Lindsey Graham Controlling Climate & Immigration?

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is threatening to withhold support of the Kerry/Graham/Lieberman (KGL) climate/energy legislation if Senate Democratic leaders push ahead with an immigration bill. Lindsey Graham has somehow managed to make himself the most powerful Senator in the Senate. Now he seems to be controlling two of the most important pieces of legislation facing us today.

Senator Graham believes Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is preparing legislation to overhaul immigration laws and grant legal status to millions of long term immigrants unlawfully in the country. Graham believes this could create problems for Republicans in the midterm elections. Graham believes Reid is playing politics in order to gain favor with Hispanic voters.

President Obama Issues Earth Day Proclamation

Presidential Proclamation -- Earth Day

A PROCLAMATION

In the fall of 1969, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson announced plans for a national "environmental teach-in" -- one day, each year, of action and advocacy for the environment. His words rallied our Nation, and the first Earth Day, as it became known, saw millions come together to meet one of the greatest challenges of our times: caring for our planet. What Senator Nelson and the other organizers believed then, and what we still believe today, is that our environment is a blessing we share. Our future is inextricably bound to our planet's future, and we must be good stewards of our home as well as one another.

On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we come together to reaffirm those beliefs. We have come far in these past four decades. One year before the first Earth Day, our Nation watched in horror as the polluted and debris-choked Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, caught fire. In response, a generation of Americans stepped forward to demand progress. What Americans achieved in the decades that followed has made our children healthier, our water and air cleaner, and our planet more livable.

We passed the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, established the Environmental Protection Agency, and safeguarded treasured American landscapes. Americans across our country have witnessed the impact of these measures, including the people of Cleveland, where the Cuyahoga River is cleaner than it has been in a century.

We continue to build on this progress today. My Administration has invested in clean energy and clean water infrastructure across the country. We are also committed to passing comprehensive energy and climate legislation that will create jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and cut carbon pollution.

We have more work to do, however, and change will not come from Washington alone. The achievements of the past were possible because ordinary Americans demanded them, and meeting today's environmental challenges will require a new generation to carry on Earth Day's cause. From weatherizing our homes to planting trees in our communities, there are countless ways for every American, young and old, to get involved. I encourage all Americans to visit WhiteHouse.gov/EarthDay for information and resources to get started.

The 40th anniversary of Earth Day is an opportunity for us to reflect on the legacy we have inherited from previous generations, and the legacy that we will bestow upon generations to come. Their future depends on the action we take now, and we must not fail them. Forty years from today, when our children and grandchildren look back on what we did at this moment, let them say that we, too, met the challenges of our time and passed on a cleaner, healthier planet.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 22, 2010, as Earth Day. I encourage all Americans to participate in programs and activities that will protect our environment and contribute to a healthy, sustainable future.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

Earth Day Reception Remarks, White House Rose Garden

OMB Reviewing EPA Greenhouse Gas Regulations

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is reviewing the EPA's greenhouse gas rules as the Obama administration tries to balance global atmospheric protection with economic considerations. Former President Bush addressed this dilemma by proposing an 'intensity' program within a voluntary greenhouse gas reduction program. It tried to peg reductions to economic indicators. It was dismissed and now EPA is considering mandatory reductions in the absence of Congressional legislation.

The rule, utilitzing Clean Air Act authority, targets facilities that emit more than 75,000 to 100,000 tons of carbon-dioxide a year starting in 2011. Yet, the Clean Air Act requires a threshold of 100 to 250 tons for facilities and would include millions of sources. The Obama administration got around this conundrum by utilizing the New Source Review (NSR) section of the Clean Air Act and using a tailoring rule that applies to new facilities or major modifications at existing facilities. The tailoring approach would allow states to build up their regulatory capability. According to EPA, about two-thirds of the stationary-source emissions are from facilities emitting more than 100,000 tons per year. (WSJ, 4/21/10)

Growing Green Awards & New Sustainable Food Blogs

NRDC’s 2010 Growing Green Awards winners Russ Lester of Dixon Ridge Farms and Karl Kupers of Shepherd’s Grain have new blogs highlighting how sustainable food production is not only healthier for our bodies and the environment, but it’s also good business.

Lester was awarded $10,000 for his leading energy efficiency techniques—converting waste walnut shells into energy—and organic walnut growing methods. Kupers won for his inventive pricing model that rewards sustainable wheat growers in the Pacific Northwest.

Last week NRDC announced the winners of the 2010 Growing Green Awards, which honor innovative farmers and food producers who are saving energy, curbing pollution, reducing water and chemical inputs and building stronger markets for sustainable food. See the stories and videos of all the winners here. Read the press release.

Read the complete blogs:

Russ Lester

Karl Kupers

From Conventional Walnut Farming to Growing (and Processing) Green
By Russ Lester

I was born and raised in the Valley of the Hearts Delight, or as most people now refer to it: the Silicon Valley. My dad, grandfather and many before them were all farmers, and I grew up working in their prune orchards. The prunes were conventionally grown, so that meant applying fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. It wasn't until my chemistry and botany classes in college, though, that I started realizing the potential effects of all these chemicals…It was a tragic wake-up call that helped me decide to take the leap and transition our farm to organic.

In the late 80s, doctors discovered that my dad had Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Around the same time, we learned of a study linking this type of lymphoma to herbicides used in farming. Although research couldn't directly link my dad's cancer to the chemicals used in his prune orchards, watching his disease progress made me reconsider even the few pesticides that we still used.

