Preview Newsletter
PM ACC Clips Report - May 2, 2019
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(ACC Mentioned) Maine Passes the U.S.'s First State Ban on Foam Food Packaging
May 2, 2019 | National Geographic
By Laura Parker
Maine has joined a growing list of states, cities, and counties, including 14 towns in Maine, to ban foam food containers in an effort to reduce plastic waste. The bill bans bowls, plates, cups, trays, cartons, and other containers... -
Reversible Polymer Chemistry Could Make a Truly Recyclable Plastic
May 1, 2019 | Chemical & Engineering News
By Sam Lemonick
When recycling plastics, contamination and chemistry conspire to degrade the quality of each recycled generation. In a perfect world, a polymer could be converted to its monomer building blocks, then made into new plastic over and over. -
US EPA Round-Up
May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
EPA watchdog to assess Lautenberg implementation: The EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) has announced plans to begin preliminary research on the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics’s (OPPT) processes with respect to the... -
TSCA Mercury Reporting Webinars Scheduled
May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
The US EPA has announced two webinars on the TSCA mercury inventory reporting rule. The final reporting rule, which was put in place pursuant to 2016 amendments to TSCA, requires manufactures and importers of mercury or mercury... -
EPA Launches Webinar Series on TSCA Mercury Inventory Reporting Rule
May 2, 2019 | National Law Review
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Margaret R. Graham
On April 30, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it would be hosting two webinars for companies, organizations, and individuals required to report under the Mercury Inventory Reporting Rule of the Toxic... -
US Congress Round-Up
May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
Asbestos bill hearing: On 8 May, the environment subcommittee of the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce (E&C) will hold a hearing on a bill to ban asbestos. The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2019... -
(ACC Mentioned) IARC Update Frustrates Industry and NGOs
May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
By Dr Emma Davies
NGOs and industry are unhappy that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (Iarc) has removed a category of "probably not carcinogenic to humans" from its monograph preamble, as part of an update published earlier this year. -
US EPA Proposal Green Lights Glyphosate Approval
May 1, 2019 | Chemical & Engineering News
By Britt E. Erickson
In a win for pesticide manufacturers and farm groups, the US Environmental Protection Agency has issued an interim decision reaffirming that the widely used herbicide glyphosate is not carcinogenic. Glyphosate is the active ingredient... -
Dollar Tree Signs up to the Chemical Footprint Project
May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
US budget store chain Dollar Tree has signed up to the Chemical Footprint Project (CFP), a programme managed by the NGO Clean Production Action that helps signatories measure their chemical management work. The CFP tracks... -
DSM to Phase out Chemicals of High Concern From Coating Resins Business
May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
By Leigh Stringer
Global nutrition, health and materials company Royal DSM, has set a target to phase out all chemicals of high concern from products produced in its coating resins business by 2025. Chemicals that DSM considers of high concern include... -
PFC Coatings Can Degrade in the Sun to Form PFOA, Study Suggests
May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
Polyfluorinated silane surface coatings can degrade in the sun to form PFOA, according to a Chinese study. Polyfluoroalkylsilanes are commonly used to treat surfaces to make them oil- or water-resistant. A team led by Ting... -
Member States Urge Swift EU Action on Hazardous Chemicals in Toys
May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
By Luke Buxton
Ministers from 11 member states are pressing the EU to take direct action to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of controls on chemicals under the toy safety Directive. In a 26 April letter to Elżbieta Bieńkowska... -
DOE Approves 2 Gulf of Mexico Export Terminals
May 2, 2019 | E&E - Greenwire
By Jeremy Dillon
The Department of Energy gave green lights this morning to two liquefied natural gas export terminals in the Gulf of Mexico. Cleared for construction and LNG exports: Tellurian Inc.'s Driftwood LNG export facility in Calcasieu Parish... -
House Panel Advances Bill Restoring ANWR Drilling Ban
May 1, 2019 | Politico Pro
By Anthony Adragna
The House Natural Resources Committee today advanced a bill that would again bar oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act, H.R. 1146 (116), would repeal a key... -
Wyoming Oil, Gas Project Moves One Step Closer to Approval
May 2, 2019 | Natural Gas Intelligence
By Charlie Passut
The Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a supplemental draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for a controversial 5,000-well oil and gas project proposed by five producers in Wyoming's Powder... -
Efforts to Repeal New Colorado Oil, Gas Law Halted
May 1, 2019 | Natural Gas Intelligence
By Richard Nemec
An ad hoc group of opponents to Colorado Senate Bill 181 said it will not attempt to overturn the controversial measure this year. The decision follows the Colorado Secretary of State's rejection of proposed initiatives Nos. 64 through 67... -
The Energy 202: Seismic Mapping in Atlantic Could Still Pose Trouble for Republicans on Campaign Trail
May 2, 2019 | Washington Post
By Dino Grandoni
For the moment, the Trump administration has scaled back its ambitions to open wide swaths of the Atlantic to oil and gas extraction. The move gives Trump and other Republicans, including those from coastal areas concerned about... -
EU Imports of U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas Soar, No Thanks to Brussels
May 2, 2019 | Politico Pro
By Paola Tamma
The European Commission on Thursday published updated figures of EU imports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), in what has become a recurring exercise to reassure Washington that Brussels is keeping good on its promise to boost... -
Global Micro-CHP Market Set to Grow at 23%
May 2, 2019 | T&D World
The global micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP) market is expected to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 23% during the period 2019-2023, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. -
Sources: Interior Set to Finalize Obama Offshore Safety Rule Rollback
May 1, 2019 | Politico Pro
By Ben Lefebvre
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt will release Thursday the final version of the Trump administration's rollback of Obama-era rules put in place on offshore oil and gas drilling after the disastrous 2010 BP oil spill, sources familiar with... -
More Prosecutors to Be Hired After Houston-Area Plant Fires
May 2, 2019 | AP (In E&E - Greenwire)
Houston-area officials have approved the hiring of additional assistant district attorneys to prosecute environmental crimes following two major chemical plant fires that closed schools and leaked toxic chemicals into coastal waters. -
Homes Evacuated Near Recycling Center Fire
May 2, 2019 | AP (In E&E - Greenwire)
Firefighters in Tennessee yesterday evacuated about 70 homes near a fire at a recycling center. News outlets said thick black smoke was spewing from the Fort Loudon Waste & Recycling Center in north Knoxville. Authorities warned... -
Robots, Climbing Ones, Come to the Chemical Plant
May 2, 2019 | Chemical & Engineering News
By Michael McCoy
The start-up Invert Robotics has raised $8.8 million from investors to advance development of robots that can help chemical and other industrial companies inspect dangerous places in their plants. The New Zealand-based firm says... -
Washington Bill to Cap Bakken Crude by Rail Sets off Interstate Dispute
May 1, 2019 | Politico Pro
By Eric Wolff
Washington Governor and Democratic presidential hopeful Jay Inslee is expected to sign a bill that would cap rail shipments of crude oil from the Bakken field though the state, a move likely to set off a legal battle with North Dakota. -
Paris Climate Bill Passes House, but Senate Won’t Follow (2)
May 2, 2019 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Tiffany Stecker and Abby Smith
The House passed the first major climate change bill in nearly a decade, in a symbolic gesture for Democrats eager to show they are serious about addressing global warming. Lawmakers voted 231-190 on May 2 in favor of H.R. 9... -
House Passes Bill to Force U.S. to Stay in Paris Climate Agreement
May 2, 2019 | Washington Post
By Dino Grandoni
The House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday designed to force the United States to stay in the Paris Accord, in a rebuke to President Trump who has promised to withdraw from the landmark climate agreement inked... -
Ewire: GOP House Member Tries to Force 'Green' Deal Vote
May 2, 2019 | Inside EPA
Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) has formally introduced a discharge petition that would force a House floor vote on the Green New Deal (GND) climate resolution, though the effort faces an uphill battle because he would have to persuade nearly...
