Preview Newsletter
AM ACC 12/6/2016
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(ACC Blog) Can I Recycle That? Comedian Rudy Mancuso Has the Answer
Dec 5, 2016 | American Chemistry Matters
By Steve Russell
Who says you can’t have some fun while recycling? This America Recycles Day (November 15), our Plastics Make it Possible® campaign teamed up with comedian Rudy Mancuso to talk with millennials – and really anyone who would talk to him – about plastics recycling. -
(ACC Mentioned) Green Biologics Certified Under USDA BioPreferred Program
Dec 5, 2016 | Biomass Magazine
Green Biologics Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Green Biologics Ltd., a U.K. industrial biotechnology and renewable chemicals company, recently announced that its high purity biobased n-butanol and acetone have received official certification under the USDA BioPreferred program. -
DOE Contender Manchin to Meet with Trump
Dec 5, 2016 | E&E News PM
By Robin Bravender
West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin — a coal industry ally and possible contender for Energy secretary — is expected to meet with the president-elect later this week. -
Trump Packs EPA Team with Climate Rule Foes
Dec 6, 2016 | E&E Daily
By Robin Bravender
The Trump transition team has filled out the ranks of its energy and environmental agency landing teams with fierce critics of major climate regulations. -
(ACC Mentioned) Toxics: ACC launches TSCA Implementation Center
Dec 5, 2016 | Inside EPA
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has launched a Center for Chemical Safety Act Implementation in response to the revised Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), with a focus on data generation, advocacy on risk management decisions... -
California Prop 65 BPA Warning Rule Will Stand Throughout 2017
Dec 6, 2016 | Chemical Watch
By Kelly Franklin
California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (Oehha) has adopted a rule to extend Proposition 65 BPA warning provisions for canned and bottled food products through to the end of next year. -
Canada Proposes New Use Notification for 54 Chemicals
Dec 6, 2016 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Peter Menyasz
Canada is proposing requiring industries to notify the government of new uses of 54 chemicals, including mercury oxide, thorium oxide, pyrethrins and benzene compounds, because increased use could lead to their becoming toxic. -
Mercury in Tuna Plummets As Coal-Fired Power Drops
Dec 5, 2016 | Environmental Working Group
By Sonya Lunder
A bit of good news for seafood lovers: Scientists at Stony Brook University recently reported a notable drop in mercury concentrations in bluefin tuna caught in the Gulf of Maine over the past decade. -
Atrocious Makeup Set for Young Girls Earns Worst Toy of the Year Award
Dec 5, 2016 | Treehugger
By Melissa Breyer
Because every preschooler needs insecurity-boosting, sexualizing, toxic cosmetics to slather on their beautiful little faces! -
EPA's McCarthy Vows No Surprises in Final Weeks of Rulemaking
Dec 6, 2016 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Jennifer A. Dlouhy
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency said she is unlikely to propose greenhouse gas mandates for refineries or methane limits for existing oil wells in the agency's sprint to finish regulations before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. -
Army Corps Ruling is a Big Win for Foes of Dakota Access Pipeline
Dec 6, 2016 | Washington Post
By Brady Dennis and Steven Mufson
The Army said Sunday that it will not approve an easement necessary to permit the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under Lake Oahe in North Dakota, marking a monumental victory for the Native American tribes and thousands of others... -
Trump Supports Dakota Pipeline, Plans to Review Rejection
Dec 6, 2016 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Ryan Sachetta and Ari Natter
The Dakota Access Pipeline should be approved and President-elect Donald Trump will review the decision to deny a permit for the project once he takes office, a spokesman for Trump's transition team said. -
Setback is Probably Only Temporary for Dakota Access Pipeline
Dec 5, 2016 | Bloomberg (In Fuel Fix)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision to deny a permit for Energy Transfer Partners to build a section of the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota is likely to be a temporary setback. -
Negotiators Close in on Pared-Down Energy Bill
Dec 5, 2016 | PoliticoPro - Whiteboard
By Nick Juliano and Anthony Adragna
Congressional negotiators are closing in on a slimmed-down energy bill they could pass this week, House Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop said tonight. -
What Trump and Pence Don't Get About Clean Energy Jobs
Dec 5, 2016 | Environmental Defense Fund
By Jim Marston
President-elect Donald Trump sought to score points last week when he and running mate Mike Pence announced they had cobbled together enough taxpayer cash to save 800 Carrier jobs from moving to Mexico. -
Fracking-Contaminated Groundwater: The Myth that Failed
Dec 6, 2016 | Real Clear Energy
By Timothy Benson
The myth that hydraulic fracturing, commonly called “fracking,” of oil and natural gas is responsible for the widespread, systemic contamination of groundwater (the stuff you drink) is one that is proving tremendously hard to kill. -
U.S.-to-Mexico NatGas Pipeline Capacity to Nearly Double
Dec 5, 2016 | Natural Gas Intelligence
By Jamison Cocklin
U.S. pipeline capacity for natural gas exports to Mexico has not only rapidly expanded in recent years, but it is expected to nearly double over the next three, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). -
Texas Haze Plan Remand Formally Requested by EPA
Dec 6, 2016 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Patrick Ambrosio
The Environmental Protection Agency formally asked a federal appeals court to halt litigation over a regional haze regulation covering Texas, a development that one attorney described as potentially representing “the first concrete implications”... -
EPA Air Guidance Could Support States in Permitting Issues
Dec 5, 2016 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Patrick Ambrosio
New guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency is among several potential tools that could aid state environmental agencies in issuing permits under national air quality standards, the head of a state air regulators group said. -
Greens Sue EPA over Exceptions in Ozone Rule
Dec 5, 2016 | E&E News PM
By Sean Reilly
Two environmental groups are taking exception to U.S. EPA's recently streamlined guidance for dealing with so-called exceptional events. -
Trump Meets With Al Gore on Climate Issues Amid Pressure From His Children
Dec 5, 2016 | Wall Street Journal
By Michael C. Bender and Amy Harder
President-elect Donald Trump’s children are urging him to seize on environmental conservation as a potentially defining issue for his administration, according to two people familiar with the discussions, an effort that could clash with Mr. Trump’s aim of boosting energy production... -
The Case for Saving the Paris Agreement
Dec 5, 2016 | Washington Post
By Editorial Board
It is hard to say exactly what impact President-elect Donald Trump might have on the fight to slow human-caused climate change — for two reasons.
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(ACC Blog) Can I Recycle That? Comedian Rudy Mancuso Has the Answer
Dec 5, 2016 | American Chemistry Matters
By Steve Russell
Who says you can’t have some fun while recycling? This America Recycles Day (November 15), our Plastics Make it Possible® campaign teamed up with comedian Rudy Mancuso to talk with millennials – and really anyone who would talk to him – about plastics recycling. Rudy hit the streets of New York City armed with a bucket full of plastics and quizzed New Yorkers on which ones can be recycled. (Spoiler alert: all of them – even the bucket!)
Rudy also talked to New Yorkers about the amount of plastics Americans recycle annually (6 billion pounds in 2014), what recycled plastics can become (the backpack on his back), and what items do not belong in your curbside bin (keep those garden hoses, shoes and old video tapes out!).
Watch Rudy have fun testing (and teasing) New Yorkers’ on their recycling knowledge in these two short videos.
https://blog.americanchemistry.com/2016/12/can-i-recycle-that-comedian-rudy-mancuso-has-the-answer/
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(ACC Mentioned) Green Biologics Certified Under USDA BioPreferred Program
Dec 5, 2016 | Biomass Magazine
Green Biologics Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Green Biologics Ltd., a U.K. industrial biotechnology and renewable chemicals company, recently announced that its high purity biobased n-butanol and acetone have received official certification under the USDA BioPreferred program. The products are now certified as 100 percent biobased and are marketed under the BioPure brand.
“Having our n-butanol and acetone named as USDA Certified BioBased Products is yet another milestone that we can point to when demonstrating the value and differentiation of our products from conventional petrochemical-based commodities,” said David Anderson, global vice president of marketing for Green Biologics.
The BioPreferred program is a USDA-led initiative designed to assist in the development and expansion of markets for bio-based products. Created by the 2002 Farm Bill and expanded as part of the 2014 Farm Bill, BioPreferred is transforming the marketplace for biobased goods through mandatory purchasing requirements for federal agencies and contractors, as well as voluntary product certification and labeling.