My wife and I decided, for our young family's health, to take the next step. My father's death in 1989 marked the end of our use of conventional chemicals.

Shepherd’s Grain: Reconnecting Producers and Consumers through a New Food System
By Karl Kupers

Shepherd's Grain started with two traditional Pacific Northwest wheat growers. We raised commodity wheat and sold it by the bushel to the commodity market, where it was mixed with anonymous wheat from all over the U.S. and exported to countries along the Asian rim.

Back then, the market didn't reward growers for quality or good stewardship. We grew wheat at the lowest cost possible. We handed it over to the market, and couldn't track how the wheat was processed or where it ended up.

Gradually, research showed that diversified production and no-tillage growing were better for the health of the land. Bold farmers in the Pacific Northwest started taking up environmentally sound practices. These farmers were making a commitment of heart and mind, facing the economic risks that came with switching to no-till, direct seed production. They had to "burn the plow" and there was no going back.

Mine Safety & Health Administration To Inpect 57 Coal Mines

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is inspecting 57 coal mines with a focus on ventilation and methane violations. The inspection campaignis being launched in respong to the April 5 West Virginia mine explosion that killed 29 miners. The 57 mines were selected for inspection based on their history of significant and/or repeat MSHA violations regarding problems with ventilation, methane buildup and rock dusting.

The targeted mines are in 10 states. West Virginia leads the list with 23 mines, Kentucky has 14, and no other state has more than four mines. (MSHA)

EPA & Earth Day Celebrate 40th Anniversaries

Both EPA and Earth Day are 40 years old.

The Center is 25 years old.

The National Mall in Washington, DC is the place to be to commemorate. Earth Day is April 22. The Earth Day Network is coordinating the National Mall event on April 25. The nation's top environmental cop, Lisa P. Jackson, will be in many places and spaces during the celebrations and commemorations.

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson is scheduled to appear at the EPA Earth Day tent on Saturday between 12pm‐2pm and also on the Mall Sunday for the Earth Day network concert where she will introduce John Legend at 3 pm.

On Earth Day, Thursday, April 22nd, Administrator Jackson will appear on the "Late Show with David Letterman."

EPA Earth Day

54 Universities Compete in EPA’s Green Power Challenge

For the fourth year in a row, the University of Pennsylvania, left, has emerged as the top individual school in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 2009-2010 College and University Green Power Challenge. The university beat out 53 other universities by purchasing more than 192 million kilowatt hours (KWh) of green power, or 46 percent of their power purchases. Collectively, the Ivy League is the overall college conference champion in the challenge, with an annual green power usage of more than 225 million kWh -- the equivalent environmental impact of avoiding the annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of nearly 31,000 vehicles.

EPA ranks collegiate athletic conferences by the total amount of green power used by their member schools. To be eligible, each school in the conference has to qualify as an EPA Green Power Partner and each conference has to collectively use at least 10 million kWh of green power. Spread across 26 athletic conferences nationwide, 54 universities competed in this year’s challenge. The challenge’s total annual green power usage of more than 1 billion kWh has the equivalent environmental impact of avoiding the CO2 emissions of nearly 160,000 vehicles.

EPA’s Green Power Partnership encourages organizations to use green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with traditional fossil fuel-based electricity use. Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas, and low-impact hydropower. The partnership includes a diverse set of organizations including Fortune 500 companies, small and medium businesses, government institutions, as well as a growing number of colleges and universities. Green power electricity generates less pollution than conventional power and produces no net increase in greenhouse gas emissions, which helps with climate change.

More information on the winners of EPA’s College and University Green Power Challenge

More information on EPA’s Green Power Partnership

NRC Rules Vermont Yankee Nuke Leak No Threat to Public

According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the potential radiation dose to a member of the public due to the migration of tritiated water into the Connecticut River at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon is less than .01 millirems a year. The dose is well below the established limit of 100 millirems a year to a member of the public set forth in NRC regulations. The .01 millirem dose is also well below the Environmental Protection Agency's 25 millirem limit and the NRC's 3 millirem limit on liquid effluent. The average annual dose to people from natural and man-made radiation sources is about 360 millirems.

In January, Vermont Yankee announced water samples of wells on site were contaminated with tritium. By mid-February the source was identified, and the leak was stopped. Remediation measures are now under way.


The Groundwater Protection Initiative (GPI), a voluntary nuclear industry commitment to address the leak of tritiated water at nuclear power plants around the country, includes groundwater monitoring wells at nuclear power plants. GPI led to the quick discovery of the leak and resulting containment and onging mitigation. (Brattleboro Reformer, 4/17/10)

EPA Awards Nearly $80 Million to Cleanup Communities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it has selected $78.9 million in brownfields grants to communities in 40 states, four tribes, and one U.S. Territory. This funding will be used for the assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields properties, including abandoned gas stations, old textile mills, closed smelters, and other abandoned industrial and commercial properties.

The brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America’s estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites. As of March 2010, EPA’s brownfields assistance has leveraged more than $14 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funding, and 61,277 jobs in cleanup, construction, and redevelopment. These investments and jobs target local, under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods – places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed. Cleaning up our communities is one of EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s priorities, which leads not only to health and environmental benefits but also economic development and prosperity.

In total, EPA is selecting 304 grants through the Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants programs:

· 188 assessment grants, totaling $42.56 million, will conduct site assessment and planning for cleanup at one or more brownfields sites as part of a community-wide effort.

