Preview Newsletter
ACC PM 30/10/18
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Petrochemical Producer Ineos Phenol Declares Force Majeure on Phenol, Acetone
Oct 30, 2018 | Platts
By Stergios Zacharakis and Luke Milner
Petrochemical producer Ineos Phenol has declared force majeure on phenol and acetone, a company source said Tuesday. -
High Level of PFAS Found at Mich. Elementary School
Oct 30, 2018 | AP (In E&E Greenwire)
A western Michigan school has begun distributing bottled water after state environmental officials said it had elevated levels of toxic industrial chemicals. -
Aise Asks for Postponement of CLP Poison Centre Deadline
Oct 30, 2018 | Chemical Watch
By Clelia Oziel
The deadline for EU harmonised information requirements for emergency health response (poison centres) should be postponed by a year, because none of the parties are ready to implement the changes in time, a European trade body has said. -
Stakeholders Identify Gaps in UK No-Deal Brexit REACH Plans
Oct 30, 2018 | Chemical Watch
By Luke Buxton
The UK’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said it could "essentially republish" its no-deal Brexit technical notices to address gaps identified by chemicals industry stakeholders. -
Prospect Of U.S.-Sino Trade War Escalation Drops Major Equity Indices
Oct 30, 2018 | Nasdaq
The energy sector is poised for another lower start, weighed down by further weakness in the crude complex while the major equity indices dropped on the prospect of another escalation in the U.S.-Sino trade war compounded the recent gloom in global markets. -
Chesapeake Buying Houston's WildHorse for $3 Billion
Oct 30, 2018 | Houston Chronicle
By Jordan Blum
Early shale developer Chesapeake Energy said Tuesday it is acquiring Houston's WildHorse Resource Development for $3 billion in cash and stock. -
In the LOOP: USGC Delivered Crude Cargoes to UK Rebound
Oct 30, 2018 | Platts
Imported barrels of crude into the UK from the US Gulf Coast rebounded from a five-week low Friday, with shippers swapping out Suezmaxes for Aframaxes on delivered cargoes. -
EPA Defends Actions at Facility Tied to Ill. Governor
Oct 30, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Corbin Hiar
EPA today provided a detailed timeline of its efforts to address dangerously high levels of carcinogenic emissions from a medical cleaning company with ties to Illinois' embattled Republican governor. -
Court Tosses Greens' Challenge to Power Plant Rule Delay
Oct 30, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Ellen M. Gilmer
A federal court last night rejected environmentalists' challenge to EPA's loosening of toxic wastewater restrictions for power plants. -
Accepting Toxic Workplaces as Normal is Dangerous
Oct 30, 2018 | Quartz
By Cedar P. Carlton and Jeffrey Pfeffer
Modern workplaces are health hazards. -
(ACC Mentioned) Service Transport Making Significant Investment in Driver Recruiting, Retention Efforts
Oct 30, 2018 | Bulk Transporter
By Charles Wilson
A VARIETY of factors play a role in attracting and retaining top quality truck drivers. -
US Seeks Input on GHS and Transport of Dangerous Goods
Oct 30, 2018 | Chemical Watch
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha) will hold a public meeting on 13 November to discuss proposals ahead of the 36th session of the UN Sub-Committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of classification and labelling of chemicals (UNSCEGHS). -
Sprint Transport Running Hard to Keep Up with Chemical Shipper Demand
Oct 30, 2018 | Bulk Transporter
By Charles Wilson
THIS has been a great year to be a chemical hauler on the US Gulf Coast. -
(ACC Mentioned) Pollution Isn’t Harmful To Your Health, Says Trump’s Top Pollution “Expert”
Oct 30, 2018 | Care2
By Kevin Mathews
There’s no shortage of research that points to air pollution’s negative effects on health, yet President Donald Trump has found one guy who thinks that all the concern about air pollution is “exaggerated” and that trying to clean the air will do nothing to save lives. -
NC Governor Sets Goal of Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 40 Percent
Oct 30, 2018 | The Hill - E2 Wire
By John Bowden
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) on Monday signed an executive order committing the state to cut emissions by 40 percent by 2025, a goal that puts North Carolina in line with targets set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. -
Power-Sector Emissions Drop Despite Trump Policies
Oct 30, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Hannah Northey
The nation's power sector continues to march toward meeting and surpassing the goals of the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, which the Trump administration has moved to water down. -
Children, Activists Rally in Support of Climate Change Lawsuit
Oct 30, 2018 | Reuters (In The New York Times)
By Lee van der Voo
Activists rallied in Oregon and other states on Monday in support of young plaintiffs whose lawsuit against the U.S. government over the impact of climate change is under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. -
U.N. Sets Out Massive Benefits From Air Pollution Action in Asia
Oct 30, 2018 | Reuters (In The New York Times)
By Tom Miles
Asia could reap massive benefits in health, environment, agriculture and economic growth if governments implement 25 policies such as banning the burning of household waste and cutting industrial emissions, according to a U.N. report. -
Wild Animal Population Has Plunged 60 Percent Since 1970: Report
Oct 30, 2018 | The Hill - E2 Wire
By Aris Folley
Sixty percent of all animals with a backbone have been wiped out by human activity in the past 40 years, according to a new World Wildlife Fund (WWF) "Living Planet" report.
Industry and Association News
LCSA News - There are no clips to report at this time.
Chemical Management News
Energy News
Chemical Security News
Transportation and Infrastructure News
Environment News
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Petrochemical Producer Ineos Phenol Declares Force Majeure on Phenol, Acetone
Oct 30, 2018 | Platts
By Stergios Zacharakis and Luke Milner
Petrochemical producer Ineos Phenol has declared force majeure on phenol and acetone, a company source said Tuesday.
"Historically low water levels on the River Rhine as well as outages at two of the company's external cumene suppliers has led to reduced production at its plants in Gladbeck and Antwerp," the source said.
The source said the company has apologized to customers, and was working with suppliers to resolve the situation quickly.
Ineos Phenol produces 650,000 mt/year of phenol and 400,000 mt/year of acetone at its Gladbeck plant in Germany. It has a 680,000 mt/year phenol production capacity at Antwerp.
https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/petrochemicals/103018-petrochemical-producer-ineos-phenol-declares-force-majeure-on-phenol-acetone
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High Level of PFAS Found at Mich. Elementary School
Oct 30, 2018 | AP (In E&E Greenwire)
A western Michigan school has begun distributing bottled water after state environmental officials said it had elevated levels of toxic industrial chemicals.
Robinson Elementary School in Grand Haven said yesterday the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality found it had levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, exceeding EPA's safe drinking water level of 70 parts per trillion.
The school said the DEQ is retesting its well water to confirm its initial findings. The new results are due tomorrow.
PFAS have been found at more than 30 sites in Michigan. They can enter drinking water when products containing the chemicals are spilled onto the ground or in lakes or rivers.
Exposure to PFAS has been linked in human studies to cancer, thyroid malfunction and other diseases.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/10/30/stories/1060104681
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Aise Asks for Postponement of CLP Poison Centre Deadline
Oct 30, 2018 | Chemical Watch
By Clelia Oziel
The deadline for EU harmonised information requirements for emergency health response (poison centres) should be postponed by a year, because none of the parties are ready to implement the changes in time, a European trade body has said.
In a letter soap and detergents group Aise asked members of the Competent Authorities for REACH and CLP (Caracal) to consider pushing back the 1 January 2020 deadline relating to Annex VIII of the classification, labelling and packaging (CLP) Regulation at their next meeting on 22 November.
CLP Annex VIII requires companies that place hazardous mixtures on the EU market to provide member state authorities with information about them. The first deadline is for substances placed on the market specifically for consumer use.
Aise said companies have to undergo major operational changes and make significant investments to meet the new requirements, such as updates of IT systems and revision of contractual arrangements with suppliers and customers.
Yet with 14 months to go before the first deadline, it is "highly concerned" about the lack of legal certainty "for all actors" on several key aspects of the law. It cited a possible amendment to Annex VIII and "diverging views" on the duty holders' responsibilities, among its concerns.
Aise's call follows a similar response from the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), which in August said delays and unresolved issues mean it will be "impossible" for the European Commission to meet the first deadline.