Products using the USDA Certified Biobased Product label are guaranteed to contain a USDA-verified amount of renewable biological ingredients, enabling consumers to make informed and sustainably-minded purchasing decisions.
“The USDA’s BioPreferred program plays a vital role in the global movement away from petro-based products and toward renewable, naturally sourced materials. We’re proud to have our products verified by such a distinguished organization,” adds Anderson. “Today’s consumers are becoming more conscious of chemicals in their everyday lives, and achieving this certification gives them confidence that our products have met the highest standards of sustainability.”
Green Biologics, a member of the American Chemistry Council, is in the early start-up of its first commercial production facility for BioPure renewable n-butanol and acetone in Little Falls, Minnesota, and aims to be in commercial production by late 2016.
http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/13982/green-biologics-certified-under-usda-biopreferred-program
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DOE Contender Manchin to Meet with Trump
Dec 5, 2016 | E&E News PM
By Robin Bravender
West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin — a coal industry ally and possible contender for Energy secretary — is expected to meet with the president-elect later this week.
Manchin today issued a press release saying he had a "wide-ranging and constructive conversation" with President-elect Donald Trump last week about the future of the country and looks forward to more talks.
The senator spoke with Trump on the phone and plans to follow up during an in-person meeting, according to Manchin spokesman Jonathan Kott.
"I was humbled and honored to share my views with the President-elect and assured him that I am willing to work in a bipartisan manner to find commonsense solutions to the serious challenges we face," Manchin said. He added that he looks forward to "continuing the conversation with President-elect Trump later this week on how we can work together to make that happen."
Manchin is one of two Senate Democrats being "seriously considered" to head the Energy Department, according to a source close to the transition. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) met with Trump last week and is also being considered for the DOE job, that person said.
Manchin and Heitkamp are both centrist Democrats facing tough re-election battles in 2018. For Senate Democrats, losing the incumbent candidates for those races would likely make it even harder for the minority party to hold on to the seats in two states that Trump easily carried in this year's presidential race.
If Heitkamp leaves the Senate before her term expires, a new North Dakota law would require a special election within 95 days to fill the vacancy. That could allow Republicans to win the seat before the midterm elections.
In West Virginia, however, the governor would appoint a replacement if Manchin were to leave the Senate before his term is up. In the Mountain State, Democrat Jim Justice was just elected to take over the governorship from outgoing Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin.
http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2016/12/05/stories/1060046681
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Trump Packs EPA Team with Climate Rule Foes
Dec 6, 2016 | E&E Daily
By Robin Bravender
The Trump transition team has filled out the ranks of its energy and environmental agency landing teams with fierce critics of major climate regulations.
After a slow start in getting transition teams up and running inside energy and environmental agencies, the transition announced a slew of new team members yesterday for U.S. EPA and new additions for the Interior and Energy department operations. In what's likely due in part to the Trump team's lobbying restrictions, they draw heavily from conservative think tanks.
The new names of agency team members — who will be helping to set policy agendas within departments and could ultimately serve in the Trump administration — include well-known critics of President Obama's environmental policies.
At EPA, the new team members will be working with Trump's transition leader for that agency, Myron Ebell. He's a well-known climate skeptic who works at the conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute.
One prominent new name for the EPA team is David Schnare, general counsel at a conservative legal organization who has been a thorn in the sides of environmentalists and the Obama administration.
At the Energy & Environment Legal Institute, Schnare has accused the Obama administration of colluding with green groups to set policy and is known for using public records laws to seek information from climate scientists and government officials. Schnare was a former longtime EPA employee and served as an attorney in the agency's enforcement office.
He said in a 2015 policy forum that the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan is "problematic in that it costs so much money."
Schnare has also declared himself a climate change skeptic. "The science is still out," he said during that forum. "I'm a Ph.D. scientist, and people say, 'Well, you're a skeptic.' And my answer is, 'Well, all scientists are skeptics.'"
He has a law degree from George Mason University in addition to a Ph.D. in environmental management from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Another newly added member to the EPA team is David Kreutzer, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation. He has recently written a host of articles critical of climate change policies.
In April, he was the key author of a paper titled "The State of Climate Science: No Justification for Extreme Policies." The paper criticizes a "hysteria over global warming" that is "now pervasive in the federal government."
George Sugiyama, another former EPA employee, has also been picked to serve on the agency transition team. He was an EPA attorney-adviser from 1976 until 1985, according to his LinkedIn profile. He served as counsel to the EPA air chief during the George W. Bush administration. Sugiyama worked as chief Republican counsel to Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and was a lawyer at Troutman Sanders.
Dave Stevenson, director of the Center for Energy Competitiveness at the Caesar Rodney Institute, a Delaware free-market think tank, has also been tapped for the EPA team.
Austin Lipari, another EPA landing team member, is deputy director of the student division at the Federalist Society. He was also a law clerk to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Oversight and Government Reform Committee, according to his LinkedIn profile.Interior, DOE additions
The Trump team also expanded its rosters for landing teams at the Interior and Energy departments.
Scott Cameron, who was deputy assistant secretary for performance, accountability and human resources at Interior during the George W. Bush administration, will be working on the Interior transition.
The Interior transition team is being led by Doug Domenech, another Bush administration alumnus from Interior.
Daniel Jorjani, whose most recent employer was listed by the Trump team as the free-market group Freedom Partners, has also joined the Interior team.
The DOE team led by Institute for Energy Research President Thomas Pyle has officially added two new members.
They are Dave Jonas, a partner at Fluet Huber + Hoang PLLC with a background in nuclear nonproliferation law, and Jack Spencer of the Heritage Foundation, who has specialized in nuclear policy and nuclear waste management.
http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2016/12/06/stories/1060046711
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(ACC Mentioned) Toxics: ACC launches TSCA Implementation Center
Dec 5, 2016 | Inside EPA
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has launched a Center for Chemical Safety Act Implementation in response to the revised Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), with a focus on data generation, advocacy on risk management decisions and other implementation measures as EPA implements the updated law.
ACC announced the launch of the new center in a Dec. 1 press release, saying the launch is “very timely” given that EPA Nov. 30 released its much-anticipated list of the first 10 chemicals it plans to review under section 6 of the new law. ACC adds that its center is aimed at being a resource for chemical companies to respond to EPA actions and ensure the law is effectively implemented.
“Under the new law, chemical manufacturers, processors, importers and downstream users of chemistry will have multiple opportunities to provide input to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and may be subject to Agency requests for additional information,” according to ACC's website.
ACC says that in the interest of sharing costs and promoting efficiency, companies may wish to form consortia to collaborate on developing public comments or new data to submit to EPA, and that such collaborative efforts can help inform agency decisions on chemical prioritization, risk evaluations and risk management options.
“The Center can assist companies with the creation, support, and management of such consortia for working with EPA,” ACC says.
http://insideepa.com/daily-feed/toxics-acc-launches-tsca-implementation-center
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California Prop 65 BPA Warning Rule Will Stand Throughout 2017
Dec 6, 2016 | Chemical Watch
By Kelly Franklin
California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (Oehha) has adopted a rule to extend Proposition 65 BPA warning provisions for canned and bottled food products through to the end of next year.
Warning for exposure to BPA has been required since 11 May. But Oehha enacted an emergency regulation on 19 April to temporarily allow canned and bottled food and drink products to comply through uniform point-of-sale signs, in lieu of traditional product-specific warnings.
The newly finalised regular rule will replace the emergency rule on 1 January 2017. It will remain in effect until 30 December.
While the rule is generally consistent with the emergency rule, Oehha included a new provision that will require manufactures using point-of-sale warnings to give the agency a list of products where BPA is intentionally added, to be published on the lead agency website.
The provision was opposed by industry groups. They said it was unduly burdensome and duplicative of an industry-run website that is already up and running.
But in its final statement of reason (FSOR), Oehha disagreed.
It said the regulation provides an optional safe harbour for businesses by providing "a reasonable balance" between the cost of relabeling food products and the necessity for providing a clear and reasonable warning to consumers. It made no changes to the proposal based on these comments.
Oehha also acknowledged in its FSOR that some product manufacturers, out of an abundance of caution, may potentially provide overbroad lists of products that may contain BPA, and said the industry-sponsored website may be over-inclusive.