· 17 revolving loan fund grants, totaling $17 million, will provide loans and subgrants for communities to begin cleanup activities at brownfields sites. Revolving loan funds are generally used to provide low interest loans for brownfields cleanups.

· 99 cleanup grants, totaling $19.36 million, will provide funding for grant recipients to carryout cleanup activities at brownfield sites they own.

Since the beginning of the brownfields program in 1995, EPA has awarded 1,702 assessment grants totaling $401 million, 262 revolving loan fund grants totaling more than $256.7 million, and 655 cleanup grants totaling $129.4 million. As part of Administrator Jackson’s commitment to this program, the 2011 proposed budget includes an increase of $215 million for brownfields with a focus on planning, cleanup, job training and redevelopment.

In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed. The brownfields law expanded the definition of what is considered a brownfield, so communities may now focus on mine-scarred lands, sites contaminated by petroleum, or sites contaminated as a result of manufacturing and distribution of illegal drugs (e.g. meth labs).

More information on the FY 2010 brownfields program and grant recipients

More information on EPA’s brownfields program

Brownfields Success Stories

The Spray Safe Shopping Guide

What You Need To Know When Evaluating Pesticides

EcoSMART founder and Eco-Dad, Steve Bessette, shares his expert insight to help you shop for non-toxic pest control products to keep your family and pets safe!

7 Tips to Finding a Safer Pest Control Product

1) Before buying a pesticide, always read the entire label…front and back!: Often times consumers are swayed to purchase products based on brand names, marketing claims, or images. That can be problematic when choosing a pesticide given the potential health risks involved. It is important to read the entire label before buying a pesticide, not just the front label. And make sure you read the ingredients list and all the precautionary statements. If there are major precautionary statements or warnings, there are most likely toxic ingredients in the product. Also, pay close attention to the product’s “duration of control” listing, as this is an indicator how long harmful pesticide residues will remain after spraying. Think about it…if the product claims to kill insects for up to 4 weeks, what about people and pets?

2) What is in that pesticide product? You need to know!: While reviewing a product’s contents is important on most anything you buy, it is especially important when it comes to pesticides given where these types of products are applied (i.e. inside a home, around the home, in the yard, etc). Carefully read the product’s ingredient list, paying particular attention to the active vs. inactive ingredients. The non-toxic products will not only have well-known active ingredients, but also no hesitation in listing all their inert ingredients as well. Synthetic products will have man-made active ingredients unfamiliar to you, and these products do not list any of their inert ingredients, an indication that they may be trying to hide something. Also, familiarize yourself with the Pesticide Action Network Pesticide Database and become accustomed to cross referencing ingredients to learn about their safety profiles and true toxicity.

3) Make sure you have the right product for your specific insect pest problem!: Pesticides are specifically formulated to fight a specific pest, so picking the correct product will ensure that you are not wasting time, resources and money on an ineffective product. And follow the label use directions carefully. Incorrect usage of the product can increase your exposure (and your family’s) to potentially harmful ingredients.

4) An EPA registration number on a label does not mean the product is “approved” or is regarded as “safe” by the EPA. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for ensuring that a pesticide when used according to label directions, can be used with a reasonable certainty of no unreasonable adverse effects on human health and no unreasonable risks to the environment. The EPA does not “approve” pesticides, nor does it classify them as “safe” during registration. It only registers them for use in the U.S. per label directions. The EPA has identified a class of “minimum risk” ingredients that are safe enough to be classified as exempt from EPA registration due to their safety profile. EcoSMART products are comprised of such ingredients and qualify for the EPA exemption.

5) Look for specific “safety” claims on the product label to know the product meets the government’s highest safety standard. EPA has designated “Minimum Risk” pesticides and afforded them special regulatory status. Only Minimum Risk pesticides that qualify for the Government’s highest safety standard can be labeled as SAFE. If there are no safety claims on the label, read all those precautionary statements closely!

6) Don’t be Fooled by “Imposters”!: Even though a product boasts “natural” or “eco” on its label, it could still contain harmful ingredients. Here are some tell-tale signs of imposters:
Claims of persistence in the environment (harmful residue concerns)
WARNING or CAUTION statements on the front of the label
Precautionary language, often hidden on the back of the label, like ENVIRONMENATAL HAZARDS TO DOMESTIC ANIMALS or PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL HAZARDS.
FIRST AID language if product is swallowed inhaled or gets in eyes or on clothing with directions to call a poison control center or a doctor. Remember: If the label does not specifically say SAFE (i.e. Safe Around Children & Pets), the product does not qualify for the Government’s highest safety standard.

7) Never stop asking questions: New studies and new products are being introduced each and every day and it is your responsibility as a consumer to stay educated. Ask questions, research products and ingredients on-line and stay up-to-date with the industry to ensure that you are using the safest, most effective products on the market…for the benefit of you, your family, your pets and the environment.

More information

Constellation Buys Two Natural Gas Generation Facilities

Constellation Energy Group Inc. has agreed to purchase two natural gas generation facilities in Texas for $365 million. The plants — Colorado Bend Energy Center and Quail Run Energy Center — are owned by Houston-based Navasota Holdings. Constellation will add 1,100 megawatts of capacity to its 7,100 megawatt generation portfolio at the close of the deal. One megawatt of energy can power 1,000 homes. (The Daily Record, 4/16/10)

Center to Monitor Mine Safety, Strip Mining & Fly Ash

The April 5 explosion at the Performance Coal Company (Massey Coal Company) in West Virginia that killed 29 workers has moved the Center to launch a comprehensive coaling mining and use minotoring program.