Aise suggested a postponement of 12 months which it said would "ensure a smooth transition and avoid disproportionate costs". This would ultimately benefit consumers, poison centres and companies, it added.
The deadline for professional use mixtures should be similarly postponed from 1 January 2021 to 1 January 2022, Aise said, while the final application date for industrial use mixtures should be left unchanged as 2024.Key issues
The trade body outlined its concerns that:EU appointed bodies are not ready: Echa's survey in June revealed that 43% of EU appointed bodies/poison centres say they will not be ready to receive submissions by January 2020;key aspects of Annex VIII are still under debate and diverging views on duty holders' role have been expressed by the Commission and member states. This is particularly relevant for SMEs;in the upcoming amendment to Annex VIII: several clarifications and changes to the current text have been recently discussed. This could result in an amendment of regulatory requirements a few months before the first deadline;Echa guidance on Annex VIII is not finalised;amendments might be proposed very close to the 2020 deadline following the Commission's recently launched workability study; andIT tools are not yet ready: Echa expects to launch the first version of the poison centres notification (PCN) portal with limited functionalities in the first quarter of 2019 with an additional release foreseen for November next year.
A postponement would not have significant effects in terms of emergency health response, Aise said, "since national appointed bodies will continue to operate according to the existing national schemes".
In its response, Echa said it is up the Commission to decide whether to postpone the deadline. Echa "recognises" that the schedule is very tight for all parties but is "currently working with the current timelines", it added.
Chemical Watch did not receive a response from the Commission in time for publication.
https://chemicalwatch.com/71448/aise-asks-for-postponement-of-clp-poison-centre-deadline
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Stakeholders Identify Gaps in UK No-Deal Brexit REACH Plans
Oct 30, 2018 | Chemical Watch
By Luke Buxton
The UK’s Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said it could "essentially republish" its no-deal Brexit technical notices to address gaps identified by chemicals industry stakeholders.
This option, yet to be formally agreed, would fill in gaps "as best we can, recognising we may need to provide further information", Simon Johnson from Defra’s EU exit team, told a meeting of the UK Chemicals Stakeholder Forum (UKCSF) last week. The UKCSF is Defra’s stakeholder group on chemicals policy and includes representatives from government, business and civil society groups.
His suggestion came after forum members outlined key areas that were missing from the REACH technical notice.
Susanne Baker, head of environment and compliance for techUK, told the forum the notice did not mention substance information exchange fora (Siefs), or content on data packages, restrictions, committee and decision-making processes. The trade body represents more than 950 companies and 700,000 people – about half of all tech sector jobs in the UK.
She also asked Mr Johnson if the UK’s REACH IT system would be able deal with the number of registrations coming through within 60 days of the UK leaving the EU, and whether allowing pre-registration is an option.Timelines
Forum members also repeated concerns about the UK government’s plans, under a statutory instrument, to set a deadline of two years for companies with grandfathered registrations to provide a full data packagefor a UK REACH regime.
The Chemical Industries Association (CIA) chemicals policy director Nishma Patel said the timeline was "overly ambitious". Bud Hudspith from trade union Unite said he envisages "huge panic", while David Taylor from the Society of Chemical Industry said there is a "lack of appreciation" for the logistics involved and that the government "ought to be thinking more [like] ten years".
The issues of company resources and awareness of the impact of a no-deal scenario were also raised.
Steve George, chair of the REACH and chemicals management working group of the European aerospace and defence industries association (ASD), said that some small enterprises with four or five administrative staff "really do not get the subtleties of what is going on with Brexit" and consequently lack planning. He also suggested that a Defra Q&A platform would provide information "a lot faster" than different updates to technical notices.
One stakeholder said that knowledge of Brexit may be an issue for companies that are not affiliated with trade associations. The majority of companies, Mr Hudspith said, will "wait and see and hope it will be all right".
Ms Baker suggested that Defra work with industry on disseminating messages to companies.
Mr Johnson said his department has been hearing the message "very loud and very clear" on the deadlines, and it is "something we need to think about". It is also developing a Q&A platform, he added.
https://chemicalwatch.com/71450/stakeholders-identify-gaps-in-uk-no-deal-brexit-reach-plans
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Prospect Of U.S.-Sino Trade War Escalation Drops Major Equity Indices
Oct 30, 2018 | Nasdaq
The energy sector is poised for another lower start, weighed down by further weakness in the crude complex while the major equity indices dropped on the prospect of another escalation in the U.S.-Sino trade war compounded the recent gloom in global markets.
WTI and Brent crude oil futures extended their selloff, faltering on concerns that the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China will affect global economic growth and due to signs of rising supply worldwide. The IEA Head, Fatih Birol today said there are two downward pressures on global growth, high oil prices and global economic growth momentum slowing down.
Natural gas bucked the trend and was up over 1% in early trading, backed by new forecasts late-yesterday that were for steady cooler weather across the lower 48.
INTERNATIONAL INTEGRATEDS
Press Release - BP announced that for the third quarter, underlying RC profit was $3,838 million, compared with $1,865 million in 2017. Underlying RC profit is after adjusting RC profit for a net charge for non-operating items of $649 million and net adverse fair value accounting effects of $98 million (both on a post-tax basis). RC profit was $3,091 million for the third quarter, compared with $1,379 million in 2017. BP also announced a quarterly dividend of 10.25 cents per ordinary share ($0.615 per ADS), which is expected to be paid on 21 December 2018. The corresponding amount in sterling will be announced on 10 December 2018. BP repurchased 19 million ordinary shares at a cost of $139 million, including fees and stamp duty, during the third quarter of 2018. For the nine months, BP repurchased 48 million ordinary shares at a cost of $339 million, including fees and stamp duty.
Press Release - Petroleo Brasileiro SA is close to announcing a sale of its stake in an African oil and gas exploration business to a group of investors led by Vitol Group. The state-run oil company's partners in the African operations, Brazil's Banco BTG Pactual and the U.K.'s Helios Investment Partners, have decided to keep their share of the business. The deal will value Petrobras's stake at about $1.5 billion and may be announced in the next month.
U.S. E&PS
(Late Monday) Press Release - Alta Mesa Resources provided preliminary third quarter 2018 production and volume results for its wholly owned subsidiaries, Alta Mesa Holdings, LP and Kingfisher Midstream. Total Alta Mesa Upstream production for the third quarter of 2018 was 3,077 MMBOE, an average of 33,400 BOE per day, up over 30% from the second quarter of 2018. September production averaged 36,800 BOE per day, an 80% increase from the 2017 exit rate. Alta Mesa Resources is reaffirming its previously published full-year 2018 production guidance of 29,000 to 31,000 BOE per day and its 2018 exit production guidance of 38,000 to 40,000 BOE per day.
Press Release - Chesapeake Energy reported net income of $85 million and net income available to common stockholders of $60 million, or $0.07 per diluted share for the 2018 third quarter. The company's EBITDA for the 2018 third quarter was $504 million. Adjusting for items that are typically excluded by securities analysts, the 2018 third quarter adjusted net income attributable to Chesapeake was $174 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, while the company's adjusted EBITDA was $594 million.
Press Release - Chesapeake Energy and WildHorse Resource Development Corporation jointly announced that Chesapeake has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire WildHorse in a transaction valued at approximately $3.977 billion, based on yesterday's closing price, including the value of WildHorse's net debt of $930 million as of June 30, 2018. At the election of each WildHorse common shareholder, the consideration will consist of either 5.989 shares of Chesapeake common stock or a combination of 5.336 shares of Chesapeake common stock and $3 in cash, in exchange for each share of WildHorse common stock. The transaction was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of each company.
Press Release - CNX Resources reported net income attributable to CNX shareholders of $125 million, or earnings of $0.59 per diluted share during the quarter, compared to a net loss attributable to CNX shareholders of $26 million, or a loss of $0.11 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2017. The company reported net income of $147 million for the 2018 third quarter, compared to a net loss of $26 million in the third quarter of 2017.
(Late Monday) Press Release - Continental Resources reported net income of $314.2 million, or $0.84 per diluted share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2018. The Company's net income includes certain items typically excluded by the investment community in published estimates, the result of which is referred to as "adjusted net income." In third quarter 2018, these typically excluded items in aggregate represented $22.8 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, of Continental's reported net income. Adjusted net income for third quarter 2018 was $337.0 million, or $0.90 per diluted share.