Overbroad lists, it said, may create confusion or unnecessary concern about BPA exposure. It encouraged businesses to "refine the data on which they are relying".
A coalition of NGOs raised separate issues with the agency's website proposal, saying it places unreasonable expectations on customers to find and interpret online information about BPA. The consumer groups advocated that the agency enforce product specific warning.
Oehha noted in the FSOR that while on-product labelling is the compliance pathway that many commenters might prefer, it is not required under Prop 65.
"Absent this regulation, the most likely approach to warning would be for retail sellers to post dozens or hundreds of Proposition 65 warning signs on shelves where canned and bottled foods and beverages are displayed," said the agency.
“This profusion of warning signs would likely confuse and frustrate most consumers, defeating the purpose of the warnings and providing less information than is provided in the point-of-sale warning."
The agency also rejected calls from several industry groups to keep the regulations in place until it has developed an oral maximum allowable dose level (MADL) for BPA. Oehha called the regulation a "temporary measure to address a unique situation ... [which] allows for an orderly and reasonable transition to the more typical Proposition 65 warning regimen."
The agency said it has determined that it cannot develop a safe harbour level for oral exposures to BPA at this time "because of complex scientific issues that may be resolved by current research expected to be completed in the next one to two years." It said it will wait for this research to be completed before determining whether it will proposed an oral MADL.
https://chemicalwatch.com/51461/california-prop-65-bpa-warning-rule-will-stand-throughout-2017
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Canada Proposes New Use Notification for 54 Chemicals
Dec 6, 2016 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Peter Menyasz
Canada is proposing requiring industries to notify the government of new uses of 54 chemicals, including mercury oxide, thorium oxide, pyrethrins and benzene compounds, because increased use could lead to their becoming toxic.
The substances are used in a variety of products, including pharmaceuticals, batteries, pigments, fungicides and preservatives in cosmetics.
They were among 729 chemicals assessed as not entering the environment in quantities that pose a risk to the environment or human health, but they subsequently raised concerns about toxic properties, the government said Dec. 3.
Thirty-nine of the chemicals pose a risk to the environment and any new use involving more than 100 kilograms a year would require notification before the proposed use can begin, it said in a notice published in the Canada Gazette, Part I.
“Given the ecological concerns associated with these substances, the use of the substances, even in small quantities, would represent a significant risk to the environment,” the government said.
The substances include forms of arsonium, benzoic acid, disiloxane, barium and butanone, as well as manufacturing residues of pesticides based on pyrethrins and pyrethroids.
The other 15 substances pose a risk to human health for any new uses in consumer products or cosmetics that require manufacture, import or use in quantities more than 10 kilograms a year and in concentrations greater than those specified in the notice, the government said. Notice also would apply for non-consumer product or non-cosmetic uses of more than 1,000 kilograms a year, it said.
Exemptions would apply to uses for research and development, as site-limited intermediates or for export only.
The substances include forms of hexanoic acid, octanoic acid, thorium oxide, acetic acid, benzene and benzenamine. They were assessed through a rapid screening process as part of the Domestic Substances List Inventory Update, which was part of the broader Chemicals Management Plan.
The notice is open to public comment through Feb. 1, 2017.
http://news.bna.com/deln/DELNWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=101325757&vname=dennotallissues&fn=101325757&jd=101325757
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Mercury in Tuna Plummets As Coal-Fired Power Drops
Dec 5, 2016 | Environmental Working Group
By Sonya Lunder
A bit of good news for seafood lovers: Scientists at Stony Brook University recently reported a notable drop in mercury concentrations in bluefin tuna caught in the Gulf of Maine over the past decade.
Nicolas Fisher, the study’s lead author, told the The Washington Post that the decline of mercury by nearly 20 percent in the tuna parallels the decreasing amounts of mercury emitted into the air from U.S. coal-fired power plants. This makes sense. Coal power is responsible for nearly half of the mercury emissions in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules have forced power plants to install technologies to remove mercury, and the long-lived, carnivorous bluefin tuna is an indicator of mercury concentrations throughout the food chain.
This decline is especially good news for women who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant.
EWG recently studied 254 American women who eat fish frequently and found that nearly 40 percent of the mercury in their diets came from tuna. About half of this is from tuna steaks and sushi – the way bluefin tuna is typically served. The other half is from canned albacore and light tuna, which have lower mercury concentrations than bluefin but are more widely eaten.
Even though most American women eat very little fish, those who eat species with high mercury levels may put their children at risk. Nearly one-third of participants in the EWG study had mercury levels that exceeded the current warning level set by the EPA for women of childbearing age.
If these women were to become pregnant, the mercury in their bodies would pose a risk to their children’s brain development. Mercury exposure during pregnancy and early life have been shown to cause lower IQs and learning problems in children when they get older.
Worse yet, President-elect Donald Trump has signaled a strong commitment to coal power and could weaken the rules that prompted this decline in mercury in tuna.
This makes little sense – not only for the safety of seafood, but for air quality. In addition to mercury, dirty coal plants also emit most of the greenhouse gases in the U.S. These plants also spew harmful soot, which cause asthma attacks, respiratory disease and death.
Both the mercury rules and President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan are projected to provide four to eight times more benefits, including preventing disease and death, compared to the cost of cleaner energy.
Americans must fight to uphold environmental standards that clean up our food supply, reduce the toxic toll on our oceans, minimize global warming and protect the brain development of future generations.
If you're worried about exposure to mercury in seafood check out our Seafood Calculator to create a custom seafood list of options that are high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, sustainably produced and lowest in mercury.
http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2016/12/mercury-tuna-plummets-coal-fired-power-drops
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Atrocious Makeup Set for Young Girls Earns Worst Toy of the Year Award
Dec 5, 2016 | Treehugger
By Melissa Breyer
Because every preschooler needs insecurity-boosting, sexualizing, toxic cosmetics to slather on their beautiful little faces!
Each year the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood offers a distinguished award: The TOADY, which singles out Toys Oppressive And Destructive to Young Children. And good golly there is no shortage of depressing contenders. From thousands of toys that “stifle creativity, lionize brands, and promote screen-based entertainment at the expense of children’s play,” CCFC selected six exceptional finalists for 2016.
Now that the votes are in, however, there is a clear winner: Lulu's Pink Fizz Beauty Essentials Little Bow Chic Collection 11 piece makeup set – which is aimed at the ages-3-and-up crowd. With copy that promises that this collection is “the ultimate glam makeup collection in a box” – perhaps a more accurate tagline would read something like, “the ultimate collection of toxic ingredients to start your life-long journey of not thinking you’re pretty enough naturally.”
As TOADY award commenter Kaylan Crowther writes: "Pink Fizz Lulu's Makeup Set deserves the 2016 TOADY. Ages 3 - 20? Hey, you know what your beautiful toddler face needs? MAKEUP. Start having insecurities about your looks already! Need to sexualize your preschooler? Look no further! But wait, there's more! Because this makeup set doesn't just contain subtle misogyny, it also has flammable and carcinogenic ingredients!"
Right? And really, it’s not just the emotional implications at play here. Beneath the ingredient list the box clearly states: “Keep out of reach of children” … what? Well actually, yes. Really, keep this out of reach of children. Nancy Gruver, founder of New Moon Girls, points out what’s in the Pink Fizz catastrophe-waiting-to-happen. The label lists eight ingredients known to be toxic or carcinogenic, as per the Breast Cancer Fund’s report:
1. Talc: Talc may be contaminated with asbestos. Contaminated talc has been classified as carcinogenic by IARC. Inhalation of talc may cause respiratory distress, mesothelioma, and inflammation. Application of talc near the pelvic area can lead to irritation, infection, and inflammation. Talc may also be associated with ovarian cancer.
2. Mineral Oil: Mineral oils are used in personal care products as skin conditioners, hair conditioners, and solvents. Mineral oils are derived from crude oil, and mildly refined mineral oils always contain significant amounts of polycyclic aromatic carbons (PAHs), which are likely carcinogenic. The NTP considers PAHs as a class to contain reasonably anticipated carcinogens. Untreated and mildly treated mineral oils are classified as known carcinogens by IARC and the NTP.
3. Titanium Dioxide: A suspected or known carcinogen.
4. Propylparaben: Parabens are potential endocrine disruptors due to their ability to mimic estrogen. In cell studies, parabens have been found to weakly bind to estrogen receptors. Studies demonstrate that at sufficient concentrations, parabens can increase cell proliferation in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells, which are often used as a sensitive measure of estrogenic activity. Propylparaben is also a reproductive toxin as it affects the male reproduction system and reduces sperm production and testosterone levels.
