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ACC PM 26/06
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EPA Opens Nominations for Key Science Boards
Jun 26, 2017 | PoliticoPro - Whiteboard
By Eric Wolff
EPA is seeking nominations to fill key slots on the Clean Air Science Advisory Committee and the Science Advisory Board — committees the agency is required by law to maintain to advise it on air pollution and other scientific issues. -
EPA's Chief Hails Chemical Safety Progress
Jun 26, 2017 | Occupational Health & Saftey
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on June 22, the one-year anniversary of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, announced that EPA has met its first-year implementation milestones under the law, having issued three new rules... -
Trump’s EPA Ignores Hidden Carcinogen Lurking in Cosmetics
Jun 26, 2017 | Environmental Working Group
By Scott Faber
The Trump administration’s proposal to study 1,4-dioxane excludes exposures from personal care products – even though an EWG analysis found that thousands of shampoos, soaps, lotions, sunscreens, toothpastes and cosmetics may include the possible carcinogen. -
Meal Prepping May Actually Be Sabotaging Your Diet
Jun 26, 2017 | Huffington Post
By Whitney Akers
If your Sunday nights are dedicated to meal prepping for the week ahead, you’re part of a mighty group of health nuts -
Battle Over Chemical Splits Ark. Farmers
Jun 26, 2017 | National Public Radio (In E&E Greenwire)
By Dan Charles
The Arkansas State Plant Board stepped into a raging pesticide battle by voting Friday to impose an unprecedented ban on a chemical. -
(ACC Blog) In the Zone: Appalachian Region Could Become a Major Center of Petrochemicals and Plastics Manufacturing
Jun 26, 2017 | American Chemistry Matters
By American Chemistry
With its abundant energy resources and proximity to manufacturing markets, the Appalachian Region is poised to become a major center of petrochemical and plastics products manufacturing in the United States, similar to the Gulf Coast, according to a recent report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC). -
'Global Dominance' the Theme as Trump Starts Energy Week
Jun 26, 2017 | E&E Greenwire
By Hannah Northey
President Trump will double down on achieving "global energy dominance" this week with an appearance at the Department of Energy, leaving some industry experts wondering about the White House's intentions abroad. -
Ewire: Pruitt Joins Trump to Push US Energy 'Dominance'
Jun 26, 2017 | Inside EPA
Welcome to what the White House is calling “energy week.” -
Ill. Gears Up for Fight Over First Fracking Well
Jun 26, 2017 | E&E Energywire
By Mike Lee
A company has applied for the first high-volume hydraulic fracturing permit in Illinois, prompting protests from environmentalists. -
Wyo. Agency Will Track Failed Oil and Gas Operators
Jun 26, 2017 | Casper Star Tribune (In E&E Energywire)
By Heather Richards
People involved with multiple failed oil or gas projects or companies in Wyoming will now have to notify state regulators if they are going to start a new business there, a new practice that the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission says... -
'Global Dominance' the Theme as Trump Starts Energy Week
Jun 26, 2017 | E&E Greenwire
By Hannah Northey
President Trump will double down on achieving "global energy dominance" this week with an appearance at the Department of Energy, leaving some industry experts wondering about the White House's intentions abroad. -
Senators Again Urge Trump to Examine Threats Russian Hackers Pose to U.S. Energy Infrastructure
Jun 26, 2017 | Natural Gas Intelligence
By Charlie Passut
A group of Democratic senators is urging President Trump to direct the Department of Energy (DOE) to examine the threats Russian hackers pose to energy infrastructure in the United States, while accusing the administration of failing to respond... -
Feds Move to Roll Back Sandblasting Mineral Safety Regs
Jun 26, 2017 | E&E Greenwire
By Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed a rule Friday that would roll back some Obama-era worker protections related to a mineral that can cause lung cancer and other diseases. -
Supreme Court Turns Down New Mexico Lawsuit Over Gold King Spill
Jun 26, 2017 | PoliticoPro
By Alex Guillen
The Supreme Court today in a 7-2 vote declined to take up a lawsuit brought by New Mexico against Colorado over the 2015 Gold King mine spill. -
Poll: Voters Want US to Seek New Climate Pact to Replace Paris
Jun 26, 2017 | The Hill - E2 Wire
By Timothy Cama
More than two thirds of American voters want the United States to work up a new international climate change pact to replace the Paris agreement. -
Ex-Staffer: Climate Website Removal 'Declaration of War'
Jun 26, 2017 | Washington Post (In E&E Climatewire)
By Jason Samenow
U.S. EPA's decision to scrap its climate change website amounts to "a declaration of war," according to one of the scientists who managed the site for more than five years.
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EPA Opens Nominations for Key Science Boards
Jun 26, 2017 | PoliticoPro - Whiteboard
By Eric Wolff
EPA is seeking nominations to fill key slots on the Clean Air Science Advisory Committee and the Science Advisory Board — committees the agency is required by law to maintain to advise it on air pollution and other scientific issues.
A notice will go into the Federal Register tomorrow that will allow 30 days for nominations to fill one opening on the Clean Air Science Advisory Committee, six slots on the Science Advisory Board and experts to serve on six SAB committees.
The timing for bringing on a new CASAC member is tight since committee chair Ana Diez Roux will depart at the end of September when her second term expires. As both a medical doctor and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Diez Roux fills two roles required under the law. If her term ends without those roles filled, the committee will cease to function. CASAC provides essential advice for setting allowable air pollution levels for six key pollutants named in the Clean Air Act.
In addition to the six positions opening on the SAB committee, EPA is asking for nominees to serve on its Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee, the Drinking Water Committee, the Ecological Processes and Effects Committee, the Environmental Economics Advisory Committee; the Environmental Engineering Committee and the Radiation Advisory Committee.
