does not mandate a cap-and-trade program, but it requires CARB to consider market-based mechanisms when drafting regulations. After considering the options, including a carbon tax, CARB opted for a cap-and-trade approach that includes a gradually declining emissions cap.

The new regulations cover major emission sources, including power plants, refineries and major factories. These sources will be given emission allowances, which must be surrendered in amounts equal to emissions at the end of specified compliance periods. Businesses can buy and trade allowances. The first allowances auction was Nov. 14. The first compliance period begins in 2013.

A successful assault on CARB’s cap-and-trade regime simply would send CARB back to the drawing table either to modify the existing regulations or to formulate a new approach. The mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly will not change.  (Electric Light & Power, Nov/Dec 2012)

EPA Building Named After Bill Clinton

William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building

Both chambers of Congress have passed legislation to rename the Environmental Protection Agency’s District of Columbia headquarters after former President Bill Clinton.

The building, located at 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue and currently named the “Ariel Rios Building,” previously served as the headquarters of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The facility was renovated to house the EPA in 1993. 

Rios was an ATF special agent killed in the line of duty on Dec. 2, 1982. The ATF plans to name a reflecting pool after him at the agency’s current headquarters at 99 New York Avenue NE in Washington.

When President Obama signs the name-change legislation, the EPA headquarters would officially become the “William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building.”  (Wash Post, 12/21/2012)

House Natural Resources Committee NEPA Evaluations

The House Natural Resources committee will devote more attention to environmental reviews and their effects on advancing energy development in a new subcommittee next Congress. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) evaluations will now be wrapped into the newly formed subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation. Currently called the subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) will remain its chairman.

According to Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), "Moving jurisdiction of NEPA to a specific Subcommittee will allow us to better review and address how this law is being implemented and the impacts its bureaucratic red-tape has on jobs, our economy and access to public lands and resources.”

The House Natural Resources Committee, which deals with energy development on federal lands, has pushed the Obama administration to expand oil-and-gas drilling. All applications for such drilling projects must go through a NEPA assessment.

The committee announced all of its other subcommittee chairmen would retain their posts next Congress. Those subcommittee chairmen are: Energy and Mineral Resources Chairman Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.); Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs Chairman John Fleming (R-La.); Indian and Alaska Native Affairs Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska); and Water and Power Chairman Tom McClintock (R-Calif.). (The Hill, 12/20/2012)

California Utilities Like Cap & Trade Program

From (Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) to Southern California Edison, the state's utilities have been placed in a special class that will hold their rates neutral and that effectively cushions companies and their ratepayers from the cost of reducing carbon emissions. Ratepayers of the investor-owned utilities, such as Pacific Gas and Electric Company, will even get a small "climate dividend" under a mechanism ratified today by the PUC. It could be as much as $30 every six months, but the amount will really depend on the market price of carbon, Murtishaw said. It will come in the form of a rebate. The dividend is in addition to rate stabilization. It is supposed to help compensate California consumers for the higher costs they'll be paying for other goods as a result of cap and trade.

By contrast, most industries subject to the cap-and-trade program say the carbon restrictions will cost them plenty – more than $1 billion a year. The California Chamber of Commerce is suing to dismantle the whole enterprise, saying it's an unconstitutional tax. Utilities, though, say they're comfortable with cap and trade.

AB 32, the state's landmark climate-change bill, which requires Californians to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, says utilities should be spared "duplicative" regulations.
Already, electric companies and their customers are bearing the cost of using more solar, wind and other renewable energy sources, which are generally more expensive than traditional sources. Fully one-third of their power must come from renewables by 2020. The program has already survived a failed 2010 ballot initiative that would have overturned AB 32.

Cap and trade is an attempt to inject market forces into the fight against global warming. The state has placed a ceiling on the amount of carbon that can be emitted by more than 400 manufacturers and other big companies; the cap will decline slightly each year. The state wants companies to reduce emissions as much as they can, perhaps by investing in green technologies. Otherwise, if they need emissions allowances they'll have to buy them from the state or on the open market. The point is, there's now a price for carbon pollution – it was trading Wednesday at $13.75 a ton.

Most companies get 90 percent of their emissions allowances for free, from the state, and have to buy the rest. The first state-run auction was held in November and raised around $290 million; another is set for February.

Electric utilities aren't exempt from cap and trade. They have to keep their emissions below a certain threshhold, just like everyone else. But unlike cement-makers, refiners and other industries, they're getting all of their emissions allowances doled out for free. As a result, state officials believe there will be no impact on their rates from cap and trade.

