Preview Newsletter
PM ACC Clips Report - February 27, 2018
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(ACC Mentioned) US Chem Group ACC Wants USMCA Ratified, Joins Coalition
Feb 26, 2019 | ICIS
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) on Tuesday reaffirmed its support for ratification of the US-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade deal the three countries signed last November. The ACC added that it joined a coalition of more than... -
(ACC Mentioned) ATA Among Members of New USMCA Coalition
Feb 27, 2019 | Transport Topics
By Eugene Mulero
President Donald Trump’s trade agreement with Canada and Mexico received a significant endorsement as more than 200 companies and associations representing freight and farming stakeholders urged Congress to pass the deal. -
(ACC Mentioned) CAB Flat in February, ACC Says
Feb 27, 2019 | Chemical Engineering Online
By Scott Jenkins
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), posted a 0.0 percent change in February on a three-month moving... -
Wheeler Clears Procedural Vote
Feb 27, 2019 | E&E - Greenwire
By Kevin Bogardus
The Senate is poised to confirm Andrew Wheeler to lead EPA on a permanent basis after a procedural vote this afternoon. The Senate voted to end debate on Wheeler's nomination. Senators will next take a roll call on his... -
US EPA Scientists Target 75 PFASs for Further Scrutiny
Feb 27, 2019 | Chemical Watch
Thousands of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are in use worldwide, and public concern about their presence in drinking water has been mounting. Little toxicology information exists for the vast majority of these... -
California Bill Seeks to Expand SCP Programme Authorities
Feb 27, 2019 | Chemical Watch
By Kelly Franklin
California legislators are considering a bill to increase the regulatory heft of the state's Safer Consumer Products programme (SCP). Existing law requires manufacturers of ‘priority products’ designated under the scheme either to... -
Plastics 'Leading to Reproductive Problems for Wildlife'
Feb 26, 2019 | The Guardian
By Fiona Harvey
Plastics are an increasing cause of concern due to potential sources of chemicals that disrupt hormones and affect the growth and reproductive success of a wide variety of wildlife, according to a new report. Wildlife in the oceans and... -
Amount of Glyphosate Found in Beer and Wine Is Not Worrisome
Feb 26, 2019 | AG Daily
This week a new report published by the advocacy group U.S. PIRG tested five wines and 15 beers and found traces of glyphosate in 19 of 20 of them — even organic ones. It’s just the kind of thing mainstream media outlets love to latch... -
Navy Hands out Bottled Water after Saufley Field Well Water Tests Show High Levels of PFAs
Feb 27, 2019 | Pensacola News Journal
By Melissa Nelson Gabriel
The Navy is distributing bottled drinking water to some residents who live on the west side of Saufley Field after initial well water testing exceeded levels set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Eight of 20 wells tested in the... -
Vigilance Said Needed for Aging, Taxed North American Natural Gas Grid
| Natural Gas Intelligence
By Carolyn Davis
As more U.S. natural gas is moved across the grid to new markets and overseas, maintaining aging infrastructure has to remain a top priority for the industry, an EDF Trading executive told a Houston audience Tuesday. Speaking at the 3rd... -
US Oil Is Trickling Back into China after Export Boom Goes Bust
Feb 27, 2019 | CNBC
By Tom DiChristopher
The ongoing U.S.-China trade dispute stopped a surge in American oil exports to the Middle Kingdom, but as Washington and Beijing inch toward a deal, a trickle of U.S. crude appears to be making its way to Chinese shores. -
Mixed Outlook for European Petrochemicals in 2019 as Market Digests New Trade Flows
Feb 27, 2019 | S&P Global Platts
By Baoying Ng, Ben Brooks, Simon Price, Stergios Zacharakis and Olu Shaw
US-China trade tensions were in the spotlight last year across commodity markets, and the petrochemicals sector was by no means untouched. Antidumping duties introduced by China on the imports of some origins of styrene – used to... -
Fixing Regulatory Pitfalls Could Reduce Methane Emissions
Feb 27, 2019 | Scientific American
By Aileen Nowlan
Methane has long been recognized as a potent greenhouse gas, but preventing its escape from industrial facilities has only recently become a prominent goal. The oil and gas industry, for example, is a large emitter, and research (including... -
Railroads to Share Flammable Train Info With First Responders
Feb 27, 2019 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Sylvia Carignan
CSX Corp., Union Pacific Corp., and other railroads will be required to share information about trains carrying flammable material with state and tribal first responders in order to improve their preparedness for oil spills. The... -
U.S. Bans Shipments of Flammable Batteries on Passenger Flights
Feb 27, 2019 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Alan Levin
The U.S. government is banning bulk shipments of highly flammable lithium-based batteries on passenger airlines. Congress in October required the Department of Transportation to mandate the rules as part of broader legislation... -
Ewire: Democrats Plan 'Unity' Climate Plan to Parry GOP's 'Green' Attack
Feb 27, 2019 | Inside EPA
Senate Democrats are coalescing around a “unity” climate resolution as a way to parry an attack by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who plans to bring the “Green New Deal” (GND) climate resolution to the Senate floor in order... -
Schumer: McConnell Plan to Force Green New Deal Vote a 'Diversion'
Feb 27, 2019 | The Hill - E2 Wire
By Jordain Carney
Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) knocked his Republican counterpart on Wednesday, saying Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) plan to force a vote on the Green New Deal is a "diversion" from having a debate on... -
McConnell, Schumer Spar over Climate Change on Senate Floor
Feb 27, 2019 | Politico Pro Energy - Whiteboard
By Anthony Adragna
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this morning said climate change was an “important subject” that “deserves a serious approach,” but he bashed the proposed Green New Deal resolution as a “socialist shopping spree.” -
EPA Eases Industrial Monitoring for Smog-Forming Pollutants
Feb 27, 2019 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Amena H. Saiyid
Costly nonstop air pollution monitoring requirements for power plants and large steel, aluminum, and paper manufacturers across the Eastern U.S. will be relaxed under an EPA rule. Under the rule, the Environmental Protection... -
OMB Begins Review of EPA Rule Ending ‘Once in’ Air Toxics Policy
Feb 27, 2019 | Inside EPA
EPA has sent for White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) pre-publication review a proposed rule to codify agency air chief Bill Wehrum’s decision to end a long-running “once in, always in” policy under which facilities must... -
The Energy 202: Which 2020 Hopeful Got the Highest Score from Environmentalists Last Year? All of Them.
Feb 27, 2019 | Washington Post
By Dino Grandoni
Democratic voters will have to decide among a slate of White House hopefuls tripping over themselves to commit to tackling climate change and other environmental issues. But which Democratic senator had the best environmental...
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(ACC Mentioned) US Chem Group ACC Wants USMCA Ratified, Joins Coalition
Feb 26, 2019 | ICIS
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) on Tuesday reaffirmed its support for ratification of the US-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade deal the three countries signed last November.
The ACC added that it joined a coalition of more than 200 companies and associations that urge the US Congress to approve the deal which, once ratified, will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
“The USMCA would bring significant added value to our industry, to the economy, and to continued efforts to protect human health and the environment throughout the region,” said Cal Dooley, ACC president and CEO.