WHAT'S NEXT: EPA will accept nominations for the positions for 30 days once the notice officially is published in the Federal Register, expected Tuesday.
https://www.politicopro.com/energy/whiteboard
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EPA's Chief Hails Chemical Safety Progress
Jun 26, 2017 | Occupational Health & Saftey
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on June 22, the one-year anniversary of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, announced that EPA has met its first-year implementation milestones under the law, having issued three new rules, provided a guidance document for external parties, and released scoping documents for the first 10 risk evaluations that will be conducted.
"The activities we are announcing today demonstrate this administration's commitment to providing regulatory certainty to American businesses while protecting human health and the environment," he said. "The new process for evaluating existing chemicals outlined in these rules will increase public confidence in chemical safety without stifling innovation."
The law updated the Toxic Substances Control Act. EPA had completed these tasks as of the anniversary:Finalized a rule to establish EPA's process and criteria for identifying high-priority chemicals for risk evaluation and low-priority chemicals for which risk evaluation isn't needed. In response to public comments, the rule affirms EPA's commitment to following the best available science, engaging stakeholders in the prioritization process, and recognizing the value of designating chemicals as low priority when appropriate.Finalized a rule to establish EPA's process for evaluating high-priority chemicals to determine whether or not they present an unreasonable risk to health or the environment.Finalized a rule to require industry reporting of chemicals manufactured or processed in the United States during the past 10 years. The reporting will be used to identify which chemical substances on the TSCA Inventory are active in U.S. commerce and will help inform the chemicals EPA prioritizes for risk evaluation.Released scope documents for the initial 10 chemicals for risk evaluation under the amended law. The 10, published by the agency in December 2016, are asbestos, 1-Bromopropane, carbon tetrachloride, 1, 4 Dioxane, Cyclic Aliphatic Bromide Cluster (HBCD), methylene chloride, N-Methylpyrolidone, perchloroethylene, Pigment Violet 29, and trichloroethylene.
https://ohsonline.com/articles/2017/06/26/epas-chief-hails-chemical-safety-progress.aspx
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Trump’s EPA Ignores Hidden Carcinogen Lurking in Cosmetics
Jun 26, 2017 | Environmental Working Group
By Scott Faber
The Trump administration’s proposal to study 1,4-dioxane excludes exposures from personal care products – even though an EWG analysis found that thousands of shampoos, soaps, lotions, sunscreens, toothpastes and cosmetics may include the possible carcinogen.
More than 8,000 personal care products in EWG’s Skin Deep® cosmetics database include ingredients produced through ethoxylation, including polyethylene, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and ceteareth. Although 1,4-dioxane is not intentionally added to personal care products, ethoxylated chemicals can contaminate personal care products with trace amounts of 1,4-dioxane.
Some companies voluntarily remove or reduce 1,4-dioxane from these products, but there are no rules that require them to do so. Many of the products in Skin Deep that contain ethoxylated chemicals – and thus may contain 1,4-dioxane – are marketed to children
Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency released the Trump administration’s plan to determine whether and how to regulate 1,4-dioxane. Last year, the EPA identified 1,4-dioxane as one of the first 10 chemicals for review under an updated version of the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Industrial uses of 1,4-dioxane – like wood pulping and manufacturing adhesives – are a major source of the chemical. But the Trump administration’s plan to assess the risks of 1,4-dioxane would ignore exposures from personal care products.
The Trump plan would consider the risks posed by other exposures – including inhaling 1,4-dioxane in the air, and drinking and washing with 1,4-dioxane in tap water. But the Trump plan would not include exposures from products like toothpaste, mouthwash, sunscreens and shampoos – creating an incomplete picture of the risks posed by the chemical.
The EPA has classified 1,4-dioxane as a “likely human carcinogen” and it is listed in California’s registry of chemicals known to cause cancer. In laboratory studies, 1,4-dioxane administered to animals through drinking water caused tumors in the liver, nasal cavity, peritoneal and mammary glands in some subjects. Short-term exposure to relatively high amounts of 1,4-dioxane is particularly damaging to the liver and kidneys.
Because manufacturers don’t have to disclose the presence of 1,4-dioxane on product labels, there’s no way for consumers to know if their personal care or household products harbor the hidden carcinogen. 1,4-Dioxane can also be in paint strippers, dyes, greases, waxes and varnishes. Residues of 1,4-dioxane are sometimes found in food additives and food packaging.
The Food and Drug Administration says there’s a simple process, called vacuum stripping, to minimize the presence of 1,4-dioxane in personal care products. But the lack of reporting and labeling make it unclear how many companies take the care to remove it.
In addition to regulating 1,4-dioxane under TSCA, the EPA could also set a limit for 1,4-dioxane in drinking water. The FDA could take action to ensure 1,4-dioxane is removed or virtually eliminated from shampoos, shower gels, body washes, foaming hand soaps, bubble baths and lotions. In addition to vacuum stripping, manufacturers could take steps to slow the formation of 1,4-dioxane as a byproduct. New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, both democrats, have petitioned the FDA to ban the presence of 1,4-dioxane in cosmetics.
http://www.ewg.org/planet-trump/2017/06/trump-s-epa-ignores-hidden-carcinogen-lurking-cosmetics
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Meal Prepping May Actually Be Sabotaging Your Diet
Jun 26, 2017 | Huffington Post
By Whitney Akers
If your Sunday nights are dedicated to meal prepping for the week ahead, you’re part of a mighty group of health nuts.
The planning ahead of meals is a main tip of weight loss coaches, food bloggers and nutritionists.
Indeed, meal prepping’s popularity has exploded on social media. On Instagram alone there are 5.5 million photos tagged #mealprep and 1.1 million tagged #foodprep.