The Center opposes strip mining, supports use of cleaner coal, supports coal-to-liquids, promotes converting CO2 from coal into gasoline, and supports beneficial reuse of fly ash.

Mine safety is regulated by the Department of Labor (DOL) Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). MSHA has established a SINGLE SOURCE PAGE of information and resources regarding the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion.

Remarks by President Obama on Mine Safety (4/15/10)

NRC Requests NAS Study on Cancer Risk From Nukes

NRC ASKS FOR STUDY ON CANCER RISK FOR THOSE LIVING NEAR NUCLEAR PLANTS

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has asked the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to perform a state-of-the-art study on cancer risk for populations surrounding nuclear power facilities. The NRC has accepted an invitation from the Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board of the NAS to discuss the request at the board's public meeting on April 26; the meeting agenda will be posted at www.nationalacademies.org/nrsb. The NRC and the NAS will finalize administrative details through the spring so that the study can begin this summer.

15th Annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory Completed

EPA has released the15th annual U.S. greenhouse gas inventory report, which shows a drop in overall emissions of 2.9 percent from 2007 to 2008. The downward trend is attributed to a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption. Total emissions of the six main greenhouse gases in 2008 were equivalent to 6,957 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. The gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. Though overall emissions dropped in 2008, emissions are still 13.5 percent higher than they were in 1990.

The Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2008 is the latest annual report that the United States has submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The convention sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change. EPA prepares the annual report with experts from multiple federal agencies and after gathering comments from a broad range of stakeholders across the country.

The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions at the national level and presents historical emissions from 1990 to 2008. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by “sinks,” which occurs through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation and soils. More information

EPA to Hold Public Hearings on Additions to Greenhouse Gas Reporting Requirements

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold two public hearings on proposals to add reporting requirements for certain emissions source categories under the national mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting system.

The hearing on April 19 will cover GHGs from fugitive and vented emissions from the petroleum and natural gas industry. The hearing will also cover reporting from facilities that inject carbon dioxide underground for the purposes of geologic sequestration or enhanced oil and gas recovery. The April 20 hearing will focus on the part of the proposal requiring emissions reporting from industries that emit fluorinated gases.

The hearing for the oil and gas sector and facilities that inject and store carbon dioxide underground for the purposes of geologic sequestration or enhanced oil and gas recovery will begin at 9:00 a.m. and continue until 5:00 p.m. local time, at the following location:

April 19: Arlington, Va. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency One Potomac Yard (south building) Conference Center - Lobby Level 2777 S. Crystal Drive Arlington, Va. 22202 The hearing for industries that emit fluorinated gases will begin at 9:00 a.m. and continue until 12:00 p.m. local time, at the following location:

April 20: Washington, D.C. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1310 L. St. N.W. Room #152 Washington, D.C. 20005 Speaker registration: April 19 hearing: April 20 hearing: The public may also register on the day of the hearing but may not be given a specific time to speak. EPA also will accept written comments on the proposed standards until June 10, 2010. More information

EPA Moves to Slash Mercury from Gold Production

Harmful emissions would be cut by more than 70 percent

EPA is proposing to cut emissions from gold ore processing and production facilities, the sixth largest source of mercury air emissions in the country. Today’s action is one of several steps EPA is taking to reduce mercury, which can damage children’s developing brains and nervous systems, even before they are born. EPA’s proposal would reduce annual mercury emissions to about 1,390 pounds a year – a 73 percent reduction from 2007 levels.

There are about 20 facilities in the United States that extract gold from ore that would be subject to the proposed rule. Mercury emitted to the air eventually settles in water, where it can change into methylmercury, which builds up in ocean and freshwater fish and can be highly toxic to humans who eat the fish– sometimes leading to fish consumption advisories to protect public health. EPA will take public comment on the proposed rule for 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register. More information

White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors

Lisa Jackson, Ken Salazar, Tom Vilsack
Center President Norris McDonald participated in the White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors at the U.S. Department of the Interior today. President Obama delivered remarks in the Sidney Yates Auditorium. There were also remarks by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Environment Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson

Panel Discussions:

Conserving working lands for the benefit of all Americans: Secretary Vilsack, Moderator

§ Mayor Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey
§ Ray McCormick, Farmer and Conservationist
§ Jaime Pinkham, Vice President of the Archibald Bush Foundation
§ Lynne Sherrod, Western Policy Manager at the Land Trust Alliance

Connecting people to our lands, water and wildlife: Secretary Salazar, Moderator

§ Governor Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico
§ Bill Cronon PhD, Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
§ Sally Jewell, CEO of REI
§ Gary Myers, Former Executive Director of Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
§ Ernesto Pepito, Youth Program Director at Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

Photo: President Barack Obama signs a memorandum establishing the Great Outdoors Initiative, Friday, April 16, 2010. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trip To South Africa

Videos

Center President Norris McDonald traveled to South Africa on April 4 and returned on April 13 to examine the feasibility of establishing partnerships between American and South African entrepreneurs and businesses to address cooperative energy and environmental projects. The week of programs and meetings is part of an ongoing "United States-South Africa Power Partnership Program." His hosts included Africa Venture Partners (AVP) and Africa Business Group (ABG). Michael Sudarkasa of AVP and ABG facilitated all meetings, tours and events.