5. Fragrance (Parfum): The constituent ingredients in fragrance are not listed on product labels or disclosed to consumers by companies and manufacturers. The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) lists almost 3,000 chemicals that have been used in fragrance. Ingredients like acetaldehyde, benzophenone, dichloromethane, styrene and titanium dioxide are suspected or known carcinogens. Chemicals like benzyl salicylate, diethyl phthalate, and propyl paraben are endocrine disruptors. Others are allergens, skin irritants, and toxic to the liver, lungs, and kidneys, among other organs.
6. Hydrogenated Styrene/Isoprene Copolymer: The European Commission on Endocrine Disruption classifies styrene as a Category 1 endocrine disruptor. Furthermore, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classify it as a reasonably anticipated human carcinogen. If ingested, styrene can be toxic to red blood cells and the liver and if inhaled, it is toxic to the central nervous system. Exposure to solvents including styrene can result in an increased risk of breast cancer.
7. Silica Dimethyl Silylate: Silica may be toxic to the liver, respiratory system, and kidneys.
8. Tosylamide/Epoxy Resin: Epoxy resin is most commonly made with bisphenol A (BPA). This can result in some residual BPA contaminating the product but not being listed on the label. BPA is a synthetic estrogen that is recognized as an endocrine-disrupting chemical because of its effects on hormone systems. Studies raise concerns that exposure to even low doses of the chemical can cause adverse health effects. These include abnormalities in breast development that can increase the risk of developing breast cancer, and harmful effects on reproductive development, prostate weight, testis weight, puberty onset, body weight, metabolic and immune system functions, and gender-related behaviors including aggression and some social behaviors.
Meanwhile, if you've been inadvertently poisoning your daughter by allowing toxic makeup, take solace in this: Teen girls’ chemical exposure plummets after switching to better beauty products.
And if makeup is a must, at the very least consider non-toxic brands like these: 10 gorgeous green makeup products worth buying.
http://www.treehugger.com/family/worst-toy-year-award-goes-atrocious-makeup-set-young-girls.html
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EPA's McCarthy Vows No Surprises in Final Weeks of Rulemaking
Dec 6, 2016 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Jennifer A. Dlouhy
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency said she is unlikely to propose greenhouse gas mandates for refineries or methane limits for existing oil wells in the agency's sprint to finish regulations before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
“We have very little time here, and my time is to do what we've already indicated the agency is working on,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said Dec. 5, when asked about the possible refinery mandates that were required under a 2010 legal settlement with environmentalists, but aren't yet on the agency's official rulemaking agenda. “I don't think I have any surprises up my sleeve.”
McCarthy has vowed to race to finish the Obama administration's environmental program before Trump's inauguration Jan. 20. Already the EPA recently proposed to retain robust fuel-economy rules and boost the amount of biofuel that refiners must blend into gasoline and diesel next year. But she signaled the EPA would not propose greenhouse gas limits on petroleum refineries or mandates restricting methane leaking from oil and gas wells before the end of President Barack Obama's term.
“EPA's mission is a non-partisan mission; it's just about public health,” McCarthy said at a Christian Science Monitor event. “We have a great mission that I know will sustain because people kind of like clean air and clean water and healthy land.“
The agency has been waiting for data from oil and gas companies to guide possible future rules curbing emissions of methane from existing wells nationwide, after requiring companies to better detect and repair leaks of that powerful greenhouse gas from new wells.
“The good news is we will have some information available to us before this administration rides off into the sunset,” McCarthy said. “We'll have that information, we'll be able to take a look at it, and we'll be able to provide the next administration with a lot more thoughtful information on the value of looking at existing facilities and what that might mean. But that's really the best we can do, in respect to what the science and the law demands.“
Trump has promised to rescind “job-killing” regulations, bring back coal mining jobs and refocus the EPA on what he calls its core mission of protecting air and water. Republicans on Capitol Hill also have threatened to use the Congressional Review Act to rescind recently imposed mandates.
Among the most vulnerable: Obama's Clean Power Plan, which slashes greenhouse gas emission from U.S. power plants, encouraging states to move away from coal and toward renewable sources of electricity. The Supreme Court has stayed the rule while a Washington-based U.S. Court of Appeals reviews the measure, giving the incoming Trump administration an opening to soften the rule or walk away from it entirely. If the court rules against the measure, the Trump administration could decline to appeal; a favorable ruling, meanwhile, could be met with lax EPA enforcement.
McCarthy struck a hopeful tone Dec. 5, insisting that the electric market's move toward renewable wind and solar power will not be reversed by legal action.
“It will continue no matter what EPA does,” McCarthy said. “There is a transition that we're not demanding but we're following with rules like our Clean Power Plan.“
http://news.bna.com/deln/DELNWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=101325747&vname=dennotallissues&fn=101325747&jd=101325747
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Army Corps Ruling is a Big Win for Foes of Dakota Access Pipeline
Dec 6, 2016 | Washington Post
By Brady Dennis and Steven Mufson
The Army said Sunday that it will not approve an easement necessary to permit the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under Lake Oahe in North Dakota, marking a monumental victory for the Native American tribes and thousands of others who have flocked in recent months to protest the oil pipeline.
“I’m happy as heck,” said Everett Iron Eyes, a retired director of natural resources for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and one of the organizers of a camp protesters set up near the pipeline site. “All our prayers have been answered.”
Officials in November had delayed the key decision, saying more discussion was necessary about the proposed crossing, given that it would pass very near the reservation of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, whose leaders have repeatedly expressed fears that a spill could threaten the water supplies of its people.
“Although we have had continuing discussion and exchanges of new information with the Standing Rock Sioux and Dakota Access, it’s clear that there’s more work to do,” Jo-Ellen Darcy, the Army’s assistant secretary for civil works, said in a statement Sunday. “The best way to complete that work responsibly and expeditiously is to explore alternate routes for the pipeline crossing.”
The decision averts a possible showdown on Monday, the date the Army Corps, which owns land on either side of the lake, had set for cutting off access to the protesters’ camp. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, worried about violence, had sent mediators to the area over the weekend.
The victory for the Standing Rock Sioux and its allies could be short-lived, though. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to support pipelines such as this one. And Kelcy Warren, the chief executive of the pipeline company Energy Transfer Partners, has been a major contributor to the Republican Party and Trump’s campaign.
Trump, who once owned a stake worth between $500,000 and $1 million in Energy Transfer Partners, has sold the shares, his spokeswoman Hope Hicks said. At the time of his most recent disclosure statement in May, Trump owned $100,000 to $250,000 of stock in Phillips 66, which has a 25 percent stake in the Dakota Access project.
Iron Eyes said that “we shall remain vigilant regardless. We have witnessed the power of being peaceful and prayerful.”
What started as a small but fierce protest in a remote spot along the Missouri River months ago has evolved into an epic standoff involving hundreds of tribes, various celebrities and activists from around the country. It has involved heated confrontations — police have sometimes employed water cannons, pepper spray and rubber bullets — and has carried on through the swelter of summer into the snowy cold of winter. Hundreds of veterans arrived in recent days.
On Sunday, news of the Army’s decision triggered a wave of celebration and relief among those who have fought to stop the 1,170-mile-long pipeline’s progress.
A procession of tribe members and activists marched along the main dirt road at the Oceti Sakowin encampment set up by protesters. A crowd numbering in the thousands gathered around the camp’s sacred fire, the hub of activity here, as tribal elders sang prayer songs and beat drums.
Activists acknowledged that it was only one step forward in a larger fight over Native American rights.
Denise McKay, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux standing by the sacred fire Sunday afternoon, said she expects Energy Transfer Partners to push back on the decision.
“It is a temporary victory,” said McKay, 54. “We’ve got to stay put and stay united.” McKay’s daughter, Chelsea Summers, 25, chimed in, saying “everybody is still here for the long haul.”
Nearby, Bruce Gali took drags from a cigarette and watched the festivities. He made his second trip to the camp last week and said he would keep returning from his home in northeastern California until authorities left the area and the pipeline was shut down.“Until all the razor wire comes down, until the helicopters stop flying overhead, the spotlights turn off, the drill pad is dismantled, this isn’t the end,” said Gali, a 67-year-old member of the Pitt River Tribe. “It’s not just about this pipeline.”