While perfectly portioned-out food for seven days does make for the perfect #foodporn snapshot, meal preppers are onto an idea that — at least in concept — is good for your diet, according to research.
People who spend more time preparing meals are more likely to have healthier diets, according to a 2014 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
They eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
They also eat at fast food restaurants only half as often as people who only spend less than an hour each day prepping and cooking their meals.
In addition, they spend less money on food.
More recently, a 2017 study of 40,000 adults in France found that people who meal prepped at least a few days at a time were less likely to be overweight and stuck more closely to nutritional guidelines.
The survey also found that meal prepping led to more food variety over the week.
Portion control is one key way food prepping helps people maintain a healthy weight or lose a few pounds.
A review of several studies around the role of portion control in weight management showed that eating the appropriate amount of food is directly linked.
One component of portion control that researchers stress is choosing the right portions of water-rich foods, like fruits and vegetables, and eating less energy-dense foods — like most fast foods and candy.
If you prep your food, it’s easier to not only eat the right amount, but to avoid foods that are bad for you but oh-so-tempting.Food containers contain hazards
However, if you’re portioning food out into plastic containers, all of that healthy preparation could actually create a new barrier to staying trim.
Dr. Aly Cohen, a rheumatologist, as well as an integrative medicine and environmental health specialist who is on staff at the CentraState Medical Center, explained.
“An effective diet is not just about healthy eating, managing sugar and carbohydrates, and exercise,” she told Healthline. “Reducing chemical exposure is also key because many of these chemicals can disrupt normal hormone function, impede weight loss, and even cause weight gain. Just because chemicals may not have an obvious effect, like causing a rash, doesn’t mean they aren’t tinkering with your body.”
Whipping up a big batch of healthy chili, scooping it out into several plastic containers, and quickly reheating it in the microwave come mealtime is one example of how a healthy meal prep turns into several dinners brimming with the harmful hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA).
BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic (plastic #7) and canned food linings, as well as many other things that we touch every day — including our smartphones.
“Most human exposure to BPA is through ingestion from canned products, but BPA can also be absorbed by touching paper that uses BPA to seal ink onto its surface [e.g., receipts, airplane and parking tickets, currency] and then touching your hands to your lips. BPA can also be absorbed in smaller amounts through the skin,” Cohen said.
Cohen noted that BPA is pervasive — 8 billion pounds of BPA are made every year — since it’s one of the cheapest ways to make packaging.
BPA and — if your plastic container is marked “BPA-free” — similar, sometimes more harmful chemicals are lurking in your plastic food storage set of containers.
Heating up plastic containers by putting hot food in them or microwaving them can draw out BPA — right into your food.How BPA affects the body
BPA was first discovered in 1891 and then rediscovered in 1936, according to Cohen.
“It was used as an estrogen replacement drug for women, and it was also used to fatten poultry and cattle. In the 1940s it was discovered that linking the molecules together created a hard, clear, glass-like plastic,” she said.
BPA can confuse the endocrine system, which regulates hormones, by mimicking estrogen.
We’re regularly ingesting BPA, and therefore continually disrupting the messages that help our bodies function properly. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 90 percent of people have detectable levels of BPA in their systems.
To date, nearly 100 studies have been published tying BPA to various health problems, from diabetes and cardiovascular disease to infertility, according to the Endocrine Society and IPEN’s Introduction to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals.
Some other effects of too much BPA exposure are directly contrary to weight loss and healthy eating goals.BPA may be wrecking your diet
BPA passes through a person’s system fairly quickly, but detoxifying still isn’t easy.
“Despite the fact that BPA has a short half-life of six hours, which means an exposure will wash out over a day or so, people continue to have high blood levels,” Cohen noted.
“There are two problems with BPA,” added Laura Vandenberg, PhD, a spokesperson for the Endocrine Society, and an assistant professor of environmental health at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. “One is that we are constantly exposed in our environment, so the levels never really seem to drop. Even in people that have been fasting, metabolite levels in urine are still detected. The second problem is that, if exposures occur during a vulnerable period of development, like fetal development, the effects can be permanent — even if exposures cease.”
For adult meal-planning fanatics, constant re-exposure to BPA may mean that meal prepping is actually sabotaging your diet.
“BPA is so ubiquitous, that humans are continuously exposed, making BPA ‘pseudo-persistent,’” Cohen said. “What’s interesting in terms of weight is that BPA can turn stem cells into fat cells and make fat cells turn larger. That’s not great news for our waistlines — let alone our overall health.”
A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives in 2015 was the first study to prove that BPA-glucuronide (BPA-G), which accounts for 80 to 90 percent of the metabolites your liver produces when processing BPA, doesn’t just get excreted from your body.
The researchers showed that BPA is an active agent that can prompt cells to become fat cells.
That’s not the only proven way that BPA exposure can interfere with your weight goals.
A recent study published in Endocrinology found that BPA exposure makes it much harder for you to feel full.
While meal prepping helps with portion control, the BPA in the plastic food storage containers may ironically be causing people to want to eat larger portions.“BPA-free” label doesn’t equal safe
Even buying plastic containers marked “BPA-free” doesn’t protect you from the harmful effects of plastic.
Some BPA-free products can actually release estrogen-simulating chemicals that are more potent than BPA.
“Many products are now labeled ‘BPA-free.’ However, BPA is often replaced with bisphenol S [BPS] and bisphenol F [BPF], which are less studied but appear to have similar hormone-disrupting effects,” Rebecca Fuoco, MPH, director of Health Research Communication Strategies, told Healthline.
That means scientists and activists that study toxic chemicals like BPA and push to remove them from everyday products often end up spending a lot of time trying to figure out what’s in the new compound.