The utilities get all of their allowances for free – but are required to sell them off. Indeed, most of the allowances sold at the state's inaugural auction in November belonged to them.  They then have to purchase whatever allowances they need to comply with the emissions ceiling. The revenue they get from selling their free credits is supposed to offset their costs. The revenue must go to ratepayers – 85 percent to residential customers and the rest to businesses – to hold down rates. (Sacramento Bee, 12/20/2012)

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/20/5066550/utilities-benefit-in-state-carbon.html#storylink=cpy

Exporting Natural Gas?

The government should quickly begin easing restrictions on the export of natural gas to take advantage of the vast new discoveries of a fuel that only a decade ago was in relatively short supply in this country. The benefits of selling gas to other countries would more than offset the modestly negative impact of higher prices for domestic users of the fuel.

Production from shale gas fields has swelled American reserves and driven down prices by two-thirds since 2008. American natural gas is now among the cheapest fuels anywhere in the world and costs as little as one-fourth of what the fuel sells for in Europe and Asia.

The export of gas in liquefied form could provide a $47 billion boost to the economy by 2020, including the construction of gas terminals. Exports would also help to lower emissions linked to global climate change by giving countries like India, China, Japan and Germany access to a cleaner energy source than coal.

Greater gas exports could also factor into American foreign policy. By offering countries like India and China access to cheap American gas, it could give the United States new leverage in trade negotiations.

The main opposition comes from chemical and fertilizer companies that are big users of natural gas, and from consumers who fear higher prices. With more gas headed to foreign shores, domestic supplies of the fuel are expected to fall, driving up its price. But prices would still be well below their 2008 levels, and they would rise only gradually, over the course of several years. A second objection comes mainly from some environmental groups that regard fracturing, the technique used to extract gas from deep shale formations, as environmentally dangerous. These concerns are best addressed by much tighter regulation of gas production, not by restricting exports.

About 15 new liquefied natural gas terminals have been proposed by the industry. Of these, four are scheduled to receive regulatory decisions in 2013. (NYT, 12/15/2012)

D.C. GSA West Heating Plant Auction

Auction Date Set for West Heating Plant in Georgetown

GSA West Heating Plant

The General Services Administration plans to sell the West Heating Plant, in Georgetown, using an online auction set to begin January 18.

The six-story plant on two acres at 1051 29th St. NW offers clear views of the Potomac River from its top floor and is considered one of the most valuable undeveloped sites in Georgetown. It has been almost completely vacant since 2000.

Starting bids are $500,000, according to details released by the GSA Monday, with bid increments of at least $200,000.

Despite its location and views, there is disagreement whether the building’s new owner will be allowed to add windows to its exterior, which could scare off some potential buyers.

Neighbors and D.C. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) also say they want a park to be built on part of the property, which would further drive down its value to investors.

You can follow the auction — or bid! — here. (Wash Post, 12/17/2012)

More On Anticipated EPA Fracking Study

Mandated by Congress in EPA's fiscal year 2010 budget, the agency's highly anticipated study on the drinking water risks posed by fracking -- the injection of chemical-laced fluids to extract oil and gas -- is expected to set a benchmark for whether EPA needs to regulate the injection practice and whether Congress needs to amend current law to provide that authority.

If EPA decides, based on the final study results, to make the case for expanding federal oversight of hydraulic fracturing, the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) would be the most logical place to do that -- though the industry is opposed to such an approach and Congress would first need to reverse a statutory exemption before the agency could regulate the practice.

The study has already proven contentious. Industry groups and members of Congress have urged the agency to narrow the study's scope and to step up scientific scrutiny before the study goes final. While industry has long opposed efforts to regulate the injection practice under SDWA, saying the practice is safe, wastewater contamination issues are also a concern. For example, one particularly contentious question is over disposal of fracking wastewater and how broadly EPA is considering the issue.

EPA's science advisors had urged the agency to consider wastewater disposal practices, though EPA decided that it would only consider whether there is inadequate treatment at municipal and industrial treatment facilities for wastewater from fracking.

At technical meetings held last month, environmentalists called for the agency to broaden its pending assessment to review controversial wastewater disposal to underground reservoirs -- where the majority of wastewater from the industry is disposed, rather than just the limited releases to treatment facilities that EPA is currently reviewing. But EPA told the advocates that the agency will not do such research as part of the pending study -- but rather as part of broader research it is conducting with other federal agencies. (Inside EPA)

EPA Enforcement in 2012

Lisa Jackson & President Obama

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released its annual enforcement results, showing significant environmental and public health protections achieved – a reduction of 2.2 billion pounds of air, water and land pollution, as well as 4.4 billion pounds of hazardous waste, and $252 million in civil and criminal penalties levied – while also focusing on enforcement efforts that reduce smaller amounts of pollution but have substantial health impacts in communities.