Barclays upgraded Hess to 'Equal Weight' from 'Underweight'.
(Late Monday) Press Release - Sanchez Energy announced the appointment of an Interim Chief Financial Officer and two new independent members to its Board of Directors. The Board also appointed Tony Sanchez, III, President of Sanchez Energy in addition to his current position of Chief Executive Officer. Cameron W. George has been appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer of Sanchez Energy, effective immediately. Mr. George will succeed Howard J. Thill, who resigned from the company to pursue other opportunities. Eugene I. Davis and Adam C. Zylman have been appointed to Sanchez Energy's Board of Directors.
OILFIELD SERVICES
Press Release - Baker Hughes reported revenue of $5,665 million, an increase of $118 million, or 2%, sequentially. On a GAAP basis, operating income for the third quarter of 2018 was $282 million. Operating income increased $204 million sequentially and $475 million year-over-year. Adjusted operating income (a non-GAAP measure) for the third quarter of 2018 was $377 million, which excludes adjustments totaling $95 million before tax, mainly related to restructuring charges, merger and related costs, and inventory impairments. Adjusted operating income for the third quarter was up $88 million, or 30% sequentially, driven by margin expansion across all product companies. Adjusted operating income was up $207 million year-over-year driven by higher revenues and margin expansion in Oilfield Services, Oilfield Equipment and Digital Solutions, partially offset by Turbomachinery & Process Solutions.
(Late Monday) Press Release - Black Hills announced it has received approval to combine two of its natural gas utility distribution companies in Colorado and to extend the recovery period of its system safety and integrity rider for one of its natural gas utilities in Nebraska.
Press Release - Fluor announced that it was awarded the engineering, procurement and construction of Valero Energy's combined heat and power cogeneration project at its Pembroke Refinery in Wales, UK. Fluor booked the undisclosed contract value in the third quarter of 2018.
Press Release - Forum Energy Technologies announced third quarter 2018 revenue of $267 million, a decrease of $7 million, or 3%, from the second quarter 2018. Net loss for the quarter was $3 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, compared to net loss of $15 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, for the second quarter 2018. Excluding $6 million, or $0.06 per share of special items, adjusted net income was $0.03 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2018.
Press Release - KBR announced revenue growth of 24% to $1.3 billion and net income attributable to KBR of $58 million for the third quarter of 2018. The company's EPS and adjusted EPS were $0.41 and $0.46, respectively.
Press Release - Pioneer Energy Services reported revenues for the third quarter of 2018 were $149.3 million, down 4% from revenues of $154.8 million in the second quarter of 2018 and up 27% from revenues of $117.3 million in the third quarter of 2017. Net loss for the third quarter of 2018 was $5.2 million, or $0.07 per share, compared with net loss of $18.2 million, or $0.23 per share, in the prior quarter and net loss of $17.2 million, or $0.22 per share, in the year-earlier quarter. Adjusted net loss for the third quarter was $5.6 million, and adjusted EPS was a loss of $0.07 per share as compared to adjusted net loss of $14.8 million, and an adjusted EPS loss of $0.19 per share in the prior quarter, and adjusted net loss of $11.3 million, and an adjusted EPS loss of $0.15 per share in the year-earlier quarter.
Citi downgraded Weatherford International to 'Sell' from 'Neutral'.
DRILLERS
Press Release - Ensco reported a loss of $0.33 per share for third quarter 2018 compared to a loss of $0.08 per share a year ago. Revenues decreased to $431 million in third quarter 2018 from $460 million a year ago primarily due to the sale of three rigs that operated in the year-ago period and a decline in the average day rate to $129,000 from $166,000 in third quarter 2017.
(Late Monday) Press Release - Rowan Companies announced that the Rowan Reliance, an R-Class ultra-deepwater drillship, has been awarded a contract in the United States Gulf of Mexico by Fieldwood Energy with a firm term of one year plus three 90-day options at then market rates. The contract is expected to commence the first quarter of 2019. The Rowan Reliance is currently warm stacked offshore Louisiana in the US Gulf of Mexico.
Press Release - Transocean reported net loss attributable to controlling interest of $409 million, $0.88 per diluted share, for the three months ended September 30, 2018. Third quarter 2018 results included net unfavorable items of $439 million, or $0.94 per diluted share, as follows: $432 million, $0.93 per diluted share, loss on impairment primarily for two floaters previously announced for retirement; $4 million, $0.01 per diluted share, in acquisition costs; and $3 million loss related to other unfavorable items. After consideration of these net unfavorable items, third quarter 2018 adjusted net income was $30 million, or $0.06 per diluted share.
REFINERS
JP Morgan upgraded Phillips 66 to 'Overweight' from 'Neutral'.
MLPS & PIPELINES
Press Release - AltaGas reported that with normalized EBITDA of $226 million, and normalized Funds from Operations of $117 million, the company remains well positioned to fund its 2018 capital program through internally generated cash flow, its dividend reinvestment program, and normal course borrowings under its credit facilities. AltaGas' net loss applicable to common shares for the quarter was $726 million ($2.78 per share), mainly due to provisions for assets. Normalized net loss for the third quarter was $17 million or $0.07 per share.
Credit Suisse terminated coverage of Andeavor .
(Late Monday) Reuters - Cheniere Energy said that its fifth liquefaction train at Sabine Pass liquefied natural gas export terminal in Louisiana was in the process of commissioning. The amount of natural gas flowing to the terminal rose to a record over the weekend, an indication that the company is testing the fifth liquefaction train at the plant.
Press Release - Crestwood Equity Partners reported third quarter 2018 net loss of $5.2 million, compared to a net loss of $27.9 million in third quarter 2017. The company declared third quarter 2018 cash distribution of $0.60 per common unit, or $2.40 per common unit on an annualized basis, to be paid on November 14, 2018, to unitholders of record as of November 7, 2018.
(Late Monday) Reuters - Energy Transfer completed testing on its West Texas Gulf crude pipeline and expects flows to resume on October 30, after a spill extended maintenance work on the line.
Press Release - Holly Energy Partners reported net income attributable to HEP for the third quarter was $45.0 million ($0.43 per basic and diluted limited partner unit) compared to $42.1 million ($0.66 per basic and diluted limited partner unit) for the third quarter of 2017. Revenues for the quarter were $125.8 million, an increase of $15.4 million compared to the third quarter of 2017. In addition, HEP announced its 56 th consecutive distribution increase on October 19, 2018, raising the quarterly distribution from $0.660 to $0.665 per unit, which represents an increase of 3.1% over the distribution for the third quarter of 2017.
Press Release - Inter Pipeline announced that its European storage subsidiary, Inter Terminals, has entered into an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the issued share capital of NuStar Energy's European bulk liquid storage business for cash consideration of USD$270 million, or approximately CAD$354 million. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018 and is subject to customary closing conditions.
Press Release - Union Gas, a subsidiary of Spectra Energy , announced that it will exercise its right to redeem all of its 47,672 outstanding 5.5% Cumulative Redeemable Class A Preferred Shares, Series A on Nov. 29, 2018 at the price of $50.50 per Series A Share plus $0.449 per share in accrued and unpaid dividends for the period Oct.1, 2018 to Nov. 29, 2018, for an aggregate total of approximately $2,426,548.
MARKET COMMENTARY
U.S. stock futures were modestly higher, but gains were capped by the prospect of another escalation in the U.S.-Sino trade war. The S&P 500 will be starting near a six-month low, having dropped almost 10 percent from last month's record highs. European shares surrendered gains after a strong start, while most Asian shares rebounded in choppy trading after China's securities regulator said it would enhance market liquidity. Gold slid as the dollar benefited from the trade dispute concerns. Signs of rising global supply hurt oil prices. Later in the day, investors will look for earnings update from Facebook along with consumer confidence data.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
https://www.nasdaq.com/article/prospect-of-us-sino-trade-war-escalation-drops-major-equity-indices-cm1045903
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Chesapeake Buying Houston's WildHorse for $3 Billion
Oct 30, 2018 | Houston Chronicle
By Jordan Blum
Early shale developer Chesapeake Energy said Tuesday it is acquiring Houston's WildHorse Resource Development for $3 billion in cash and stock.
Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake is scooping up WildHorse, which is exclusively focused on exploration and production in the northeastern corner of the Eagle Ford shale closer to College Station. In addition to its 420,000 acres in the region, WildHorse also is about to open a new sand mine in the area to service its hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, of wells.
The deal represents a consolidation of major Eagle Ford players with Chesapeake more focused in the southwestern portion of the shale play.
The sale will primarily come in stock - as well as up to $400 million in cash from Chesapeake - so WildHorse shareholders will actually own about 45 percent of the expanded Chesapeake. The Oklahoma producer also will take nearly $1 billion in WildHorse debt. WildHorse will gain two seats on the Chesapeake board, including WildHorse CEO Jay Graham.
RELATED: Overshadowed by Permian, but Eagle Ford making its own comeback
Chesapeake Chief Executive Doug Lawler said the deal will provide a big boost to the company's oil production. Chesapeake has historically focused more on natural gas production. The Eagle Ford oil is arguably the highest priced crude in the country because of its proximity to refining and port hubs in Houston and Corpus Christi.
"This transaction accelerates Chesapeake's strategic plan and expands the value-creation opportunities for our shareholders by adding a premier asset at an attractive valuation," Lawler said.
Chesapeake Executive Vice President Frank Patterson said the WildHorse acreage is more than 80 percent undeveloped, so there's lots of room for growth. Chesapeake will use larger rigs than those deployed by WildHorse in order to drill longer horizontal wells and to do so more quickly.
"It's a very quick transition to a full field development plan," Patterson said. "We'll hit the ground running"
https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Chesapeake-buying-Houston-s-WildHorse-for-3-13347451.php
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In the LOOP: USGC Delivered Crude Cargoes to UK Rebound
Oct 30, 2018 | Platts
Imported barrels of crude into the UK from the US Gulf Coast rebounded from a five-week low Friday, with shippers swapping out Suezmaxes for Aframaxes on delivered cargoes.
Delivered crude cargoes from the USGC to the UK for the week ended October 26 increased around 1 million barrels week on week, according to data from S&P Global Platts Analytics. An additional 269,000-barrel cargo was exported from the USGC to the Netherlands for that same time period, representing a week-on-week decline in USGC crude cargoes to Rotterdam of 1.35 million barrels.
Ongoing fall maintenance and soaring freight rates have contributed to lower crude demand in the region.
Cargoes delivered into the UK for the week ended October 26 included two 536,000-barrel cargoes and one 501,000-barrel cargo, all of which arrived in Liverpool. Essar Oil operates the 205,500-b/d Stanlow refinery near Liverpool.
Freight rates for Aframax vessels have been steady to higher since October 5, with the USGC-UK Continent route moving up w130 points or over 144% over those 15 consecutive trading days. On Friday, freight for the USGC-UKC route fell for the first time since October 5 to w205, down w15 points day on day.
Shipping sources have attributed the bullish movement in rates to a combination of factors, including the increase in export activity to Europe. Weather-delayed itineraries, steep bunker prices and limited tonnage availability — dwindling on those increased US crude exports and lightering demand — have also lent bullish support to rates.
So far in October, there have been 22 Aframaxes booked to lift cargoes to Europe from the USGC, up significantly from 15 in September and 12 in August, according to Platts fixture logs.
Despite the uptick in delivered USGC crude cargoes to the UK, overall delivered cargoes into Northwest Europe from the USGC appeared to fall 262,000 barrels week on week to 2.104 million barrels. As overall exports have declined, the assessed differentials for Permian light sweet WTI MEH crude and offshore medium sour Mars crude have weakened.
On Monday morning, WTI MEH was heard talked at WTI cash plus $6.60/b, up 30 cents from its assessed value Friday but down 20 cents week on week.
Mars was heard talked Monday morning at WTI cash plus $5/b, down 30 cents on week.
Both WTI MEH and Mars have been exported to the UK and Rotterdam in increasing quantities in recent months, according to market sources.
http://blogs.platts.com/2018/10/30/usgc-crude-cargoes-uk-rebound/
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EPA Defends Actions at Facility Tied to Ill. Governor
Oct 30, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Corbin Hiar
EPA today provided a detailed timeline of its efforts to address dangerously high levels of carcinogenic emissions from a medical cleaning company with ties to Illinois' embattled Republican governor.
Late last year, EPA started working with Sterigenics International — a company owned by the private equity firm Gov. Bruce Rauner co-founded — and the Rauner administration to determine how big of a threat cancer-causing ethylene oxide emissions from a Sterigenics plant outside of Chicago posed to the public, the agency release said.
Initial EPA testing found the emissions levels closest to the plant could cause cancer in 1,000 people out of a group of 1 million, "exceeding our typical upper limit of cancer risk acceptability," Ed Nam, the director of EPA's regional air and radiation division, wrote to Sterigenics and the Rauner administration. The Dec. 22, 2017, letter was first reported by the Chicago Tribune.
In June of this year, the agency also began working to "contextualize and communicate" the results of its emissions monitoring and "reviewed and approved" additional pollution controls and testing procedures for the plant, EPA's release said.
Later in the summer, the Tribune broke the news that EPA had found elevated cancer risks near the plant.
The emissions were "not an emergency," Rauner initially told the public. "This is not a public health immediate crisis" (Greenwire, Aug. 29).
In September, Sterigenics tested its facility's new air scrubbers and found that they had "a control efficiency above 99 percent," EPA said. EPA air chief Bill Wehrum also communicated that information to Rauner and other elected officials (E&E News PM, Sept. 27).
But earlier this month, the governor, who is trailing in his re-election bid, according to recent polls, joined a chorus of elected officials who were calling for the Sterigenics facility to be shut down (Greenwire, Oct. 3).
EPA is currently reviewing its own testing of the facility's pollution controls "to inform additional risk assessment and ambient air monitoring work," the agency said. And the agency plans to hold a public meeting with elected officials and community leaders in late November, according to the release.
EPA claimed it released the timeline in an effort to rebut "recent media reports" that have "inaccurately misrepresented" the agency's involvement in addressing the Sterigenics cancer scare. But EPA didn't immediately respond to a request for more information about the media reports it was referring to.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/10/30/stories/1060104725
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Court Tosses Greens' Challenge to Power Plant Rule Delay
Oct 30, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Ellen M. Gilmer
A federal court last night rejected environmentalists' challenge to EPA's loosening of toxic wastewater restrictions for power plants.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona ruled that it lacked jurisdiction over the claims because they centered on effluent limitations. The Clean Water Act requires that challenges to effluent rules be raised in appellate courts, not district courts.
At issue is the Trump administration's revision of EPA's 2015 effluent limitations guidelines, which required power plants to install technology to remove heavy metals like mercury and arsenic from wastewater discharges.
When Scott Pruitt took charge at EPA, the agency suspended the rule to consider scrapping or revising it. In September 2017, the agency finalized a plan to delay compliance deadlines from November 2018 to November 2020 for certain waste streams covered by the rule.
The Center for Biological Diversity sued in the Arizona district court, arguing that the amendment violated the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.
Though effluent limitations must go to appellate courts, CBD argued that it could raise its challenge to Pruitt's amendment in district court because the measure didn't actually put any new discharge restrictions in place; it just delayed deadlines.
The district court rejected the logic yesterday, pointing out that the September 2017 amendment, while delaying the deadlines for certain waste streams, allowed other Obama-era restrictions that had been previously suspended to go forward.
Center for Biological Diversity attorney Hannah Connor said the group is disappointed with the ruling but considering a potential appeal.
"We are of course disappointed with the results, given the huge impact of toxic power plant pollution and in particular coal plant pollution on species and public health," she told E&E News.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a similar decision in April (E&E News PM, April 18). That case is now on appeal.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/10/30/stories/1060104703
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Accepting Toxic Workplaces as Normal is Dangerous
Oct 30, 2018 | Quartz
By Cedar P. Carlton and Jeffrey Pfeffer
Modern workplaces are health hazards.