“When a chemical is found to be harmful, manufacturers change the molecule ever so slightly and put it out to market again,” noted Cohen. “From BPA came BPS, BPF, and BP-FB, which are molecules that have been found thus far to have more harmful effects than the chemical they were designed to replace — also known as ‘regrettable substitutions.’ Researchers are essentially playing whack-a-mole, because plastics and their ingredients are proprietary and considered ‘trade secrets,’ so the recipes and ingredients are not shared with researchers or consumers.”Policy favors manufacturers
In 2012, 4.7 million metric tons of BPA, valued at about $8 billion, was estimated to have been produced, according to GlobalData.
And reports of the harmful effects aren’t slowing production. The demand for BPA has risen 6 to 10 percent annually.
Oleoresin is a vegetable-based alternative that can add about two cents to the cost of manufacturing of cans, according to Cohen.
So far, it has only been used in a small percentage of cans on the market.
“Our government has given more priority to manufacturers than to consumers. The vast majority of food packing ingredients are going out to market without ever being tested for toxicity,” Cohen said.
In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) still considers BPA to be safe, stating on its website that their research has “showed that BPA is rapidly metabolized and eliminated through feces and urine.”
On the other hand, regulatory agencies in Europe have recently re-evaluated BPA. Last week, there was widespread agreement by countries in the European Union that this chemical should be labeled a human endocrine disruptor.
For Americans, though, toxic chemicals like BPA remain a concern.
“We shouldn’t expect individual consumers to have detailed knowledge of chemistry to make safe decisions for themselves or their families. Safety decisions should be made by regulators using the best available evidence. I will continue to push for improved regulations that use modern data to protect public health,” Vandenberg told Healthline.Four ways to avoid harmful diet-sabotaging chemicals
Even though BPA-riddled plastic containers are out there, Vandenberg and Cohen noted that people can still make small changes over time that add up.
Here are some ways to ensure your food containers aren’t keeping you from losing weight.Buy glass, ceramic, or stainless steel food containers. While cost can be a concern, avoid plastic containers whenever possible and invest in glass, ceramic, or stainless steel food storage containers instead. Remember that you shouldn’t assume that a “BPA-free” label means a plastic container is safe.Don’t heat up plastic containers or use harsh detergents to clean them. If you can’t shell out the cash for new glass food containers, there are still ways to make using your plastic containers safer. Using harsh cleaning supplies to wash your plastics or heating them up can increase leaching of BPA into food. Use eco-friendly soaps, never microwave plastics, and don’t pour hot liquids into your containers.Toss out worn or cracked BPA containers. Another way to make plastic containers safer is by tossing out the ones that are broken down or cracked. Clear hard plastic can often turn opaque from washing, and is more prone to breaking down in your food. Throw those containers into the trash and just use your newest, intact plastic containers.Buy fresh produce. “If you can, switch from canned food to flash-frozen organic — or even non-organic — food. Aim to buy fresh food whenever possible,” Cohen recommended. “Buying fresh foods instead of canned is also good, if possible. But eating healthy is also important, and if canned vegetables are the only affordable choice, they are better than no vegetables at all.” Vanderberg said.
Meal-prepping in plastic is still better than no meal prepping at all, if it helps you eat healthier.
“These chemicals are ubiquitous — they’re everywhere. You should do the best you can. Cutting chemicals out of your life is a journey, not a race. Every day I learn something new and try to add it into my life,” Cohen said.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/meal-prepping-may-actually-be-sabotaging-your-diet_us_59512f64e4b0326c0a8d0a1f
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Battle Over Chemical Splits Ark. Farmers
Jun 26, 2017 | National Public Radio (In E&E Greenwire)
By Dan Charles
The Arkansas State Plant Board stepped into a raging pesticide battle by voting Friday to impose an unprecedented ban on a chemical.
Hundreds of farmers say their crops have been damaged by a weedkiller that was sprayed on neighboring fields.
"It's fracturing the agricultural community. You either have to choose to be on the side of using the product or on the side of being damaged by the product," said David Hundley, who manages grain production for Ozark Mountain Poultry in Bay, Ark.
The weedkiller, called dicamba, became a practical option for farmers a few years ago when Monsanto Co. created soybean and cotton plants that could survive it.
But the chemical is a menace to other nearby crops. When it drifts in the wind, it can hit sensitive crops.
As soon as spraying began this spring, complaints came rolling in. By June 23, state regulators had received over 242 complaints from farmers who said their crops were damaged.
If the decision goes into effect with the governor's approval, it will be a hard blow to the farmers who spent extra getting the dicamba-resistant seeds
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/06/26/stories/1060056584
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Jun 26, 2017 | American Chemistry Matters
By American Chemistry
With its abundant energy resources and proximity to manufacturing markets, the Appalachian Region is poised to become a major center of petrochemical and plastics products manufacturing in the United States, similar to the Gulf Coast, according to a recent report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC).
ACC’s report, The Potential Economic Benefits of an Appalachian Petrochemical Industry, found that the quad-state region of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky could become a star player in America’s chemical manufacturing renaissance.
The basic building blocks of innovation
Ethane and propane are natural gas liquids (NGLs) found in shale formations. They’re also key raw materials that U.S. chemical manufacturers rely on to create materials and solutions used in countless products that make our lives safer, healthier, more comfortable and more convenient.
That’s a big reason why America’s shale gas resources have been able to make the United States the most attractive place in the world to invest in chemical manufacturing – driving a manufacturing revival of the sort we have not seen in decades.
Thanks to abundant, affordable domestic natural gas, $185 billion in new chemical industry investment has been announced nationwide, supporting 310 projects including new factories, expansions and restarts of facilities shuttered during the recession. The investment will translate into an estimated 821,000 permanent new jobs by 2025.