Industry and Association News
TSCA News
Chemical Management News
Energy News
Chemical Security News
Transportation and Infrastructure News
Environment News
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(ACC Mentioned) Maine Passes the U.S.'s First State Ban on Foam Food Packaging
May 2, 2019 | National Geographic
By Laura Parker
Maine has joined a growing list of states, cities, and counties, including 14 towns in Maine, to ban foam food containers in an effort to reduce plastic waste.
The bill bans bowls, plates, cups, trays, cartons, and other containers designed to hold prepared food and beverages. Signed by Governor Janet Mills Tuesday, it takes effect January 1, 2021.
Disposable containers made of expanded polystyrene are widely used because they are inexpensive, lightweight, and keep cooked food hot. The containers are also difficult to recycle and easily fracture into small pieces.
They “are a significant contributor to environmental plastics pollution,” Mills said in a statement. “Due to their light weight, they are easily windblown during waste handling processes.”
Certain businesses, including hospitals and seafood shippers, are exempted from the ban.
The American Chemistry Council, which opposed the legislation, said alternative food packaging can cost restaurant owners nearly twice as much as foam packaging and will hurt local business owners.Explore more of the topics you love with the National Geographic app. Get a download link sent to your email.
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Omar Terrie, director of the council’s plastics foodservice packaging group, said in a statement that Maine’s ban also will “do little to help keep the state clean.”
The ban, he said, “could lead to increased solid waste, energy use, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions… It is our sincere hope that Governor Mills and the Maine legislature will reconsider this legislation next year…”
PLASTICS 101
Mills’ signature on the legislation meant that Maine officially became the first state to ban plastic foam packaging. Maryland legislators passed similar legislation in April, but it has not yet been signed by Governor Larry Hogan. He has not publicly indicated his position on the bill. The legislation can take effect without his signature, or he can veto it. It passed the legislature by super-majorities, meaning the legislature could override a veto.
New York City’s ban on foam took effect January 1 after a long legal battle that began during the mayoral administration of Michael Bloomberg. City officials will start enforcing the ban on July 1. Foam food containers have been banned in San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami Beach, Portland, Oregon, and elsewhere.
The European Parliament took steps toward banning foam food and drink containers earlier this spring as part of a sweeping action on single-use plastic items.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/05/maine-passes-first-us-state-ban-plastic-foam-packaging/
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Reversible Polymer Chemistry Could Make a Truly Recyclable Plastic
May 1, 2019 | Chemical & Engineering News
By Sam Lemonick
When recycling plastics, contamination and chemistry conspire to degrade the quality of each recycled generation. In a perfect world, a polymer could be converted to its monomer building blocks, then made into new plastic over and over. Researchers have been working to develop such chemistry, and Brett Helms and colleagues from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory now demonstrate a new approach (Nat. Chem. 2019, DOI: 10.1038/s41557-019-0249-2).
Their polymer is based on a network of reversible diketoenamine bonds formed in a ball mill using click chemistry reactions between triketones and polyamines like tris(2-aminoethyl)amine. Helms says that the resulting plastics, which the group refers to as poly(diketoenamine)s (PDKs), have mechanical properties on par with thermoplastic polyurethanes, which are used in products such as mobile phone cases and shoe soles. PDKs are in a class of plastics called vitrimers that are characterized by a crosslinked polymer network. The materials, which behave like glasses, have been explored as recyclable plastics by other chemists.
To convert the PDKs back to their monomer building blocks, the group uses 5 M sulfuric acid. The researchers could recover more than 90% of the triketone and polyamine monomers after 12 h in the acid. They could then separate the monomers from additives and other polymers left in the acid solution. For example, they could dissolve and extract the triketones and amines from dyed plastics, mixtures of different plastic types, and plastics mixed with flame retardants.
This research shows more of what vitrimers can do, says Eric Drockenmuller, a polymer chemist at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1. “Besides showing properties typical of the best vitrimers developed so far,” he says, Helms’ group also demonstrated a new approach to so-called closed-loop recycling.
But Jinwen Zhang, who studies vitrimers at Washington State University, points out using a strong acid comes with its own environmental concerns in terms of waste disposal. He also says for PDKs to be commercially practical, they will need a cheap feedstock. Helms says that his team has made renewable feedstocks a priority from the start.
https://cen.acs.org/materials/polymers/Reversible-polymer-chemistry-make-truly/97/i18
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May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
EPA watchdog to assess Lautenberg implementation
The EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) has announced plans to begin preliminary research on the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics’s (OPPT) processes with respect to the implementation of the Lautenberg Act, which amended TSCA in 2016.
The internal watchdog’s aim is to determine whether the EPA has met statutory deadlines, and has the staff, resources and management controls in place to meet future deadlines.
TSCA ‘not likely’ findings
The US EPA has issued TSCA 5(a)(3)(c) findings for 20 substances subject to pre-manufacture notices (PMNs). These "not likely to present an unreasonable risk" determinations will allow the substances to come to market without restriction.
