Preview Newsletter
ACC PM 06/11/18
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Longtime NRDC Leader Dies
Nov 6, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Hannah Northey
Henry Henderson, the Natural Resources Defense Council's longtime Midwest director who dedicated much of his career to protecting Chicago and the Great Lakes, died last night at his home in Evanston, Ill., after a lengthy illness. -
Two US Companies Penalised for TSCA Reporting Violations
Nov 6, 2018 | Chemical Watch
By Lisa Martine Jenkins
Two California companies will pay almost $100,000 in EPA penalties for failing to comply with TSCA-required toxic chemical notifications. -
Managing a Challenging Regulatory Environment for Chemicals of Emerging Concern
Nov 6, 2018 | Bloomberg (In Manufacturing.net)
By Mark Kozeal
As regulators focus their attention on chemicals of emerging concern, also known as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), organizations across the chemical industry are facing an uncertain and rapidly evolving regulatory environment. -
Lead From a New “Lead-Free” Brass Faucet? More Common Than You’d Hope
Nov 6, 2018 | Environmental Defense Fund
By Tom Neltner
During this past year, we undertook a pilot project to tackle the problem of lead in drinking water at child care facilities. -
Commission to Adopt 'Comprehensive' EU Framework on EDCs
Nov 6, 2018 | Chemical Watch
By Clelia Oziel
The European Commission will adopt on 7 November a Communication outlining its long-awaited framework on endocrine disrupting chemicals, the EU executive has said. -
UT Research Shows Link Between Oil and Gas Water Disposal and Earthquakes
Nov 6, 2018 | Houston Chronicle
By Rye Druzin
A new study says there is a link between the disposal of water used in the oil and gas industry underground and increased earthquake activity. -
Marijuana, Carbon Tax and Fracking: Midterm Ballot Issues
Nov 6, 2018 | Financial Times
By Courtney Weaver and Ed Crooks
For many voters across the US, Tuesday’s elections are about more than selecting their governor or their district’s next representative to Congress. -
Oil Bulls Best Hope Nothing Messes With Texas
Nov 6, 2018 | Bloomberg - Opinion
By Liam Denning and Mark Gongloff
Looking at oil prices, sanctions on Iran haven’t so much kicked in as shuffled onto the stage. -
FERC Chairman Raises New CPP Fears in ACE Comments
Nov 6, 2018 | Inside EPA
Neil Chatterjee, the new chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), is broadly criticizing the Obama EPA's Clean Power Plan (CPP) utility greenhouse gas rule in formal comments on the Trump EPA's proposed replacement for that measure, known as the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule. -
MPLX Agrees to Pay $7M to Settle Alleged Air Pollution Violations
Nov 6, 2018 | Natural Gas Intelligence
Federal and state regulators have reached a settlement with MPLX LP to pay nearly $7 million in fines and other measures aimed at strengthening air pollution controls at natural gas processing plants in six states... -
Constitution Pipeline Granted Two-Year Extension by FERC
Nov 6, 2018 | Natural Gas Intelligence
By Jamison Cocklin
FERC has granted another two-year extension for Constitution Pipeline to enter service as the sponsors continue to exhaust all legal options in their nearly three-year battle against the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which denied a key permit... -
Top Pentagon Official Says Warming a Source of Conflict
Nov 6, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Courtney Columbus
The country's highest-ranking military officer yesterday said climate change is a source of conflict, something the Pentagon takes into account as it plans for the future. -
Enviros Urge White House to Abandon Mercury Rule Overhaul
Nov 6, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Sean Reilly
EPA's proposal to revisit its 2012 regulations on power plant mercury emissions has yet to be made public, but it's already drawn the attention of outside groups who have attended White House meetings about the plan. -
Nations Vow to Crack Down on Illegal Fishing, Marine Trash
Nov 6, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Nathanial Gronewold
Government leaders are planning a global crackdown on illegal fishing and marine trash, and environmental groups are optimistic they'll stick to their pledge.
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Nov 6, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Hannah Northey
Henry Henderson, the Natural Resources Defense Council's longtime Midwest director who dedicated much of his career to protecting Chicago and the Great Lakes, died last night at his home in Evanston, Ill., after a lengthy illness. He was 66.
Henderson became known nationally for his tireless advocacy on advancing clean energy, NRDC said in a tribute. He also drew attention to communities struggling in the wake of the Flint, Mich., water crisis.
Henderson, a lawyer and professor of environmental law and policy, revealed in a 2011 interview that his family has been in the Midwest for generations and he was first drawn to the environmental movement through communities directly affected by pollution.
He emphasized that at the heart of environmental law is citizen participation and called for a better understanding of the social and economic factors tied to contamination, reliance on fossil fuels and the growing need for clean energy.
Henry Henderson. Natural Resources Defense Council
"It's embedded in the Midwest that coal is the direction toward liberation, that in fact it is a part of a way toward improvement of the human condition," said Henderson. "You have to get at this, not just as a pollution reality, but also as an economic reality."
"When we're talking about coal, we're talking about tar sands, we're talking about invasive species, we're talking about things that make it impossible to get a new, improved clean energy, clean natural resource economy," Henderson added.
Henderson served as the director of NRDC's Midwest office, which opened in Chicago in 2007. During the past decade, he fought against the construction of coal plants in Michigan and Ohio and used the Clean Air Act to push for pollution controls on oil sands refineries.
He's credited with using the law to protect vulnerable communities, launching campaigns to protect residents of Chicago's Southeast Side from the rampant dumping of toxic chemicals and coal plants operating in Latino neighborhoods, NRDC said.
Henderson also played a key role in compelling Commonwealth Edison, the largest utility in Illinois, to invest half a billion dollars in new efficiency measures for commercial buildings, a move that curbed emissions in Chicago, according to NRDC. He also helped pave the way for Illinois' Future Energy Jobs Act.
Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin in the NRDC tribute called Henderson a "tireless advocate" who tackled tough pollution issues, including manganese contamination in Southeast Chicago and petcoke waste from a refinery in a dense urban neighborhood.
Before joining NRDC, Henderson was the founding commissioner for Chicago's Department of Environment from 1992 to 1998, and served as Illinois' assistant attorney general from 1985 to 1987.