We “commend with the utmost gratitude the courage it took on the part of President Obama, the Army Corps, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior to take steps to correct the course of history and to do the right thing,” Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairman Dave Archambault II said in a statement. “With this decision we look forward to being able to return home and spend the winter with our families.”
Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the outcome was a reminder of the power of individuals to “demand environmental justice.” She said, “Today, the voices of indigenous people were heard.”
In the Dakota language, the word “oahe” signifies “a place to stand on.”
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and its allies in the environmental and activist movements had said they were doing just that: using Lake Oahe in North Dakota as a place to take a stand by setting up camps and obstructing roads to block the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline.
The steel pipeline, developed and majority owned by Energy Transfer Partners, would connect the Bakken and Three Forks oil production areas in North Dakota to an existing crude oil terminal and pipeline terminus in Illinois. At 30 inches in diameter, it could transport an estimated 470,000 to 570,000 barrels of oil per day.
The company says the project, which traverses four states, is 92 percent complete overall and 99 percent complete in North Dakota.
Army officials said that the consideration of alternative routes would be best accomplished through an environmental-impact statement with full public input and analysis, a process likely to take many months.
Ordinarily, the Army Corps, which has jurisdiction over domestic petroleum pipelines, does not require a detailed environmental-impact statement but it does require environmental assessments of the impact on water crossings.
“The White House’s directive today to the Corps for further delay is just the latest in a series of overt and transparent political actions by an administration which has abandoned the rule of law in favor of currying favor with a narrow and extreme political constituency,” Energy Transfer Partners said in a statement Sunday night. The company said it remained committed to the project and would complete construction without rerouting the pipeline.
The company also said that it had complied with Army Corps requirements, including an environmental assessment rather than an environmental impact statement. “For more than three years now, Dakota Access Pipeline has done nothing but play by the rules,” the company said.
North Dakota elected officials criticized the Army Corps.
“It’s long past time that a decision is made on the easement going under Lake Oahe,” said Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D). “This administration’s delay in taking action — after I’ve pushed the White House, Army Corps and other federal agencies for months to make a decision — means that today’s move doesn’t actually bring finality to the project. The pipeline still remains in limbo.”
Rep. Kevin Cramer (R) said Sunday’s decision “sends a very chilling signal to others who want to build infrastructure in this country,” arguing that Obama had stymied a perfectly legal pipeline project.“I’m encouraged we will restore law and order next month when we get a President who will not thumb his nose at the rule of law,” Cramer said in a statement. “I feel badly for the Corps of Engineers because of the diligent work it did on this project, only to have their Commander-in-Chief throw them under the bus.”
Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R) called Sunday’s decision a “serious mistake” that “does nothing to resolve the issue.” He said it would prolong a dangerous situation by having protesters camping out on federal land during the brutally cold winter.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, however, praised the Army’s decision.
“The thoughtful approach established by the Army today ensures that there will be an in-depth evaluation of alternative routes for the pipeline and a closer look at potential impacts,” she said Sunday. “The Army’s announcement underscores that tribal rights reserved in treaties and federal law, as well as Nation-to-Nation consultation with tribal leaders, are essential components of the analysis to be undertaken in the environmental impact statement going forward.”
During a call with reporters Monday, Jason Miller, a spokesman for President-elect Donald Trump, was asked whether the incoming administration would seek to reverse the decision.
“That’s something that we support construction of,” he said, “and we’ll review the full situation when we’re in the White House to make appropriate determination at that time.”
Derek Hawkins contributed to this report from a camp near Cannon Ball, N.D.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/12/04/army-will-deny-easement-halting-work-on-dakota-access-pipeline/?utm_term=.bcf0fba4f690
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Trump Supports Dakota Pipeline, Plans to Review Rejection
Dec 6, 2016 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Ryan Sachetta and Ari Natter
The Dakota Access Pipeline should be approved and President-elect Donald Trump will review the decision to deny a permit for the project once he takes office, a spokesman for Trump's transition team said.
After weeks of protests from Native Americans and environmental activists, the Army Corps of Engineers announced Dec. 4 that it was denying Energy Transfer Partners LP approval to build a section of the project under Lake Oahe in N.D., and said the agency would begin a lengthy environmental review to determine whether the pipeline route should be changed.
The pipeline “is something we support construction of, and we will review the situation when we are in the White House to make the appropriate determination at that time,” Jason Miller, the transition spokesman, told reporters Dec. 5.
Trump has pledged to overhaul the nation's energy policy in a way that favors energy companies, and a reversal of the pipeline decision would fulfill that pledge. He has also said he will find a way to reverse the Obama administration's rejection of TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL pipeline.
Energy Transfer asked a judge Dec. 5 to step in and clear the way for construction of the final section, accusing the U.S. government of bowing to political pressure. The company filed for summary judgment in federal court, saying the Army Corps’ decision Sunday “completely contradicted” earlier approvals.
Easement Issuance
The Trump administration can probably overturn the Corps’ decision in Dakota and issue the required easement soon after taking power, Elvira Scotto, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said in a note late Dec. 4.
Congress, too, may get involved. Asked Dec. 5 if lawmakers will challenge the Army Corps decision, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said, “I think we'll get a new administration, we'll get new eyes, and there's always a possibility.“
Protests against the crude-oil pipeline have resulted in hundreds of arrests and drawn support from celebrities. But Trump has pledged quicker approval of pipeline projects, saying its key to unleashing more oil and natural gas production in the U.S.
The standoff over the Dakota Access pipeline is emblematic of a broader effort by environmentalists to stall those pipelines, which they say hurt the nation's progress in reducing its reliance on fossil fuels. Protesters who have camped for months in North Dakota had been told the area would be closed on Dec. 5 and they would have to move to designated protest zones.
Energy Transfer Partners and Sunoco Logistics Partners LP called the move “a purely political action” in a statement Dec. 5, adding that they are fully committed to bringing the project to completion.
“This is nothing new from this administration, since over the last four months, the administration has demonstrated by its action and inaction that it intended to delay a decision in this matter until President Obama is out of office,” the companies said in the statement.
But the setback may be temporary.
Trump Administration
“The Obama administration's refusal to issue an easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline violates the rule of law and fails to resolve the issue,” North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven, a Republican, said in a statement. “Instead, it passes the decision off to the next administration, which has already indicated it will approve the easement, and in the meantime perpetuates a difficult situation for North Dakotans.”
Hoeven called for the protesters to immediately vacate the site.
Dakota Access has been central to the intensifying debate over the need for new pipelines in the U.S. It has become a rallying point for the anti-fossil fuel movement and has drawn intense opposition from Native Americans who say it'll damage culturally significant sites.
“We wholeheartedly support the decision of the administration,” Dave Archambault II, tribal chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, said in a statement on Dec. 4. “In a system that has continuously been stacked against us from every angle, it took tremendous courage.”
The pipeline could help cut costs for drillers in North Dakota's Bakken shale region that have turned to more costly rail shipments when existing pipes filled up. Dakota Access, with a capacity of about 470,000 barrels a day, would ship about half of the current Bakken crude production and enable producers to access Midwest and Gulf Coast markets.
The permit would be for the final section of the pipeline, which spans four states. The project was originally slated to be operational at the end of this year.
“The thoughtful approach established by the Army today ensures that there will be an in-depth evaluation of alternative routes for the pipeline and a closer look at potential impacts,” Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said in an e-mail.
Energy Transfer owns the project with Phillips 66 and Sunoco Logistics. Marathon Petroleum Corp. and Enbridge Energy Partners LP announced a venture in August that would also take a minority stake in the pipeline.
Trump's Holdings
Trump has had a financial interest in two companies involved in the pipeline, according to the financial disclosure form he released in May 2016.
Trump owned between $500,000 and $1 million of stock in Energy Transfer Partners LP, which earned him $15,000 to $50,000 in income in 2015. He has sold those shares, spokeswoman Hope Hicks confirmed Dec. 5.
He also owns between $100,000 and $250,000 worth of shares in Phillips 66, which has a major stake in the project.