They cover:
-P-18-0179, P-18-0180 and P-18-0181: three confidential polymers with formaldehyde and phenolic resin, manufactured and imported for use as adhesives;
-P-18-0229: a homopolymer intended for use as a tackifier;
-P-18-0174: a confidential enzyme imported for use in oilfield applications;
-P-19-0003: a substance, generically described as polyaromatic ether symmetrical dicarboxylic anhydride, manufactured for use as a monomer for an injection molded resin;
-P-16-0446: a polymer imported for use as a resin in architectural primer coatings;
-P-16-0602: a confidential homopolymer imported for use in paints;
-P-19-0037: a chemical intermediate, generically identified as D-glucaric acid, mixed alkali metal salt;
-P-19-0035: acetamide, 2-(4-methylphenoxy)-N-1H-pyrazol-3-yl-N-(2-thienylmethyl)-, a fragrance ingredient;
-P-17-0285: an in-process intermediate, 4-hepten-2-one;
-P-17-0284: an in-process intermediate, 2-heptanone, 4-hydroxy-;
-P-18-0048: acetic acid, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)-, intended for use as an emulsifier for metalworking fluid;
-P-18-0073: sulfuric acid, ammonium salt (1:?), manufactured for use in two confidential applications and as an anti-scalant and chlorine stabiliser;
-P-17-0239: a polymer manufactured for use as an adhesive;
-P-18-0162: a cashew nutshell liquid polymer, imported for use as an adhesive component;
-P-18-0222: a confidential substance, generically identified as silane, alkenylalkoxy-, polymer with alkene and alkene, imported for use in adhesive applications;
-P-19-0010: a polymer manufactured for use in adhesives;
-P-19-0040: a chemical intermediate, generically identified as alkyl bis(dialkylamino alkyl) amide; and
-P-18-0122: a confidential polymer manufactured for use as a paper additive.
In the case of three of these substances, the agency’s 2016 or 2017 screening analyses identified potential for risk. But subsequently submitted information – such as additional information on the intended uses and releases, an updated safety data sheet and an acute inhalation toxicity study – lead the agency to its final determinations.
Agency sends TSCA PAIR information collection request out for approval
The EPA has submitted an information collection request (ICR) renewal, related to the TSCA section 8 preliminary assessment information rule (PAIR), to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.
Under PAIR, manufacturers and importers are required to submit information related to the production, use and exposure to certain chemicals. This is to help the agency identify and manage the human health and environmental risk they may pose.
The agency originally consulted on the proposal in September. With its submission to OMB, EPA is providing an additional opportunity for public comment until 29 May.
Agency issues PFOS and PFOA guidance for groundwater cleanup
The EPA has released for public comment draft interim guidance for addressing groundwater contaminated with long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This is one step in the agency’s PFAS action plan, released in February.
The draft recommendations specifically target the legacy chemicals PFOA and PFOS, which have been phased out of production in recent decades, but remain in groundwater that could potentially be used for drinking. Part of the purpose of the EPA’s action plan is to address the potential health hazards the persistent substances pose.
The guidance provides recommendations on screening levels and preliminary remediation goals to inform site-specific cleanup levels for PFOA and PFOS. The initial targets for cleanup may be adjusted as more information becomes available.
Comments on the draft plan will be accepted until 10 June.
EPA awards $3.9m in grants for PFAS research
The US EPA has awarded two grants, totalling nearly $4m, for research to improve the understanding of human and ecological exposure to PFASs in the environment.
The recipients are:
-Colorado School of Mines – to research the fate, transport, bioaccumulation, and exposure of a diverse suite of PFAS in nationally representative PFAS impacted communities.
-Oregon State University – to study the toxicity of a large collection of PFAS and PFAS mixtures with the zebrafish assay and mice studies to identify toxic PFAS that require prioritisation for risk management.
The agency says the research supports its PFAS action plan.
https://chemicalwatch.com/76910/us-epa-round-up
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TSCA Mercury Reporting Webinars Scheduled
May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
The US EPA has announced two webinars on the TSCA mercury inventory reporting rule.
The final reporting rule, which was put in place pursuant to 2016 amendments to TSCA, requires manufactures and importers of mercury or mercury-added products, as well as any company that intentionally uses mercury in a manufacturing process, to submit certain information.
The first webinar on 21 May will cover basic requirements, such as who must report and what information needs to be submitted.
The second webinar on 23 May will address how to use the online MER application. The agency also published a set of tools earlier this year to assist regulated parties in reporting.
Reports for 2018 activities must be filed through the online Mercury Electronic Reporting (MER) application – housed under the Central Data Exchange (CDX) – by 1 July.
The collected information will inform an updated mercury inventory, set to be released next year. An initial inventory was published in 2017 based on readily available, previously published data.
The Lautenberg Act instructs the agency to publish a new inventory every three years. This will be used to inform policy decisions and to help comply with reporting requirements under the international Minamata Convention on Mercury.
https://chemicalwatch.com/77085/tsca-mercury-reporting-webinars-scheduled
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EPA Launches Webinar Series on TSCA Mercury Inventory Reporting Rule
May 2, 2019 | National Law Review
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Margaret R. Graham
On April 30, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it would be hosting two webinars for companies, organizations, and individuals required to report under the Mercury Inventory Reporting Rule of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The final rule applies to any person who manufactures (including imports) mercury or mercury-added products, or otherwise intentionally uses mercury in a manufacturing process (including processes traditionally not subject to TSCA, such as for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and pesticides).
The first webinar, Mercury Inventory Reporting Rule, will provide background on reporting requirements under the final rule. It will take place on May 21, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. (EDT). The 2018 reporting year is from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018, and the submission deadline for the 2018 reporting year is coming up on July 1, 2019. Reporters are required to submit their information to EPA using the Mercury Electronic Reporting (MER) application for the first time on July 1, 2019, and then every three years thereafter. Based on the information collected, EPA will identify any manufacturing processes or products that intentionally add mercury and recommend actions to achieve further reductions in mercury use. Following EPA’s presentation, webinar participants will have an opportunity to ask questions on reporting requirements under the final rule. Registration is available online.
The second webinar, Mercury Electronic Reporting (MER) Application, will demonstrate how to use the online MER application through EPA’s Central Data Exchange (CDX), which is organized as a fill-in-the-blanks form with drop-down menus and lists of check-box options. It will take place on May 23, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. (EDT). Registration is available online.
More information on the Mercury Inventory Reporting Rule is available in our June 25, 2018, memorandum “EPA Publishes Final Reporting Requirements for TSCA Mercury Inventory,” and in our March 19, 2019, memorandum “EPA Releases New Tools to Help Companies Meet July 1 Mercury Reporting Requirements.”
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/epa-launches-webinar-series-tsca-mercury-inventory-reporting-rule
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May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
Asbestos bill hearing
On 8 May, the environment subcommittee of the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce (E&C) will hold a hearing on a bill to ban asbestos.
The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2019 (HR 1603), introduced in March, proposes to amend TSCA to prohibit the manufacture, processing and distribution of asbestos and asbestos-containing mixtures and articles.
Similar legislation has been introduced in recent sessions of Congress but has failed to gain traction.Bill would require
EPA to publish MCL for PFASs
Congress is considering a bill that would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the EPA to publish a maximum contaminant level (MCL) goal and develop a primary drinking water regulation for PFASs.
The measure (HR 2377) has been referred to the House E&C committee.
https://chemicalwatch.com/77080/us-congress-round-up
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(ACC Mentioned) IARC Update Frustrates Industry and NGOs
May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
By Dr Emma Davies
NGOs and industry are unhappy that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (Iarc) has removed a category of "probably not carcinogenic to humans" from its monograph preamble, as part of an update published earlier this year.