Eric Wright, Michael Sudarkasa, Norris McDonald, Paula Jackson, Gregory Boyd, Seth Keshwar-Hill

Tuesday April 6th: After an "Introduction to South Africa" at the offices of Africa Venture Partners with Eric Wright, Michael Sudarkasa, Paula Jackson, Gregory Boyd & Seth Keshwar-Hill, they met with representatives from the U.S. Consulate for a "Briefing on the South Africa Power and Energy Sector. Attendees included Craig Allen-Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs and Senior Commercial Officer, David K. Young-Minerals/Energy Officer-USA Embassy, R. Bruce Neuling-Economic Officer-USA Embassy, Heidy Servin-Baez-Transportation/ICT Officer-USA Embassy, Bheki Ndimande-Comercial Specialist-USA Embassy, Harry Mohloare-Director-KYD Consulting Engineers Ltd, and Jason Nagy-U.S. Trade and Development Agency.

McDonald attended and gave brief remarks at the "Official Opening Reception" for the USA Week at the L'Entrecote Restaurant in Sandton. USA Week is an annual event that brings together American and South Africa businesses.

Wednesday April 7th: McDonald gave a presentation at the forum held at the Africa Heritage Society Auditorium entitled, "Ensuring An Inclusive South African Energy Sector." After participant introductions, the forum discussed "Affirmative Action in the U.S. Energy Sector: Issues, Reflections and Achievements," "BBBEE in the South African Energy Sector," and "Forging U.S.-South Africa Energy Sector Linkages: Opportunites and Considerations. Kennedy Khabo and Michael Sudarkasa, pictured at right, moderated the forum.

Thursday April 8th: Met with Aurecon Group, a global engineering firm based in Hatfield, Tshwane. Dr. Baholo Baholo - Energy Sector Leader for Aurecon described the company and its projects. A discussion about energy and environment followed.

The first meeting at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) included a discussion about environmental issues with Marba Visagie-Deputy Director: Environment-Industry Development Division. The meeting was held at DTI's Pretoria headquarters. The second meeting included a discussion with Donald Mabusela-DTI Director of The Enterprise Organisation and Thulani Mpetsheni-Director-Electrotechnical Unit. They discussed a broad range of energy and environmental issues related to cooperative development.

McDonald met with two representatives of the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA): Mary Urujeni Kamari-Resource Mobilization & International Relations and Jean Madzongwe-Energy Specialist. The meeting included a very good description of the energy situation in Africa. It also included a thorough description of DBSA and the potential for cooperation between the United States and South Africa.

McDonald met with representatives of SASOL for a discussion about carbon dioxide allowance trading and other energy issues.The meetings included John Sichinga-General Manager-Development & Production and Christopher Kobosha-Portfolio Manager-Government Relations and Public Affairs.

Michael Sudarkasa

Friday April 9th: Attended an all day forum at the University of Johannesburg themed, "The American Experience In Democratic South Africa, 1994-2010." The South Africa - America Partnership Forum (SAAPF) Colloquium was held at the School of Tourism and Hospitality in the Pretoria Auditorium. Michael Sudarkasa-Africa Business Group, was the conference coordinator, who delivered opening and closing remarks.

Opening remarks were given by: Dr. Derrick van der Merwe-Pro Vice Chancellor-Univ of Johannesburg, Kennedy Khabo-Coordinator-USA Week-Khabo-Mabe On Time, Inc, Moeletsi Mbeki, Deputy Chair-South African Institute of International Affairs.

Panels: EDUCATION: Chair: Dr. Nomfundo Ngwenya-South African Institute of Int'l Affairs, Dr. Ken Simmons, Retired Professor-Univ of CA-Berkeley & Witswatersrand Univ, Dr. Sibusiso Vil-Nkomo, Univ of Pretoria, Ms. Clara Priester-Education USA, ARTS & CULTURE: Chair: Myesha Jenkins-poet, Lebo M-composer, Hotep Idris-Galata-jazz historian & pianist, Antonio David Lyons- actor/writer/performer, Julialynne Walker-Diaspora Activist, BUSINESS: Chair: Gayla Cook-Mohajane-Exegesis Consulting, Courtney Priester, entrepreneur-Past Chair-Democrates Abroad SA, Gaby Magamola-Thamanga Investments, Eugene Jackson-Renaissance Cities of Africa, MEDIA: Chair: Kenneth Walker-Lion House Strategic Comms, Phil Molefe-South Africa Broadcasting Corporation, Brooks Spector-Daily Maverick, POLITICS: Chair: Dr. Garth Le Pere-DAJO Associates, Francis Kornegay-Institute of Global Dialogue, Dumisani Kumalo-Former Ambassador to UN South Africa, Lou Hureston-Democrats Abroad South Africa.

Saturday April 10th: Meeting with Eskom General Manager Louis Maleka and Sol Masolo-General Manager: PR & Communications-City Power. The meeting included a description of the electricity capacity challenges facing Eskom and how the government owned utility planned to meet the country's electricity needs.
Martin Nel, Norris McDonald, Paula Jackson, Janelle Gravett, Time Raaff
Met with the Southern Africa Stainless Steel Development Association. The meeting included Janelle Gravett, Martin Nel and Tim Raaff. They discussed steel production and opportunities in South Africa. A broad range of possible cooperative projects were discussed.

Sunday April 11: Tour of Soweto. Visited Mandela House. Visited Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum. The museum is a national heritage site intrinsically linked to the origins of the Soweto Uprising and its aftermath.