Historic opportunity for Appalachian region
Much of the new chemical industry activity announced so far has been concentrated on the Gulf Coast, longtime center of the U.S. chemical industry. The Appalachian region could be next to join in.
ACC’s report projects that much-needed jobs and tax revenue could come to the quad-state region. We’re talking about 100,000 permanent jobs, including 25,700 new chemical and plastic products manufacturing jobs, 43,000 jobs in supplier industries, and 32,000 ‘payroll-induced’ jobs in communities where workers spend their wages. The new investment could also lead to $2.9 billion in new federal, state, and local tax revenue annually.
Several companies have already announced investment projects, and there is potential for a great deal more.
New energy infrastructure is the missing link
A major Appalachian petrochemical industry won’t just happen. There needs to be a way to store and transport NGLs and chemicals. Only then will manufacturers have ready access to the resources needed to develop a community of petrochemical and derivative producers and support a supply chain of industries throughout the region.
What’s needed is the Appalachian Storage and Distribution Hub — an NGL storage facility and pipeline distribution network. In ACC’s report, we present a hypothetical scenario that includes the development of a storage hub for NGLs and chemicals, a 500-mile distribution network, petrochemical and plastics manufacturing and potentially other energy infrastructure and manufacturing.
Policymakers must do their part
Private industry can develop the Hub, but Congress and the Administration need to help get things started:Uncertainty around financing is a key barrier to the development of energy infrastructure in the Appalachian region. Policymakers must affirm that the Hub is eligible for existing private-public financing programs.As Congress and the Administration consider infrastructure modernization legislation, the Appalachian Hub should be a priority.Ensuring a timely and efficient regulatory permitting process is essential.
Fortunately, lawmakers in the region are on the case. Legislation introduced in May, the Appalachian Ethane Storage Hub Study Act of 2017 (S. 1075), is a great step forward. It will inform efforts to maximize America’s domestic energy and manufacturing potential — showing the benefits of such a project and guiding future energy and infrastructure policy while helping to spur private investment. The bipartisan bill is sponsored by Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and co-sponsored by Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio). In the House, Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) introduced a companion bill that is co-sponsored by Reps. Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.), Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.), Tim Murphy (R-Pa.), and Bill Johnson (R-Ohio).
Earlier this month, Senators Capito and Manchin introduced the Capitalizing American Storage Potential (CASP) Act (S. 1337). The legislation would make a regional storage hub eligible for the U.S. Department of Energy’s successful Title XVII loan guarantee program. Also in June, Senator Capito introduced the Appalachian Energy and Manufacturing Infrastructure Revitalization Act (S. 1340). It will help streamline the federal permitting process for an Appalachian energy hub. We agree that the Hub should be designated a “critical energy infrastructure” project eligible for expedited federal permitting.
Next steps
As a nation or a region, we often know where we want to go, but not how to get there. That’s not the problem here. For decades, those who live in and study the Appalachian region have envisioned a thriving center of manufacturing activity. And they know that energy infrastructure — the Hub — will be critical to unlocking the opportunity. Let’s get moving!
https://blog.americanchemistry.com/2017/06/in-the-zone-appalachian-region-could-become-a-major-center-of-petrochemicals-and-plastics-manufacturing/
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'Global Dominance' the Theme as Trump Starts Energy Week
Jun 26, 2017 | E&E Greenwire
By Hannah Northey
This story was updated at 2 p.m. EDT.
President Trump will double down on achieving "global energy dominance" this week with an appearance at the Department of Energy, leaving some industry experts wondering about the White House's intentions abroad.
The busy week of high-profile meetings will culminate with Trump's appearance at the DOE headquarters in Washington on Thursday for an "Unleashing American Energy Event" hosted by Energy Secretary Rick Perry, according to an invitation obtained by E&E News.
The invite notes Trump's dedication of the following days as "energy week" to help the U.S. achieve "global energy dominance."
The administration's focus on energy is the latest in a series of themed weeks — infrastructure and tech, for example — that have run face first into an ongoing battle over health care legislation and a deepening investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election.
Today, Trump will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an event that could become awkward given the two world leaders' disagreement over the Paris climate pledge (Climatewire, June 23).
Perry is then slated to appear alongside Sean Spicer at the White House press briefing tomorrow, according to DOE, followed by a panel at the White House on Thursday where Trump will host Perry, U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to discuss the administration's catchphrase "energy dominance."
Perry is also slated to be at a forum sponsored by the U.S. Energy Information Administration tomorrow, speaking alongside Colette Honorable, an outgoing commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The slogan "energy dominance," which falls in lockstep with Trump's push for expanded domestic drilling and fast-tracked exports, is piquing interest at home and abroad.
"One of the questions I have is exactly what the administration means by energy dominance," said Adam Sieminski, chair for energy and geopolitics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former administrator of the Energy Information Administration. "I was at a meeting last week when someone from the U.K. said they weren't particularly looking forward to being 'dominated.'"
Sieminski said he looked up the definition of "dominance" and one synonym was "pre-eminence."
"That kind of suggests everyone is OK with your leadership, that's good, that's a win-win kind of thing," he said. "But if the administration views it as dominance by the U.S., there's going to be a lot of pushback."
One possible way to have a heavier hand over the global energy landscape, Sieminski said, would be for the Trump administration to only export and import energy commodities from certain countries instead of allowing the markets to decide.
The administration could, for example, make the case DOE no longer needs to determine the public interest of liquefied natural gas exports before approving sales abroad.
But ultimately, Trump's push for world dominance will have to contend with market dynamics, he added.
While the U.S. could try to create bigger markets for coal — an issue that's likely to dovetail with Trump's meeting with Modi — Sieminski noted that countries like Australia and Indonesia already export large amounts.