Former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who picked Henderson to serve as commissioner in 1992, hailed his former employee's leadership and emergence as a pioneer in environmental protection for the city.
"I've always been proud of the fact that we were the first big city to create a Department of Environment — and we're all fortunate that Henry was able to serve so passionately as its first commissioner," Daley said in a statement.
Henderson, as commissioner, is credited with developing an environmental mission for Chicago that included a brownfield initiative, energy policies, utility regulations and the city's clean air initiative to improve regional air quality while promoting economic development.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel in a statement emphasized Henderson's concern for communities affected by environmental challenges during his time as Chicago's commissioner for environment.
"Henry's devotion to Chicago did not end after leaving City Hall. His decade of work at the Natural Resources Defense Council was spent holding polluters, governments, and yes, even City Hall, to improve the air and water around us," Emanuel said.
Henderson also taught environmental law and policy at the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago. According to his LinkedIn bio, he was a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago from 1998 to 2005.
He has a master's degree from the University of Chicago and a law degree from the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, and children.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/11/06/stories/1060105291
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Two US Companies Penalised for TSCA Reporting Violations
Nov 6, 2018 | Chemical Watch
By Lisa Martine Jenkins
Two California companies will pay almost $100,000 in EPA penalties for failing to comply with TSCA-required toxic chemical notifications.
IPS Corporation, located in Los Angeles County, will pay $87,000 while Chevron Energy Technology Company, which operates a site in northern California, will pay $11,011. Neither company responded to Chemical Watch's request for comment.
Chevron Energy Technology Company develops and manages technology for the oil and gas industry. Between 2013 and 2014, it processed and manufactured chemicals as a part of its research. The EPA found that the Richmond, California-based site distributed chemical substances to third parties on three occasions without notifying them in writing that the chemicals’ use was restricted to research and development (R&D).
Companies must notify the EPA if they manufacture any new chemical substance. Under TSCA section 5(h)(3), however, companies may be exempt if they manufacture or process the substances in small quantities solely for scientific experimentation or analysis, or for chemical research for product development. In that case, individuals in R&D must be notified of associated health risks.
The second California-based company, IPS Corporation, manufacturers plumbing and roofing products, solvent cements, and adhesives.
"IPS manufactures products that contain trichloroethylene (TCE), a known human carcinogen," the EPA said in a 29 October statement. TCE cannot be distributed or exported for commercial purposes without notification of health risks.
Between 2015 and 2016, the EPA said IPS Corporation exported TCE-containing products to 11 foreign countries without submitting timely export notices to the agency: "These notices are required by law so EPA can provide information about exported chemicals to importing governments."
According to the consent order settling the IPS Corporation dispute, notification is required by "any person who exports or intends to export a chemical substance or mixture for which an order has been proposed or promulgated under section 5 or 6 of TSCA".
Export notifications are required from the date that a significant new use requirement (Snur) is proposed for any substance or mixture. The Snur on TCE was proposed on 7 August 2015, and took effect on 7 June 2016.
The EPA has seen some 300 Snurs proposed in recent months under the reformed TSCA.
https://chemicalwatch.com/71614/two-us-companies-penalised-for-tsca-reporting-violations
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Managing a Challenging Regulatory Environment for Chemicals of Emerging Concern
Nov 6, 2018 | Bloomberg (In Manufacturing.net)
By Mark Kozeal
As regulators focus their attention on chemicals of emerging concern, also known as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), organizations across the chemical industry are facing an uncertain and rapidly evolving regulatory environment.
A Journal of Hazardous Materials report found that about 40,000 compounds with CEC potential have been identified, with six more being added each day. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has expressed concerns that when CECs seep into the water supply, they release endocrine disruptors that can alter normal hormone functions. CECs include many chemicals that we use in our everyday lives, such as prescription and non-prescription medications, soaps, and food preservatives. Public concern and pressure to regulate continue to grow, and as a result, regulators are placing CECs in the spotlight, which means that companies need a strategy to monitor and respond to a fast-changing regulatory landscape.
A Changing Approach to Regulation
At the federal level, the EPA currently regulates 94 chemicals under the Safe Water Drinking Act, including CECs like perchlorate, pharmaceuticals, Phencyclidine (PCPs), and Endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs). A contaminant candidate list, published in November 2016, has identified 109 additional compounds of federal interest. The EPA has moved relatively slowly to establish new regulations, with only nine contaminants and contaminant groups added to the Safe Water Drinking Act list over the past 20 years.
Regulatory activity is ramping up, however. In 2016, Congress passed reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), expanding the EPA’s authority to obtain testing information from manufacturers on existing chemicals. About 86,000 chemical substances are currently registered for commercial use under TSCA, giving the EPA wide latitude to investigate and regulate a number of compounds critical to operations for businesses across the spectrum.
Meanwhile, states are moving forward with a patchwork of their own regulations. For example, New Jersey recently adopted regulations around maximum levels of the chemical 1,2,3-TCP in drinking water, making it one of three states to enact this level of stringent regulation on drinking water.
Organizations that fail to monitor and correct violations face potentially steep regulatory penalties. The TSCA dictates that chemical manufacturers, importers, processors, and distributors must follow “substantial risk” information reporting provisions, which could include detection of CECs in drinking water. In 2004, DuPont agreed to a settlement that required them to pay more than$10 million because of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOAs) near its West Virginia plant.
For the regulated community, keeping up with these changes poses numerous challenges. Regulation is preceding science in many cases. The traditional approach to set specific numeric criteria is being applied to chemicals. In many cases scientific data on the chemical’s health effects are still unknown and regulatory steps may be premature. This dynamic creates concern for the public and uncertainty for the business community.
Staying Ahead of CEC Regulations
Combining a proactive approach with the correct tools can help the chemical industry avoid the potential pitfalls of rapidly changing CEC regulation. Here’s where to start:Audit current business practices. With 86,000 chemicals sanctioned for commercial use, understand which ones your facilities are using and which might be subject to scrutiny.Develop a strategy for monitoring news and regulations. Resources like curated news feeds let you filter activity based on your industry, location, and other key factors to get an instant snapshot of what needs your attention, while tracking tools help make sure the right changes happen in your workplace when new regulations are promulgated or changed.Ask an expert. Don’t guess at what the latest regulations mean for your business. Gain assurance from subject matter experts and develop an achievable roadmap for staying compliant.Involve your team. Ensure that employees understand regulatory obligations and the implications of non-compliance. Invest in training and ongoing monitoring to make sure you stay on the right side of the law.