Monday, April 12th: McDonald, Jackson and Sudarkasa met with Kantha Rattay, Legal Consultant to discuss South African energy and environmental issues. The meeting was held at the AVP offices in Sandton.
Met with Vunani, a financial services company that operates through two divisions: Financial Services and Investment Services. Financial Services is composed of the Asset management, investments banking and property business units. Investment Services houses Vunani's strategic empowerment equity investments. the meeting included Reginal Shaver-Head-Debt Advisory and Debt Capital Raising and via teleconference: Anton Nuno-COO and Mark Anderson-Investments Executive Director. The meeting included a broad discussion about carbon offset allowances and other issues.

Reginald Shaver, Norris McDonald, Paula Jackson, Michael Sudarkasa

Final activity: Tour of Alexandra.

President Obama and Earth Day 2010

President Obama Challenges Americans to Take Action to:

Improve the Environment

In Honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day

WhiteHouse.gov Features

New Earth Day Page to Serve as a Resource Guide

President Obama is challenging Americans to take action in their homes, communities, schools, or businesses to improve the environment in honor of the upcoming 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, April 22, 2010. In conjunction with the video message of President Obama, the White House unveiled WhiteHouse.gov/EarthDay as a resource guide for all those interested in learning how they can help make a difference in their community.

The full text of the video is below:

“Forty one years ago, in the city of Cleveland, people watched in horror as the Cuyahoga River – choked with debris and covered in oil – caught on fire.

Images of the burning Cuyahoga shocked a nation, and it led one Wisconsin Senator the following year to organize the first Earth Day to call attention to the dangers of ignoring our environment.

In the four decades since, we have made remarkable progress. Today, our air and water are cleaner, pollution has been greatly reduced, and Americans everywhere are living in a healthier environment. We’ve passed the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and founded the Environmental Protection Agency. And in Cleveland, the Cuyahoga River is cleaner than it’s been in 100 years.

But the true story of the environmental movement is not about the laws that have been passed. It’s about the citizens who have come together time and time again to demand cleaner air, healthier drinking water and safer food – and who have demanded that their representatives in government hold polluters accountable.

That progress continues today, as individuals and entrepreneurs across the country help lay the foundation for a Clean Energy Economy – one solar panel, smart meter and energy efficient home at a time."

$10 Million EPA Cooperative Agreement For Teachers

EPA Accepting Applications for National Environmental Education Training Program

EPA is accepting grant applications to help manage the National Environmental Education Training Program over the next five years. EPA will award one cooperative agreement, worth approximately $10 million over five years, that will provide teachers and other education professionals with resources and support to enable them to teach about environmental issues more effectively. EPA will accept applications until July 26, 2010.

The purpose of the national training program is to provide environmental education training and long-term support to teachers and other education professionals across the Unites States. Institutions of higher education and non-profit organizations in the United States are eligible to apply. EPA encourages these institutions to form broad-based partnerships when applying for this program that includes partners, such as Minority Academic Institutions, that represent the demographic diversity of the United States.

EPA believes that a broad-based consortium that builds on existing national environmental education resources and programs is the best way to successfully deliver quality training and support to K-12 teachers, faculty at colleges and universities and non-formal educators across the United States.

More information about application process for the National Environmental Education Training Program

EPA Awards $2 Million In Brownfields Job Training Funds

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is awarding more than $2 million in job training grants for environmental cleanups in communities across the country. The agency’s Brownfields Job Training Program helps train people for jobs in the assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields properties, including abandoned gas stations, old textile mills, closed smelters, and other abandoned industrial and commercial properties. These investments target under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods – places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed.

Twelve governmental entities and non-profit organizations in 10 states are receiving up to $200,000 each to train people in the cleanup of these abandoned and possibly polluted properties, while also providing training in other environmental skills, such as green building design, energy efficiency, weatherization, solar installation, green construction, and native plant revegetation. In New Orleans, Administrator Jackson presented the award to a training program that teaches inner-city youth job skills in environmental assessment and improvement, as well as the value of community service. Graduates are placed in environmental work-related jobs and their success is tracked for one year.

The brownfields job training grants will help recruit, train, and employ residents living near brownfields sites in California, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Washington.

In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed. The brownfields law expanded the definition of what is considered a brownfield, so communities may now focus on mine-scarred lands, sites contaminated by petroleum, or sites contaminated as a result of the manufacturing and distribution of illegal drugs (e.g. meth labs). EPA’s Brownfields Program encourages redevelopment of America’s estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites.

As part of Administrator Jackson’s commitment to this program, the 2011 proposed budget includes an increase of $215 million for brownfields with increases for planning, cleanup, job training and redevelopment. Since 1998, EPA has awarded more than $33 million in brownfields job training funds. The program prepares workers for employment in the new green economy, and ensures that the economic benefits derived from brownfields redevelopment remain in the affected communities. As of February 2010, more than 5,300 individuals have been trained through the Brownfields Job Training Grant Program, and 3,400 have been placed in full-time employment in the environmental field with an average starting hourly wage of $14.65.

More information on brownfields job training grants

More information on EPA’s Brownfields Program

Brownfields success stories

Results-Only Work Environment

CultureRx is partnering with ICF International, a prime vendor with the federal government, to execute the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) pilot within the U.S. Office of Personnel management (OPM). This means ROWE has officially entered the federal government. ROWE is a management strategy that emphasizes evaluating workers on what they do, not where or when they do it. OPM Direct Director John Berry made the announcement on March 31 with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in attendance (Wash Post, 4/1/10). He explained how 400 agency employees will begin migrating into a ROWE over an eight-month period. The Deloitte consulting firm will evaluate the strategy.