As for LNG, Sieminski said a drop in oil prices — not a federal approval backlog — has slowed exports from the United States.
While it's early to talk about the Trump administration's legacy, Sieminski said pounding the drum on "energy dominance" could allow the White House to make the ideological case for opening up more federal lands to oil and gas drilling and fast-track export approvals.
"Especially with the executive orders, they're trying to deliver on the idea that government shouldn't stand in the way," he said. "You could talk about legacy in four years; I think what we're talking about now is aspirations."
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/06/26/stories/1060056578
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Ewire: Pruitt Joins Trump to Push US Energy 'Dominance'
Jun 26, 2017 | Inside EPA
Welcome to what the White House is calling “energy week.”
The week's big event occurs Thursday, when EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and other cabinet officials will join President Donald Trump at the Energy Department as the president gives a speech focused on pushing United States energy “dominance” -- a term coined by Trump and used frequently by Cabinet officials.
According to Bloomberg, Trump's speech will focus “almost entirely on energy exports -- describing how the foreign sale of U.S. natural gas, oil and coal helps strengthen the country’s influence globally, bolster international alliances, and help stabilize global markets.”
That means increasing domestic production of fossil fuels, a step the administration is already taking as part of its push for energy “dominance” involves efforts to roll back Obama-era climate and other rules. For example, Trump in a March 28 executive order -- which he signed at EPA -- directed the agency to review the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan setting greenhouse gas standards for existing power plants.
Perry could speak to similar topics when he gives keynote remarks June 27 at the Energy Information Administration conference.
According to Bloomberg, Trump will touch on a number of opportunities for growth, such as potential sales of coal in Europe and Asia. Trump is also expected to talk about “openings for other energy exports, including U.S. technology that harnesses power from the wind and sun, and a new generation of advanced and modular nuclear reactors.”
Bloomberg also notes another step the administration could take -- seeking to undo the prior administration’s ban on financing coal plants abroad using the Export-Import bank -- though it is unclear if the White House will take such a step.
Beyond Thursday’s big speech at the Energy Department, Trump and Perry will meet with governors, tribal leaders and others at the White House on June 28 to discuss energy issues, according to Axios. The publication says Trump will also make energy a “key item of discussion” during his June 26 meeting at the White House with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
We’ll keep you updated on the climate implications of the “energy week” happenings. In the meantime, catch up from the weekend with these links:
Grist.org: EPA science adviser says clearing board of experts leaves huge void
Associated Press: Conference: US Mayors May Shape National Climate Policy
https://insideepa.com/daily-feed/ewire-pruitt-joins-trump-push-us-energy-dominance
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Ill. Gears Up for Fight Over First Fracking Well
Jun 26, 2017 | E&E Energywire
By Mike Lee
A company has applied for the first high-volume hydraulic fracturing permit in Illinois, prompting protests from environmentalists.
Woolsey Operating Co. LLC, based in Wichita, Kan., filed the application in May. At one point, Woolsey had leased 260,000 acres in southern Illinois, in an effort to develop the New Albany Shale field. But the company has faced years of delays as the state Legislature and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources worked on new regulations to govern fracking in the state (Energywire, Nov. 7, 2014).
"It's the most difficult place I've ever worked in my life," said Wayne Woolsey, chairman of Woolsey Operating.
The Natural Resources Department has already delayed the permit because Woolsey didn't include details about several subjects, including the storage tanks it plans to use and a traffic management plan for trucks at its site. Environmentalists have already sued the state once over its fracking regulations, and they're preparing to challenge Woolsey's permit application (Energywire, Nov. 24, 2014).
"We're very concerned about this permit, in particular, and what would appear to be the beginning of fracking in Illinois," said Jack Darin, director of the Illinois chapter of the Sierra Club.
Geologists believe the New Albany, like other shale formations, will require a combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing to release oil and gas trapped in the rock's pores.
The oil industry says fracking has been used safely for decades and it's helped revive oil and gas production around the country. But like all oil and gas drilling, the fracking boom has seen cases of water pollution caused by poorly constructed wells, along with surface spills and pipeline leaks.
And shale drilling requires a constant cycle of drilling and fracking, which has led to complaints about noise, dust, truck traffic and other side effects.
Darin, with the Sierra Club, said he's concerned about the amount of water required for fracking, since southern Illinois is prone to droughts.
Woolsey said those fears are unfounded. His company has already drilled 10 vertical wells in the field and fractured five of them. He's also drilled a horizontal well across the state line in Indiana.
The company had a blowout at one of its wells in 2014, which injured a worker who was making a delivery to the site. A lawsuit related to the incident is ongoing; Woolsey said it was an accident caused by a contractor and an engineer who's no longer with his company.
The proposed new well would be in White County, on the Indiana border about 290 miles south of Chicago. Woolsey said it's in what his company has calculated as the sweet spot of the field, and it could boost the state's economy.
"This could not do anything but create a better situation," he said.
https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2017/06/26/stories/1060056554
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Wyo. Agency Will Track Failed Oil and Gas Operators
Jun 26, 2017 | Casper Star Tribune (In E&E Energywire)
By Heather Richards
People involved with multiple failed oil or gas projects or companies in Wyoming will now have to notify state regulators if they are going to start a new business there, a new practice that the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission says will help keep an eye on those tied to bad operations.
The new rule will give the five-member commission a chance to consider whether the businesspeople should be made to post additional financial assurances, said spokeswoman Kim Mazza.
Some individuals may move between corporations, trying to stay in business after shedding liabilities or a bad reputation.