With CECs continuing to draw the attention of government officials and the public, chemical companies need a solid plan to stay on the right side of regulations. Armed with up-to-date insights, stakeholders and other decision-makers can recognize the implications of CEC regulations, follow rapidly changing developments and make informed business decisions.
About the Author
Mark Kozeal is the Director of Product Management for Bloomberg Environment, a leading source of legal, regulatory, and business information for professionals.
https://www.manufacturing.net/article/2018/11/managing-challenging-regulatory-environment-chemicals-emerging-concern
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Lead From a New “Lead-Free” Brass Faucet? More Common Than You’d Hope
Nov 6, 2018 | Environmental Defense Fund
By Tom Neltner
Tom Neltner, J.D. is the Chemicals Policy Director and Lindsay McCormick is a Project Manager.
During this past year, we undertook a pilot project to tackle the problem of lead in drinking water at child care facilities. As part of the effort, we collected 250 mL samples (about 8 ounces of water) from every drinking water fixture, as recommended in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 3Ts guidance for schools and child care facilities. We replaced 26 faucets that exceeded our action level with new brass faucets that were labeled “lead-free” and complied with NSF/ANSI 61 standard for drinking water system components.[1] To our surprise, when we sampled the faucets a few days after replacement, the lead levels were higher– between 9 and 10 ppb – on three of the new faucets.
The increase left us scratching our heads. Federal law allows a drinking water fixture to be labeled “lead-free” if the amount of lead in wetted surfaces[2] averages less than 0.25% (down from the 8% limit between 1986 and 2014). However, it isn’t clear how much this amount might contribute to levels of lead in water. To explore this issue, we contacted the supplier who said its product was certified under NSF/ANSI 61 and, therefore, not likely the source. The supplier suggested the source could be from existing upstream valves or from disturbing the plumbing. We could not rule these other possibilities out.
A study by Virginia Tech’s Jeff Parks on three models of new NSF/ANSI 61 certified brass faucets found similar results and concluded that even newly manufactured “lead-free” faucets may not meet the 1 ppb limit that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends for schools.
NSF/ANSI 61 lead leaching protocol
We reached out to NSF to better understand the standard. While complex, we learned that:Lead is allowed to be intentionally added to brass and bronzeprovided the level of lead complies with the 0.25% limits of federal law[3] and passes the NSF/ANSI 61 lead leaching protocol. Lead is added to brass or bronze to enable surfaces to be machined more easily.A faucet can pass the standard’s lead leaching protocol while still contributing more than 20 ppb in a 250 mL sample even after the installed faucet is cleaned and repeatedly flushed with water. 20 ppb was the action level for schools and child care facilities in an older version of EPA’s 3Ts guidance. In October 2018, EPA eliminated the action level in its updated 3Ts guidance.
NSF’s lead leaching protocol[4] for fixtures like faucets involves a 3-week evaluation using water that is more corrosive than the average drinking water but less corrosive than water from some parts of the country.[5] The more corrosive the water, the more lead will leach from the faucet.
For reference, we will describe the protocol around a typical setup and a 5-day workweek. The certifier:Mounts three or more faucets from a single model provided by the manufacturer in a rack that allows only the water that is in contact with the wetted-side of the faucet to be sampled.Measures the amount of water within the cold-side of the faucet. For most faucets, this is less than 250 mL but can be much more for fixtures like drinking water fountains.Rinses the faucet with cold water to remove extraneous debris and contamination on a Friday.Conducts three consecutive weekly cycles consisting of the following:Adding cold water on Friday evening and letting it set inside the faucet over the weekend.Each weekday:Adding water and letting it set inside the faucet for 2 hours before discarding.Repeating the 2 hour stagnation three more times;Adding water and letting it stagnate inside the faucet overnight for 16 hours.Collecting the overnight stagnation samples and analyzing for lead concentration (µg/L or ppb) of lead on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings (Monday and Tuesday collections are dumped and not analyzed).Inputs a) the results for the nine samples collected from Days 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19 from each of the test faucets and b) the amount of water inside the faucets into an equation called “Lead Test Statistic Q.” This equation is designed to test whether a faucet, based on the average amount of lead from the 9 samples, would leach less than 5 µg of lead in 1 liter of water over the 16 hour stagnation period assuming the faucet is the only source of lead.Certifies the faucet if the Lead Test Statistic Q is below 5 µg (which is 5 ppb if dispersed in 1 liter of water or 20 ppb in 250 mL).
Figure 1 from the Parks et al. study shows the results on three brands of new faucets to illustrate the standard’s lead leaching protocol.
As we said, the protocol is complex. To understand the implications of this protocol on lead levels from the faucet consider two possibilities.
First, a typical faucet with 100 mL of wetted volume could average 48 ppb in the nine days of collected samples and still be certified. This is because the 100 mL sample at 48 ppb contains 4.8 µg of lead and is, therefore, less than 5 µg required by the standard. However a school or child care takes only a 250 mL sample. So a 4.8 µg release from the faucet into the 250 mL water sample would result in 19.2 ppb (4.8 µg/0.25L) – higher than one might expect from a brand new faucet that meets the NSF/ANSI 61 standard.
Second, the protocol is likely missing the most highly contaminated water. The first sample collected is taken on Day 3 – after the faucet has been rinsed to remove debris and flushed ten times with the water allowed to stagnate 8 times for 2 hours and twice overnight. Because the amount of leaching is expected to drop with each flush, the levels on Day 1 (if they were measured) would be higher.
A potential more-stringent certification for fixtures in schools and child care facilities
After talking to NSF, EDF was invited to join a new task group convened by NSF’s Joint Committee to “investigate implementing a special higher-stringency certification level for products to be used in schools, day care centers, and for consumers desiring the additional level of protection for their families.” The Joint Committee is responsible for revising the NSF/ANSI 61 standard. Due to our conclusions that the current NSF standard is inadequate, we were glad to join the task group. Since April, the Task Group has periodically met with a goal of bringing back a proposal to the committee this month.