The Center has established a Carbon Dioxide Reduction (CDR) Program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles by recruiting companies and individuals to participate in a flexible work schedule that will primarily include telecommuting, but could also utilize other practices and technologies. We would be delighted to integrate our CDR Program into the ROWE if the pilot project is successful. The Carbon Dioxide Reduction Program is designed to reduce emissions of the primary greenhouse gas from vehicles by promoting the use of broadband telecommuting to take vehicles off of the road, thus eliminating the CO2 that would have otherwise been emitted during the drive to and from work.

President Obama Had One Great and Very Busy Week

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

Norris McDonald

President Barack Obama is performing at a pace that has to leave observers gasping for air. Right after signing the final reconciliation on the health care bill, he met with President of France Sarkozy and made a secret trip to Afghanistan. He even squeezed in a meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu. But let's get to the environmental and energy stuff.

Listed below are some of the actions by the Obama administration this past week:

1. DOT/EPA Set Fuel Economy & GHG Emission Standards

2. EPA Initiated A Study On The Environmental Impacts of Bisphenol A

3. President Obama Signed Health Care/Reconciliation/Education legislation into law

4. Proposed Expanded Offshore Drilling (we oppose this)

5. EPA Issued Guidance on Mountaintop Mining

6. Signed A Commercial Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Deal With India

7. Proposes Veto of Spruce No. 1 Mine (Mountaintop Mining) Water Permit

8. DOE Held First Meeting of Nuclear Blue Ribbon Commission

President Obama also made 15 recess appointments. It appears that the administration is also going to introduce climate/energy legislation when Congress returns from its recess. The Center is salivating at the prospect of working to get climate legislation passed. And not just any old legislation, we want a very strong cap-and-trade program.

EPA Builds on Partnership with Asian Development Bank

EPA Office of International and Tribal Affairs Assistant Administrator Michelle DePass, left, met with Asian Development Bank Managing Director General Rajat M. Nag, right, this week to sign a new letter of intent between EPA and ADB to work with the ADB to address key international environmental challenges. During the meeting, DePass and Nag discussed ways in which their cooperation could reinforce those Asian countries that are working to strengthen their environmental laws, ministries, and compliance mechanisms. They also explored ways to reduce the emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases in the region.

The previous letter of intent was signed in April of 2005, and would have expired this month. The letter of intent will cover cooperation from 2010-2015. It will initially cover air quality, safe drinking water, management of toxic substances, environmental governance, and water resource management. Where EPA and ADB identify joint priorities, the letter of intent will provide a mechanism for ADB to access EPA technical expertise in the design and implementation of key initiatives. Cooperation could include technical assistance, training, and joint project development.

Center Vice President Derry Bigby, left, met with Rajat M. Nag in 2009 in Washington, DC, with ADB Director of Energy Woochong Um, right, and Principal Energy Specialist Jong Inn Kim at the ADB headquarters in Manila, Phillipines in June 2007 to discuss our Green Carbon Bank (GCB) and the utilization of carbon dioxide offsets [see also "Comments on ADB's Energy Strategy" (Version May 2007).

More information on EPA’s cooperation with ADB

EPA Guidance on Mountaintop Mining

EPA Issues Comprehensive Guidance to Protect Appalachian Communities From Harmful Environmental Impacts of Mountain Top Mining

Guidance provides additional clarity and ensures stronger protection at projects in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee

Today EPA announced a set of actions to further clarify and strengthen environmental permitting requirements for Appalachian mountaintop removal and other surface coal mining projects, in coordination with federal and state regulatory agencies. The comprehensive guidance sets clear benchmarks for preventing significant and irreversible damage to Appalachian watersheds at risk from mining activity.

Mountaintop removal is a form of surface coal mining in which explosives are used to access coal seams, generating large volumes of waste that bury adjacent streams. The resulting waste that then fills valleys and streams can significantly compromise water quality, often causing permanent damage to ecosystems and rendering streams unfit for swimming, fishing and drinking. It is estimated that almost 2,000 miles of Appalachian headwater streams have been buried by mountaintop coal mining.

EPA’s Actions:

· Improved Guidance and Clarity: EPA is communicating comprehensive guidance to its regional offices with permitting responsibility in Appalachian states. The guidance clarifies existing requirements of the Section 402 and 404 Clean Water Act permitting programs that apply to pollution from surface coal mining operations in streams and wetlands. The guidance details EPA’s responsibilities and how the agency uses its Clean Water Act (CWA) authorities to ensure that future mining will not cause significant environmental, water quality and human health impacts.

· Strong Science: EPA is making publicly available two scientific reports prepared by its Office of Research and Development (ORD). One summarizes the aquatic impacts of mountaintop mining and valley fills. The second report establishes a scientific benchmark for unacceptable levels of conductivity (a measure of water pollution from mining practices) that threaten stream life in surface waters. These reports are being published for public comment and submitted for peer review to the EPA Science Advisory Board.

· Increased transparency: EPA is creating a permit tracking Web site so that the public can determine the status of mining permits subject to the EPA-U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Enhanced Coordination Procedure (ECP).