Losing the category (group 4) will lead to an "over-classification that is not scientifically sound, especially without the consideration of risk (exposure)", warned Amy Clippinger, associate director of the Peta International Science Consortium.
"The update will lead to questionable conclusions which, as history will have it, leads to additional testing to try to refute Iarc’s conclusions," she told Chemical Watch.
But in a blog, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) voiced concerns that a substance with weak data will simply not be classifiable according to its carcinogenicity to humans. "Under the new rules, Iarc will never conclude that an agent doesn't pose a carcinogenic hazard – at best, no matter how much data there is to the contrary, Iarc will just say it's not classifiable," it said.
The ACC is also unhappy that the revised preamble still fails to bring in postulated modes of action for toxicity to help to build an evidence base. The revised preamble "falls well short of meeting current scientific benchmarks for evidence-based decision making," it added.
Peta's Dr Clippinger described the update as a "missed opportunity to improve carcinogenicity assessment to include critical factors, such as an understanding of human-relevant mechanisms of carcinogenesis, human-relevant exposure risk, and systematic review of all relevant information on the agent being evaluated".
"This was a tremendous opportunity that's been lost," echoed the ACC. "As a consequence, we’ll likely continue to see Iarc Monograph classifications that are scientifically flawed, generate unfounded concern and create perceptions of health risks where, at environmental levels of exposures, no significant risks actually exist."
Iarc published the amended preamble in January 2019, after a public consultation and recommendations from its advisory group.
Peta's Gina Hilton and the ACC's Rick Becker both submitted comments during the update's consultation.
Dr Clippinger points to other projects to facilitate human-relevant carcinogenicity assessment, including a collaboration between the Peta International Science Consortium, government agencies and industry. The project, REthinking Carcinogenicity Assessment for Agrochemicals Project (Recaap), uses a weight-of-evidence based approach that "relies on human-relevant mechanisms of disease, rather than relying on a 'check box' approach and misleading animal data" she said.
https://chemicalwatch.com/77053/iarc-update-frustrates-industry-and-ngos?q=%E2%80%9CAmerican+Chemistry+Council%E2%80%9D
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US EPA Proposal Green Lights Glyphosate Approval
May 1, 2019 | Chemical & Engineering News
By Britt E. Erickson
In a win for pesticide manufacturers and farm groups, the US Environmental Protection Agency has issued an interim decision reaffirming that the widely used herbicide glyphosate is not carcinogenic. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, now produced by Bayer. Several other companies use glyphosate in generic herbicide formulations.
The EPA has been reevaluating the human health and ecological risks of glyphosate for many years as part of a routine reregistration process that occurs every 15 years for pesticides sold in the US. “EPA has found no risks to public health from the current registered uses of glyphosate,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler says in a statement. But in 2017, the agency did identify potential risks to birds, mammals, and nontarget plants associated with use of the herbicide.
To address these ecological risks, the EPA is proposing measures to prevent glyphosate-based herbicides from drifting beyond their intended target, as well as ways to protect pollinators and decrease the likelihood of weeds becoming resistant to glyphosate.
Environmental groups claim that the EPA’s proposal to allow the continued use of glyphosate is premature because the agency has yet to complete a review of the herbicide’s risks to threatened and endangered species. In addition, the EPA has not started evaluating the risks of glyphosate on pollinators, according to the Center for Food Safety, an advocacy group. “With this Monsanto-appeasing announcement, EPA has essentially promised a green light before finishing—or in some cases starting—its homework,” George Kimbrell, the center’s legal director, says in a statement.
The safety of glyphosate has been at the center of a global debate since 2015, when the World Health Organization’s cancer research agency declaredthat the chemical is “probably carcinogenic” to humans. California followed suit in 2017, listing glyphosate as a known carcinogen under the state’s Proposition 65 law. Bayer purchased Monsanto last year for $63 billion and faces more than 13,000 lawsuits from plaintiffs who claim that Monsanto failed to warn them of the cancer risks of the company’s glyphosate-based herbicides. Juries in two of the cases decided in favor of the cancer victims, awarding them each about $80 million. The other cases are pending.
https://cen.acs.org/environment/pesticides/US-EPA-proposal-green-lights/97/i18
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Dollar Tree Signs up to the Chemical Footprint Project
May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
US budget store chain Dollar Tree has signed up to the Chemical Footprint Project (CFP), a programme managed by the NGO Clean Production Action that helps signatories measure their chemical management work.
The CFP tracks, disseminates and benchmarks corporate progress to safer chemicals in products, manufacturing and supply chains.
Dollar Tree joins Walmart and Target to become the third retailer to sign up.
The company did not respond to Chemical Watch’s question, on what its motivation was to join the CFP, by the time of publishing.
The move comes after criticism in recent years for its lack of progress towards identifying and phasing out chemicals of concern from the products it sells.
In 2016, the Campaign for Healthier Solutions criticised the product safety section of Dollar Tree’s 2016 sustainability report for being almost identical to that of 2013.
US budget retailers have come under scrutiny over their products in the last few years. In 2015, NGO Healthystuff.org tested 164 items from four major discount store chains, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar and 99 Cents Only. The tests were carried out in six US states and revealed that 81% of products sold by the retailers had at least one hazardous chemical above levels of concern, including lead and phthalates.
The 4th Annual CFP Survey results, which will include Dollar Tree’s results, will be published in the third quarter of 2019.
"The Chemical Footprint Project Survey provides businesses with a roadmap to reducing chemical risks and capturing market opportunities," said Mark Rossi, co-founder of the CFP and executive director of Clean Production Action.
https://chemicalwatch.com/77079/dollar-tree-signs-up-to-the-chemical-footprint-project
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DSM to Phase out Chemicals of High Concern From Coating Resins Business
May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
By Leigh Stringer
Global nutrition, health and materials company Royal DSM, has set a target to phase out all chemicals of high concern from products produced in its coating resins business by 2025.
Chemicals that DSM considers of high concern include carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxicants (CMRs), and persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBTs) substances.
The target was set for its resins business largely because solvents are often used in coating resin products, some of which are thought to cause adverse effects to human health and the environment.
DSM began its plans to introduce safer water-based alternatives to solvent-based coating products "decades ago", including its decision to sell its solvent business DSM Synres in 2014, the company said. The phase-out target is an "acceleration" of this work and was specifically set for its coating resins business because of the potential exposure to customers and consumers, and ongoing discussions in the EU and US around chemicals used in coatings. It did not say whether this goal would eventually apply to its other businesses.
"We pursued this objective by divesting our solvent business, replacing chemicals of concern and innovating new sustainable technologies, such as water-based, powder, plant-based and UV technologies," it said.
The company said it recognises there are risks associated with using certain chemicals. "We take responsibility for minimising possible safety risks and adverse effects on human or animal health and on the environment, that could be caused by chemicals present in our finished products throughout the value chain and life cycle," it said.
Minimising these risks, it added, is also necessary for promoting and enabling recycling and the circular economy, which is a key strategic objective for the company.