“It’s time to put this agreement to work for all Americans,” Dooley added.
The ACC particularly supports the USMCA’s sectoral annex for chemical substance, which embraces the principles the North American chemical industry jointly recommended to promote regulatory compatibility through enhanced cooperation.
STEEL TARIFFS AN ‘IRRITANT’ FOR CANADA
In Canada, the Chemical Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) also backs the USMCA, in particular the provisions on rules of origin and regulatory cooperation.The Canadian industrial chemical industry is export-intensive, with 81% of production exported in 2018. The US received 78% of those exports, followed by China (7%) and Mexico (2%).
However, the CIAC and other trade groups have said that the US tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium products, as well as Canada’s retaliatory tariffs, were an ongoing competitiveness concern.
Some Canadian politicians and commentators have said that it made little sense for Canada’s parliament to ratify the USMCA while those steel and aluminium tariffs remain in place.
Marc Garneau, Canada’s transport minister, warned this week that the tariffs were “a major irritant for Canada”.
https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2019/02/26/10324409/us-chem-group-acc-wants-usmca-ratified-joins-coalition/
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(ACC Mentioned) ATA Among Members of New USMCA Coalition
Feb 27, 2019 | Transport Topics
By Eugene Mulero
President Donald Trump’s trade agreement with Canada and Mexico received a significant endorsement as more than 200 companies and associations representing freight and farming stakeholders urged Congress to pass the deal.
American Trucking Associations is among the members of the newly launched USMCA Coalition, led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers and the American Farm Bureau Federation.
During the coming weeks, the coalition intends to champion the deal on Capitol Hill and promote its potential benefits during a public campaign. The coalition’s ultimate objective is congressional approval of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that was signed in November to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.
“USMCA is critical to the success of American businesses, farmers and workers,” Cathy Van Way, head of government relations at Cummins Inc. and coalition co-chair, said in a statement Feb. 26. “For Cummins, our two largest export markets in the world are Canada and Mexico, and our trade with these countries has contributed to significant growth and global reach. When Cummins is successful globally, we add high-quality jobs in communities across the country.”
“We must ensure that the uncertainties that exist about the future of this vital relationship are removed, and passing USMCA is a critical step. We look forward to working with Congress to make this a reality,” added Devry Boughner Vorwerk, corporate vice president of global corporate affairs at Cargill and a coalition co-chair.
Other coalition members include the American Chemistry Council, the National Pork Producers Council and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.
According to the White House, upon enactment the new agreement will incentivize billions of dollars in vehicle and auto parts across the auto industry. Additionally, fairer market environments will be created for farmers and dairy producers.
“We believe that trade must be fair and reciprocal. The United States will not be taken advantage of any longer,” Trump said.
https://www.ttnews.com/articles/ata-among-members-new-usmca-coalition
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(ACC Mentioned) CAB Flat in February, ACC Says
Feb 27, 2019 | Chemical Engineering Online
By Scott Jenkins
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), posted a 0.0 percent change in February on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis. On a year-over-year (Y/Y) basis, the barometer is up 0.2 percent (3MMA).
The unadjusted measure of the CAB rose 0.2 percent in February and 0.1 percent in January after a 0.2 percent decline in December. The diffusion index rebounded to 65 percent in February, up from 53 percent in January. This index marks the number of positive contributors relative to the total number of indicators monitored.
“The Chemical Activity Barometer reading was essentially flat in February following three months of decline,” said Kevin Swift, chief economist at ACC. “The cumulative drop was 1.0 percent – still well below the 3.0 percent threshold for a recession signal. The latest CAB signals gains in U.S. commercial and industrial activity through mid-2019, but at a slower rate of growth as compared with a year earlier.”
The government shutdown resulted in delays in publishing many data series that ACC uses to compare the CAB. Such delays can make it more difficult to gauge current economic conditions.
The CAB has four main components, each consisting of a variety of indicators: 1) production; 2) equity prices; 3) product prices; and 4) inventories and other indicators.
All four major components rose in February. Trends in construction-related resins, pigments and related performance chemistry were mixed and suggest slow housing activity. Despite weakness in the latest retail sales report, plastic resins used in packaging and in consumer and institutional applications were positive. Performance chemistry gained and U.S. exports were mixed. Equity prices rebounded sharply this month, and product and input prices rose as well. Inventory and other indicators were positive.
The CAB is a leading economic indicator derived from a composite index of chemical industry activity. The chemical industry has been found to consistently lead the U.S. economy’s business cycle given its early position in the supply chain, and this barometer can be used to determine turning points and likely trends in the wider economy. Month-to-month movements can be volatile so a three-month moving average of the barometer is provided. This provides a more consistent and illustrative picture of national economic trends.
https://www.chemengonline.com/cab-flat-in-february-acc-says/
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Wheeler Clears Procedural Vote
Feb 27, 2019 | E&E - Greenwire
By Kevin Bogardus
The Senate is poised to confirm Andrew Wheeler to lead EPA on a permanent basis after a procedural vote this afternoon.
The Senate voted to end debate on Wheeler's nomination. Senators will next take a roll call on his confirmation, although the timing is unclear.
With Wheeler advancing past this procedural hurdle, he looks certain to be approved. Democrats, however, will likely use some of the 30 hours of post-cloture debate to blast President Trump's nominee.
The Senate confirmed Wheeler 53-45 last April to be deputy administrator. He has served as acting chief since July when his predecessor, Scott Pruitt, stepped down facing allegations that he had misused his public office.
Wheeler once was a longtime aide to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a former chairman of the panel.
Current Environment and Public Works Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said, "Andrew Wheeler's qualifications are without question." He said on the floor, "President Trump picked the right person to lead the Environmental Protection Agency."
After leaving Capitol Hill, Wheeler was a lobbyist for various energy interests, including coal giant Murray Energy Corp., which has attracted scrutiny from environmental groups and Democrats.
Wheeler worked for EPA's toxics office early on in his career, which he and Republicans have highlighted during his confirmation battle.
As acting head of EPA, he has continued to move forward on Trump's deregulatory agenda, proposing to roll back several environmental rules.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) criticized Wheeler and Trump for not being more aggressive in fighting climate change. She noted EPA pulling back the Clean Power Plan, the Obama-era regulation designed to curb power plants' carbon emissions.
"We need to act, and it's clear that Andrew Wheeler is the wrong person to lead the EPA during this critical time for our country," Stabenow said.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/02/27/stories/1060122579
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US EPA Scientists Target 75 PFASs for Further Scrutiny
Feb 27, 2019 | Chemical Watch
Thousands of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are in use worldwide, and public concern about their presence in drinking water has been mounting. Little toxicology information exists for the vast majority of these compounds, hindering efforts to determine safe exposure levels and assess potential risk.
A US EPA and National Toxicology Program (NTP) collaboration is seeking to rapidly plug this information gap by studying in depth a small representative sample of the PFAS chemical space.