Enforcement plays a vital role in protecting communities from harmful pollution.

FY 2012 results include:

- Sustained and focused enforcement attention on serious violators of clean drinking water standards has resulted in improvements in compliance. The number of systems with serious violations has declined by more than 60 percent in the past three years as a result of combined federal and state enforcement work, protecting people’s health through safer drinking water.

- More than 67 percent of large combined sewer systems serving people across the country are implementing clean water solutions to reduce raw sewage and contaminated stormwater and more are underway. EPA is working with communities to design integrated solutions to these water quality problems, and incorporating innovative and cost effective green infrastructure to save money and achieve multiple community benefits.

- EPA is bringing criminal prosecutions where criminal activity threatens public health, like failing to use required pollution control equipment or knowingly violating pollution rules resulting in death or serious harm or falsifying pollution information. See a case example in Louisiana.

- EPA is advancing environmental justice by incorporating fenceline monitoring, which requires companies to monitor their air emissions and make that data available public, into settlements, ensuring that local residents have access to critical information about pollution that may be affecting their community. EPA also secured $44 million in additional investments through settlements for supplemental environmental projects that benefit impacted communities. See an oil refinery case example.

- EPA is increasing transparency to use the power of public accountability to help improve environmental compliance. EPA’s 2012 enforcement actions map provides information about violators in communities. EPA’s state dashboards and Clean Water Actpollutant loading tool provides the public with information about local pollution that may affect them and allows the public to take a closer look at how government is responding to pollution problems. (EPA)

More information about EPA’s FY 2012 enforcement results.

GW Solar Institute's Fifth Solar Symposium

The GW Solar Institute's Fifth Solar Symposium will be presented April 23, 2013. Save the date, and register for free.

This year's event is entitled "Solar Energy: Going Global" and will emphasize the opening of new markets worldwide. You will hear from those who are directly experiencing the new world of solar energy in countries with explosive deployment growth. Both solar photovoltaics and solar thermal electric will be highlighted.

Mailing address:

GW Solar Institute
609 22nd St. NW
Suite 301
Washington, DC20052

EPA Announces Soot Pollution Standards

In response to a court order, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized an update to its national air quality standards for harmful fine particle pollution (PM2.5), including soot, setting the annual health standard at 12 micrograms per cubic meter. By 2020, ninety-nine percent of U.S. counties are projected to meet revised health standard without any additional actions

Today’s announcement has no effect on the existing daily standard for fine particles or the existing daily standard for coarse particles (PM10), which includes dust from farms and other sources), both of which remain unchanged.

  Fine particle pollution can penetrate deep into the lungs and has been linked to a wide range of serious health effects, including premature death, heart attacks, and strokes, as well as acute bronchitis and aggravated asthma among children. A federal court ruling required EPA to update the standard based on best available science. Today’s announcement, which meets that requirement, builds on smart steps already taken by EPA to slash dangerous pollution in communities across the country. Thanks to these steps, 99 percent of U.S. counties are projected to meet the standard without any additional action.

It is expected that fewer than 10 counties, out of the more than 3,000 counties in the United States, will need to consider any local actions to reduce fine particle pollution in order to meet the new standard by 2020, as required by the Clean Air Act. The rest can rely on air quality improvements from federal rules already on the books to meet this new standard.

More on the 2020 Map

The standard, which was proposed in June and is consistent with the advice from the agency’s independent science advisors, is based on an extensive body of scientific evidence that includes thousands of studies – including many large studies which show negative health impacts at lower levels than previously understood. It also follows extensive consultation with stakeholders, including the public, health organizations, and industry, and after considering more than 230,000 public comments.

By 2030, it is expected that all standards that cut PM2.5 from diesel vehicles and equipment alone will prevent up to 40,000 premature deaths, 32,000 hospital admissions and 4.7 million days of work lost due to illness.

Because reductions in fine particle pollution have direct health benefits including decreased mortality rates, fewer incidents of heart attacks, strokes, and childhood asthma, the PM2.5 standards announced today have major economic benefits with comparatively low costs. EPA estimates health benefits of the revised standard to range from $4 billion to over $9 billion per year, with estimated costs of implementation ranging from $53 million to $350 million. While EPA cannot consider costs in selecting a standard under the Clean Air Act, those costs are estimated as part of the careful analysis undertaken for all significant regulations, as required by Executive Order 13563 issued by President Obama in January 2011.