At our first meeting, NSF’s Technical Manager shared an eye-opening report with the Task Group that reviewed the lead leaching protocol process and provided test results of 507 certified faucets. For this blog, EDF compared these results to two benchmarks: the 1 ppb limit recommended by AAP; and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) maximum allowed daily intake of lead of 3 µg/day for children from all food and beverage excluding drinking water.
Here are some of EDF’s key findings from faucets that passed the test and were certified under NSF/ANSI 61:The vast majority of products had a Lead Test Statistic Q of less than 1 µg (73% of 507 faucets, 86.3% of 117 flexible plumbing connectors, and 98.5% of small valves).In the Day 3 samples, 11% of 507 faucets leached more than 3 µg of lead. For a typical 100 mL faucet, the amounts of lead correspond to concentrations of about 30 ppb respectively.On Day 3, one faucet model averaged 39 µg of lead in 32 mL of sampled water – a stunning 1,220 ppb – yet still was certified because the Lead Test Statistic Q was less than 5 µg, and the amount of lead on all wetted surfaces of the faucet averaged less than 0.25%.Of the nine days of collected samples, Day 3 consistently had the highest lead levels in the water and levels were lower in later samples. The percent of faucets at 3 µg or more dropped from 11% on Day 3 to 2.5% on Day 10, 1.2% on Day 17, and 0.4% on Day 19.
These results also mean that a school or child care that uses a new NSF-certified faucet to replace and older device could be in for a shock, if they sample shortly after putting the new faucet into service, given that the first draw samples can be over the 20 ppb action level that EPA used in the previous version of the 3Ts guidance.
Conclusion
Eliminating intentional use of lead in brass or bronze while retaining the benefits of those materials is not a simple task. Therefore, EDF recommends that schools and child cares buying fixtures should:Buy only NSF/ANSI 61 certified fixtures (as is required in most states). If it is not certified under this standard, you have no assurance that it has even passed the problematic leaching test described above.Go beyond NSF/ANSI 61 standards, by demanding fixtures with no lead added to any wetted surface or ones with a Lead Test Statistic Q result of less than 1 µg.If you cannot find a faucet that goes beyond NSF/ANSI 61, then use a NSF/ANSI 53 certified filter for lead after installation or do not allow people to drink from a new brass fixture until it has undergone at least three weeks of flushing similar to that used in the protocol.As a routine practice, flush faucets – even if only for a few seconds – before collecting any water for cooking or drinking.
These recommendations are not simple for a school or child care, and they are likely more difficult for a homeowner. A better, long-term solution is for NSF’s Joint Committee to revise NSF/ANSI 61 so it better protects children from lead in drinking water. An interim step would be to allow manufacturers to voluntarily have their fixtures certified to a 1 µg standard so they can be labelled for use in schools, child care facilities, and other places where children are likely to drink water.
[1] Most states require that plumbing components comply with NSF/ANSI 61.
[2] A wetted surface is the section of a device (e.g. faucet) that is in contact with water under normal conditions of use.
[3] NSF/ANSI 61 Section 3.5 allows lead to be added to brass and bronze as long as it complies with 0.25% limits in federal law.
[4] NSF/ANSI 61 Annex B.
[5] Critical evaluation of the NSF 61 Section 9 test water for Lead, Simoni Triantafyllidou, Marc Edwards, 2007 JAWWA https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.1551-8833.2007.tb08035.x.
http://blogs.edf.org/health/2018/11/06/nsf-61-lead-from-a-new-lead-free-brass-faucet/
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Commission to Adopt 'Comprehensive' EU Framework on EDCs
Nov 6, 2018 | Chemical Watch
By Clelia Oziel
The European Commission will adopt on 7 November a Communication outlining its long-awaited framework on endocrine disrupting chemicals, the EU executive has said.
At a media briefing this week, chief spokesperson Margaritis Schinas said this would be adopted at a meeting of the college of commissioners.
The college consists of 28 commissioners, one from each EU state, that together make up the Commission's political leadership for a five-year term.
The EU executive had said it would start work on a strategy for endocrine disruptors, following the July 2017 member state adoption of its proposal to identify EDC criteria for pesticides and biocides.
The impending Communication will address concerns expressed by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers over EDCs and follows up on the 7th Environmental Action Programme, Mr Schinas said.New approach
The Commission is "updating its approach for the years to come", a spokesperson said about the framework, adding it is "building on the increased knowledge, experience gained and results achieved" in the past 20 years.
The strategy also "delivers" on the commitment taken by the Commission last year during work to develop the criteria for pesticides, they said.
The Commission did not reveal any details of the new framework, but Mr Schinas said that a technical briefing would be held immediately after the college meeting.
In May this year, a coalition of more than 70 NGOs issued a set of eight "essential" demands for a comprehensive framework, including a reduction in the EDC ‘daily cocktail’ by replacing the substance-by-substance approach and including all possible sources of exposure to multiple chemicals.
In a recent press release, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) said the group would compare the Communication "against this common position". It said it will be asking:how is the Commission proposing to reduce exposure to EDCs, including an integrated strategy with action addressing use across all sectors?is it tackling the challenge of detoxifying the circular economy from EDCs?how is it ensuring the absence of regrettable substitutions to known EDCs? Chemicals should be regulated by group, rather than by individual substance; anddid it listen to the concerns scientists voiced on the EDCs criteria in the biocides and pesticides legislations?Criticism
EU action to regulate EDCs has been mired in controversy in the past few years, with proposals rejected in parliament several times. The Commission finally emerged from deadlock in April with the adoption of the pesticides criteria, only to face more calls for a harmonised approach across all legislation.
In comments to a consultation on the 7th EAP earlier this year, NGOs said EU leaders must draw up an "ambitious" agenda on regulating EDCs in all consumer goods with clear objectives and observable deadlines.
Under the programme, the EU is committed to developing approaches to address combination effects of chemicals and safety concerns related to EDCs in all relevant legislation.