"The hundreds of untested PFASs provide a scenario in which traditional one-by-one toxicity testing would consume tremendous resources and useful toxicity information would not be available for decades," a group of scientists led by the EPA’s Grace Patlewicz say in a paper, published in Environmental Health Perspectives on 11 January.
Instead, high-throughput in vitro toxicity tests are being conducted on a screening library containing 75 PFASs that the team chose to represent the entire breadth of the substances in commercial use.
The generated data will be combined with measured and predicted human exposure information to determine potential risk. From this, a smaller group of PFASs will be prioritised for in vivo testing.
The selection of the representative PFASs was described in the recent paper. A combination of targeted database searches and expert working groups were first used to choose 271 PFASs of interest from the EPA’s 760,000+ compound Distributed Structure-Searchable Database Network (DSSTox).
Next, the 271 compounds were manually sorted into one or more structural categories. Cheminformatics was then used to rank substances by criteria, such as number of other substances in same category and previously expressed interest by the EPA.
"An initial selection of 75 substances was made based on these scoring considerations," say the scientists. Some were later switched due to technical issues such as safety concerns and insolubility.
"The final PFAS 75 comprised 46 substances representing ten of the structural categories with some existing in vivo toxicity information and 29 substances covering a further 24 structural categories," the scientists say.
https://chemicalwatch.com/74657/us-epa-scientists-target-75-pfass-for-further-scrutiny
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California Bill Seeks to Expand SCP Programme Authorities
Feb 27, 2019 | Chemical Watch
By Kelly Franklin
California legislators are considering a bill to increase the regulatory heft of the state's Safer Consumer Products programme (SCP).
Existing law requires manufacturers of ‘priority products’ designated under the scheme either to phase out the use of chemicals of concern, or undertake an alternatives analysis to determine if there are safer replacements.
But a bill (SB 392) introduced last week seeks to give the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) the authority to bypass the alternatives assessment process and proceed directly to a regulatory response, relying on existing, publicly available analyses of alternatives to the chemical of concern in question.
It would also expand the state’s authority to require product manufacturers to provide certain information, such as sales data or information on a chemical’s concentration and functional use in a product. Where they are unable to do so, it proposes, they would need to put the DTSC in contact with the chemical manufacturer, who would then be required to provide it.
Further changes to the SCP programme under consideration include: expanding the list of candidate chemicals to include certain asthmagens and substances identified as fragrance allergens in the EU or endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (Oehha), among others; requiring that future priority product workplans outline data needs and actions for collecting that information, along with firmer timelines for completion of programme activities; and removing the option for those who disagree with a regulation to use the dispute resolution process.
Ten years of the SCP
Introduction of the bill comes on the heels of a legislative hearing, jointly held by California’s Senate Environmental Quality and Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committees. This examined the effectiveness of the state’s green chemistry programme ten years after it came into law.
The 12 February hearing – California's green chemistry programme: Are we protecting people from toxic chemicals in products – included a review of a report from the NGO Public Health Institute (PHI) that evaluated the programme’s performance.
The October 2018 report identified several areas of weakness "that have impaired the ability of the California Green Chemistry Initiative to live up to its potential". These included concerns that: the SCP programme has been slowly implemented, which has caused relatively few chemical-product combinations to be identified for action; the programme struggles with data gaps on exposure and toxicity and "suffers from unclear authority" to collect information on chemicals in products; and California’s overall investment and efforts have thus far "not been sufficient to foster robust research and development of safer product chemistry".
The report authors recommended a variety of changes to the programme, including some of the expanded statutory authorities outlined in the recently introduced bill.
The PHI also called for improvements to the state’s scientific programmes related to exposure monitoring and hazard identification, using public-private-academic partnerships to promote green chemistry, and "substantially increasing" funding for the state’s efforts.
Testifying at the hearing, California Chamber of Commerce policy advocate Adam Regele disagreed that the DTSC lacks authority to collect the information it needs on chemicals. And he argued against any effort by the legislature to enact chemical or product bans outside of the SCP programme.
"The one big take away I heard today is that everyone supports the Safer Consumer Products programme," said Mr Regele. "We all want to see it improve – both the efficiency and expediency. However, we do value the outcome being correct."
https://chemicalwatch.com/74693/california-bill-seeks-to-expand-scp-programme-authorities
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Plastics 'Leading to Reproductive Problems for Wildlife'
Feb 26, 2019 | The Guardian
By Fiona Harvey
Plastics are an increasing cause of concern due to potential sources of chemicals that disrupt hormones and affect the growth and reproductive success of a wide variety of wildlife, according to a new report.
Wildlife in the oceans and on land are subject to cocktails of pollutants known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), but little is still known about how these common substances interact in the environment despite years of research. The increasing problem of plastic waste breaking down in fragile ecosystems is now one of the key areas of research for scientists.
Killer whales with high levels of pollutants known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which were used in many plastics before being banned globally in 2004, have shown reproductive problems. A pod off the west coast of Scotland known to have high levels of PCBs has failed to produce a single calf in 25 years.Animals and birds under increasing threat from plastic waste
Read more
One washed-up orca, given the name Lulu by researchers, was found to have 957mg/kg of PCBs accumulated in lipid tissue, a level 100 times above the threshold of toxicity. Though of reproductive age, Lulu was found to have failed to calve.
“Lulu was barren, as if she was a juvenile,” said Paul Jepson from the Zoological Society of London and a co-author of the paper. “But she should have been in her prime.”
A recent model predicted that orca numbers globally could be halved within a century owing to PCBs to which marine mammals are particularly susceptible because fat-soluble EDCs accumulate in their tissues. Their high-fat milk and long lactation periods means mothers pass more of the toxins to their offspring.
Despite the ban, the presence of PCBs in Europe seems to have stabilised since 1998 rather than declining further, perhaps owing to the chemicals leaching out of landfill sites or the breakdown of plastic and other products in which they were once common.
“We are looking at the possible exposure [of marine life] and evidence of toxicity is still developing,” said Jepson. While evidence abounds of sea birds, mammals and fish with plastic in their stomachs, many of the potential effects of PCBs are still unknown.‘Stop treating seas as a sewer,’ MPs urge in bid for protection treaty
Read more
While the release of EDCs has been shown to have harmful effects on wildlife populations, the interactions between such chemicals are still largely unknown, according to the paper published on Wednesday in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. The paper did not examine the possible effects on human health from the presence of EDCs.Advertisement
“We do not know what proportion of chemicals are EDCs. There is a very large proportion of chemicals that we use every day that we know very little about,” said John Sumpter, professor of ecotoxicology at Brunel University London and a co-author of the paper. “There is a huge gap in our knowledge. We just do not know what effect they are having.”
Sumpter called for more work on predicting how chemicals interact in the environment, as current methods of testing chemicals after they are produced are too slow, and the interactions between different chemicals in the environment are hard to examine. “We are not very good at predicting what effect chemicals will have on the environment,” he said. “We need to get cleverer, to be able to look at the structure of chemicals and say this is how it will probably interact, based on that structure.”