The Clean Air Act requires EPA to review its air quality standards every five years to determine whether the standards should be revised. The law requires the agency to ensure the standards are “requisite to protect public health with an adequate margin of safety” and “requisite to protect the public welfare.” A federal court required EPA to issue final standard by December 14, because the agency did not meet its five-year legal deadline for reviewing the standards.

EPA carefully considered extensive public input as it determined the appropriate final standard to protect public health. The agency held two public hearings and received more than 230,000 written comments before finalizing today’s updated air quality standards. (EPA)

More Information

Administrator’s Video

Keystone XL Pipeline Construction (Oklahoma To Texas)

The Canadian pipeline company  began construction of the southern leg of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline on August 9.  The Canadian pipeline company is installing segments near Livingston, Texas.  The southern section of the pipeline received government approval in July.

 The pipeline is designed to eventually carry diluted bitumen from the tar sands of northern Canada to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast. Construction is expected to unfold over at least the next year, and probably longer.

TransCanada hopes to construct a pipeline from the Canadian border to Texas. But President Obama in January rejected the company’s application for an international permit to build the entire structure, saying it needed further study -- particularly of any route through the sensitive Sandhills of Nebraska, which lie atop a massive agricultural aquifer.

TransCanada has agreed to reroute the northern portion of the pipeline in Nebraska and has launched a new application. In the meantime, the company, with Obama’s endorsement, has moved to begin construction of the southern half, from Oklahoma to Texas. This portion does not require an international permit.

TransCanada responded by working on a relatively small detour to avoid Nebraska’s sensitive Sand Hills region. The Nebraska legislature approved of a billto allow the state to move forward with a new Keystone XL route, on a 44-5 vote that Gov. Dave Heineman promptly signed into law. The last major objection to Keystone XL has been resolved. That construction was imminent became clear in late July, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved the last of three key permits needed to build the southern section.

Even without the northern section, company officials have said putting the southern section in place will help alleviate a bottleneck of crude oil at the giant terminal in Cushing, Oklahoma.

If the U.S. State Department approves the revised permit application for the northern segment, that construction could begin in early 2013. (L.A. Times, 8/16/2012)

Canada's National Energy Board Energy Market Assessment

Oil Sands

What are the main conclusions of the Energy Market Assessment?

• Alberta's oil sands collectively contain vast bitumen resources, one of the largest known hydrocarbon deposits in the world. Established reserves are estimated to be 178 billion barrels.
• By 2015, production is expected to more than double to about 2.2 million barrels per day.
• Supply costs of oil sands production have fallen dramatically although the industry recently has been through a period of cost over-runs. In the longer term, it is expected that continuous improvement and new technologies will lower supply costs further.
• In the short-term, expansions in the traditional markets will occur for the additional supply and, in the longer term, new markets will need to be developed. The industry has been creative when seeking markets for its production.
• To transport production to existing or new markets, pipelines will have to be expanded or new pipelines will have to be built.
• The cumulative environmental effects of development are beginning to be considered in a coordinated manner, and companies are combining their individual management strategies. There is an opportunity for developers to be world leaders in long-term sustainable development of oil sands by adopting new technologies and in developing cooperative approaches which address issues such as air emissions and water use.
• The economic benefits associated with the oil sands are considerable, and a significant portion of the income effect occurs outside of Alberta.
• If poorly managed, the expansion of the oil sands has the potential to impose negative socio-economic impacts on communities surrounding the regions being developed.
• Natural gas requirements for the oil sands industry are projected to increase substantially during the projected period from 0.6 billion cubic feet per day in 2003 to a range of 40 to 1.4 to 1.6 billion cubic feet per day in 2015. In response to higher and more volatile gas prices, producers are seeking ways to reduce their dependence on natural gas as the major sources of energy and hydrogen for their operations.
• Co-generation of steam and electricity holds tremendous synergies for oil sands operations by lowering energy costs and improving electricity reliability.

How much money is being invested in oil sands?

Over C$60 billion in oil sands related projects have been proposed. Approximately C$20 billion has been invested to-date in completed projects.
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Notes:

It takes about 1000 cubic feet of natural gas to produce one barrel of bitumen.