According to a paper published in a prestigious peer-reviewed journal, in aggregate the workplace was the fifth leading cause of death in the US, responsible for some 120,000 deaths and approximately $190 billion in additional costs each year. Work is one of the leading causes of stress, and the physiological effects of stress on blood chemistry, including cholesterol levels, the immune system, and metabolic functioning have been well-established. Meanwhile, a meta-analysis of hundreds of studies examining the effect of workplace practices on health and mortality concluded that many aspects of work—including long hours, an absence of job control, economic insecurity, and work-family conflict—were as harmful to health as second-hand smoke, a known and regulated carcinogen.
Despite this evidence, OSHA and similar agencies in other advanced industrialized countries, which have done a fabulous job in reducing deaths and injuries from causes such as accidents or chemical exposure, have done little to address the psychological risks so prevalent in contemporary workplaces, beyond extensively documenting their existence and toll.
Employees working in stress-filled, toxic workplaces may need to take action on their own. Here are several things they can do.Collective action
Concerted collective action, not just organized through a union but also in informal groups of workers, is generally protected by statute for non-managerial employees. Employees could get together to share their experiences and calibrate how harmful their workplace is, and then go, as a group, to management to seek changes. While an individual may rightfully feel intimidated to broach such a subject with their supervisor—because retaliation is a valid concern—employees are more likely to be heard and believed as a group.
The Department of Labor encourages employers to have “injury and illness prevention programs” and many states also require or encourage employers to have such programs. Therefore, one way to broach the conversation about workplace health is in the context of improving the company’s injury and illness prevention program and thereby reducing the direct costs of health care and the even-larger indirect costs such as turnover, absenteeism and presenteeism, where people are at work but not productive.
The elimination of workplace stress is not just good for workers, in other words, it is good for performance of the company.File complaints
Even though OSHA and its state counterparts have, to this point, not aggressively gone after psychosocial work hazards, there is no reason they could not. After all, health and safety agencies are charged with trying to prevent illness and injury from recognized health hazards. Workplace stress should be recognized as one such hazard, and the evidence on its harm is overwhelming. Employees subjected to dangerous levels of stress could start filing “health” or “safety” complaints with OSHA. Some states also have their own health and safety offices. Currently local and federal OSHA offices are not likely to investigate such claims, but they should. And filing such reports to alert OSHA of the problem is one way to start pressuring OSHA to evolve in its understanding of health and safety in the workplace.Don’t accept toxic workplaces as normal
Most importantly, people need to stop accepting the unacceptable. Employees who are facing toxic stress and people who care about the cost of public health hazards could advocate for changes in the law that would encourage companies to stop subjecting workers to toxic stress. At this time, for most workplace injuries there is no direct cause of legal action that would allow employees to bring class action suits, the very type of collective legal action that has helped address gender and race discrimination and labor violations. Injured workers generally must file individual workers’ compensation claims. Yet the legal standards and limited remedies in workers’ compensation claims have not to this point provided sufficient incentives or guidance to induce most companies to foster human sustainability. New legal standards could spur companies to stop toxic managerial practices.
With numerous books decrying the health effects of too little sleep, excessive work hours, which adversely affect productivity, too, should not be tolerated. With the U.S. now having the smallest proportion of college-educated, working-age women in the labor force of the advanced industrialized countries, people should no longer accept practices that prevent a healthy balance of work and family commitments. With decades of research demonstrating the positive effects of job autonomy on motivation and commitment, people should no longer be subjected to excessive job control and heavy-handed micromanaging. With evidence showing that job loss increases suicide rates and increases mortality by some 44% in the first four years after losing one’s job, layoffs should be much less frequent than they are.Get legal advice
Standing up for better working conditions does come with some risk, and for that reason, consulting with an attorney before making any complaints is generally recommended. Yet, the risks of not doing anything are high, too, as this health research shows. It is only when people inform themselves of somewhat invisible but nonetheless all too real workplace risks and begin to take action to reduce those risks that workplaces are going to change.
Cedar P. Carlton is an employment lawyer who runs the Resolution Division of Webster & Frederickson, PLLC.
Jeffrey Pfeffer is a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and the author of Dying for a Paycheck.
https://qz.com/work/1443824/stress-at-work-is-a-dangerous-health-hazard/
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Oct 30, 2018 | Bulk Transporter
By Charles Wilson
A VARIETY of factors play a role in attracting and retaining top quality truck drivers. There is no single solution to this complex issue.
At Service Transport Company in Houston, Texas, the management team implemented a multi-faceted plan to make the tank truck carrier more attractive in an increasingly competitive driver market. Initial indications are that the company is on the right track with the program, which includes rollout of the largest compensation increase in the company’s history for its company drivers and owner-operators and an aggressive fleet replacement campaign.
“These are steps we felt we needed to take to improve driver retention and boost recruiting,” says Kevin Roycraft, Service Transport president. “We need more drivers to keep up with customer demand in a very strong chemical market. We could add a hundred drivers right now, and we have the loads to keep them busy. We could add as many owner-operators as come through the door.
“We are looking at every practical way to attract more drivers. The biggest question right now is ‘how do you get millenials to drive trucks?’”Chemical hauler
Service Transport currently employs 210 company drivers and 40 owner-operators. The fleet includes more than 200 tractors and about 600 tank trailers.
In addition to Houston, the fleet is dispersed among terminals in Corpus Christi, Texas; Beaumont, Texas; St Gabriel and St Rose, Louisiana; and Saraland, Alabama. Operations are conducted throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Chemical hauling is a primary focus, generating more than $60 million in annual revenue. The carrier uses statistical process control to help ensure that its customers receive the best possible service. The process covers safety and on-time deliveries. Participation in quality action teams in-house and special outside seminars with most of the top 10 to 15 accounts is part of a continuous improvement program that benefits Service Transport and customers alike.
Service Transport is a Responsible Care Partner. This association with the American Chemistry Council represents a solid commitment to health, safety, and environmental issues surrounding the chemical industry.
The focus on driver recruiting and retention is very much a part of the carrier’s commitment to provide outstanding customer service. “It is absolutely critical that we take the necessary steps to provide the transport capacity our customers need,” says Mike Leggio, Service Transport vice-president.Driver compensation
With the new compensation package, the busiest company drivers will be making upwards of $80,000 a year. The compensation increase comes in a line-haul pay raise and a boost in safety bonuses. The carrier also boosted paid vacation time to up to five weeks for the longest-tenured drivers.
“We launched the new compensation package at the end of June, and the initial indications are that it is a solid winner,” Roycraft says. “Our driver turnover has fallen to a minimal level, primarily due to retirements and such. We believe we are seeing improvement in recruiting efforts.
“However, we are still have a driver shortage at Service Transport. We’re looking for 100 more drivers over the next 12 months.”
To help with the recruiting effort, Service Transport launched a tuition reimbursement program in May for truck driving school graduates and has reached out to schools across the Gulf Coast region.
After six to eight weeks in the school, these new truck drivers spend another six to eight weeks with Service Transport driver trainers.
“We’ve hired 20 school graduates since July,” Roycraft says. “These are people who are totally new to trucking, and they have ranged in age from 24 to 50 years old. We’ve seen police officers, military veterans, school teachers, and even a minister. Women are part of the mix.Fleet replacement
Attracting and keeping outstanding drivers includes providing trucks they want to drive, with younger drivers being a particular target. That has been a key factor in the current truck replacement strategy at Service Transport.
More than 100 tractors were ordered with deliveries scheduled through Q1 2019. Almost all of these trucks were for replacement. Orders for 2019 will include trucks for business expansion.
The new 2019-model-year tractors come with driver comfort features including an ergonomic seat and a 70-inch walk-in sleeper configured for a refrigerator and a television. They also sport a new paint scheme. Gone is the light blue base color. The new tractors are white with red and dark blue stripes.
Truck purchases this year included Freightliner Cascadias, Mack Anthems, and International LTs. Internationals have the Cummins X15 engine rated at 430 horsepower, Anthems were ordered with a 430-hp Mack MP8, and the Cascadias come with a 450-hp Detroit DD13 engine. All of the tractors are spec’d with automated transmissions.
“These trucks are so much easier to drive,” Leggio says. “That is a recruiting positive, as is the technology we are putting into these vehicles. The younger drivers we are targeting are very comfortable with the technology.”
Specs include PeopleNet’s on-board tablet computer for electronic driver logs and the Bendix Wingman Fusion package with adaptive cruise control, active brake assist, and collision avoidance. Forward-facing on-board video cameras are supplied by iDrive.