The endocrine system is the collection of glands that produce hormones, playing a critical role in nearly all biological functions including growth, development and reproduction. Some of the known sources of EDCs, such as PCBs, have been banned, but others are still in operation. These include synthetic hormones such as those used in the contraceptive pill, which has been found to have an effect on wildlife, including feminising certain male fish, even at very low concentrations.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/27/plastics-leading-to-reproductive-problems-for-wildlife
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Amount of Glyphosate Found in Beer and Wine Is Not Worrisome
Feb 26, 2019 | AG Daily
This week a new report published by the advocacy group U.S. PIRG tested five wines and 15 beers and found traces of glyphosate in 19 of 20 of them — even organic ones. It’s just the kind of thing mainstream media outlets love to latch onto and make farmers out to be bad guys. U.S. PIRG itself argues that there needs to be a ban on the weed killer and it fully blames agriculture for the glyphosate found in beer and wine.
But there’s always a “but.”
The study does admit that the levels of glyphosate found are not enough to be dangerous, though they claim to still be “concerning.”
William Reeves, toxcologist for Bayer, puts the numbers into perspective.
“Assuming the greatest value reported, 51.4 ppb, is correct, a 125-pound adult would have to consume 308 gallons of wine per day, every day for life to reach the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s glyphosate exposure limit for humans,” he said “To put 308 gallons into context, that would be more than a bottle of wine every minute, for life, without sleeping.”
Even those highest findings of glyphosate that was found in wine, 51.4 parts per billion, is far lower than what the activist Environmental Working Group said they found in Cheerios, roughly 500 ppb. And the EWG were widely criticized for making a big deal out of levels that were far lower than what every regulatory body recognizes as significant (and that includes the state of California, which already had stricter limits than most other entities).
In their test results U.S. PIRG argued that,”While glyphosate is found in many places, for many years scientists were uncertain if glyphosate was a public health problem. But that changed in 2015, when the World Health Organization found that glyphosate is a probable carcinogen. In 2017, the state of California also decided to list glyphosate as a probable carcinogen based on the WHO study.”
How many red flags did you count in that last statement? We’re sure you didn’t stop at one.
A major part of U.S. PIRG’s narrative is centered around the 2015 WHO study and California listing glyphosate as a probable carcinogen. This is the same study that has received so much backlash from not revealing all relevant and correct information at the time of publishing.
In this article, Farm Babe explains what happened during those findings. Essentially, an epidemiologist from the U.S. Cancer Institute, Aaron Blair, saw important data that proved glyphosate had no link to cancer. However, he did not bring this information up to the 17 specialists who led the research, and excuses were made as to why this data wasn’t considered.
Following IARC’s findings, many government agencies and organizations opposed the conclusion, including the WHO. They contradicted their own subcommittee’s findings. You would think that other agencies or researchers would no longer use the study, but since it fits their narrative the do not care about the numerous corrected findings.
So what does this all mean for the scary glyphosate found in beer and wine? That someone is trying to capitalize on the fear being spread about Roundup. The study was released on the same day as a federal judge was reviewing the Monsanto case. Coincidence? I think not.
For the future, don’t worry if your beer or wine has glyphosate in it, just be worried on how many you drink of the actual known carcinogen — alcohol.
https://www.agdaily.com/news/glyphosate-found-in-beer-wine/
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Navy Hands out Bottled Water after Saufley Field Well Water Tests Show High Levels of PFAs
Feb 27, 2019 | Pensacola News Journal
By Melissa Nelson Gabriel
The Navy is distributing bottled drinking water to some residents who live on the west side of Saufley Field after initial well water testing exceeded levels set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Eight of 20 wells tested in the area exceeded the EPA's lifetime health advisory level for perfluorooctane sulfonate and/or perfluorooctanoic acid, according to a news release issued by Naval Air Station Pensacola. Both chemicals, known as PFAS, are part of a fire suppressant foam long used by local military bases.
The Navy said PFAS are classified by the EPA as emerging contaminants and that the agency has no routine water quality or testing requirement for the chemicals.
Brandy Smith, director of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Northwest District, referred questions to the Navy but forwarded an informational sheet distributed to residents explaining the EPA's classification of PFAS as as emerging contaminants.
"While there are no regulatory limits at this time, there may be a long-term potential risk to human health or the environment associated with the chemicals," stated the information provided by DEP. "Additional studies may also bring new or changing health exposure information related to them. This is why DEP and (the Department of Health) are committed to addressing emerging contaminants."
Officials are still trying to reach about 30 residents who did not respond to letters and attempts to reach them in person, said Susan Brink, spokeswoman for the Navy's Southeastern Engineering Command. Brink said the residents have wells that should be tested. She encouraged those residents to call 850-452-8715 and arrange testing. More military news:
Jeff Bergosh, the Escambia County Commissioner whose district includes the western side of Saufley Field, said the Navy was being proactive by testing the well water and letting residents know about the presence of PFAS.
"What they are saying is that there is the potential for some these chemicals that were used from the 1940s going forward to have leached into the nearby water. They are trying to identify where that might have happened and I think they are doing a great job," Bergosh said.
"The Navy has worked hard to inform the local community and to have a series of public meetings," he said.
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/military/2019/02/27/well-water-testing-near-saufley-field-shows-high-levels-pfas-navy-says/2992080002/
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Vigilance Said Needed for Aging, Taxed North American Natural Gas Grid
| Natural Gas Intelligence
By Carolyn Davis
As more U.S. natural gas is moved across the grid to new markets and overseas, maintaining aging infrastructure has to remain a top priority for the industry, an EDF Trading executive told a Houston audience Tuesday.
Speaking at the 3rd Annual LNG USA Summit, EDF Energy Services President Mary Anne Brelinsky shared a panel discussion to discuss the industry market outlook, trends and opportunities for the liquefied natural gas export business. Brelinsky, who has been with EDF since 2006, oversees the customer facing business in Houston for London-based EDF Trading, a subsidiary of electricity generator EDF SA.
It’s not discounted gas prices at the Waha hub that worry her. “People will find a way to solve that constraint...Markets will find a way to solve that.”
However, “one of the things that keeps me up at night is the age of infrastructure in this country,” Brelinksy said. “Our average transmission line for power is over 30 years old. Our average natural gas pipeline is over 50 years old.”
The power grid is interdependent on the gas grid, which in turn carries supply to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals. That interdependency, combined with an aging system, is bound to cause issues, she noted.
For example, Brelinsky pointed to the Enbridge Inc. incident in Western Canada last fall. A remote leg of Enbridge’s Westcoast transmission line in British Columbia ruptured in October, initially affecting gas supply in the region and then cascading to Northern California markets.
“San Francisco couldn’t get enough gas,” Brelinsky noted. “We had to move gas from the Rockies to get it into San Francisco. That Rockies gas originally would have gone to Chicago. So we had to bring in gas from the East to backfill the Chicago short, [which] caused the Chicago gas prices to rise,” which then impacted power prices in the Midcontinent, she said.
“A Canadian pipeline impacted power prices in Chicago.”
The decades’ old “web of infrastructure” has to be renewed and maintained, she told the audience, particularly as it is stressed with more things to do.