The water requirements for oil sands projects range from 2.5 to 4.0 barrels of water for each barrel of bitumen produced.  (Canada National Energy Board)

NRDC Carbon Dioxide Reduction Plan

NRDC has crafted an approach to cut carbon dioxide from existing power plants that:

• uses the legal authority under the Clean Air Act.
• recognizes differences in the starting points among states.
• charts a path to affordable and effective emissions reductions by tapping into the ingenuity of the states.
• provides multiple compliance options, including cleaning up existing power plants, shifting power generation to plants with lower emissions or none at all, and improving the efficiency of electricity use.

NRDC Report: "Closing the Power Plant Carbon Pollution Loophole: Smart Ways the Clean Air Act Can
Clean Up America’s Biggest Climate Polluters"

Using the same sophisticated integrated planning model used by the industry and the EPA, NRDC calculated the pollution reductions that would result from the proposed approach -- and the costs and benefits of achieving those reductions.

The plan would cut CO2 pollution from America's power plants by 26 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and 34 percent by 2025. The price tag: about $4 billion in 2020. But the benefits -- in saved lives, reduced illnesses, and climate change avoided -- would be $26 to 60 billion, 6 to 15 times greater than the costs. (NRDC)

EPA & CPSC Collaborate on Nanomaterials

EPA and Consumer Product Safety Commission Collaborate to Research Health Impacts of Nanomaterials

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) are collaborating in a worldwide research effort to assess any potential impacts of nanomaterials on people’s health and the environment. Nanomaterials appear in many household products ranging from clothing to building materials. For example, one ongoing study evaluates the potential human and environmental effects from exposure to copper nanomaterials, an ingredient in wood treatment products used on wood for building decks and fences.


The emerging field of nanotechnology has led to substantial advances in energy, medicine, electronics, and clean technologies. The field relies on using materials at the nanoscale level, these nanomaterials are made up of very small particles, which are about 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Because of the unique properties of these materials, it is important to conduct research to identify methods that will allow manufacturers and other stakeholders to ensure that products containing these materials do not harm people or the environment.

Nanotechnology and nanomaterials used in the development of these products improve our everyday lives, but it is important that we understand how humans are exposed to nanomaterials and to assess the risks they may pose to people’s health and the environment. This innovative research greatly improves what is known about nanomaterials and will inform the future design of more sustainable, effective nanomaterials.

These tiny nanomaterials are widely used in products ranging from clothing to sunscreen, but the need for additional research and knowledge on how they affect consumers is great. The CPSC staff is working diligently to meet the challenges involved in regulating this emerging technology and is pleased to be collaborating with staff at EPA to develop test methods and exposure data to adequately address health and safety concerns.

EPA's collaborative research with CSPC is part of a larger international effort that focuses on:

• Identifying, characterizing and quantifying the origins of nanomaterials
• Studying biological processes affected by nanomaterials that could influence risk
• Determining how nanomaterials interact with complex systems in the human body and the environment
• Involving industry to develop sustainable manufacturing processes
• Sharing knowledge through innovative online applications that allow for rapid feedback and accelerated research progress

CPSC, in working with other federal agencies, ensures that common public health concerns are met and will use research findings to inform:

• Protocol development to assess the potential release of nanomaterials from consumer products
• Credible rules for consumer product testing to evaluate exposure
• Determination of the potential public health impacts of nanomaterial used in consumer products

This research is a part of the U.S. government’s efforts to assess the potential risks of nanomaterials. These efforts are coordinated by the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). NNI is a collaborative project comprised of 25 agencies, including EPA and CPSC.  (EPA, CPSC)

More information about EPA’s nanomaterials research

More information about CPSC’s nanomaterials research

More information about the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative

EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Activities

Important information about EPA’s series of technical roundtables and workshops for the hydraulic fracturing study has been posted online at EPA’s Hydraulic Fracturing Study website. This site has the latest news about upcoming workshops as well as materials from the recent technical roundtables held November 14-16.

Today EPA announced the first in a series of technical workshops to discuss Analytical Chemical Methods related to EPA’s study of potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. EPA is seeking subject-matter experts to contribute to the workshop. Several experts will be invited to present research technical information, and others will contribute to technical discussions throughout the one-day workshop. This first workshop is scheduled for Monday, February 25, 2013 in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

EPA has posted information and materials from the five Technical Roundtables held in November. Each half-day meeting focused on a different stage of the water cycle for EPA’s hydraulic fracturing study. Attendees from across stakeholder groups and with relevant technical backgrounds were invited to briefings by Agency scientists about research activities underway to answer the major questions posed in EPA’s hydraulic fracturing research study. During the discussions that followed the presentations, participants identified potential topics for further discussion at the upcoming series of technical workshops in 2013. 