—With assistance from Iain Wilson, Meenal Vamburkar and Billy House.
http://news.bna.com/deln/DELNWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=101325744&vname=dennotallissues&fn=101325744&jd=101325744
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Setback is Probably Only Temporary for Dakota Access Pipeline
Dec 5, 2016 | Bloomberg (In Fuel Fix)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision to deny a permit for Energy Transfer Partners to build a section of the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota is likely to be a temporary setback.
While the decision by President Barack Obama’s administration prevents the pipeline’s completion for now, analysts and Republican leaders have said Energy Transfer will probably receive the approval it seeks after President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.
“The Obama administration’s refusal to issue an easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline violates the rule of law and fails to resolve the issue,” North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven, a Republican, said in an email. “Instead, it passes the decision off to the next administration, which has already indicated it will approve the easement, and in the meantime perpetuates a difficult situation for North Dakotans.”
Trump has expressed support for Dakota Access as recently as Dec. 1.
Energy Transfer Partners and Sunoco Logistics Partners LP called the move “a purely political action” in a statement Sunday, adding that they are fully committed to bringing the project to completion.
“This is nothing new from this administration, since over the last four months, the administration has demonstrated by its action and inaction that it intended to delay a decision in this matter until President Obama is out of office,” the companies said in the statement.
Dakota Access has been central to the intensifying debate over the need for new pipelines in the U.S. It has become a rallying point for the anti-fossil fuel movement and has drawn intense opposition from Native Americans who say it’ll damage culturally significant sites.
“We wholeheartedly support the decision of the administration,” Dave Archambault II, tribal chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, said in a statement on Sunday. “In a system that has continuously been stacked against us from every angle, it took tremendous courage.”
The pipeline could help cut costs for drillers in North Dakota’s Bakken shale region that have turned to more costly rail shipments when existing pipes filled up. Dakota Access, with a capacity of about 470,000 barrels a day, would ship about half of the current Bakken crude production and enable producers to access Midwest and Gulf Coast markets.
The permit would be for the final section of the pipeline, which spans four states. The project was originally slated to be operational at the end of this year.
“The thoughtful approach established by the Army today ensures that there will be an in-depth evaluation of alternative routes for the pipeline and a closer look at potential impacts,” Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said in an e-mail.
Energy Transfer owns the project with Phillips 66 and Sunoco Logistics. Marathon Petroleum and Enbridge Energy Partners announced a venture in August that would also take a minority stake in the pipeline.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2016/12/05/setback-is-probably-only-temporary-for-dakota-access-pipeline/
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Negotiators Close in on Pared-Down Energy Bill
Dec 5, 2016 | PoliticoPro - Whiteboard
By Nick Juliano and Anthony Adragna
Congressional negotiators are closing in on a slimmed-down energy bill they could pass this week, House Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop said tonight.
The bill text would likely need to come together tonight to give lawmakers time to review it, Bishop said, and that would set the bill up to pass under suspension of the House rules, which requires a two-thirds margin.
It is now up to House and Senate leadership to work out the final details and reach an agreement, Bishop said. He said he still was not completely satisfied, citing longstanding disagreements over the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
“No one’s ever satisfied, but in some areas it’s a first step. In the other areas, we’ll come back and deal with next year,” he said. “But it’s not done yet.”
Sources familiar with the talks say the conference report is not expected to contain provisions expediting liquefied natural gas exports, nor will it eliminate section 433 of the 2007 energy law, which directs the federal government to phase out the use of fossil fuels in new and renovated federal buildings. And the package is expected to drop language on building codes that had emerged as a late sticking point.
It is expected to contain consensus provisions focused on issues like energy efficiency, conservation and hydropower, among other areas.
https://www.politicopro.com/energy/whiteboard
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What Trump and Pence Don't Get About Clean Energy Jobs
Dec 5, 2016 | Environmental Defense Fund
By Jim Marston
A longer version of this post was published in Forbes.
President-elect Donald Trump sought to score points last week when he and running mate Mike Pence announced they had cobbled together enough taxpayer cash to save 800 Carrier jobs from moving to Mexico.
But his move surprised some who recalled that just two years ago, Gov. Pence allowed Indiana to become the first state to abandon its energy efficiency standards – a move that Carrier and other companies warned would threaten nearly 1,500 jobs and $500 million a year in local economic investment.
Evidently, losing 1,500 jobs wasn’t something the Indiana governor worried much about. Yet, two years and a presidential election later, spending $7 million to save 800 jobs on the backs of taxpayers is held up as proof that Trump is making good on his promise to reinvigorate the American economy.
Politics is theatre, but what worries me about the Carrier announcement is that it underscores how our incoming president and vice president fail to grasp the true economic potential of clean, modern energy.
A $200-billion market – and growing
America’s clean energy industry – everything from wind turbines and solar panels, to home energy storage and energy efficiency – is booming. In 2015, the market was worth $200 billion after growing 29 percent over the past five years.
That’s bigger than the United States airline industry and the pharmaceutical business. Importantly, this growth is creating millions of homegrown quality jobs. If Trump wants to be the jobs president he promised he would be, someone needs to brief him on the facts.
Need a job? Think solar and wind.
There are more American jobs in solar energy today than in coal mining and oil and gas extraction. And the number of solar jobs in the U.S. has grown more than 20 percent in each of the last three years.
Wind energy is also a huge employer of Americans – especially in low-income and rural communities. U.S. wind power supported a record 88,000 jobs at the start of 2016, and 70 percent of wind farms are located in low-income counties, supplying them with an economic boost.
And despite Trump’s false claims that “we don’t make windmills in the United States,” more than 60 percent of a modern wind farm’s value is made in America by an industry that now employs 21,000 factory workers. Even veterans are benefiting from this boom, as wind jobs use many of the transferrable skills veterans have.
These jobs can’t be outsourced
And let’s not forget about energy efficiency, an industry that spans construction, manufacturing, and design. Today, 1.9 million Americans are employed, in whole or in part, by the energy efficiency products and services industry – and almost 1.2 million of these jobs are in construction.
These are well-paying jobs that can’t be shipped overseas. In other words, they’re exactly the kind of jobs that Americans voted for this November. And they’re jobs perfectly suited for manufacturing workers that are pinched by today’s economy.
If you add jobs that improve the efficiency of traditional industries – for example, the engineers that are reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas industry or improving the fuel efficiency of automobiles – the impact of “clean energy” on our economy is even larger.
An opportunity Trump can’t afford to miss
Clean energy is bipartisan, and there is now more wind and solar energy in Republican districts than in Democratic districts. It may explain why 75 percent of Trump voters support taking action to accelerate the development and use of clean energy.
My home state, Texas, produces more wind power than most countries. Reliable, modern, clean, and local job creation transcends political divides.
It’s a great opportunity for a president who wants to strengthen the economy and must heal some deep political wounds.
If Trump grabs hold of the clean energy potential right in front of him it won’t be good just for his legacy – but also for our economy, climate and future.
https://www.edf.org/blog/2016/12/05/what-trump-and-pence-dont-get-about-clean-energy-jobs
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Fracking-Contaminated Groundwater: The Myth that Failed
Dec 6, 2016 | Real Clear Energy
By Timothy Benson
The myth that hydraulic fracturing, commonly called “fracking,” of oil and natural gas is responsible for the widespread, systemic contamination of groundwater (the stuff you drink) is one that is proving tremendously hard to kill. Like a hoard of Birkenstock-and-white-sock-wearing terminators—and here I paraphrase the film—proponents of fracking bans can’t be bargained with, can’t be reasoned with, can’t feel pity or remorse or fear, and they absolutely will not stop, ever, until fracking is dead.
No matter how many blows they get dealt, they keep on coming. No matter what the scientific literature says, they will not stray from their mission.
When you recognize you are dealing with people who consider the piffle in an anti-fracking piece of Manichaean agitprop like the film Gasland to be holy writ, this isn’t very surprising. The problem, however, is not that the congregation believes these things (cultists gonna cult); the problem is your average layman, who does not follow this issue too closely, is also susceptible to believing these things.
Simply put, despite their hysterical claims and protestations to the contrary, the existing scientific evidence shows hydraulic fracturing processes do not pose a systemic impact on groundwater. The latest blow comes from Wyoming’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), which released a final report earlier this month on drilling activity near the town of Pavillion.
A December 2011 draft report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that hinted at a link between drilling and water contamination turned Pavillion into a locus of the hydraulic fracturing debate, despite then-EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson stating after the report’s release, “… in no case have we made a definitive determination that the fracking process has caused chemicals to enter groundwater.” EPA officials also expressed concern internally over the “inflammatory and irresponsible” media coverage of the report.