“I’m really concerned that with the amount of renewables that we’ve put on the grid and with LNG exports, we are flexing those pipes more than we ever have,” she said.
The age of the pipelines is a huge concern, but “when we have physical constraints or pipeline explosions or issues around North America,” it is going to impact more than one region, and potentially more than just one commodity.
Brelinksy urged the industry audience to be vigilant in ensuring infrastructure is “solid, inspected and maintained so that we can continue to have a robust energy policy in the U.S.”
Regulators, she noted, tend to be “a little bit reactionary, so when bad things happen, we get regulated. I think the best thing we can do for ourselves is self-regulation and make sure that the infrastructure itself is healthy.”
https://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/117547-vigilance-said-needed-for-aging-taxed-north-american-natural-gas-grid
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US Oil Is Trickling Back into China after Export Boom Goes Bust
Feb 27, 2019 | CNBC
By Tom DiChristopher
The ongoing U.S.-China trade dispute stopped a surge in American oil exports to the Middle Kingdom, but as Washington and Beijing inch toward a deal, a trickle of U.S. crude appears to be making its way to Chinese shores.
The development comes as U.S. and Chinese negotiators recently wrapped up talks that prevented tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in goods from rising sharply on March 1. The dispute has disrupted once robust trade in energy products like crude oil and liquefied natural gas between the world’s two biggest economies.
China emerged as a major buyer of U.S. crude after President Barack Obama and Congress lifted the 40-year ban on exporting crude oil in 2015. During some months last year, China surpassed Canada as the top importer of American oil.
Beijing has declined to slap an import tax on U.S. crude in retaliation against the Trump administration’s tariffs on Chinese goods. But Chinese buyers nevertheless stopped purchasing American supplies last year as the trade dispute with Washington escalated.
After the long pause in trade, China recently offloaded its first shipment of U.S. crude oil this year, although in a roundabout way. About 468,000 barrels of U.S.-origin crude oil was pulled from storage at Yeosu, South Korea, and shipped to China, according to tanker-tracking firm ClipperData.
Hongrun Petrochemical, an independent refiner, received the shipment of Eagle Ford crude at Qingdao Port on Sunday, according to S&P Global Platts, which reported the transfer overnight.
There are also signs that China may soon receive direct shipments of crude oil from the United States.
According to ClipperData, a ship called the Hong Kong Spirit recently loaded almost 2 million barrels at Moda Midstream’s Ingleside terminal near Corpus Christi, Texas, and in the U.S. Gulf. The VLCC — or very large crude carrier — is currently declaring for Yantai, China.
“This destination may, however, change en route, but for now signals optimism on the trade war front. By the time the VLCC makes it to China in April, trade war concerns may have dissipated,” said Matt Smith, director of commodity research at ClipperData.
This comes after several vessels carrying U.S. crude believed to be potentially headed for China instead discharged their cargoes in other Asian destinations.
Earlier this month, Genscape forecast a ship called The Manifa would deliver U.S. crude to China by mid-February, but it is now scheduled to discharge in South Korea, according to both ClipperData and Genscape.
Genscape flagged three other ships bound for Singapore as potentially delivering American oil to China. ClipperData says one offloaded in South Korea, while two others are about to discharge in Korea or Taiwan.
One other vessel, the Jag Lakshya, delivered Canadian crude loaded in the United States to China this month.
Despite the disruption in trade with China, the U.S. is exporting record amounts of crude.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/27/us-oil-is-trickling-back-into-china-after-export-boom-goes-bust.html
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Mixed Outlook for European Petrochemicals in 2019 as Market Digests New Trade Flows
Feb 27, 2019 | S&P Global Platts
By Baoying Ng, Ben Brooks, Simon Price, Stergios Zacharakis and Olu Shaw
US-China trade tensions were in the spotlight last year across commodity markets, and the petrochemicals sector was by no means untouched.
Antidumping duties introduced by China on the imports of some origins of styrene – used to make packaging and other plastic and synthetic rubber products – altered trade flows significantly. One result has been an increase in trading activity within Europe.
Growing plastics and fibres demand was behind supply tightness in paraxylene and its entire supply chain in another trend that is poised to continue. Meanwhile other products may have to grapple with continued oversupply – including the gasoline additive MTBE and key feedstock benzene.
In a recent webinar, S&P Global Platts analysed the prospects for the European aromatics sector in the first half of 2019, while market participants were polled on the biggest price and fundamentals questions of the moment.
Antidumping measures
In the styrene market, China implemented antidumping duties on the US, Taiwan and South Korea, ranging from 3.8%-55.7%, with the US attracting duties on the higher end of the range. The US is a major producer and exporter to China, and the higher cost of imports from the US led to a surge in costs to the Chinese end user. This caused US styrene demand to plunge and prices fell to be the lowest globally. With limited purchasing options, China prices rose to be the highest globally, with European prices between the US and China. Asia’s increasing importance as a destination for European styrene means the region’s demand will be watched carefully by producers in 2019.
The majority of participants polled during our webinar expected the European styrene market to feel the effect of increased Asian consumption in Q2 this year. Styrene demand from China waned in the lead up to the Lunar New Year holidays. However, this is set to pick up now that the market has returned from holidays. Although Chinese inventory levels were last reported over 200,000mt, supply is still outstripping consumption.
Fibres and plastics spur growth
Supply tightness was more clearly in evidence in the xylenes chain, due to strong demand for paraxylene (PX) – a key feedstock for polyester fibre and plastic bottles. This strong demand and tightness of supply can most readily be seen by the margin over PX feedstock, naphtha, in the graph below.
The strength seen in the market is particularly apparent from August 2018, where there was a sharp fall in spot prices, driven by sharp falls in crude oil. However, the margin over feedstock naphtha remained, and still remains, at very attractive levels, the likes of which have not been seen for around 6 years.
For the rest of 2019, market participants are expecting margins to remain at these attractive levels for three reasons. First, many believe there will be delays to new capacities due to open in China this year. Secondly, even if these plants do open, there are plans in Asia for significant growth in production of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) – an intermediary between PX and polyester and plastic bottles. Finally, demand for polyester is expected to grow at substantial rates over the next few years, placing even more demand on PX.
Back in Europe, the new Artlant PTA plant in Sines, Portugal, will need to secure feedstock. Webinar participants thought the most likely source would be the Middle East. The region is a logical supplier given that the transport route is well trodden. Thai petchem producer Indorama sends material from the Artlant plant to Egypt – and transport costs are relatively low. More capacity is also coming online in the Middle East, including in Turkey near Socar’s STAR refinery.
MTBE market awaits seasonal shift
In MTBE – a petrochemical product mainly used as a gasoline blendstock – the expectation is that 2019 will bring some “normality” back to a market where seasonal variations typically drive demand and supply.
Gasoline blending is expected to again be the main driver for MTBE demand. The market has been in a quiet season, as blenders expect to sell off their stocks of winter grade gasoline during January and February, to start blending summer grade product. On the supply side, Europe is typically structurally long because of its production capacity, and likely to remain so. Should Europe need volumes, flows could potentially come from Latin America and Arab Gulf. Typically, export destinations are West Africa and Mexico.