EPA plans to hold additional technical workshops in 2013 on the following topics. More information is expected in January 2013:

• Water Acquisition: Assessing impacts through modeling and other means (target date April 2013)
• Wastewater Treatment and Modeling (target date April 2013)
• Well Construction/Operation and Subsurface Modeling (target date early June 2013)
• Case Studies (target date early June 2013)

(EPA)

RGGI Auction Sells 19.7 Million CO2 Allowances at $1.93

Auction Generates $38.1 Million for Regional Clean Energy Economy

The nine Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the nation’s first market-based regulatory program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, today announced the results of their 18^th auction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) allowances.

19,774,000 CO₂ allowances were sold at the auction, held Wednesday, December 5^th, generating $38.1 million for reinvestment by the RGGI states in a variety of consumer benefit initiatives, including investments in energy efficiency, clean and renewable energy, direct bill assistance, and greenhouse gas abatement and climate change adaptation.

Bids for the CO₂ allowances ranged from $1.93 to $5.14 per allowance, with a clearing price of $1.93. Allowances sold represent 53 percent of the 37,563,083 allowances offered for sale by the nine states.

According to the independent market monitor’s report, electricity generators and their corporate affiliates have won 88 percent of CO₂ allowances sold in RGGI auctions since 2008. Additional details are available in the Market Monitor Report for Auction 18,

The Regional Investment of RGGI CO₂ Allowance Proceeds, 2011 report found from 2009 to 2011, RGGI investments:

• Channeled over $617 million into the region’s clean energy economy.
• Returned $69 million in bill credits to an estimated 84,000 low-income families.
• Generated an estimated $1.3 billion in lifetime energy bill savings for utility customers.
• Offset more than 27 million megawatt hours of electricity generation and 26.7 million BTUs of energy generation over the lifetime of investments.

The RGGI states are currently conducting a comprehensive program review to ensure RGGI’s continued success. (RGGI)

The next RGGI auction is scheduled for March 13, 2013.

A123 Faces Auction

A123 Systems, a bankrupt lithium ion battery manufacturer that received $133 million in federal stimulus grants, goes on the auction block today.  A123 Systems, founded in 2001 and headquartered in Waltham, Mass, sells lithium ion batteries for electric cars and for utilities that use them as backup, community or renewable-energy storage. On Oct. 16, A123 filed for bankruptcy. 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds were not used to develop intellectual property, but to support the construction of a battery manufacturing facility in Michigan. The Energy Department is working through the bankruptcy process to ensure that any assets sold in bankruptcy that were acquired by A123 using Recovery Act funds are used to facilitate the manufacture of lithium ion batteries at locations in Michigan.

The Energy Department approved a $249.1 million grant for the battery-maker but never delivered the final $115.8 million. Some people familiar with the company say the uproar over a loan guarantee to Solyndra, a solar-panel-maker that went bankrupt in late summer 2011, made the administration wary of putting more money into an ailing firm.

The auction is being held in a Chicago law firm with teams of lawyers and investment bankers in nearby rooms assessing bids and deciding whether to match them. The winner must then seek approval from the bankruptcy judge on Tuesday. The two leading bidders are expected to be Wanxiang America, the U.S. subsidiary of a large Chinese automotive parts group, and Johnson Controls. (Wash Post, 12/5/2012)

EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide For 2013 Models

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are releasing the 2013 Fuel Economy Guide, giving consumers clear and easy-to-read information to help them choose the most fuel efficient and low greenhouse gas emitting vehicles that meet their needs. The 2013 models include efficient and low-emission vehicles in a variety of classes and sizes, but notable this year is the growing availability of hybrids and the increasing number of electric vehicles.

This year’s guide gives consumers a broad range of information that they can use to select their next fuel efficient vehicle, whether they want to consider an electric vehicle or one that uses a more conventional fuel. This year, for the first time, EPA and DOE have added a second top ten list of most efficient vehicles -- separating advanced technology vehicles from conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles. Electric and plug-in hybrid electric models are the most fuel-efficient and lowest-emission vehicles available today and are becoming more common. At the same time, consumers may still look up the conventional gasoline and diesel models that offer superior fuel efficiency.