After EPA’s handling of the testing was criticized by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Geological Survey, among others, EPA turned the investigation over to DEQ in 2013.
The DEQ report concluded drilling activity did not contaminate well water there and that any contaminants found in those wells were likely to be naturally occurring. Further, the monitoring wells EPA drilled were done incorrectly, and the agency itself accidentally introduced the very contaminants that it later detected and reported on.
“Evidence does not indicate that hydraulic fracturing fluids have risen to shallow depths utilized by water-supply wells,” states the report’s accompanying fact sheet. “Also, based on an evaluation of hydraulic fracturing history, and methods used in the Pavillion Gas Field, it is unlikely that hydraulic fracturing has caused any impacts to the water-supply wells.”
The DEQ report is no lone wolf. Since 2010, there have been at least 15 of these peer-reviewed studies have been produced, including ones by the Bureau of Economic Geology at the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas-Austin, the Department of Geology at the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Cincinnati, the California Council on Science and Technology and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, and Germany’s Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources.
The most noteworthy of these is a multi-year study conducted by the EPA itself. Released in June 2015, the study is widely considered to be the most exhaustive research to date on the subject of hydraulic fracturing. The EPA researchers found fracking has not led to systemic impacts on drinking water, stating, “the number of cases where drinking water resources were impacted is small relative to the number of hydraulically fractured wells.”
The fracking process has transformed the energy outlook of the United States over the past decade, and the rise of shale gas as a replacement for coal has been primarily responsible for the United States now enjoying its lowest level of carbon-dioxide emissionssince 1989. The oil and natural gas hydraulic fracturing has enabled us to exploit are cost-effective and abundant, and they can ensure the United States is the world’s largest energy producer well beyond the 21st century.
Federal, state, and local governments have tested thousands of sites for hydraulic fracturing pollution of groundwater and drinking water resources. Flatly, there is no scientific justification for banning hydraulic fracturing or over-regulating it out of existence over concern for groundwater contamination. Regulation should only be based on the best available scientific literature, not on wild, unfounded claims of based on misinformation, fear, and superstition.
Timothy Benson is a policy analyst with The Heartland Institute, a free-market think tank headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
http://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2016/12/06/fracking-contaminated_groundwater_the_myth_that_failed_110135.html
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U.S.-to-Mexico NatGas Pipeline Capacity to Nearly Double
Dec 5, 2016 | Natural Gas Intelligence
By Jamison Cocklin
U.S. pipeline capacity for natural gas exports to Mexico has not only rapidly expanded in recent years, but it is expected to nearly double over the next three, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The cross-border pipeline expansion has been driven by Mexico's use of natural gas for power generation, declining domestic production and the lower cost of U.S. pipeline gas compared with liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, EIA said in a “Today in Energy” brief on Thursday. United States-to-Mexico pipeline capacity is 7.3 Bcf/d and primarily serves the northeast and central parts of the country.
To get a better picture of the developing natural gas market in Mexico, including operational and in-process projects, as well as where the U.S./Mexico import and export points are, check out NGI’s 2017 Map of Emerging Mexico Natural Gas Pipeline Infrastructure.
Over the next three years, pipeline projects such as Oneok Partners LP's Roadrunner Phase II, Energy Transfer Partners LP's Comanche Trail and Trans-Pecos, and Nueva Era-- backed in part by Howard Energy Partners -- would add 3.5 Bcf/d to current capacity. Those projects would supply new gas-fired power plants in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon, Sonora and Sinaloa. By 2018, Kinder Morgan Inc.'s Mier-Monterrey and Spectra Energy Corp.'s Nueces-Brownsville projects are expected to add another 3.3 Bcf/d of exports to Northeast and Central Mexico.
U.S. pipeline exports have doubled since 2009 and are expected to keep growing this year, EIA said earlier this week. The United States exported 4.2 Bcf/d of natural gas through pipelines to Mexico in August. Through the first eight months of this year, the EIA said Mexican pipeline exports averaged 3.6 Bcf/d, or 85% higher than the five-year average from 2011-2015.
A separate analysis of EIA data by Ponderosa Advisors LLC shows that Mexican exports accounted for 4% of U.S. gas demand last year. That's compared to the 10-year average of 2% from 2006-2015.
The cross-border pipeline expansion has been matched by growth in Mexico's domestic pipeline network. The country is expanding capacity to accommodate higher imports from the United States under a five-year plan launched last year by its energy ministry, Secretaria de Energia.
U.S. pipeline exports have gradually displaced Mexico's LNG imports. The EIA said that after the 2.1 Bcf/d Los Ramones Phase I pipeline was completed in 2014, nearly all LNG imports at the Altamira terminal in Central Mexico have been displaced with gas from the Eagle Ford Shale. LNG imports at Altamira were 50% lower through October of this year than they were in 2015.
The completion of the 1.4 Bcf/d Los Ramones Phase II, which is being developed in part by Petroleos Mexicanos, is also expected to displace LNG imports at the Manzanillo terminal in Central Mexico, including Mexico City.
Mexico's evolving natural gas market was the topic of discussion during a webinar hosted by NGI in November. NGI also recently released a special report, "Inside Cenagas," detailing the growth of the country's natural gas infrastructure.
http://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/108623-us-to-mexico-natgas-pipeline-capacity-to-nearly-double
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Texas Haze Plan Remand Formally Requested by EPA
Dec 6, 2016 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Patrick Ambrosio
The Environmental Protection Agency formally asked a federal appeals court to halt litigation over a regional haze regulation covering Texas, a development that one attorney described as potentially representing “the first concrete implications” of the 2016 election results on environmental policy.
The agency, in a motion filed Dec. 2, asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to remand parts of the regional haze regulation that disapproved of Texas's own plan for improving visibility in federally protected areas with a federal plan that required about $2 billion in pollution controls to be installed at eight coal-fired power plants in the state. The EPA said it decided to take another look at its decision on the Texas regional haze plan after reviewing a July court order that stayed implementation of the EPA's federal plan pending judicial review (Texas v. EPA, 5th Cir., No. 16-60118, motion filed 12/2/16).
The EPA had been in settlement negotiations with Texas and industry petitioners since the rule was stayed, but the parties indicated in court filings last week that settlement negotiations had broken down. The Nov. 8 election of Donald J. Trump may have been a big factor in halting the negotiations, according to Seth Jaffe, a partner at Foley Hoag LLP in Boston who focuses on environmental compliance and litigation.
“You don't have to be privy to any confidential information to draw the conclusion that a certain election on November 8 rather drastically reduced EPA's leverage in those negotiations,” Jaffe said in a blog post published by Foley Hoag. “It looks as though we may have seen the first concrete implications of the election on environmental policy.”
The power sector organizations that joined Texas in challenging the EPA's rule include Luminant Generation Co., the Utility Air Regulatory Group and NRG Texas Power LLC.
http://news.bna.com/deln/DELNWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=101325751&vname=dennotallissues&fn=101325751&jd=101325751
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EPA Air Guidance Could Support States in Permitting Issues
Dec 5, 2016 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Patrick Ambrosio
New guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency is among several potential tools that could aid state environmental agencies in issuing permits under national air quality standards, the head of a state air regulators group said.
The EPA late Dec. 2 posted a guidance document containing recommendations on how state agencies can conduct modeling and technical analysis to support decisions on permitting new and modified industrial sources.
The recommendations pertain to permit-related assessments for ozone and fine particulate matter under the EPA's Prevention of Significant Deterioration Program, which aims to ensure that any emissions increases related to industrial development do not cause an area to violate national ambient air quality standards.
State agencies are still reviewing the document in detail, but the latest guidance could serve as an important tool for states as they go about modeling and compliance demonstration work under the PSD program, according to Clint Woods, executive director of the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies. The association represents 20 state air pollution control agencies, including state agencies in Texas, Virginia, Ohio and Arizona.