The MTBE price trend usually moves according to seasonality requirements. As the graph above shows, MTBE prices dived in September due to declining demand in line with the gasoline specification change from summer to winter grade, and this is expected to be the case in 2019 again. Between February and March refineries and blenders typically start blending summer grade gasoline, which is higher-octane. MTBE is a preferred component because of its high octane stock and suitable volatility.
Unusually, the MTBE factor, which reflects the relationship between MTBE and gasoline prices, also moved up towards the end of the year 2018. A higher factor typically reflects stronger demand for MTBE, however, the uptick was instead a result of heavy logistical constrains caused by the historically low Rhine water level, and is not expected to persist in 2019.
Most market participants polled about European MTBE said they thought the current length would only partially be corrected between March and April 2019, when gasoline specifications switch from winter to summer grade. That view was based on expectations of rising demand but a lack of export opportunities.
Benzene prices depressed
Unlike in MTBE, benzene prices are expected to remain weak in 2019, continuing from steep falls in the last quarter of 2018. Benzene is used to make a wide range of industrial and consumer products from plastics and resins to drugs and pesticides.
Benzene is suffering from oversupply that has depressed markets globally. In Europe, the situation is more likely to see short-term swings, but the first half of 2019 is likely to see little change the global supply side. Market players are looking to upstream steam cracker turnarounds beginning in earnest in April that could limit the amount of new material hitting the market.
Benzene typically comes out of steam crackers, and while steam cracker maintenances may reduce production output of benzene in Europe, imports are expected to increase and will limit change to the oversupply equation. In 2018, total imports increased by 7-8% to approximately 900,000 mt. A key factor in this increase was higher levels of exports from Indian producers. These volumes are expected to continue growing in 2019, targeting both Asia and Europe. Indian producers have also said that changes in the pricing balance between Europe and Asia are unlikely to cause swings in export focus.
The majority of participants in our webinar believed the benzene oversupply is here to stay in 2019, a clear cut response in line with indications in the wider market. Lessened supply from steam cracker maintenances will be offset downstream, as several styrene production plants have outlined turnaround plans for the year. A continuing low crude environment is encouraging greater cracking, while weak naphtha demand from the gasoline blend pool has seen more light naphtha grades heading into the petrochemical market.
Supply pressure will also continue to be felt globally from benzene production through toluene disproportionation. This process converts toluene to paraxylene, with benzene emerging as a by-product. Downstream demand globally is booming, particularly in Asia, driving strong interest in PX that seems unlikely to fade in the near term.
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/02/27/mixed-outlook-european-petrochemicals-2019/
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Fixing Regulatory Pitfalls Could Reduce Methane Emissions
Feb 27, 2019 | Scientific American
By Aileen Nowlan
Methane has long been recognized as a potent greenhouse gas, but preventing its escape from industrial facilities has only recently become a prominent goal. The oil and gas industry, for example, is a large emitter, and research (including some by scientists at the Environmental Defense Fund) has documented that far more methane seeps out of wells, pipelines, valves and other points in the supply chain than energy companies and official emissions inventories report.
This revelation has people worried—people like me, who are concerned about the health and future of humanity. And people like the CEOs of global oil and gas companies, including BP and ExxonMobil, who have voluntarily pledged to reduce methane emissions. Increasingly, investors, public officials and neighbors living near oil and gas infrastructure have become worried, too.
At the same time entrepreneurs are growing excited, because one person’s challenge is an innovator’s opportunity. Quietly, companies have been developing new technologies that make detecting methane leaks more efficient, reliable and affordable. For example, internet-connected lasers that shine along well pad tanks can detect invisible methane emissions and warn operators miles away. New technology can reduce waste, satisfy investors and even increase employee safety by reducing the time they spend driving to sites to check for leaks in person—one of the most dangerous parts of their day.
Countries around the world are beginning to tackle the challenge head-on. Many, including the U.S., Canada and Mexico, have adopted national regulations to cut methane emissions.
All of this momentum is positive. But a big impediment remains: Over the last year the EDF worked with a group of state environmental agencies and other stakeholders to identify issues that might be stifling development and deployment of improved emissions detection and reduction technology. One point rose to the top—the lack of transparent, rapid and consistent regulatory approval of new technology.
For innovation to solve environmental problems, entrepreneurs need a clear signal their inventions will have a market. Investors want to know how long it will take to realize a profit. Written with innovators in mind, regulations can do much more than mandate a cleaner environment. They can spur competitive markets. But to do so, regulators must reward innovation and risk. Methane regulations currently do not.
Consider three regulatory challenges and solutions:
The first issue is equivalence—the idea an energy company can use a different practice or technology than a current one, so long as it produces the mandated “equivalent reductions” of methane. Most stakeholders—from environmentalists to energy executives—would agree that if someone invents a better or cheaper way to hit a methane target, that innovation should be allowed and encouraged. For example, EDF and Stanford University tested truck, drone and plane-mounted systems that quickly scan for methane emissions across large areas of land. But methane rules as written prescribe steps for monitoring, instead of outcomes—like a percentage of emission reductions, tons of emissions avoided or other numerical targets an engineer would know how to tackle. Without a manageable numerical target or way to calculate impact, it would be difficult for a company to justify the switch to innovative technologies.
The market could get the kind of clarity on equivalence it needs if a standard model were adopted that allows an objective comparison between approved processes (for example, calendar-based inspections) and new methods like ground-based lasers and fast-flying drones.
The second challenge is how regulation affects the speed of innovation. Tech companies are used to receiving rapid feedback about their products and continually improving them. The operating conditions at oil and gas sites change rapidly, and there are huge variations in the demands placed on equipment by weather—from winter in North Dakota to summer in Texas. Innovators need to demonstrate their technology in real-world conditions to gain the confidence of operators and service providers. And developing these solutions is expensive and complicated. We reviewed methane rules from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as six states and found only the EPA and Colorado had a pathway for approving alternative technology. In both cases, however, the process could stretch out for a year or more. Innovators want to be in the field learning, improving and recouping their investment far faster than that.
Regulations can encourage innovation by prescribing quick and transparent processes that get new detection technologies out in the field fast.
Finally, the number of states, countries and companies developing methane-reduction strategies is hard to nail down. But it’s big and growing. Currently, an innovator might face a year or more for approval in Colorado, then start from scratch for approval for the same technology with the same operator at the same kind of wells in the same weather conditions just over the state line in Wyoming.
It is hard to imagine a start-up firm, or even a large corporation, investing in this fragmented market. It would be much easier for them to rise to the challenge if states, provinces and countries agreed to a shared model, including a standard set of definitions and assumptions regarding how methane innovations will be evaluated. That would turn a local or regional market opportunity into a global one.
Designed well, regulations can reduce emissions faster by providing entrepreneurs confidence there will be new markets. If governments get the rules right, they can spark a new wave of innovation.