The 2013 guide provides an estimated annual fuel cost for each vehicle. The estimate is calculated based on the vehicle’s miles per gallon (mpg) rating and national estimates for annual mileage and fuel prices. The online version of the guide allows consumers to enter their local gasoline prices and typical driving habits to receive a personalized fuel cost estimate. The 2013 guide also includes a greenhouse gas rating for each model.

Consumers may view the guide at fueleconomy.gov and it will be available in hard copy at dealer showrooms. EPA and DOE will update the guide online as more 2013 vehicles become available.

All 2013 model year vehicles will display a new fuel economy and environment label to provide consumers with more comprehensive fuel efficiency information, including five-year fuel costs or savings compared to the average new vehicle, as well as new ratings for greenhouse gas and smog. These labels are required for model year 2013, but some automakers voluntarily adopted the new label design on some 2012 models.

More information, including a complete version of the guide and details on the fuel economy labels:  and for mobile devices.

California Cap & Trade Program Nov Allowance Auction

As part of the cap-and-trade program, the Air Resources Board (ARB) held its first auction of greenhouse gas allowances (GHG) on November 14, 2012.  The auction included a Current Auction of 2013 vintage allowances and Advance Auction of 2015 vintage allowances.  The California Air Resources Board will make available additional Auction 1 summary statistics. The report will be published on the ARB website at 10:00 am Pacific Time on Thursday, December 6, 2012.

The notice will be posted on ARB’s website. If you have any questions on the auction results, please contact the ARB Public Information Office at (916) 322-2990.

Information on the California Cap-and-Trade Program.

The auction auctions and reserve sales are to allow market participants to acquire allowances directly from ARB.  ARB plans to conduct the first quarterly reserve sale on March 8, 2013. Auction participants will have to apply to participate in an auction, or submit a bid for reserve sales, and meet financial regulatory requirements in order to participate in an auction or reserve sale.

The November 2012 auction was conducted from 10:00 AM Pacific Time (PT) until 1:00 PM PT on November 14, 2012. Provided below are the results of the auction. For more detail on the results, please see the full ARB Auction 1 Summary Results Report.

Auction	Allowances Offered	Allowances Sold	Settlement Price
Current Auction (2013 Vintage)	23,126,110	23,126,110	$10.09
Advance Auction (2015 Vintage)	39,450,000	5,576,000	$10.00

(Calif Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board)

DC Stormwater Proposed Rule Public Comments

The District Department of the Environment (DDOE) has posted to its website the public comments it received on the Proposed Rulemaking on Stormwater Management and Soil Erosion and Sediment Control and the Draft Stormwater Management Guidebook. DDOE is currently reviewing these comments and incorporating changes to the Proposed Rule and Draft Guidebook as appropriate. 
 

DDOE plans to release a revised Rule and Guidebook in spring of 2013 for a second, 30-day round of public comment. When DDOE posts the revised Rule and Guidebook, it will also post a Comment Response Document for the comments it received on the initial Proposed Rule and a similar document for comments received on the Draft Guidebook. 
 

To view the comments on the Proposed Rule.
 

To view the comments on the Draft Guidebook.
 

To access the Proposed Rule, Draft Guidebook, presentations from training sessions, responses to clarifying questions, and related information, please visit http://ddoe.dc.gov/proposedstormwaterrule.

U.S. Oil Production Highest In 15 Years

U.S. crude oil production (including lease condensate) averaged almost 6.5 million barrels per day in September 2012, the highest volume in nearly 15 years. The last time the United States produced 6.5 million barrels per day or more of crude oil was in January 1998. Since September 2011, U.S. production has increased by more than 900,000 barrels per day. Most of that increase is due to production from oil-bearing rocks with very low permeability through the use of horizontal drilling combined with hydraulic fracturing. The states with the largest increases are Texas and North Dakota. (DOE-EIA)

Fuel Pipelines Vulnerable To Floodwaters

Federal investigators plan to announce soon that flood-caused erosion along the riverbed—known as scouring—exposed an Exxon Mobil Corp. pipeline on the Yellowstone River in Montana in 2011, causing it to break and spill 1,000 barrels of crude. A month later, an Enterprise Products Partners  pipeline burst after it was exposed by scouring in a Missouri River floodplain in Iowa, spilling 818 barrels of a gasoline additive.

The greater weight and speed of floodwater can scrape dozens of feet of soil and gravel off a river's bed, potentially exposing pipelines and leading to their rupture. Heavy snow and rain last year caused record flooding on the Missouri River basin, which includes the Yellowstone.

In January, Congress ordered a review of pipeline incidents at river crossings to determine if the pipelines' depths were a factor. The study is expected to help lawmakers determine whether regulations should be strengthened.