"It is not uncommon to have one person serve as a principal in one or more of these operating entities," said Mazza. "This becomes problematic when the commission forfeits an operator's bond, but the principal of the operating company goes and forms a new corporation or LLC to again attempt to operate wells within the state."
Commissioner Tom Drean said a small number of people require a "disproportionate amount of attention."
"I think the intent is to identify those folks that are consistently causing issues that have not shown improvement," Drean said. "Those people probably need to be, not publicly necessarily, but identified so that new staff or new commissioners who come on board know that there is a history there."
One local conservationist organization said the need to flag individual operators is symptomatic of larger problems in the state. Jill Morrison, an organizer with the Powder River Basin Resource Council, said the new practice does not go far enough.
"It's better to have a written policy, because then it means it's not at the whim of whoever is the supervisor," she said. "It's a good practice, but let's formalize it and make sure it's a policy that is carried forward" (Heather Richards, Casper [Wyo.] Star-Tribune, June 23).
https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2017/06/26/stories/1060056527
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'Global Dominance' the Theme as Trump Starts Energy Week
Jun 26, 2017 | E&E Greenwire
By Hannah Northey
President Trump will double down on achieving "global energy dominance" this week with an appearance at the Department of Energy, leaving some industry experts wondering about the White House's intentions abroad.
The busy week of high-profile meetings will culminate with Trump's appearance at the DOE headquarters in Washington on Thursday for an "Unleashing American Energy Event" hosted by Energy Secretary Rick Perry, according to an invitation obtained by E&E News.
The invite notes Trump's dedication of the following days as "energy week" to help the U.S. achieve "global energy dominance."
The administration's focus on energy is the latest in a series of themed weeks — infrastructure and tech, for example — that have run face first into an ongoing battle over health care legislation and a deepening investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election.
Today, Trump will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an event that could become awkward given the two world leaders' disagreement over the Paris climate pledge (Climatewire, June 23).
Perry is then slated to appear alongside Sean Spicer at the White House press briefing, according to DOE, followed by a panel at the White House where Trump will host Perry, U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to discuss the administration's catchphrase "energy dominance."
Perry is also slated to be at a forum sponsored by the U.S. Energy Information Administration tomorrow, speaking alongside Colette Honorable, an outgoing commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The slogan "energy dominance," which falls in lockstep with Trump's push for expanded domestic drilling and fast-tracked exports, is piquing interest at home and abroad.
"One of the questions I have is exactly what the administration means by energy dominance," said Adam Sieminski, chair for energy and geopolitics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former administrator of the Energy Information Administration. "I was at a meeting last week when someone from the U.K. said they weren't particularly looking forward to being 'dominated.'"
Sieminski said he looked up the definition of "dominance" and one synonym was "pre-eminence."
"That kind of suggests everyone is OK with your leadership, that's good, that's a win-win kind of thing," he said. "But if the administration views it as dominance by the U.S., there's going to be a lot of pushback."
One possible way to have a heavier hand over the global energy landscape, Sieminski said, would be for the Trump administration to only export and import energy commodities from certain countries instead of allowing the markets to decide.
The administration could, for example, make the case DOE no longer needs to determine the public interest of liquefied natural gas exports before approving sales abroad.
But ultimately, Trump's push for world dominance will have to contend with market dynamics, he added.
While the U.S. could try to create bigger markets for coal — an issue that's likely to dovetail with Trump's meeting with Modi — Sieminski noted that countries like Australia and Indonesia already export large amounts.
As for LNG, Sieminski said a drop in oil prices — not a federal approval backlog — has slowed exports from the United States.
While it's early to talk about the Trump administration's legacy, Sieminski said pounding the drum on "energy dominance" could allow the White House to make the ideological case for opening up more federal lands to oil and gas drilling and fast-track export approvals.
"Especially with the executive orders, they're trying to deliver on the idea that government shouldn't stand in the way," he said. "You could talk about legacy in four years; I think what we're talking about now is aspirations."
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/06/26/stories/1060056578
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Senators Again Urge Trump to Examine Threats Russian Hackers Pose to U.S. Energy Infrastructure
Jun 26, 2017 | Natural Gas Intelligence
By Charlie Passut
A group of Democratic senators is urging President Trump to direct the Department of Energy (DOE) to examine the threats Russian hackers pose to energy infrastructure in the United States, while accusing the administration of failing to respond to a similar request made three months earlier.
In a letter sent last Thursday, the group, led by Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), called for the DOE and other relevant agencies to report within 60 days on "the scope of Russian capabilities to use cyber-warfare to threaten energy infrastructure, and the extent to which the Russians have already attempted cyber-intrusions into our electric grid, pipelines, and other important energy facilities."
The lawmakers sent a similar letter to the administration on March 14, but it went unanswered. In last week’s letter, they pointed to a Washington Post story that said a private cybersecurity firm suggested Russia has developed a malware program called CrashOverride specifically tailored to attack electric grids. The program allegedly was used successfully against a Ukrainian utility last year.
The lawmakers also blasted the administration's recently proposed budget for fiscal year 2018, which calls for a more than 40% cut in funding to the DOE's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, "the very offices tasked with protecting our grid from Russian cyberattacks...
"How can our government protect our national security assets if the administration does not allocate the necessary resources?" they asked. "We are deeply concerned that your administration has not backed up a verbal commitment prioritizing cybersecurity of energy networks and fighting cyber aggression with any meaningful action."
Cantwell, the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, opposed Rick Perry's nomination to head the DOE, in part over concerns about cybersecurity.