Woods, in an e-mail to Bloomberg BNA, highlighted some other assistance that the EPA is working on to help states with modeling and compliance work, including guidance on significant impact levels for ozone and fine particulate matter and pending changes to the EPA's Guideline on Air Quality Models. Those guidelines (RIN:2060-AS54) cleared review by the White House Office of Management and Budget on Nov. 30, but have not yet been released.
http://news.bna.com/deln/DELNWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=101325759&vname=dennotallissues&fn=101325759&jd=101325759
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Greens Sue EPA over Exceptions in Ozone Rule
Dec 5, 2016 | E&E News PM
By Sean Reilly
Two environmental groups are taking exception to U.S. EPA's recently streamlined guidance for dealing with so-called exceptional events.
In a lawsuit filed Friday, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review the final rule published in early October. Their petition does not spell out the grounds for the challenge, but in comments earlier this year on EPA's draft proposal, the two organizations argued that the agency overstepped the law in trying to make it easier for states to get waivers on air pollution violations from forces outside of their control.
In suggesting, for example, that emissions stemming from natural disaster cleanups could qualify for exceptional events treatment, EPA's interpretation "flies in the face of the plain, statutory language," they wrote. They also argued that the agency's approach would let states get a pass on air pollution exceedances resulting from man-made emissions that wafted across state lines.
While the Clean Air Act mandates protection of public health as the highest priority, EPA's proposal "puts the health of all Americans at risk," they concluded.
The revised guidance issued in October was the first major rewrite of the exceptional events rule since 2007. While EPA has touted it as a means for meeting the more stringent ground-level ozone standard put in place last year, 10 states challenging the 70 parts per billion limit recently objected that it remains too narrowly constructed and continues to place the burden of proof on states (Greenwire, Nov. 30).
http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2016/12/05/stories/1060046680
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Trump Meets With Al Gore on Climate Issues Amid Pressure From His Children
Dec 5, 2016 | Wall Street Journal
By Michael C. Bender and Amy Harder
President-elect Donald Trump’s children are urging him to seize on environmental conservation as a potentially defining issue for his administration, according to two people familiar with the discussions, an effort that could clash with Mr. Trump’s aim of boosting energy production from fossil fuels and his opposition to many federal regulations.
The familial push prompted a meeting Monday in New York between Mr. Trump and former Vice President Al Gore, an outspoken climate advocate who has promoted energy efficiency and warned of the consequences of global warming.
Mr. Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, also met with Mr. Gore in Trump Tower as she determines what role she will have in the next administration. The 35-year-old businesswoman emphasized family issues during the presidential campaign and is exploring other policies she might help shape, including energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions, according to a person familiar with her thinking.
Ms. Trump, who sought the meeting with the former vice president, has been a moderating influence on her father’s blunt brand of conservatism. Senior aides have said she is one of the few people in his circle able to persuade the president-elect to change a position without upsetting him.
Her sway was apparent in his decision to support a guarantee for six weeks of paid maternity leave, a departure from Republican orthodoxy.
But Ms. Trump’s further involvement in policy issues would also underscore questions about conflicts-of-interest for the Trump family and its global business empire. Ms. Trump sat in on a Nov. 17 meeting between her father and Japanese Prime MinisterShinzo Abe, raising concerns about the overlap between federal policy and the family’s private business.
“They need to figure out what the Trump children are going to do,” said Richard Painter,the chief White House ethics lawyer for former President George W. Bush. “I don’t see anything wrong with a corporate businesswoman being involved in a public policy discussion with the Trump administration, but that appearance will be problematic even if it’s legal.”
Jason Miller, a spokesman for the Trump transition, said Monday that Mr. Trump will speak about his company and his children’s role in his administration at a news conference on Dec. 15.
Mr. Trump’s position on environmental issues may not be entirely fleshed out. But he has left little doubt of his desire to boost the coal industry, beef up domestic energy production, cut regulations and take other actions that worry environmentalists.
Mr. Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., said during the campaign his father would “keep public lands public and accessible” while also pushing to develop resources.
Mr. Gore has said electing Mr. Trump could lead to a “climate catastrophe.” But while Mr. Trump’s transition has reflected the value he places on loyalty, he has also shown a taste for unexpected meetings with former rivals and critics.
Asked about the Gore meeting, Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said: “There’s a very small group of people in this country who’ve been president or vice president,” and Mr. Gore is one of the few “folks who breathe that rarefied air.”
Environmentalists hope Ms. Trump’s session with Mr. Gore, one of the world’s most outspoken and influential climate advocates, indicates she will champion the cause.
The Trump family bought an advertisement in 2009 in the New York Times calling for legislation “to ensure meaningful and effective measures to control climate change.” But in a tweet from February 2010, Ms. Trump appeared to mock the idea global warming by noting that a congressional hearing on it was canceled due to a blizzard. “Ironic tidbit of the day,” she tweeted.
“Her position largely remains a question mark, but the fact she’s reaching out to people like Al Gore to try and understand this issue I think is a good sign,” said Heather Zichal, a former White House energy and climate adviser to President Barack Obama.
Mr. Gore described the meeting as “very productive.”
“It was a sincere search for areas of common ground,” Mr. Gore told reporters at Trump Tower. “I had a meeting beforehand with Ivanka Trump. The bulk of the time was with the president-elect, Donald Trump. I found it an extremely interesting conversation, and to be continued, and I’m just going to leave it at that.”
Mr. Trump has repeatedly called climate change a “hoax.” In 2012, he tweeted that “the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.”
Conservative backers of the Trump administration said they weren’t worried about Monday’s meetings altering Mr. Trump’s views on climate change.
“I’m not losing any sleep over it,” said Chris Warren, spokesman for the American Energy Alliance, a conservative energy group whose president, Tom Pyle, is on Mr. Trump’s transition team. “I think President-elect Trump has made it very clear that he doesn’t subscribe to Al Gore’s radical, out-of-touch philosophy.”
http://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-meets-with-gore-on-climate-issues-amid-pressure-from-his-children-1480985047
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The Case for Saving the Paris Agreement
Dec 5, 2016 | Washington Post
By Editorial Board
It is hard to say exactly what impact President-elect Donald Trump might have on the fight to slow human-caused climate change — for two reasons.
First is that Mr. Trump has not been particularly clear on his views, though he leaves little reason for hope. He has at times sounded like a wholesale climate denier and conspiracy theorist, such as when he claimed global warming is a hoax. At other times he has taken a slightly more conciliatory tone. The last word the country has had from the next president was widely interpreted as falling into the latter category; he told the New York Times that “there is some connectivity” between human action and the warming of the planet and that he is keeping “an open mind” on the matter.
The reaction to Mr. Trump’s latest statement was almost certainly too optimistic: Mr. Trump also claimed that “I’m not sure anybody is ever going to really know” what the facts on climate change are, though the scientific community has dedicated decades of study to the issue and is near-unanimous in its concern. Mr. Trump also promised to cancel “job-killing” energy regulations in a post-election YouTube video, and his incoming chief of staff, Reince Priebus, assured Fox News viewers that his “default position” is that “most of it is a bunch of bunk.” All that suggests Mr. Trump is unlikely to treat global warming as the threat it is and that he will favor fossil fuel interests when he is in the White House.
How that translates into policy changes, however, is also unpredictable — and offers slightly more reason for hope. Reversing federal rules takes time and sustained effort, and courts do not always allow regulatory changes. Congress could help Mr. Trump gut environmental protections, but the Senate, with its narrow Republican majority, may balk. The George W. Bush administration was pretty favorable to fossil fuels, but, for all its effort, it failed to change many enduring environmental programs.
The United States is still on track to lower its emissions in a way that could maintain some of its credibility on the international stage, in part because utilities have substituted cheap natural gas, which Mr. Trump favors, for coal. That trend, along with a continuation of federal renewables subsidies already written into law and the progress of various state-level efforts, will put downward pressure on the country’s carbon emissions. These factors are not nearly enough to transition off dirty energy in the long run, but they do mean that even if Mr. Trump foolishly defies the warnings of experts, there may be ways to limit the damage over the next four years.
Given that Mr. Trump does not want to undermine the success of natural gas, that he cannot control the actions of states and cities, and that he will not eliminate every pro-renewables policy on the federal level, the next administration should ask itself why it would pull out of the Paris agreement, an international climate deal that took decades to strike. Doing so would relieve pressure on China, India and other big emitters to contain their emissions. If the United States is going to constrain its carbon footprint, anyway, why let other countries off the hook?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-case-for-saving-the-paris-agreement/2016/12/04/74407b12-b81d-11e6-b8df-600bd9d38a02_story.html?utm_term=.30713f4a8455
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