The U.S. Geological Survey found severe scour last year at 27 sites surveyed along the Missouri River from Kansas City to St. Louis, with the riverbed deepened in places by nine to 41 feet. Other unpublished USGS research found more severe scouring upstream.

Federal law requires operators to bury pipelines a minimum of four feet beneath waterways. Many river engineers say that standard is grossly inadequate. A congressional research report this year said the 4-foot minimum "appears to be insufficient to prevent riverbed pipeline exposure."
 

The federal agency for pipeline safety, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), learned of the pipelines' depths through an optional survey of operators. When operators didn't report the depths of 12 pipelines in the survey, PHMSA said it didn't pursue the matter because it isn't required to track pipeline depths. Under current rules, PHMSA leaves much of the oversight of pipelines to operators, who are required to inspect river crossings every five years.

"It is the operator's responsibility to weigh and assess the risks associated with its pipeline," PHMSA Administrator Cynthia Quarterman testified at a congressional hearing last year on the Exxon spill in Montana. "Especially in [flood conditions]. That is why we kept saying to them, 'You need to check this pipeline out and watch it.'"

Reinstalling shallow pipelines at river crossings across the nation would cost billions of dollars, "and that would be a very high cost to consumers. Scour is typically temporary, with the holes refilled by sediment over time. (WSJ, 12/3/2012)

America's Great Outdoors Initiative

2012 Progress Report

On December 4, 2012, the Obama Administration released the 2012 America's Great Outdoors Progress Report, detailing key successes of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, including advancing local conservation priorities, expanding access to lands and waters for recreation, restoring critical landscapes, and creating great urban parks and water trails in American communities.

On February 15, 2011, President Barack Obama announced the America's Great Outdoors Report, the Administration's action plan under the America's Great Outdoors initiative to achieve lasting conservation of the outdoor spaces that power our nation's economy, shape our culture, and build our outdoor traditions.

 

The report released outlines ways in which the Federal Government will help empower local communities to accomplish their conservation and recreation priorities by recognizing that the best ideas come from outside of Washington. In the summer of 2010, senior Administration officials held 51 listening sessions across the country to gather input from Americans about the outdoor places and activities that they value most. These sessions drew more than 10,000 participants and more than 105,000 written comments, used to inform the America’s Great Outdoors Report, which when implemented will result in:

• Accessible parks or green spaces for our children.
• A new generation of great urban parks and community green spaces.
• Newly-restored river restorations and recreational “blueways” that power economic revitalization in communities.
• Stronger support for farmers, ranchers, and private landowners that help protect rural landscapes and provide access for recreation.
• The reinvestment of revenues from oil and gas extraction into the permanent protection of parks, open spaces, wildlife habitat, and access for recreational activities.
• A 21^st century conservation ethic that builds on local ideas and solutions for environmental stewardship and connecting to our historic, cultural, and natural heritage. (CEQ)

Center Participation

D.C. Water Management

In 2004 the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority was forced to settle a federal lawsuit that claimed it failed for decades to stop its sewers from spewing pollution. D.C. Water agreed to build three huge tunnels within 20 years to stop pipes from overflowing during rains, sending billions of gallons of storm water mixed with raw sewage into Rock Creek and the Potomac and Anacostia rivers every year.  The $2.6 billion Clean Rivers tunnel project is underway and construction can be seen just off of Highway 295 in Ward 8 at the Blue Plains Waste .

But now, the three-tunnel solution is in doubt, and activists, engineers and bureaucrats are arguing once again about the best path to cleaner waters. Although digging is underway for the first tunnel, D.C. Water wants to put the other two on hold and instead see whether rain gardens, retention ponds and grass rooftops can soak up as much storm-water runoff as the pipes can store. D.C. Water has asked the Environmental Protection Agency for permission to build an experimental “green infrastructure” project and run tests for at least eight years.

The green project would be built where the second and third tunnels were slated to run, along Rock Creek Parkway near the Kennedy Center to protect the Potomac River and in Upper Northwest neighborhoods to protect Rock Creek. A 13-mile tunnel under the Anacostia River and deep into the Northeast near a Home Depot off Rhode Island Avenue, currently under construction, would continue as planned.

The EPA is considering D.C. Water’s proposed “partnership agreement,” and a decision on whether to move forward with public hearings on the changes is expected soon. The green infrastructure proposal is an attempt to delay or cancel part of the tunnel. (Wash Post, 12/3/2012)