DSM said it is committed to replacing these substances with safer alternatives. To avoid regrettable substitutions – meaning to ensure the selected alternative is safer – expert opinion will be used to confirm the expected toxicological properties of safer alternative candidates.
These decisions will be based on in vitro tests and international methodologies, such as quantitative structure-activity relationships (Qsars), read-across and the NGO-developed hazard assessment tool Greenscreen.
DSM said its overall sustainability strategy will allow it to stay ahead of future regulatory changes and meet the increasing market demand for more sustainable materials.
https://chemicalwatch.com/77045/dsm-to-phase-out-chemicals-of-high-concern-from-coating-resins-business
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PFC Coatings Can Degrade in the Sun to Form PFOA, Study Suggests
May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
Polyfluorinated silane surface coatings can degrade in the sun to form PFOA, according to a Chinese study.
Polyfluoroalkylsilanes are commonly used to treat surfaces to make them oil- or water-resistant. A team led by Ting Ruan from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing analysed commercially available liquid products that are sprayed on surfaces, such as touch screens, to prevent fingerprints.
The researchers identified an eight-carbon polyfluroroalkyl trimethoxysilane and a triethoxysilane in the product.
In an assay simulating solar exposure, the researchers discovered that the methoxysilane degrades to form PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and fluorotelomer carboxylic acids.
"To our knowledge, this is the first report regarding the occurrence and degradation potential of several fluoroalkylsilane substances as PFCA [perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid] precursors," they write in Environmental Science and Technology.
Because the chemicals are used on surfaces, they could provide another direct exposure route for humans to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, said Dr Ruan. He recommends assessing exposure levels and "potential health risks".
https://chemicalwatch.com/77054/pfc-coatings-can-degrade-in-the-sun-to-form-pfoa-study-suggests
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Member States Urge Swift EU Action on Hazardous Chemicals in Toys
May 2, 2019 | Chemical Watch
By Luke Buxton
Ministers from 11 member states are pressing the EU to take direct action to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of controls on chemicals under the toy safety Directive.
In a 26 April letter to Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, the ministers shared concerns relating to "severe delays" in updating annexes and guidance documents, as well as an "inability" to address emerging risks.
The addition of new limit values to hazardous substances in the toy safety Directive annex has been conducted at a "slow pace", they argue.
In December 2017, the Commission Expert Group for toys agreed to lower the limit values on aluminium due to new scientific evidence. These limits, the ministers said, have not yet been voted on.
"We therefore urge the Commission to maintain the planned committee meeting in June to have a vote on restrictions on aluminium, formaldehyde and aniline. Any delay has a direct impact on the safety of our children."
Amended limits
The member states called for the Directive to be amended in order to allow limit values for toys for children above three years of age.
They gave the example of chemical emissions from squeezable toys, which are popular with children over three. One of the Directive’s "huge" deficiencies, they added, is a lack of limits for "problematic" preservatives used in toys for older children, for example in slime and modelling clay.
Additionally, they said limit values for carcinogenic nitrosamines and nitrosatable substances are higher in the Directive than acceptable in the most recently agreed standard based on up-to-date scientific evidence.
"Market surveillance authorities face enforcement challenges due to this discrepancy and our children may be unnecessarily exposed to these hazardous substances. A revision of the limits for nitrosamines and nitrosatable substances is therefore urgently needed."
The member states also urged the Commission to revise guidance documents on technical documentation and the explanatory guidance document as soon as possible. "These guidance documents have not been updated since 2016 despite agreements on several issues of importance for the safety of toys and thus the well-being of our children."
The letter was signed by ministers from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
Industry reaction
In its comments to Chemical Watch on the letter, Toy Industries Europe said parents can "rest assured" that the European toy safety framework is "one of the strictest" in the world.
It is important, it added, that when updates are agreed – for example to annexes or guidance documents – changes are made "in a timely manner" to help toy makers and other economic operators apply the rules properly. "Nevertheless, because the TSD incorporates wide safety margins, children are not in danger when limits on substances are adapted to new information."
The "vast majority" of toys sold in the EU are made by responsible companies who invest in toy safety and carry out mandatory safety assessments on toys, TIE said. However, "dishonest traders" often ignore even the most basic rules, and were accountable for 96% of the toys notified on the EU Safety Gate last year.
"For this reason, the most effective way to ensure that only safe toys reach children’s hands is through intelligent and well enforced market surveillance."
https://chemicalwatch.com/77090/member-states-urge-swift-eu-action-on-hazardous-chemicals-in-toys
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DOE Approves 2 Gulf of Mexico Export Terminals
May 2, 2019 | E&E - Greenwire
By Jeremy Dillon
The Department of Energy gave green lights this morning to two liquefied natural gas export terminals in the Gulf of Mexico.
Cleared for construction and LNG exports: Tellurian Inc.'s Driftwood LNG export facility in Calcasieu Parish, La., and Sempra Energy's Port Arthur LNG export project in Port Arthur, Texas.
"The Driftwood and Port Arthur exports will ensure that U.S. LNG continues to impact our friends and allies across the globe," Energy Secretary Rick Perry said in a statement. "The United States is the world's leading producer of natural gas, and our exports provide a reliable, diverse, and secure source of energy to countries looking to diversify their energy portfolios."
The announcement comes as Perry and other DOE officials tout the benefits of American LNG to European allies during a business-to-business conference in Brussels.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave the two Gulf Coast projects its approval last month in a 3-1 vote as Democratic Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur sided with her Republican colleagues to break a 2-2 logjam (Greenwire, April 19).
"Approved at a record pace, the Sempra and Tellurian licenses will enable these strong companies to finalize their commercial and financial arrangements and start building these multi-billion dollar LNG export facilities that will employ tens of thousands of Americans along the natural gas value chain," said Fred Hutchison, president and CEO of LNG Allies, in a statement.
The Driftwood project is now authorized to export up to 3.88 billion cubic feet per day, and the Port Arthur site 1.91 billion cubic feet per day.
The Trump administration has now approved three LNG terminals in the past three months.
In a speech given in Brussels, Perry framed LNG exports to Europe as part of the trans-Atlantic alliance.
"The better part of a century our trans-Atlantic alliance has stood for freedom and opportunity and security," Perry said during his keynote remark. "So today let us begin writing a brand new chapter in that remarkable story through our collective energy cooperation."
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/02/stories/1060259927
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House Panel Advances Bill Restoring ANWR Drilling Ban
May 1, 2019 | Politico Pro
By Anthony Adragna
The House Natural Resources Committee today advanced a bill that would again bar oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act, H.R. 1146 (116), would repeal a key component of the 2017 tax law, H.R. 1 (115), that delivered on a 40-year push from Alaska’s delegation to open the wildlife refuge to drilling. It cleared the committee on a 22 to 14 vote with Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) joining Republicans in opposing the measure.
“It simply says you can’t expand [oil and gas drilling] into this one special place: the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,” said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), the bill’s sponsor.