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. The maximum benchmark conductivity of 500 microSiemens per centimeter is a measure of salinity that is roughly five times above normal levels. The conductivity levels identified in the clarifying guidance are intended to protect 95 percent of aquatic life and fresh water streams in central Appalachia.

EPA will solicit public comments on the new guidance. The guidance will be effective immediately on an interim basis. EPA will decide whether to modify the guidance after consideration of public comments and the results of the SAB technical review of the EPA scientific reports.

EPA’s guidance offers recommendations to its regions on the application of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to surface coal mining projects permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps is separately announcing plans for rulemaking to expand the scope of NEPA review. EPA is supportive of this effort and will work closely with the Corps.

All Documents

Fact Sheet on EPA Guidance and Scientific Reports

Additional Comprehensive Guidance

EPA is issuing comprehensive guidance clarifying the standards that its regional offices should apply in permitting reviews of Appalachian surface coal mining projects under the Clean Water Act (CWA). This guidance directs EPA field staff to coordinate with their federal and state regulatory partners to strengthen the environmental review of new Appalachian surface coal mining projects and to improve protection of the communities’ local water and environment. More specifically, the guidance:

· Incorporates the latest scientific information in clarifying how CWA permits should assure compliance with existing water quality standards to protect the use of streams by communities and to ensure healthy aquatic life.
· Clarifies how CWA requirements apply to the disposal of mining overburden in streams to reduce the size and number of valley fills, to limit water quality contamination of streams near mining operations, and to prevent significant environmental degradation of streams and wetlands.
· Improves opportunities for the voices of adversely affected Appalachian communities to be heard in the process of reviewing proposed new mining operations.

EPA Releases Two Draft Scientific Reports for Public Comment

"Field-Based Aquatic Life Benchmark for Conductivity"

This draft report adapts EPA’s traditional approach for developing water quality criteria to field data in central Appalachia in order to develop a conductivity benchmark protective of stream life in Appalachian surface waters. Conductivity is a measure of the level of salinity (salt) in the water. There are mining materials that are dumped or runoff into water that can raise the salinity level that turns fresh water into salty water. When this happens, living organisms have difficulty surviving because they cannot tolerate the high salinity level.

The draft report makes the following conclusions:

· The salinity of water has been shown to negatively affect aquatic organisms (stream life).
· By plotting the conductivity levels at which organisms are no longer observed in streams, we can determine a level of conductivity that results in their loss. EPA identified a benchmark of 300 microSiemens per cm (units of conductivity) that protects 95 percent of aquatic organisms living in streams in central Appalachia.
· EPA derived this benchmark using more than 2,000 field samples collected in West Virginia. These results were validated using data from Kentucky.
· Although the method is applicable to any region, the value 300 is only applicable to Central Appalachian streams containing the types of salts found in those streams.
· Additional analyses demonstrate that the observed effects on the aquatic community are due types of salts that are consistent with minerals leached from mountaintop mining operations and not to other variables that were evaluated.

"Mountaintop Mining / Valley Fill Impacts Report"

EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) conducted a literature review of peer-reviewed studies focusing on aquatic environmental and water quality impacts of mountaintop mining and valley fills. The draft report among other conclusions, found:

· Burial of headwater streams by valley fills causes permanent loss of ecosystems.
· Concentrations of salts as measured by conductivity are, on average, 10 times higher downstream of mountaintop mines and valley fills than in un-mined watersheds.
· The increased levels of salts disrupt the life cycle of freshwater aquatic organisms and some cannot live in these waters.
· Water with high salt concentrations downstream of mountaintop mines and valley fills is toxic to stream organisms. To date, there is no evidence that streams that undergo a restoration process have returned to their normal ecological functions after the mining is completed.

DOT/EPA Set Fuel Economy & GHG Emission Standards

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today jointly established historic new federal rules that set the first-ever national greenhouse gas emissions standards and will significantly increase the fuel economy of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the United States. The rules could potentially save the average buyer of a 2016 model year car $3,000 over the life of the vehicle and, nationally, will conserve about 1.8 billion barrels of oil and reduce nearly a billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the lives of the vehicles covered.

The collaboration of federal agencies allows for clearer rules for all automakers, instead of three standards (DOT, EPA, and a state standard). Today’s final rules, issued by DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and EPA, establish increasingly stringent fuel economy standards under NHTSA’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy program and greenhouse gas emission standards under the Clean Air Act for 2012 through 2016 model-year vehicles.

Starting with 2012 model year vehicles, the rules together require automakers to improve fleet-wide fuel economy and reduce fleet-wide greenhouse gas emissions by approximately five percent every year. NHTSA has established fuel economy standards that strengthen each year reaching an estimated 34.1 mpg for the combined industry-wide fleet for model year 2016. Because credits for air-conditioning improvements can be used to meet the EPA standards, but not the NHTSA standards, the EPA standards require that by the 2016 model-year, manufacturers must achieve a combined average vehicle emission level of 250 grams of carbon dioxide per mile. The EPA standard would be equivalent to 35.5 miles per gallon if all reductions came from fuel economy improvements.

Specifically, the new National Program:

· Reduces carbon dioxide emissions by about 960 million metric tons over the lifetime of the vehicles regulated, equivalent to taking 50 million cars and light trucks off the road in 2030.

· Conserves about 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles regulated.

· Enables the average car buyer of a 2016 model year vehicle to enjoy a net savings of $3,000 over the lifetime of the vehicle, as upfront technology costs are offset by lower fuel costs.

More information