Bendix air-disc brakes are now standard for the fleet. Fifthwheels are from Holland and Jost. Tires are supplied by Bridgestone and Yokohama.
Product handling equipment includes Paragon’s compact HydraChem hydraulically powered pump and compressor module. Trucks used to transport dry bulk loads also have Paragon blowers.
Help in managing the tractor fleet comes from Navistar’s OnCommand Connection system. “We use it as part of our preventive maintenance effort,” he says. “I can see my entire fleet status on my cell phone. It helps in diagnosing equipment problems, and we can share data with our local truck dealers.”
On the trailer side, Polar has been the primary supplier of new 7,000-gallon DOT407 stainless steel chemical tanks. Hardware includes Betts valves, Girard pressure- and vacuum-relief vents, and Hendrickson Intraax air suspension/axle systems. J&L Tank was the primary supplier of the 1,636-cu-ft pneumatic bulkers that are used to transport plastic pellets.
New equipment is being put to work as fast as it arrives. In Service Transport’s operation, 70% of the activity is in long-haul dedicated service, with drivers home at least weekly. The carrier also has regional and local operations.
Leggio says these are the sorts of operations that should appeal to the younger truck drivers. “We have a lot of out-and-back work,” he says. “Our drivers get home every week. We don’t have system drivers who are out weeks at a time.”
Roycraft adds: “When we look at everything we’ve done over the past year, we believe we are on the right track. We’re seeing a recommitment to the company by all of our employees, and there is a strong sense of optimism.”
https://www.bulktransporter.com/fleet-management/service-transport-making-significant-investment-driver-recruiting-retention-efforts
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US Seeks Input on GHS and Transport of Dangerous Goods
Oct 30, 2018 | Chemical Watch
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha) will hold a public meeting on 13 November to discuss proposals ahead of the 36th session of the UN Sub-Committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of classification and labelling of chemicals (UNSCEGHS). The UN subcommittee meets 5-7 December in Geneva, Switzerland.
The November meeting is to consider working group comments and information gathered when developing the government positions. Osha also will give an update on the Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC).
The Department of Transportation (DOT), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) will also conduct a public meeting on 13 November to discuss proposals in preparation for the 54th session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UNSCE TDG). This UN subcommittee meets from 26 November until 4 December in Geneva, Switzerland.
PHMSA will request comments on potential new work items that may be considered for inclusion in its international agenda. It will also provide an update on actions to enhance transparency and stakeholder interaction through improvements to the international standards portion of its website.
The meetings will be at the DOT Headquarters Conference Center, Washington, DC. Pre-registration is required but the same form can be used for both. Conference call-in and 'Skype meeting' capability will be provided.
https://chemicalwatch.com/71446/us-seeks-input-on-ghs-and-transport-of-dangerous-goods
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Sprint Transport Running Hard to Keep Up with Chemical Shipper Demand
Oct 30, 2018 | Bulk Transporter
By Charles Wilson
THIS has been a great year to be a chemical hauler on the US Gulf Coast. For instance, Sprint Transport LLC has been running flat out to provide chemical shippers with award-winning service.
Pasadena, Texas-based Sprint Transport recently was recognized for outstanding logistics performance in North America by BASF, which was one of the carrier’s first chemical shipper customers. Sprint Transport was honored, in part, for handling more than 600 shipments that had not been assigned for transport.
“We do everything we can to provide our chemical shipper customers with the best possible service,” says Josh Noworatzky, president of Sprint Transport. “We provide high-performance, time-sensitive services that keep customer operations running at peak performance levels.
“Our biggest challenge right now is keeping up with customer demand. Plant expansions launched by the oil and gas shale boom have come on-line, and it has become the perfect storm. We’re seeing more capital spending on new production facilities. This is a crazy time, but it’s a great time to be a young chemical hauler that wants to grow.”Steady growth
Established in 2010, Sprint Transport has grown into a $26.6 million tank truck carrier. While the focus is on the Gulf Coast, the company provides service across the United States with a fleet that includes 100 tractors and more than 400 tank trailers.
About 18 months ago, Sprint Transport bought a 10-acre facility with offices and a maintenance shop in Pasadena that now serves as the headquarters terminal. The carrier also has terminals in Nederland, Texas, and Saint Gabriel, Louisiana. A fourth terminal is under development in Freeport, Texas.
TMW Suite software is used for fleet management, including dispatch. “Each terminal has its own dispatchers,” Noworatzky says. “It’s part of our culture, because we want dispatchers local dispatchers to know the drivers operating out each terminal. We want them to build personal relationships. We also want dispatchers to know our customers and have a passion for the needs of those customers.”
Sprint Transport operates as an independent business within The Sprint Companies. In business for more than 30 years and employing over 500 personnel, The Sprint Companies own, operate, and invest in a variety of basic and niche businesses throughout the Houston area. While each company operates independently, every effort is made to cross-sell services where it makes sense.
“We’ve built about 30 businesses over the years, all of them service businesses where we can differentiate ourselves from the competition by working harder,” says Joe Swinbank, a co-founder of The Sprint Companies. We’ve concentrated our efforts on waste handling, trucking, and construction materials. “We promise our customers on-time pick-up and delivery, and we carry through on that promise. We also have become very adept at developing services that solve problems for our customers.
“The company grew where it made strong business sense, expanding into complementary markets and adding services that benefited core customers. The Gulf Coast’s oil and gas sector was a natural fit, and by adding the ability to collect and dispose of oilfield waste and refining and petrochemical by-products, we were able to partner with the world’s largest energy companies to manage their entire waste stream.”Close relationship
Sprint Transport often works in close proximity to Sprint Waste Services, a sister company that offers a wide range of services in refineries, chemical plants, and storage terminals along the Gulf Coast. Sprint Transport provides hazardous and non-hazardous product hauling and tank trailer rentals, while Sprint Waste Services offerings include vacuum trucks and trailers for liquid wastes, roll-off containers, sludge and residuals containment and removal, refuse hauling, real-time tracking and reporting capabilities, and managed services including onsite staffing.
Chemicals transported by Spring Transport include sodium and potassium hydroxide, glycols, methanol, water treatment chemicals, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, solvents, naphthalene, and isopropyl alcohol.
“We have seven transports hauling molten sulfur, and we also transport some crude oil,” Noworatzky says. “We haul the products that our customers need transported. We have good relationships with our customers. We always ask what we can do to serve them better.
“Discussions with our customers have given us the opportunity to develop new products and services. We began running specialized equipment, such as high-heat tanks, after some of those discussions. In other cases, we have purchased extra equipment in anticipation of increased output of a chemical product.
“Some of our customers have said they need more storage capacity for certain chemical products. As a result, we are renting more tank trailers to the plants for short-term storage. We have roughly 200 tank trailers rented out right now.”
A good thing about the rental arrangement is that Sprint Transport usually hauls the load to the delivery destination. Chemical shipments handled by Sprint Transport go all over the United States.
“We go coast-to-coast, but all of our trips are out and back,” Noworatzky says. “Drivers will spend two to three nights on the road before returning home. Shipments to Oregon are the exception. Those round-trips take eight days.”Fleet expansion
To meet the rental demand, as well as its own growth needs, the tank truck carrier is buying 60 new chemical tank trailers each years. In addition, the company is buying 12 to 14 new tractors annually—all for expansion.
The newest chemical tanks are from Bulk by Wabash National, but the carrier also runs tank trailers built by Brenner and Polar Corporation. The insulated, straight-bore DOT407 tanks are constructed of 2205 lean duplex steel are rated for temperatures up to 400°F.
“We’ve been buying tanks made of lean duplex for four years and now have 200 of them in our fleet,” Noworatzky says. “We can haul just about any chemical product in these trailers, including molten wax. They work well for some corrosive products that would normally require a DOT412.”
The 7,000-gallon tanks have a 1/8-inch shell with a 50,000-psi tensile strength. The corrosion allowance is almost double that of 316 stainless steel.
The trailers are configured for center and rear unloading and have ground-level vapor recovery. Tank hardware includes Betts valves and domelid, Garnet digital level gauges, and Girard pressure- and vacuum-relief vents.