The committee adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute, which took out a number of findings about ANWR. Democrats rejected an amendment from Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) adding tribal consultation requirements before reimposing the drilling ban, arguing that process was an attempt to merely delay them. It also rejected an amendment from Rep. Garret Graves(R-La.) calling for requiring an offset and anotherthat would require a finding that barring ANWR drilling would not result in greater environmental threats to the U.S.
Young said Democrats were doing a “disservice to the country” because “the thing is dead as hell and you know it.” Republicans can block the bill in the Senate.
The Interior Department has said it anticipates having lease sales for parcels in ANWR "this calendar year,” even as its environmental analysis of potential drilling has drawn criticism from within the government for downplaying impacts to wildlife, air quality and the climate.
The committee also advanced a dozen other bills, including a measure, H.R. 2156 (116), that would provide funding to coal communities to help clean up abandoned mining sites.
https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2019/05/house-panel-advances-bill-restoring-anwr-drilling-ban-3178559
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Wyoming Oil, Gas Project Moves One Step Closer to Approval
May 2, 2019 | Natural Gas Intelligence
By Charlie Passut
The Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a supplemental draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for a controversial 5,000-well oil and gas project proposed by five producers in Wyoming's Powder River Basin.
A draft EIS for the Converse County Oil and Gas Project was first issued by BLM in January 2018, but after evaluating public comments determined that a supplemental report was necessary to potential impacts to non-eagle raptor nests within two federal planning areas. The areas are administered by BLM's Casper Resource Management Plan (RMP) and the U.S. Forest Service's (USFS) Thunder Basin National Grasslands Land and Resource Management Plan.
Anadarko Petroleum Corp., Chesapeake Energy Corp., Devon Energy Corp., EOG Resources Inc. and Northwoods Energy LLC have proposed drilling the wells on 1,500 pads over a 10-year period.
BLM will accept comments on the supplemental draft EIS through July 25. The project area includes about 1.5 million acres in northern Converse County, 83% of which is private land. Of the remaining land, 6% (88,466 surface acres) is administered by BLM, 4% (63,911 acres) is managed by USFS and 7% (101,012 acres) is managed by the State of Wyoming.
The supplemental report analyzes five options for amending the Casper RMP. Besides a no action alternative, the options include removing all non-eagle raptor nest timing limitations or allowing development within the time constraints -- either by a producer agreeing to certain commitments or agreeing to plans BLM determines would alleviate impacts to the birds. A fifth option would allow development within the timing limitations, contingent upon a producer completing a migratory bird conservation plan with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), in coordination with the BLM.
An environmental group sued BLM in federal district court last November, alleging the bureau violated the Freedom of Information Act by refusing to disclose conversations it had with FWS on the project's impacts to threatened and endangered species, including the greater sage grouse, elk, deer and fish.
The project's proponents originally included Anadarko, Chesapeake, RKI E&P LLC, Samson Resources II and SM Energy Co.
https://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/118233-wyoming-oil-gas-project-moves-one-step-closer-to-approval
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Efforts to Repeal New Colorado Oil, Gas Law Halted
May 1, 2019 | Natural Gas Intelligence
By Richard Nemec
An ad hoc group of opponents to Colorado Senate Bill 181 said it will not attempt to overturn the controversial measure this year.
The decision follows the Colorado Secretary of State's rejection of proposed initiatives Nos. 64 through 67, contending they violated a requirement that ballot initiatives address a single issue. The initiatives' backers, including current or former local elected officials, withdrew their appeal petitions but said they could resume their efforts next year.
Former Arapahoe County Commissioner John Brackney and Weld County Commission Chair Barbara Kirkmeyer backed the proposed ballot measure, the Oil and Gas Independent Regulatory Act. Brackney told NGI's Shale Daily he has mixed emotions about giving up repeal efforts.
"I'm fairly confident state regulators and some local governments will not act reasonably and rationally, and we'll be forced to file an initiative," Brackney said. "I hope that I'm wrong, but I'm fairly confident that I'm right."
The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) is expected to issue multiple rulemakings in the next few years to implement the law signed last month by Gov. Jared Polis. The opponents' proposal was designed to nullify the law, which gives local governments more authority over energy development and reduces COGCC authority.
The Colorado Oil and Gas Association “is focused on ensuring that our industry can continue to operate in Colorado," said spokesman Scott Prestidge. The first of the rulemakings is scheduled to begin in the next two months. "It will take years for all of them to be discussed, formed, and then implemented.”
https://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/118229-efforts-to-repeal-new-colorado-oil-gas-law-halted
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May 2, 2019 | Washington Post
By Dino Grandoni
For the moment, the Trump administration has scaled back its ambitions to open wide swaths of the Atlantic to oil and gas extraction. The move gives Trump and other Republicans, including those from coastal areas concerned about expanding offshore drilling, a reprieve from questions about the administration’s plans before the 2020 election.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are out of hot water yet.
The Trump administration is still processing permits for firms to search for oil and gas deposits in the Atlantic, The Post’s Darryl Fears reports.
The continued consideration of granting those Bureau of Ocean Energy Management permits is not just concerning for coastal residents, since it portends the administration may one day dust off its offshore leasing plans. The method by which energy firms looks for undersea oil and gas is controversial in and of itself, as well.
What oil and gas companies are asking permission to do is send out vessels to blast sound waves through the water to “see” whether there are pockets of oil and gas below the seabed, similar to how some whales and dolphins use echo location to find food and mates.
The problem is that, according to some scientists, seismic testing imperils the lives and livelihoods of those very sea creatures that rely on echo location.
Last week, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said that a recent federal court decision forestalled immediate plans to update the government’s five-year leasing plan in federal waters on the outer continental shelf.
But the continuation of permitting, as reported by The Post and Reuters, gives administration critics, such as former deputy interior secretary David Hayes, fodder.
Even before the court decision, the plan to expand major offshore oil drilling beyond the Gulf of Mexico was already facing strong head winds from Republican politicians in coastal states with economies that rely on tourism. In a March letter to Bernhardt, for example, both GOP senators from Florida, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, cited “the broad support within the state” for the current drilling moratorium in the eastern Gulf of Mexico as reason Florida’s waters should be excluded from any new leasing for offshore drilling.
As it is in most presidential election cycles, Florida will be a crucial swing state in Trump’s reelection bid.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-energy-202/2019/05/02/the-energy-202-seismic-mapping-in-atlantic-could-still-pose-trouble-for-republicans-on-campaign-trail/5cc9e0e51ad2e506550b2ede/?utm_term=.75ac1a5ed17c
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EU Imports of U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas Soar, No Thanks to Brussels
May 2, 2019 | Politico Pro
By Paola Tamma
The European Commission on Thursday published updated figures of EU imports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), in what has become a recurring exercise to reassure Washington that Brussels is keeping good on its promise to boost imports.