And in a letter in July, environment and health ministers from ten countries called for an EDC strategy that "minimises exposure beyond biocides and pesticides" and that includes cosmetics, toys and food packaging.
Another wave of calls came from NGOs and member states during the consultation on the EU's roadmaptowards a comprehensive EDC framework.
https://chemicalwatch.com/71640/commission-to-adopt-comprehensive-eu-framework-on-edcs
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UT Research Shows Link Between Oil and Gas Water Disposal and Earthquakes
Nov 6, 2018 | Houston Chronicle
By Rye Druzin
A new study says there is a link between the disposal of water used in the oil and gas industry underground and increased earthquake activity.
The study, led by the University of Texas at Austin, says the increased pressure created by pumping used water from oil and gas operations underground raises the risk of earthquakes. The risk is both site specific and regional, and the rate of injection can also be a factor.
Oil and gas production brings up with it large amounts of water in addition to the water used to hydraulic fracture or frack wells, the process that allows oil and gas companies to tap unconventional shale resources. One of the ways that oil and gas companies have dealt with such large volumes of wastewater is by pumping it back underground for permanent storage.
The areas the study looked at included West Texas' Permian Basin oil field, South Texas' Eagle Ford Shale, the Bakken in North Dakota, and Oklahoma.
Oklahoma had the highest rate of potential association, with 56 percent of water disposal wells potentially associated with earthquakes.
The Eagle Ford Shale was second highest, with 20 percent of its water disposal wells potentially associated with earthquakes.
https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/UT-research-shows-link-between-oil-and-gas-water-13366611.php
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Marijuana, Carbon Tax and Fracking: Midterm Ballot Issues
Nov 6, 2018 | Financial Times
By Courtney Weaver and Ed Crooks
For many voters across the US, Tuesday’s elections are about more than selecting their governor or their district’s next representative to Congress. It can also be a chance to weigh in on some of the most divisive issues of the day, ranging from medical marijuana to taxes to redrawing electoral boundaries. In the US, 22 of the 50 states offer ballot propositions — or voter-led ballot initiatives to amend the state constitution. In certain states, the propositions can have far-reaching consequences. In 2008, for instance, a majority of California voters supported Proposition 8, which prevented same-sex couples from marrying, a ban that stayed in place in the state until 2013. Here is a look at some of the key ballot initiatives in different US states: The first carbon tax in the US Voters in Washington state are being given the chance to approve the first carbon tax in the US — a fee that would be paid by businesses in the state, based on the carbon content of fossil fuels used there. The plan, called Initiative 1631, sets the fee at $15 a tonne of carbon-dioxide emissions from the start of 2020, rising by $2 a year until Washington meets its greenhouse gas reduction target. The revenue raised would be dedicated to pollution-reduction programmes, including investments in renewables and efficiency, and to assistance for people on lower incomes facing increased energy costs. Restrictions on shale oil and gas production in Colorado There is a measure on the ballot in Colorado to restrict oil and gas development, which the industry says would “economically devastate the entire state”. Proposition 112 would force new wells to be set back at least 2,500ft (762 metres) from occupied buildings and other areas designated as vulnerable, such as water sources and playgrounds. Supporters say the measure is vital to protect public health and safety. Opponents say it would amount in effect to a ban on new oil and gas development, and cost the state tens of thousands of jobs. Colorado has the fifth-highest oil output and sixth-highest gas output in the US. A California fuel tax repeal The state’s Republicans are hoping that a proposition to repeal a recently passed petrol tax will drum up enthusiasm among the party’s base. If Proposition 6 passes, it would reverse a 2017 increase to fuel taxes and vehicle fees in California that Republican opponents say were levied without voters’ permission. A SurveyUSA poll found that 52 per cent of California voters were ready to vote in favour of the repeal, compared with just 40 per cent who wanted to keep the fuel tax in place. A threat to Warren Buffett’s monopoly power in Nevada Billionaire Warren Buffett’s NV Energy is opposing plans to open up the Nevada electricity market to competition © AP Environmental campaigners have often supported measures to open up electricity markets, on the grounds that incumbent utilities are more committed to old fossil fuel infrastructure than new entrants — but not this year in Nevada. The Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups are urging voters to say No to Question 3 on the state’s ballot, which would compel its legislature to establish “an open, competitive retail electric energy market”. The measure was approved by voters in 2016, and needs to be backed again this year to amend the state’s constitution to include it. The Sierra Club is backing Warren Buffett’s NV Energy in opposing the plan, saying the utility company was now making progress in developing renewable energy, and the constitutional reform would mean “sending Nevada’s energy market into uncertainty and disarray”. The contest is a battle of the billionaires: opposing Mr Buffett and supporting Question 3 is casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who would be able to take advantage of a more competitive electricity market to secure a better deal for his Las Vegas Sands group. Electoral boundaries and ballot access Florida voters will decide whether to restore voting rights for some people with previous convictions © AP Amid greater scrutiny over the practice of gerrymandering — or state governments playing with electoral district lines for partisan purposes — some states are deciding whether there is a better way to choose where these boundaries are. Both Michigan and Colorado are looking at establishing non-partisan districting commissions to draw district lines. Separately, several states are looking at initiatives that would expand the pool of eligible voters. In Florida, a ballot measure known as Amendment 5 would restore voting rights for criminals, with the exception of murderers and some groups of sex offenders. (Currently there are 1.5m voting-age individuals in the state who cannot vote because they have a criminal record.) Maryland is looking at a measure that would allow people to register to vote on election day, as is Michigan. Arkansas and North Carolina, meanwhile, will vote on measures that would require voters to present a state ID in order to vote, something that has been criticised by Democrats. San Francisco’s homeless tax Voters in the Californian city will decide on a ballot proposal intended to make a serious dent in San Francisco’s prevalent and visible problem of homelessness. Known as Proposition C, it takes the form of a new tax averaging 0.5 per cent on the gross receipts of local businesses with more than $50m in revenue, a measure that would boost city spending on homelessness by 80 per cent. A cap on dialysis clinics’ revenue This year’s Proposition 8 in California is almost as contentious as 2008’s Proposition 8, with a fierce debate over whether dialysis treatment clinics should have their revenues capped. If the proposition passes, dialysis clinics’ profit would be limited to no more than 15 per cent of revenue, with any remaining revenue going to insurance companies as refunds for patient costs. Two of the country’s biggest dialysis companies have spent close to $100m to defeat the measure, making it one of the most expensive proposition votes in California history. Medical and recreational marijuana expansion In Michigan and North Dakota, voters will have the chance to make their states the latest in the US to legalise recreational marijuana. Separately, Utah and Missouri are considering measures that would expand the use of medical marijuana in the state. More than 30 US states have already legalised medical marijuana. Marijuana for recreational purposes is legal in nine states, plus Washington DC.