The other signatories were Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tom Carper (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Al Franken (D-MN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
Last month, the American Gas Association reported that no natural gas utilities were affected by WannaCry, a ransomware program that infected hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide.
http://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/110906-senators-again-urge-trump-to-examine-threats-russian-hackers-pose-to-us-energy-infrastructure
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Feds Move to Roll Back Sandblasting Mineral Safety Regs
Jun 26, 2017 | E&E Greenwire
By Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed a rule Friday that would roll back some Obama-era worker protections related to a mineral that can cause lung cancer and other diseases.
The proposed rule, which will be published in the Federal Register tomorrow, would modify requirements covering beryllium standards for the construction and shipyard sectors, where workers use an abrasive for sandblasting.
The new rule would keep in place lower limits for exposure to beryllium. But it would revoke some "ancillary provisions," such as requirements for exposure assessment, methods for controlling exposure, respiratory protection, personal protective clothing and equipment, housekeeping, medical surveillance, hazard communication, and record keeping similar to those found in other OSHA health standards.
OSHA said representatives from the shipyard and construction industries had raised concerns that they had not had "a meaningful opportunity" to comment on the previous rule. The agency also said it has evidence that beryllium exposure in the construction and shipyard industries is "limited to a few operations" and that the ancillary provisions may not improve worker protection.
Exposure to beryllium, which is a metal used in specialty alloys and beryllium oxide ceramics, can cause a lung disease known as chronic beryllium disease as well as lung cancer.
The move follows a lobbying campaign from sellers of coal slag — used for sandblasting in construction sites and shipyards — who argued that its use in not linked to beryllium disease. Coal slag is a waste product created when burned coal is covered in cold water.
A 60-day comment period on the proposed rule begins tomorrow.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2017/06/26/stories/1060056591
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Supreme Court Turns Down New Mexico Lawsuit Over Gold King Spill
Jun 26, 2017 | PoliticoPro
By Alex Guillen
The Supreme Court today in a 7-2 vote declined to take up a lawsuit brought by New Mexico against Colorado over the 2015 Gold King mine spill.
New Mexico’s complaint, which as a lawsuit between states went straight to the Supreme Court rather than a lower court, argued that decades of poor environmental oversight by Colorado contributed to the spill, which was inadvertently caused by EPA engineers working to clean up the site.
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito voted to allow the lawsuit to proceed, according to the Supreme Court. The duo referred back to an unrelated 2016 case in which they argued in a dissent that the Supreme Court does not have the authority to turn down cases that fall within the court’s “original jurisdiction,” which includes lawsuits between two states.
Various other lawsuits regarding the spill, including against EPA, are playing out in lower courts. New Mexico may be able to bring its suit against Colorado elsewhere, as the Trump administration suggested in a “friend of the court” brief earlier this month.
https://www.politicopro.com/energy/whiteboard
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Poll: Voters Want US to Seek New Climate Pact to Replace Paris
Jun 26, 2017 | The Hill - E2 Wire
By Timothy Cama
More than two thirds of American voters want the United States to work up a new international climate change pact to replace the Paris agreement.
A new survey out Monday from the Harvard-Harris Poll provided to The Hill found that 72 percent of voters would prefer renegotiation over opting out of the climate pact process altogether.
President Trump, a climate-change skeptic, announced earlier this month that he would withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 pact and its nonbinding carbon dioxide emissions reductions, but he said he would be open to negotiating a new international agreement that better protects U.S. interests.
Leaders of other major world powers such as France, Germany and Italy have shut down Trump’s renegotiation trial balloon, saying the pact cannot be renegotiated.
The Trump administration is not making renegotiation of a climate deal a priority. Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt said that any new agreement should focus on exporting U.S. technology abroad, not limiting greenhouse gas emissions.
The Harvard-Harris Poll, based on an online survey of 2,258 voters taken last week, found that 53 percent disagree with Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris accord, while 47 percent support the president’s choice.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll earlier this month found that 59 percent of voters oppose Trump’s Paris withdrawal, and an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll concluded that only 29 percent of voters fully support it.
Asked in the Harvard-Harris Poll whether it’s fair that countries such as India and China had less stringent emissions limits than the U.S. “even though these economies are leading sources of carbon emissions,” 75 percent said it is not fair.
Voters also came down mostly against former President Barack Obama’s contention that the Paris agreement didn’t require Senate approval as a treaty because the emissions limits were not binding.
Sixty-three percent of respondents said the Paris agreement or future climate pacts ought to go through Senate ratification.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/339487-poll-voters-want-us-to-seek-new-climate-pact-to-replace-paris
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Ex-Staffer: Climate Website Removal 'Declaration of War'
Jun 26, 2017 | Washington Post (In E&E Climatewire)
By Jason Samenow
U.S. EPA's decision to scrap its climate change website amounts to "a declaration of war," according to one of the scientists who managed the site for more than five years.
Jason Samenow, who worked at the agency before becoming The Washington Post's weather editor, wrote in the Post that EPA's site lasted through 20 years of both Republican and Democratic administrations because it mirrored findings from the mainstream scientific community, including the government's own researchers.
"Yet [EPA Administrator Scott] Pruitt, a lawyer who has spent much of his career fighting climate change mitigation efforts, decided that he knows more than the thousands of scientists whose decades of work support this conclusion," Samenow wrote.
The agency has said it's "updating" the site but hasn't offered a timetable for doing so. It has archived the site without replacing it, though some cities are now hosting the information on their own sites (Climatewire, June 21).
President George W. Bush's staff severely limited any updates to the site, he wrote, but Pruitt's meddling is more drastic and "spiteful, as if he simply couldn't abide knowing that the agency he leads was publishing information he doesn't believe."
He continued: "Pruitt may not accept mainstream climate science conclusions, but if he wanted to promote his alternative views, a much more defensible and transparent action would have been to leave the site up while posting his perspective as well. Instead, one of the world's best climate science sites has vanished"
https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2017/06/26/stories/1060056539
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