Since a July meeting between Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and U.S. President Donald Trump, EU imports of U.S. LNG have increased by 272 percent. This March saw the highest volumes ever recorded, reaching more than 1.4 billion cubic meters, the Commission said.
But the growth in U.S. exports to the EU is explained more by market forces and national decisions than by the Commission's willingness to keep Trump happy.
"The EU does not have any specific administrative way to push U.S. supply," said Marco Giuli, an energy policy analyst at the European Policy Center, a think tank.
Political pressure
The EU depends on imports for more than 70 percent of its gas needs, and Russia supplies the largest share — 40 percent in 2018. Russia is also getting into the LNG market — its Novatek says it can sell at $3.15 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) while U.S. producers sell for $7-$8.
EU policy is to diversify sources of supply to decrease dependence on Russia. "If priced competitively, [U.S. LNG] could play an increasing and strategic role in EU gas supply," said Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete at a joint press briefing Thursday with U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. They were in Brussels for the first EU-U.S. Energy Council B2B energy forum.
Brussels is keen to showcase its efforts, such as helping member countries to build or expand LNG terminals. The latest of these, in Krk, Croatia, received €124 million in EU support as of January.
National policies can contribute to supply choices. Poland, which has an LNG terminal on the Baltic coast, pledged to stop importing Russian gas by 2022. By adopting such diversification policies, "You self-impose a good entry point for U.S. LNG," said Giuli.
For the U.S., exporting gas is as much a political as a commercial endeavor: "Expanded natural gas trade will contribute to collective strengths and resilience of our NATO partners," Perry said.
In 2018, 5 percent of Europe's LNG imports came from the U.S — up only marginally from 4 percent in 2017. But in the first four months of 2019, this rose to 13 percent.
The U.S. is now Europe's third largest LNG supplier, following Qatar and Nigeria.
Market drivers
But the growth in exports is largely explained by the dramatic rise in U.S. domestic gas and oil production, which will turn the U.S from a net energy importer to a net energy exporter in 2020 for the first time since the 1950s, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The U.S. shale revolution, where gas is extracted by using high pressure fluids to fracture rocks, has led to increasing volumes of American gas production — it grew by 11.5 percent from 2017 to 2018 — which in turn has made LNG more competitive.
According to the International Energy Agency, global trade in LNG is expected to reach 505 bcm by 2023 — from 391 bcm in 2017 — and the U.S. will account for 75 percent of that growth.
The rise in U.S. LNG shipments to Europe also comes as spot gas prices fall in Asia, dropping below European prices, which is driving exporters toward the EU.
"Ultimately what you've seen over the last several months, are changing market conditions that have made Europe a more attractive destination for U.S. LNG," Dustin Meyer from the American Petroleum Institute, which represents U.S. oil and natural gas industry interests, told POLITICO on Thursday, pointing to falling prices in Asia.
However, the surge in U.S. LNG exports may not last.
Morgan Stanley, the investment bank, found that current European gas prices are more than $2 per mmBtu below the long-run marginal cost of U.S. LNG, which means it might not make economic sense for continued large increases in U.S. exports.
And that's something that neither Trump nor Juncker are likely to have much impact on.
https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2019/05/eu-imports-of-us-liquefied-natural-gas-soar-no-thanks-to-brussels-1404376
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Global Micro-CHP Market Set to Grow at 23%
May 2, 2019 | T&D World
The global micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP) market is expected to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 23% during the period 2019-2023, according to the latest market research report by Technavio.
Micro-CHP systems are growing in popularity across the world as they can achieve efficiency by more than 90%. These systems have the potential to fulfill the demand for heating space or water and cooling in buildings, as well as provide electricity to supplement the grid supply. Moreover, the mode of operation of micro-CHP systems support the grid integration of various renewable energy sources, which can be intermittent and variable. Hence, micro CHP helps in balancing renewables by generating power close to the point of consumption. Further, micro CHP systems eliminate the need for developing new T&D infrastructure by avoiding T&D losses, thereby reducing grid congestion during high electricity demand.
According to Technavio, the growing need for clean energy fuel will have a positive impact on the market and significantly contribute to its growth over the forecast period. The research report also analyzes other important trends and market drivers that will affect market growth over 2019-2023.
Growing Need for Clean Energy Fuel
With the rising global population and a proportionate increase in urbanization, there has been a significant increase in the demand for electricity. This has increased carbon dioxide emissions resulting in several initiatives that are being undertaken to reduce emissions. These initiatives are encouraging countries to opt for environment-friendly power generation technologies, leading to the increasing adoption of micro CHP for fulfilling the demand for heat and electricity. Micro-CHP systems can employ biogas, natural gas and fuel cells, which are considered as clean energy sources, for power and heat generation. Micro-CHP systems can provide concurrent production of electricity and useful thermal heat for heating and cooling applications using a single source of energy.
“To increase the adoption of micro CHP for improving the efficiencies of power generating systems and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, government agencies across the world are introducing several regulations. For instance, the government in Germany introduced several regulations for supporting alternative and more efficient energy generation sources. Such initiatives, undertaken by government agencies, will boost the adoption of micro CHP systems during the forecast period,” says a senior research analyst at Technavio.
Segmentation Analysis
The market research report segments the global micro-CHP market by technology (fuel cells, and engines) and geographic regions (Asia-Pacific/APAC and rest of the world/ROW).
The fuel cells segment held the largest micro-CHP market share in 2018. The growth of this segment is mainly driven by the environmental benefits and initiatives to commercialize the fuel-cell micro CHP.
The APAC region led the market in 2018, followed by ROW. The market growth in APAC can be attributed to the increasing demand for clean power, favorable government regulations and government initiatives to increase the adoption of micro CHP in the region.
https://www.tdworld.com/generation-and-renewables/global-micro-chp-market-set-grow-23
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Sources: Interior Set to Finalize Obama Offshore Safety Rule Rollback
May 1, 2019 | Politico Pro
By Ben Lefebvre
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt will release Thursday the final version of the Trump administration's rollback of Obama-era rules put in place on offshore oil and gas drilling after the disastrous 2010 BP oil spill, sources familiar with the plan said.
The rollbacks are designed to loosen key aspects of the Well Control Rule that was created in response to the 2010 explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 people and spewed oil for five months. The new rule eases the testing requirements for key equipment such as the blowout preventer, the tool used to guard against loss of control of undersea wells; allows the use of third-party companies to inspect equipment instead of government inspectors; and gives more time between equipment inspections.
Interior did not respond to questions. The announcement was first reported by Bloomberg News.
The oil and gas industry had complained that the Obama-era rules were too cumbersome and costly. Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement had already granted more than 1,600 waivers to parts of the rule since it took effect in 2016.
But environmentalists, Florida lawmakers and other critics have said rolling back the rules raises the risk of another major offshore drilling accident.
“We should be implementing safety reforms, not rolling back the too few safety measures in place,” said Diane Hoskins, campaign director for environmental group Oceana. “More drilling and less safety is a recipe for disaster.”