https://www.ft.com/content/93c2ee6a-e139-11e8-a6e5-792428919cee
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Oil Bulls Best Hope Nothing Messes With Texas
Nov 6, 2018 | Bloomberg - Opinion
By Liam Denning and Mark Gongloff
Looking at oil prices, sanctions on Iran haven’t so much kicked in as shuffled onto the stage. Waivers granted to eight countries by the Trump Administration should mitigate the drop in Iranian oil exports to a large degree (and could even herald a near-term increase).
With midterm elections on Tuesday, the White House had good reason to go with hem-and-haw rather than shock-and-awe. Higher oil prices mean pain at the pump and, by extension, possible backlash at the ballot box. This doesn’t necessarily preclude a more-aggressive posture afterward. But oil watchers should take a leaf out of the administration’s playbook and direct some of their attention away from Iran and toward the U.S. itself.
America’s gasoline demand is the single largest pool of consumption in the global oil market. And it has stopped growing again, with average pump prices of roughly $2.90 a gallon up about 30 cents over the past year and continuing a recovery from less than $2 in early 2016. Distillate demand, however, which includes diesel and fuel oil, has kept chugging along, albeit at a slower pace of late (all data are through August 2018).Easing Off The Gas (Again)
U.S. gasoline demand picked up when prices were cheap during the crash but has since slipped back, while distillate growth remains positive
Source: EIA "Prime Supplier" data.
Note: Change in prime supplier sales volume, year over year.
Buried in these numbers is something that should give oil bulls pause. That something is Texas.
Not because Texas is floundering. Far from it. Rather, when it comes to growth in demand, Texas is pretty much the whole story.
The Energy Information Administration released its latest issue of “Petroleum Marketing Monthly” late last week, with state-level data on fuel sales. Looking at growth in the first eight months of the year versus the same period in 2017, one state stands out just a bit:Lone Star
Texas dominates when it comes to apparent growth in U.S. demand for gasoline and distillate
Source: EIA "Petroleum Marketing Monthly" report
Note: Change in demand, year over year, for the year-to-date through August. Top 10 states by combined growth plus rest of U.S.
Oil demand data can be tricky to pin down exactly. Still, these data are the closest to the nozzle on a state basis that the EIA publishes. Moreover, they chime with data elsewhere.
The EIA’s alternative “Petroleum Supply Monthly” doesn’t provide state-level data on apparent consumption. However, looking at its numbers for the Gulf Coast region – which Texas dominates – that area accounted for 86 percent and 41 percent of growth in U.S. gasoline and distillate demand, respectively, in the year-to-date through August. This fits with the state-level numbers. Meanwhile, Texas also cuts an outsize figure in the Federal Highway Administration’s estimates of how far Americans are driving. Data for August show that Texas accounted for 9 percent of vehicle-miles traveled that month, but 29 percent of the growth, year over year.
The Texas economy has been flourishing lately; it was the sixth-fastest-growing U.S. state in the first quarter of 2018, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. A big factor in that has been the fracking boom in the Eagle Ford and, especially, the Permian shale basins; mining and oil and gas extraction accounted for roughly a third of Texas’ GDP growth. And this may well have had an outsize impact on distillate demand, as diesel engines provide the horsepower for pumping massive quantities of sand and fluids into the ground to frack wells. Certainly, the notable increase in Texas’ distillate consumption coincides with a recovery in well-completions.Burn Oil To Make Oil
The resumption of the fracking boom in Texas' main shale basins has coincided with a noticeable shift upward in the state's distillate demand
Source: Energy Information Administration
Note: Texas "prime supplier" distillate volume and well completions in the Eagle Ford and Permian basins.
Construction may also play an important role here. Gasoline consumption and vehicle-miles traveled have tended to track movements in housing starts over the past several decades, according to energy economist Phil Verleger. And besides fracking, Texas has had a construction boom. Four major metro areas there – Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio – accounted for more than 11 percent of all U.S. single-family housing permits in 2017, according to analysts at Sector & Sovereign Research LLC. The same analysts point out that monthly mortgage payments on a median priced home as a share of median income are now above the historical average in all four of those cities, but especially in Austin and Dallas. This mirrors a general decline in housing affordability in many U.S. cities.
Oil enthusiasts can cheer Texas for leading the unexpected surge in U.S. oil production this year, although this doesn’t do much for prices. Oil bulls, on the other hand, can thank the state for putting some sort of a floor beneath U.S. demand.
Still, it must be unnerving to rely so heavily on just one state – especially as fracking there is expected to slow temporarily due to seasonal and logistical factors, and construction likely won’t escape what looks more and more like a broad cyclical downturn. While Iran may yet jolt the market in 2019, the more important story could be unfolding in America’s oil heartland.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-11-06/u-s-gasoline-demand-all-depends-on-texas
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FERC Chairman Raises New CPP Fears in ACE Comments
Nov 6, 2018 | Inside EPA
Neil Chatterjee, the new chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), is broadly criticizing the Obama EPA's Clean Power Plan (CPP) utility greenhouse gas rule in formal comments on the Trump EPA's proposed replacement for that measure, known as the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule.
Chatterjee, a Republican who was nominated to serve on FERC by President Donald Trump in 2017, recently became the panel's chair after Commissioner Kevin McIntyre stepped down from that position due to health issues.
His Oct. 31 comments say, “It appears upon initial review that the replacement [ACE] cures some of the potential deficiencies in the [CPP].”
He adds that because FERC has not yet conducted a full ACE analysis, his comments are limited to EPA's separate proposal to repeal the CPP, and says they are intended to offer the agency “the benefit of the information the Commission has gleaned over the past several years when it investigated the [CPP's] potential effects on the reliability of the bulk power system.”