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/fixing-regulatory-pitfalls-could-reduce-methane-emissions/
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Railroads to Share Flammable Train Info With First Responders
Feb 27, 2019 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Sylvia Carignan
CSX Corp., Union Pacific Corp., and other railroads will be required to share information about trains carrying flammable material with state and tribal first responders in order to improve their preparedness for oil spills.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued a final rule Feb. 27 that adds new requirements for oil spill response plans and railroads with trains that have multiple tank cars carrying flammable liquids.
The rule—which also updates some other requirements—comes in response to a 2015 Congressional mandate and as domestic energy production expands, which has created “significant challenges for the country’s transportation system,” the agency said in its final rule.
Though pipelines and oil tankers have traditionally carried the majority of crude oil to U.S. refineries, other modes of transportation, including railroads, have carried a “rapidly rising” volume of the material in the past decade, according to the agency.
Some of the changes in the agency’s rule stem from a 2013 incident where an unattended train carrying crude oil from North Dakota derailed in a Quebec town. More than 40 people died, and multiple tank cars exploded.
The incident “prompted examination into the safety of crude oil transportation by rail,” the agency said.
As a result of the rule, railroads will need to share an estimate of the number of trains carrying flammable materials that are expected to travel through each of a state’s counties on a weekly basis, the trains’ routes, a description of the materials, and contact information for the railroad company.
CSX and Union Pacific didn’t immediately respond to Bloomberg Environment’s emailed requests for comment.
The final rule will be effective 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register. The publication date is scheduled for Feb. 28.
https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/environment-and-energy/railroads-to-share-flammable-train-info-with-first-responders
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U.S. Bans Shipments of Flammable Batteries on Passenger Flights
Feb 27, 2019 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Alan Levin
The U.S. government is banning bulk shipments of highly flammable lithium-based batteries on passenger airlines.
Congress in October required the Department of Transportation to mandate the rules as part of broader legislation setting aviation policy. It doesn’t apply to passengers bringing electronics as carry-ons.
The new restriction, announced Feb. 27, will have little immediate effect because most U.S. carriers have been adhering to the guidelines, which were recommended by the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization in 2016.
Years of research on how lithium-based batteries burn have raised concerns about their safety. A 2016 study by the Federal Aviation Administration found that bulk shipments of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries could smolder and explode. More recent research found that a single battery in a checked bag could overpower an airliner’s fire suppression system.
Three cargo aircraft accidents, including two fatal crashes, have been linked to lithium-based batteries that caught fire, according to investigators in the U.S. and other nations. Cargo carriers, which can still carry the batteries, have taken steps in recent years to improve packaging and encourage manufacturers to hew to higher standards.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which works with the FAA on regulating transportation of batteries, issued the rules.
https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/environment-and-energy/u-s-bans-shipments-of-flammable-batteries-on-passenger-flights
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Ewire: Democrats Plan 'Unity' Climate Plan to Parry GOP's 'Green' Attack
Feb 27, 2019 | Inside EPA
Senate Democrats are coalescing around a “unity” climate resolution as a way to parry an attack by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who plans to bring the “Green New Deal” (GND) climate resolution to the Senate floor in order to highlight divisions in the minority party.
In addition, most Democratic senators are suggesting they might vote “present” on the GND resolution when McConnell brings it to the floor sometime before the August recess, a strategy that will keep the caucus largely unified and highlight what they argue is a “sham” vote.
The chief environmental group behind the GND, the Sunrise Movement, is supporting the strategy, according to E&E News. “I think it's perfectly reasonable and respectful for Senate Democrats to call it out for what it is, and if voting present is how they want to do that, by all means go for it," said Evan Weber, a Sunrise co-founder.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), who supports aggressive climate policy, told the story that McConnell's attempt to "troll" Democrats with a vote on the GND resolution is backfiring because it gives the party a bigger platform to discuss climate issues.
“I think this was tactically clever on Leader McConnell's part, but strategically not smart at all because now we're talking about climate,” he told reporters. "And that's not terra firma for them."
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) is the lead Senate sponsor of the GND measure, and it is co-sponsored by roughly a dozen Democrats, including many 2020 presidential hopefuls. The measure calls for a 10-year “mobilization” toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, as well as other major progressive goals such as universal health care and a federal jobs guarantee.
Republicans have sought to paint the measure as extreme, frequently citing a fact sheet from the GND's House sponsor, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), that her office has since retracted. That document included a number of claims that are not in the resolution, including transitioning off nuclear power and restricting aircraft travel.
Democrats are also floating an alternative, “unity” resolution, according to Politico. The measure would not have “targets and timetables,” but would instead say man-made climate change is an urgent threat and that Congress must act swiftly to address it.
It is expected to garner support from all 47 members of the caucus, though it is far from clear whether the measure would get floor time -- particularly because it could attract the support of a handful of swing state Republicans up for re-election in 2020.
However, the Politico story noted that not all Democrats are on board with voting “present” on the GND. The most conservative member of the caucus, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), said he is “not a present guy,” and that he is “not for” the measure.
https://insideepa.com/daily-feed/ewire-democrats-plan-unity-climate-plan-parry-gops-green-attack
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Schumer: McConnell Plan to Force Green New Deal Vote a 'Diversion'
Feb 27, 2019 | The Hill - E2 Wire
By Jordain Carney
Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) knocked his Republican counterpart on Wednesday, saying Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) plan to force a vote on the Green New Deal is a "diversion" from having a debate on climate change.
"The games they are playing here will have no meaning. This is not a debate. It's a diversion. It's a sham," Schumer said from the Senate floor.
Democrats are introducing a climate change resolution, which will be supported by the entire caucus, as part of their strategy to kick the spotlight in the climate change fight back to Republicans.
Schumer, previewing that strategy, added that there is an "enormous" silence among Republicans on how to confront climate change.
"We're going to keep asking him, and every Republican in this chamber what they would do about climate change, about global warming," he added.
Republicans have seized on the Green New Deal, a blueprint to battle climate change, as they hunt for fodder heading into the 2020 presidential race, with several Democratic senators battling for their party's nomination.
McConnell said on Tuesday that he would force a vote on the resolution before the Senate leaves for the August recess. He added on Wednesday that Democrats will get "go on record" about if they "really support this fantasy novel masquerading as public policy."
"It's clear what we have here. It's the far-left's Santa Claus wish list dressed up to look like serious policy. Now, bad ideas are nothing new … silly proposals come and go. But the philosophies and the ideas behind this textbook socialism are not just foolish. They're dangerous," the GOP leader added.
The Green New Deal, which strives for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the United States while creating millions of “good, high-wage jobs,” has zero chance of passing in the Senate, where it needs 60 votes to advance.
The resolution was introduced earlier this month by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/431806-schumer-mcconnell-plan-to-force-green-new-deal-vote-a-diversion
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McConnell, Schumer Spar over Climate Change on Senate Floor
Feb 27, 2019 | Politico Pro Energy - Whiteboard
By Anthony Adragna
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this morning said climate change was an “important subject” that “deserves a serious approach,” but he bashed the proposed Green New Deal resolution as a “socialist shopping spree.”