Running gear includes Hendrickson Intraax axle/air suspension systems, and the axles are spec’d with Hendrickson’s HLX7 pressure-sealed greased hubs. Trailers also have Bendix roll stability and air disc brakes. Tires are from Continental, Goodyear, and Michelin.New tractors
The newest company tractors are Kenworth T680s with 76-inch sleepers and Freightliner Cascadia daycabs. The T680s have Cummins X15 engines rated at 450 horsepower, and the Cascadia’s come with the Detroit DD15 engine. All of the tractors have Eaton 10-speed manual transmissions.
“For company trucks, we’re about 50/50 for daycabs and sleepers,” Noworatzky says. “We’ve stayed with manual transmissions because they are easier to maintain.”
Tractors have Omnitracs on-board computers, which have been used for electronic driver logs for the past eight years. All tractors have the Bendix Wingman safety technology package.
Paragon’s HydraAir hydraulic drive/product compressor is paired with a Roper reversible product pump. The modular system includes a back-of-cab platform and hose rack. Other tractor equipment includes LED headlights, SAF Holland steel fifthwheel, and Merritt toolbox.Driver focus
The equipment is spec’d for professional truck drivers. Sprint Transport requires at least two years of chemical tank experience. “This isn’t a job for beginners,” Noworatzky says.
Applicants need a clean driving record and a good CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability program) score. They also must pass a road test.
A week of orientation training at the terminal includes computer-based instruction. Sprint Transport worked with the Houston Area Safety Council to develop Sprint-specific in compliance with chemical company safety requirements.
A day of hands-on training at the terminal covers product pump and compressor operation. New hires also spend three days on the job with a driver trainer. Pre-trip and post-trip inspections get a lot of attention.
Drivers learn from the very start that they are a critical part of the fleet maintenance program. Sprint Transport managers stress the importance of thorough pre-trip and post-trip inspections.
Each terminal in the Sprint Transport system has a maintenance shop. Preventive maintenance is the primary focus for tractors. Warranty work is sent to the truck is sent out.
Shop mechanics perform thorough 90-day inspections on every tractor and trailer. Mechanics also handle tank trailer inspections and tests, including hydrostatic pressure tests. Any code tank work is contracted out.
“From hiring superior drivers to running a well-maintained, state-of-the-art fleet, we do all we can to ensure the best possible service for our customers,” Noworatzky says.
https://www.bulktransporter.com/fleet-management/sprint-transport-running-hard-keep-chemical-shipper-demand
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(ACC Mentioned) Pollution Isn’t Harmful To Your Health, Says Trump’s Top Pollution “Expert”
Oct 30, 2018 | Care2
By Kevin Mathews
There’s no shortage of research that points to air pollution’s negative effects on health, yet President Donald Trump has found one guy who thinks that all the concern about air pollution is “exaggerated” and that trying to clean the air will do nothing to save lives.
His name is Tony Cox, and he serves as the chairperson of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee. Reveal’s Jason Plautz did a thorough review of this influential man, and sadly, it’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from the Trump administration’s scientific leadership at the EPA.
Although Cox insists he’s not trying to thwart pollution reduction efforts and instead provide “a more accurate and nuanced understanding” of the science, his previous actions are at odds with that explanation. Prior to taking this role, Cox has sued the EPA multiple times to relax air pollution regulations.Be an informed activist.
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At the Health Effects Institute’s annual conference last year, Cox gave a presentation arguing that polluted air does not cause heart attacks and breathing problems for people. The other scientists in the room were “appalled,” and subsequent speakers felt compelled to amend their speeches on the fly to point out what they had originally assumed could go without saying at this point: air pollution is bad for our health!
Cox differs from his predecessors in that he doesn’t have a background in medicine or health science. He’s more of a statistics guy, specifically conducting “risk analysis” models. In fact, he’s made a career out of working for corporations putting together data that can challenge scientific consensus and try to manufacture a debate.
For example, in 2012, Cox conducted a study that concluded that smoking cigarettes (so long as it is under 10 per day) does not increase a person’s risk of heart disease. Notably, the study was bankrolled in part by Philip Morris, the same company he worked as a consultant for in the previous decade.
A couple of years later, Cox tried to poke holes into regulations on silica dust exposure on behalf of the American Chemistry Council, a pro-chemical industry group, by arguing that the studies connecting trace amounts of silica to lung disease as insufficient.
Cox doesn’t make it his mission to prove that things well-regarded as harmful aren’t actually harmful – instead he cherry-picks certain stats to make it seem like the science isn’t settled, with the goal of impeding policy. Law and policy makers beholden to industry money are just waiting for someone to cast a shadow of doubt so that they cling to it and not take action against corporations.
That makes Cox an obviously valuable tool for corporations, but a terrible one for working on behalf of the American people in our government. That’s particularly true at this point in time: this year, the EPA is reviewing standards for smog particles, and if Trump’s advisor on this matter breaks with scientific consensus to say “no big deal,” we could all be breathing in dirtier air for years to come as a result.
No matter what Cox says (i.e. is paid to say,) just about any health expert/scientist can give you the real deal with pollution: it’s absolutely not a good thing to inhale.
https://www.care2.com/causes/pollution-isnt-harmful-to-your-health-says-trumps-top-pollution-expert.html
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NC Governor Sets Goal of Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 40 Percent
Oct 30, 2018 | The Hill - E2 Wire
By John Bowden
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) on Monday signed an executive order committing the state to cut emissions by 40 percent by 2025, a goal that puts North Carolina in line with targets set by the 2015 Paris Agreement.
In a press release from the governor's office, Cooper noted that the onslaught of "historic storms" hitting the state prompted government response.
“With historic storms lashing our state, we must combat climate change, make our state more resilient and lessen the impact of future natural disasters," Cooper said Monday at a solar farm in Cary, N.C.
The state was hit with massive flooding and far-reaching power outages in recent months, following Hurricanes Florence and Matthew.
The order also directs state agencies to take steps to support green energy and renewable fuel.
The order calls for North Carolina's Transportation Department to accelerate a plan to expand use of zero-emission vehicles in the state to at least 80,000. It also urges North Carolina's Commerce Department to "support the expansion of clean energy businesses and service providers, clean technology investment, and companies with a commitment to procuring renewable energy."
“It is important for the states to take action,” Cooper added at the signing ceremony, according to the Charlotte Observer. “We’re going to intentionally work toward the goal.”
The initiative does not require backing from the state's deep-red legislature.
Other states, including California and Colorado, have taken steps to cut down emissions in line with the Paris agreement, despite the Trump administration's announcement last year that the U.S. would exit the landmark climate accord.
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/413838-nc-governor-sets-goal-of-cutting-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-40
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Power-Sector Emissions Drop Despite Trump Policies
Oct 30, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Hannah Northey
The nation's power sector continues to march toward meeting and surpassing the goals of the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, which the Trump administration has moved to water down.
Carbon emissions tied to U.S. electricity generation have dropped 28 percent since 2005 to a total of 1,744 million metric tons last year — the lowest since 1987 — according to data the U.S. Energy Information Administration posted publicly yesterday.
The downward trend is tied to a shift away from coal-fired generation alongside the spread of natural gas, cheaper wind and solar, and declining demand for electricity in the industrial and residential sectors, according to EIA, the government's independent energy analyst.
While the downward trend wasn't unexpected, experts say the power sector's decrease in emissions is sizable and points to the power of state and private-sector action to combat climate change.
"To see this across the entire country and to see this close to those 2030 targets, I think that was a little bit of a surprise," said Kate Konschnik, director of the climate and energy program at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions.
While the Obama-era Clean Power Plan didn't mandate a particular reduction, EPA anticipated based on state targets that the nation would see a 30 percent drop in power sector emissions by 2030.
According to yesterday's EIA data, the industry is nearing that goal more than a decade early, a sign that power companies are acting on state policies and private-sector demand for clean energy — even without the Clean Power Plan.
"We always knew the Clean Power Plan was sort of riding the coattails of state public policies and private-sector clean energy demand, and those drivers aren't going away," said Konschnik. "If anything, they have intensified. I think we're just on this trajectory that EPA saw and tried to harness with the Clean Power Plan."