In 2015, when Chatterjee worked for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), FERC studied the CPP including its impacts on reliability and on FERC's authority, and it concluded that there were no major concerns with the CPP. All five commissioners wrote in a May 2015 letter that FERC's input “was ultimately reflected in the final CPP; EPA included the reliability safety valve and moved the initial compliance deadline” in response to FERC's concerns.
But Chatterjee notes that while FERC submitted its letter summarizing of some of the information gathered at technical conferences FERC hosted at the time, “neither the transcripts of those conferences nor the comments submitted to the Commission . . . were transmitted to the Agency.” These indicate that the CPP could have “significant consequences for reliability” depending on how it is implemented.
He also writes that he is concerned that significant changes in the power sector since 2015 would make the reliability of the nation's bulk power system even more susceptible to the unintended consequences of the CPP if it is implemented. He cites a 2017 Department of Energy report noting the significant retirements of baseload coal and nuclear plants since 2010, coupled with state subsidies to renewable resources and economically challenged nuclear capacity, which have reduced generation capacity prices.
Even though EPA does not intend to implement the rule -- and ACE would impose much narrower requirements -- Chatterjee asks the agency to “engage in a rigorous, detailed analysis of the possible unintended consequences” of the CPP. He also notes concern that the CPP “would have allowed the Agency to impose sweeping changes in the composition of the nation's bulk-power system through administrative action without a clear statutory directive or limiting principle.”
Chatterjee also notes that FERC has explained it does not have congressional authority to establish federal climate policy under the laws it implements and suggests that EPA “should act with similar self-restraint here. Working together, we would expect to be able to devise methods of addressing climate change in ways that respect our respective statutory limits.” And if the issues cannot be resolved, “then it may be necessary to request specific guidance from Congress through appropriate legislation.”
https://insideepa.com/daily-feed/ferc-chairman-raises-new-cpp-fears-ace-comments
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MPLX Agrees to Pay $7M to Settle Alleged Air Pollution Violations
Nov 6, 2018 | Natural Gas Intelligence
Federal and state regulators have reached a settlement with MPLX LP to pay nearly $7 million in fines and other measures aimed at strengthening air pollution controls at natural gas processing plants in six states...
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Story can be found here:
https://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/116381-mplx-agrees-to-pay-7m-to-settle-alleged-air-pollution-violations
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Constitution Pipeline Granted Two-Year Extension by FERC
Nov 6, 2018 | Natural Gas Intelligence
By Jamison Cocklin
FERC has granted another two-year extension for Constitution Pipeline to enter service as the sponsors continue to exhaust all legal options in their nearly three-year battle against the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which denied a key permit...
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Story can be found here:
https://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/116383-constitution-pipeline-granted-two-year-extension-by-ferc
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Top Pentagon Official Says Warming a Source of Conflict
Nov 6, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Courtney Columbus
The country's highest-ranking military officer yesterday said climate change is a source of conflict, something the Pentagon takes into account as it plans for the future.
Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the comments in response to a student's question at a public event yesterday evening at Duke University.
"Hi, general, I'm a freshman here, and for a lot of us younger kids, climate change seems to be one of the bigger issues on the horizon," the student said, according to a Duke University videoof the event, titled "The U.S. Military in a Time of Geopolitical Strain."
Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr. Defense Department/Wikipedia
"So my question is whether or not the U.S. military has a rooted interest in climate change and climate science, to bar countries like Russia from gaining power in their specific regions, and how the U.S. military's interests with that conflict or interact with the current president's stance on those issues," the student asked.
In his response, Dunford didn't comment about Russia or President Trump's stance on climate change. He focused on the impact of warming and extreme weather on military activities including disaster relief.
"When I look at climate change, it's in the category of sources of conflict around the world and things we'd have to respond to. So it can be great devastation requiring humanitarian assistance — disaster relief — which the U.S. military certainly conducts routinely," he said.
"In fact, I can't think of a year since I've been on active duty that we haven't conducted at least one operation in the Pacific along those lines due to extreme weather in the Pacific," he added.
And the military considers climate change when planning how it might need to take action in the future, he said.
"Shortages of water, and those kind of things — those are all sources of conflict. So, it is very much something that we take into account in our planning as we anticipate when, where and how we may be engaged in the future and what capabilities we should have," Dunford said.
The Joint Chiefs chairman serves as the principal military adviser to the president, as well as the Defense secretary and the National Security Council. Dunford has held the post since 2015.
The Center for Climate and Security, which published a blog post about the remarks, keeps a running total of senior military leaders who have made statements about the impact of climate change on the military. To date, 18 others have made such comments, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
In unpublished written testimony following his January 2017 confirmation hearing, Mattis cited climate change as a challenge for the military, ProPublica reported.
"Climate change is impacting stability in areas of the world where our troops are operating today," Mattis wrote in response to questions after the public hearing by Democratic senators on the Armed Services Committee, according to ProPublica.
"It is appropriate for the Combatant Commands to incorporate drivers of instability that impact the security environment in their areas into their planning," he wrote.
Politico has reported that Mattis is one of as many as six Cabinet officials who may leave the administration in the weeks after the midterm elections.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/11/06/stories/1060105289
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Enviros Urge White House to Abandon Mercury Rule Overhaul
Nov 6, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Sean Reilly
EPA's proposal to revisit its 2012 regulations on power plant mercury emissions has yet to be made public, but it's already drawn the attention of outside groups who have attended White House meetings about the plan.
Newly posted meeting summaries on a White House budget office website show that representatives from industry, environmental and regulatory groups have met with administration officials in recent weeks about EPA's forthcoming proposal.
On Oct. 16, for example, John Walke of the Natural Resources Defense Council met with staffers from EPA and the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) about the mercury policies, the website shows. On Oct. 23, attorneys for the Utility Air Regulatory Group — joined by employees of Duke Energy Corp. and Southern Co. — met with administration officials, a separate notice shows.
Another White House meeting took place Oct. 30 with representatives of Earthjustice and the NAACP. The same EPA and OIRA staffers were involved the next day in a sit-down with the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, a broad-based group of state and local regulators.