“It’s the far left’s Santa Claus wishlist dressed up to look like serious policy,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. “This proposal is either a brilliant piece of comedy or a disastrous socialist vision that is totally alien to the United States of America.”
"It's the war on coal on steroids," he added.
McConnell did not elaborate on how he thought climate change should be addressed, but he did cite the Environment and Public Works Committee hearing this morning examining legislation S. 383 (116) to boost carbon capture and sequestration technologies.
McConnell again promised “before long” he’ll bring up the Green New Deal resolution S. Res. 59 (116) up for the floor vote. On Tuesday he said that would come before the August recess.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer responded in remarks on the Senate floor that Democrats would introducea resolution with full caucus backing that urges Congress to act immediately on climate change. And they would press Republicans on whether they acknowledge the scientific evidence of climate change.
"The silence of the Republican majority on climate change is enormous," Schumer said. "Is it because the oil industry gives so much money to our Republican friends? Is it because they're anti-science? What's the reason? Not a single bill has been brought to the floor to deal with climate change or global warming in the five years Leader McConnell has been the majority leader."
https://subscriber.politicopro.com/energy/whiteboard/2019/02/mcconnell-schumer-spar-over-climate-change-on-senate-floor-2758649
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EPA Eases Industrial Monitoring for Smog-Forming Pollutants
Feb 27, 2019 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Amena H. Saiyid
Costly nonstop air pollution monitoring requirements for power plants and large steel, aluminum, and paper manufacturers across the Eastern U.S. will be relaxed under an EPA rule.
Under the rule, the Environmental Protection Agency will let states write air pollution cleanup plans that give plants and facilities the option to choose lower-cost monitoring for nitrogen oxides, a precursor to ozone pollution.
The change would affect about 285 large industrial facilities and 30 power plants using turbines and boilers fired by fossil fuels, the EPA said.
The EPA estimates the move will save industries between $1.2 million to $3.3 million each year. Most power plants would be required to keep the continuous monitoring systems, but the EPA’s proposal would give other industries cheaper options.
Monitoring is a way for companies to demonstrate—and for the EPA and states, to verify—that facilities are meeting required air pollution limits. Since most of these facilities are already in compliance, the EPA said it is giving states the option to relax the more stringent continuous monitoring requirements.
The rule affects those manufacturing and power plants that burn fossil fuels to run boilers or turbines. Burning fossil fuel generates nitrogen oxides that contribute to ground-level ozone, a lung irritant that can exacerbate breathing conditions like asthma. Critics are concerned that less monitoring would lead to weaker enforcement.
The rule (RIN: 2060-AU08), which acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed Feb. 26, will update regulations the EPA issued under its 1998 emissions program known as NOx SIP Call, which lets power plants buy allowances for emissions of nitrogen oxides in lieu of installing costly controls to meet federal limits.
Right now, all participating coal-fired power plants and large manufacturing plants must monitor their emissions continuously.
Operating and maintaining those monitors and auditing the data they collect costs around $100,000 each year, Ron Gore, air quality division director for the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, previously told Bloomberg Environment.
https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/environment-and-energy/epa-eases-industrial-monitoring-for-smog-forming-pollutants
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OMB Begins Review of EPA Rule Ending ‘Once in’ Air Toxics Policy
Feb 27, 2019 | Inside EPA
EPA has sent for White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) pre-publication review a proposed rule to codify agency air chief Bill Wehrum’s decision to end a long-running “once in, always in” policy under which facilities must always meet stringent air toxics limits even if they lower emissions below regulatory thresholds.
The proposal, which the agency submitted to OMB on Feb. 25, will say that facilities subject to maximum achievable control technology (MACT) air toxics standards need no longer adhere to those limits if they reduce their emissions below the Clean Air Act’s threshold for a “major” air pollution source.
Wehrum announced the decision in a Jan. 25, 2018, memo that scrapped the years-old once in, always in policy. Environmentalists sued over the memo and litigation is pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, with oral argument slated for April 1.
EPA is urging the court to reject the suit, arguing that Wehrum’s memo is not a final agency action subject to judicial review.
The pending rule to codify the memo, which OMB currently projects for release in February, would, if finalized, be subject to the air law’s 60-day window for suing over final rules. Therefore if the D.C. Circuit rejects the challenge to Wehrum’s memo, environmentalists could sue over the pending rule.
OMB’s website says the rule “reflects EPA's plain language reading of the statute” in determining that facilities whose emissions fall below major source thresholds to become “area” sources are no longer subject to the MACT standards that apply to major sources. “This could lead to regulatory burden reduction for sources that have reclassified to area source status by not having to comply” with previously applicable MACT rules, the website says.
https://insideepa.com/daily-feed/omb-begins-review-epa-rule-ending-%E2%80%98once-%E2%80%99-air-toxics-policy
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Feb 27, 2019 | Washington Post
By Dino Grandoni
Democratic voters will have to decide among a slate of White House hopefuls tripping over themselves to commit to tackling climate change and other environmental issues.
But which Democratic senator had the best environmental voting record in Congress last year? The answer: all of them.
Each senator who has announced their candidacy for president received perfect scores in an annual voting scorecard kept by the League of Conservation Voters.
The six declared 2020 candidatesin the Senate — Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) — always aligned with positions the environmental organization deemed “pro-environment.”
So too did a handful of Senate Democrats thought to be considering a run for president, including Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).
Most Senate Democrats had high environmental scores from the group in the years leading up to 2018.
But across-the-board perfect scores among the slate of presidential candidates is a sign they are shoring up their environmental bona fides as they face a Democratic electorate increasingly energized by President Trump’s rollback of environmental rules and his pullout from the Paris climate accord.
It was only five years ago that, for example, Brown and Booker had a score 80 percent or that Gillibrand had a score of 60 percent — meaning they took the environmental group's favored positions in most but not all votes.
The 2018 scores are also a sign there may not be much daylight — yet — between the party’s perceived moderates (like Klobuchar) and progressives (like Warren), at least when it comes to environmental issues.
Notably, all six declared candidates in the Senate have co-sponsored the Green New Deal resolution from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) calling for the United States to drive net greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
The League of Conservation Voters, which was instrumental in fundraising for Democrats in the 2018 election, tracked senators’ votes on 14 measures last year.
The pro-environment positions listed in its scorecard, shared with The Washington Post ahead of its expected publication on Wednesday, include votes against a number of President Trump’s nominees, such as acting Environmental Protection Agency head Andrew Wheeler, who once worked as a coal lobbyist, and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who often ruled against Obama-era environmental regulations while serving on an appellate court. Both of those nominees were ultimately confirmed by the GOP-controlled Senate.
They also include votes against slashing $16 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and exempting the shipping industry from certain water pollution requirements meant to stop the spread of invasive species. Neither of those measures succeeded.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-energy-202/2019/02/27/the-energy-202-which-2020-hopeful-got-the-highest-score-from-environmentalists-last-year-all-of-them/5c75a6791b326b2d177d5f6c/?utm_term=.5a0f22dd3a48
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