EIA found slower demand for electricity and changes in the U.S. power generation mix have played "nearly equal roles in reducing U.S. power sector CO2 emissions." But while utilities curbed their carbon dioxide output by 28 percent, other parts of the energy sector saw only a 5 percent dip.
But the continuing decarbonization as utilities shift from coal to gas and renewables is still uncertain given the Trump administration's stated goal of reviving a struggling coal industry. Along with a host of regulatory rollbacks, the administration has for months been vetting a proposal to throw ailing coal and nuclear plants a financial lifeline in the name of national security, a policy that's now floundering at the White House.
Konschnik also pointed to the Trump administration's proposal in August for EPA to replace the Clean Power Plan with a weaker version of the rule that sets less stringent climate targets, as well as a new loophole in the New Source Review Program. Those moves could keep older, dirtier coal plants online, she said.
But Ken Kimmell, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists, said that while the trend of decreasing emissions in the power sector could be stalled, it's unlikely to be reversed.
The utility sector for years has seen a drop in emissions on the back of strong state policies, dropping costs of renewables and the shuttering of coal plants.
But Kimmell also warned that despite the downward trend we're seeing today in power sector emissions, the loss of the Clean Power Plan also takes away a federal backstop to curb emissions if market conditions change.
"I do think this is a trend now that's become embedded," he said. "It can't be reversed, but it could be slowed down."
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/10/30/stories/1060104721
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Children, Activists Rally in Support of Climate Change Lawsuit
Oct 30, 2018 | Reuters (In The New York Times)
By Lee van der Voo
Activists rallied in Oregon and other states on Monday in support of young plaintiffs whose lawsuit against the U.S. government over the impact of climate change is under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The lawsuit, Juliana v. U.S., had been scheduled to begin in U.S. District Court in Oregon on Monday before it was temporarily blocked from proceeding by the Supreme Court on Oct. 18..
The plaintiffs rallied along with hundreds of students on the steps of the federal courthouse in Eugene, Oregon, and heard speeches from Native Americans, activists and religious leaders.
Their words were broadcast by bicycle-powered speakers for hours in the Oregon rain.
Twenty-one children and adults, aged 11 to 22, accused federal officials in a lawsuit filed in 2015 during President Barack Obama's administration of violating their due process rights by knowing for decades that carbon pollution poisons the environment, but doing nothing about it.
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The activists are seeking various environmental remedies.
'NO RIGHT TO CLIMATE'
The Department of Justice contends that letting the case proceed would be too burdensome, unconstitutionally pit the courts against the executive branch, and require improper “agency decision-making” by forcing officials to answer questions about climate change.
The Justice Department also argues there is no right to “a climate system capable of sustaining human life.”
The Supreme Court said it would rule on whether the case could proceed in the lower court after it received responses from the plaintiffs and the lower court to the Department of Justice's objections.
"We know this is our place," plaintiff Jacob Lebel told the crowd at the rally, referring to the courthouse. "Because regardless of what (President Donald Trump) tries to do, or when we get our day in court, the wildfires around my farm in Oregon keep getting worse, the winters keep getting warmer, the salmon keep dying ... the seas keep rising and our politicians keep lying.”
The organizers in Eugene said supporters demonstrated in more than 70 rallies nationwide, including in New York, San Francisco and Boston. Smaller demonstrations were also staged in Stockholm, London, Amsterdam and Uganda within the past week, they said.
The plaintiffs said they delayed school and jobs to attend the rally and the trial they hope will start soon. They include hip-hop artist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, who interrupted a concert tour.
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2018/10/30/us/30reuters-usa-climatechange-lawsuit-rally.html
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U.N. Sets Out Massive Benefits From Air Pollution Action in Asia
Oct 30, 2018 | Reuters (In The New York Times)
By Tom Miles
Asia could reap massive benefits in health, environment, agriculture and economic growth if governments implement 25 policies such as banning the burning of household waste and cutting industrial emissions, according to a U.N. report.
Air pollution is a health risk for 4 billion people in Asia, killing about 4 million of them annually, and efforts to tackle the problem are already on track to ensure air pollution is no worse in 2030, but huge advances could be made, the report said.
The report's 25 recommendations would cost an estimated $300 billion-$600 billion annually, a big investment but loose change compared with a projected $12 trillion economic growth increase.
The publication of the report, "Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific: Science based solutions", on Tuesday coincides with the World Health Organization holding its first global air pollution conference in Geneva this week.
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The recommendations also included post-combustion controls to cut emissions from power stations, higher standards for shipping fuels, ending routine flaring of gas from oil wells, and energy efficiency standards for industry and households.
The biggest gains would come from clean cooking, reducing emissions from industry, using renewable fuels for power generation and more efficient use of fertilisers.
Huge improvements in post-combustion controls and emission standards for road vehicles were already anticipated because of recent legislation, although both could be improved further.
Indeed, India may halt the use of private vehicles in the capital New Delhi if air pollution, which has reached severe levels in recent days, gets worse, a senior environmental official said on Tuesday.
Authorities in the capital have already advised residents to keep outdoor activity to a minimum from the beginning of next month until at least the end of the Hindu festival of Diwali on Nov. 7, when firecrackers typically further taint air choked by the burning of crop stubble in neighboring states.EDITORS’ PICKSThe Saltier the Licorice, the Happier the Country. Just Look at Finland.In Japan, the Kit Kat Isn’t Just a Chocolate. It’s an Obsession.He Defended Accused Terrorists for 35 Years. Now He’s Back.
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Helena Molin Valdés, head of Climate and Clean Air Coalition Secretariat at U.N. Environment, said there was increasing political openness to taking action on air pollution and the report reflected three years of discussions with governments.
"What the governments were saying in the region was: 'Don’t tell us we have a problem, we know there is a problem, how can we deal with it and what will it take to do it?'," she said.
The report estimates its recommendations would cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent compared to a baseline scenario, potentially decreasing global warming by one-third of a degree Celsius by 2050, which would also be a contribution in the fight against climate change.
One billion people would enjoy high air quality, while the number exposed to the worst pollution would be cut by 80 percent to 430 million. Premature deaths would fall by a third.
Crop yields would benefit because of a reduction in ozone, which is estimated to have cut 2015 harvests by 10 percent for maize, 4 percent for rice, 22 percent for soy and 9 percent across Asia, a total of 51 million tonnes.
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2018/10/30/world/asia/30reuters-health-airpollution-asia.html
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Wild Animal Population Has Plunged 60 Percent Since 1970: Report
Oct 30, 2018 | The Hill - E2 Wire
By Aris Folley
Sixty percent of all animals with a backbone have been wiped out by human activity in the past 40 years, according to a new World Wildlife Fund (WWF) "Living Planet" report.
The report surveyed over 4,000 species spread across 16,700 populations across the planet from 1970 to 2014, AFP reported Tuesday.
"The situation is really bad, and it keeps getting worse," Marco Lambertini, the director general of WWF International, told AFP.
"The only good news is that we know exactly what is happening,” he continued.
According to the report, freshwater fauna has seen an 80-percent decline since 1970.
Over the same period, the wildlife population in Latin America reportedly saw a decline of 90 percent.
The report also found that the current rate of species being loss is 100 to 1,000 times higher than it was several hundred years ago, according to AFP.
"The statistics are scary," Piero Visconti, one of the co-authors of the 80-page report and a researcher at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria, told the news agency.
"Unlike population declines, extinctions are irreversible,” she said.
"A healthy, sustainable future for all is only possible on a planet where nature thrives and forests, oceans and rivers are teeming with biodiversity and life," Lambertini added.
The report comes weeks after the United Nations panel warned in another report that the world might be on a path toward catastrophic climate change if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t significantly cut by 2030.
That report said the world needs to decrease emissions by 45 percent by 2030 to prevent the atmosphere from warming by 1.5 degrees Celsius.
To prevent the global temperature from rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius, the world's leading nations would need to undergo a massive transformation in the way their populations use transportation and grow food.
In the 2015 Paris climate pact, international leaders agreed to curb the global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius above the era prior to mass industrialization, with an aspiration to limit this to 1.5 degrees.
Trump formally withdrew from the pact last year, an act that separated the U.S. from most of the world on climate change. Trump said then that the climate change agreement “unfair at the highest level to the United States.”
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/413771-wild-animal-population-has-plunged-60-since-1970-report
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