The proposed rule, officially titled "Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for Power Plants Residual Risk and Technology Review and Cost Review," has been at OIRA since Oct. 5.
Acting EPA chief Andrew Wheeler has said the agency doesn't plan to reconsider the limits on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. Instead, EPA wants to relook at the cost-benefit analysis that found it was "appropriate and necessary" to regulate releases of the toxic metal and other hazardous pollutants, Wheeler has indicated.
Environmental groups, some of which suspect EPA has bigger plans in mind, are deeply opposed to any attempt to revisit the 2012 regulations, including the underlying justification.
"I made clear why that was legally indefensible and harmful to air quality and public health," Walke, who oversees NRDC air quality programs, said in a phone interview today.
Earthjustice and the NAACP made a similar point later that month, Earthjustice staff attorney Neil Gormley said.
"All of us wanted to express to the White House that they should not go forward with this proposal," Gormley said, adding that his organization was also representing the Sierra Club at the meeting.
The National Association of Clean Air Agencies has not taken an official position on the proposed rule, Executive Director Miles Keogh said in an email this morning, but instead offered "related technical considerations."
Among them: that consideration of the merits of revocation should include analysis of the broader air quality implications and that any resulting increases in particulate emissions "could imperil the attainment status of some areas," Keogh said.
Makram Jaber and Andrew Knudsen, two lawyers with Hunton Andrews Kurth, a firm that has long represented the Utility Air Regulatory Group, could not immediately be reached for comment on the substance of their Oct. 23 meeting.
The EPA proposal is undergoing a standard interagency review at OIRA, a branch of the White House Office of Management and Budget. While those reviews can generally last as long as three months, EPA hopes it will end in time to put the draft rule out for public comment within the next few weeks.
As E&E News has already reported, staffers with the Environmental Defense Fund have also met with EPA and OIRA on the proposal (E&E News PM, Nov. 1).
According to Walke, at least several other industry, environmental and public health organizations have participated in similar meetings. As of early this afternoon, however, those sessions had not yet been posted on the Reginfo.gov website.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/11/06/stories/1060105305
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Nations Vow to Crack Down on Illegal Fishing, Marine Trash
Nov 6, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Nathanial Gronewold
Government leaders are planning a global crackdown on illegal fishing and marine trash, and environmental groups are optimistic they'll stick to their pledge.
Government representatives last week wrapped up a meeting in Bali, Indonesia, to discuss the push for a new international marine protection treaty and various initiatives to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Representatives from the United States, the European Union, Norway, Japan, Australia and other countries attended the Our Ocean convention, following weeks of negotiations in New York at the United Nations, where delegates are drafting a treaty that could establish marine protected areas in international waters, essentially no-fishing zones.
The efforts received a nod of support from former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who held talks on tackling illegal fishing with Indonesian officials, including Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti. On the agenda were ideas for reforming the existing — and what many consider broken — global fishing regulatory regime dominated by regional fishing management organizations (RFMOs).
"We understand that there are countries with a lack of monitoring and weak enforcement and don't have the capacity to tackle this problem," Pudjiastuti told the delegates. "Every one of us is supporting the need to start identifying and reforming the RFMO system."
The rise in plastic littering the seas also featured prominently at the Bali talks, with several nations and the European Union pledging millions of dollars to tackle the problem. E.U. representatives pledged €100 million ($114 million) to fund research into plastic alternatives and millions more to organize coastal monitoring and cleanup programs, with a focus on Southeast Asia.
Elizabeth Karan at the Pew Charitable Trusts said the ongoing U.N. negotiations hold real promise, despite years of prior talks and inaction. Rather than another toothless General Assembly resolution, Karan said governments now have in mind a legally binding instrument connected to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, one that would include enforcement provisions.
"It's envisioned as a new implementing agreement under UNCLOS," she explained in an interview, "using UNCLOS as a framework to really put into force, or implement rather, the provisions in UNCLOS related to marine conservation, in particular in areas beyond national jurisdiction."
That would potentially include the establishment of marine protected areas and rules that allow nations to pursue and interdict vessels violating them.
Nations on board with this plan are putting money on the table to help develop technologies to identify and track illegal fishing vessels. There's particular interest in technologies that could augment the enforcement capabilities of small islands and developing states that control vast ocean territories but have few means for patrolling and policing them.
The government of Canada recently pledged 11.6 million Canadian dollars ($8.84 million) toward "the development and deployment of innovative technologies that can remotely identify and track suspected IUU fishing activity," said Sean Casey, Parliament secretary to Ottawa's fisheries minister.
"In addition, these funds will contribute to the development of regional fisheries intelligence sharing networks for the western central Pacific countries to share information and to develop new tools and best practices to eliminate IUU fishing within their waters," Casey said.
More events are scheduled to keep the momentum moving forward, including a gathering in Nairobi later this month, co-hosted by the governments of Kenya and Canada. The U.N. will pick up the ball again in March 2019 to further refine language that would go into a final treaty.
The aim is to have the work mostly finalized and a draft treaty ready in time for an ocean summit in 2020 to be hosted by the Pacific island nation of Palau.
President Thomas Remengesau Jr. of Palau touted the formation earlier this year of a "High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy," organized by Norway to "inject political leadership into the search for ocean solutions and help push the ocean to the top of global agendas."
"We aim to build a new shared understanding of the current and potential future state of the ocean ecology and the blue economy and generate a set of pragmatic policies, governance, technologies, and investment recommendations aimed at building a sustainable ocean," he declared.
The 2020 timeline represents a breakneck pace in U.N. terms, Karan said. And there are few signs nations will delay the process or stray from the progress they've accomplished thus far.
"The process is on track," she said.
Members of the private sector are making pledges of their own. These include a commitment announced in Bali by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and OceanX founder Ray Dalio to spend $185 million to fund marine exploration and conservation.
All talk and little follow-up won't do this time, Canada's representative Casey warned.
"We are at a pivotal moment," he said. "The vulnerability of our oceans has mobilized unprecedented attention from around the world. With that attention comes the expectation of action, to close the gap between what we have been talking about doing and what we are now actually achieving."
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/11/06/stories/1060105287
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