WHAT'S NEXT: Interior will make the announcement Thursday at Port Fourchon, La.
https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2019/05/sources-interior-set-to-finalize-obama-offshore-safety-rule-rollback-3183938
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More Prosecutors to Be Hired After Houston-Area Plant Fires
May 2, 2019 | AP (In E&E - Greenwire)
Houston-area officials have approved the hiring of additional assistant district attorneys to prosecute environmental crimes following two major chemical plant fires that closed schools and leaked toxic chemicals into coastal waters.
Harris County commissioners on Tuesday authorized $850,000 for the district attorney's office to hire four prosecutors who will focus on environmental violations, plus two investigators and two support staff members.
The approval comes after commissioners in February turned down District Attorney Kim Ogg's request for more than 100 additional prosecutors for her office.
But Ogg's request came before a March fire at Intercontinental Terminals Co. that triggered shelter-in-place warnings, and another fire in April at a KMCO plant in which a worker was killed.
Ogg announced Monday that ITC will be charged with five counts of water pollution.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/02/stories/1060259335
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Homes Evacuated Near Recycling Center Fire
May 2, 2019 | AP (In E&E - Greenwire)
Firefighters in Tennessee yesterday evacuated about 70 homes near a fire at a recycling center.
News outlets said thick black smoke was spewing from the Fort Loudon Waste & Recycling Center in north Knoxville. Authorities warned against breathing the smoke. Knoxville Fire Department Capt. D.J. Corcoran said the center's 25 employees have been accounted for with no injuries.
Fire officials recommended that anyone near the fire leave or turn off air conditioning and stay inside. The Knox County Health Department warned residents to leave the area if they could see or smell smoke.
The fire was reported around 1 p.m. yesterday. Fire crews said the fire burned mostly through paper and plastics.
Corcoran said the cause of the fire hasn't been determined, but an owner told officials he thought it might have started from a piece of equipment backfiring.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2019/05/02/stories/1060259217
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Robots, Climbing Ones, Come to the Chemical Plant
May 2, 2019 | Chemical & Engineering News
By Michael McCoy
The start-up Invert Robotics has raised $8.8 million from investors to advance development of robots that can help chemical and other industrial companies inspect dangerous places in their plants.
The New Zealand-based firm says its robots are the first specifically designed to inspect for safety and integrity in nonmagnetic hazardous environments. Equipped with a camera and other tools, they crawl the sides of vessels on suction-cup-covered treads.Credit: Invert Robotics
Invert was a winner of last year’s Imagine Chemistry start-up contest sponsored by the specialty chemical maker Nouryon. Marco Waas, a Nouryon research, development, and innovation director, says his firm tested the robot at its salt facility in Hengelo, the Netherlands. The results were encouraging, though the robot struggled with complex geometry, Waas says.
Chemical makers also use flying drones to aid in plant and site inspections. At Dow, for example, Johnathon Casillas is the leader of a team of six drone pilots.
Waas sees robots and drones as complementary. Robots offer high image quality and can carry other equipment, but they have trouble on curved, rough, or dirty surfaces. Drones are more agile, but they are weak on video quality, can’t carry much, and are limited by battery life, he notes.
https://cen.acs.org/business/instrumentation/Robots-climbing-ones-come-chemical/97/i18
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Washington Bill to Cap Bakken Crude by Rail Sets off Interstate Dispute
May 1, 2019 | Politico Pro
By Eric Wolff
Washington Governor and Democratic presidential hopeful Jay Inslee is expected to sign a bill that would cap rail shipments of crude oil from the Bakken field though the state, a move likely to set off a legal battle with North Dakota.
The bill, which passed the Legislature last week, aims to reduce the danger of shipping crude to Washington's refineries by prohibiting rail transport of oil that is deemed too volatile and poses an explosion risk in the event of a derailment.
North Dakota, which ships about 10 percent of its 1.4 million barrels a day of production to Washington, vigorously opposes the bill. Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.) , and Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) sent Inslee a letter last week asking the state to back off, though Inslee, who has sought to position himself as the most environmentally focused candidate in the large Democratic field, has not been receptive.
“It’s pretty striking that the governor of Washington is seeking to protect the people of North Dakota from oil spills, more than their members of Congress,” Inslee said in a statement, though he did not officially state whether he will sign the bill.
The Washington bill would prohibit shipments of crude oil with a vapor pressure above 9.0 pounds per square inch, a figure well below the North Dakota limit of 13.7 psi. The bill would apply to nearly any light, sweet crude passing through Washington, though it allows a substantial carve out for shippers to continue to move the same volume of crude oil as they did in 2018, plus an additional 10 percent.
“This bill is about safety,” Washington State Sen. Andy Billig, the bill's lead sponsor and Senate majority leader, said in a statement. “People and their safety must come first. Experts know that highly flammable Bakken oil poses greater risk and it’s time to take meaningful action to reduce the threat of a serious catastrophe.”
The North Dakota oil industry blasted the bill, and the state has promised a lawsuit.
“That 2018 [level] plus 10 percent, that’s another number that they drew out of the air,“ said Ron Ness, president of the trade group North Dakota Petroleum Council. “How does it make it any more safe at threshold number versus the next train load?“
The carve out limits the near term effect on refineries in Washington, but could create problems in the future.
“Setting it at 2018 levels precludes those refineries from doing any growth at all,” said Rob Benedict, senior director of transportation and infrastructure at the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, a trade association of refiners.
Benedict also questioned the link between the crude's volatility and safety. The departments of Energy and Transportation are currently conducting a study required under the 2015 FAST Act on the link between volatility and safety.
North Dakota is likely to sue, according to a reportin the Bismarck Tribune, though oil interests may also appeal to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which may have the authority to pre-empt state action on oil transportation.
“Our members are all for safety,” Benedict said. “We think if you really want to target improvements in rail safety, you should look at root cause, which is derailments.“
https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2019/05/washington-bill-to-cap-bakken-crude-by-rail-sets-off-interstate-dispute-3182867
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Paris Climate Bill Passes House, but Senate Won’t Follow (2)
May 2, 2019 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Tiffany Stecker and Abby Smith
The House passed the first major climate change bill in nearly a decade, in a symbolic gesture for Democrats eager to show they are serious about addressing global warming.
Lawmakers voted 231-190 on May 2 in favor of H.R. 9, known as the Climate Action Now Act, largely along party lines. It would force the Trump administration to remain in the international Paris agreement negotiated by 196 countries to keep the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.
Three Republicans voted in favor of the bill—Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), and Vern Buchanan (Fla.)—with no Democrats opposed.
Passing the bill “is crucial to leaving behind a healthier, safer and more sustainable world for our children and grandchildren,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a tweet. “We must not ignore our duty to future generations to take swift, strong, and smart action.”
McConnell: ‘Will Go Nowhere’
But before the House even voted, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the legislation “will go nowhere” in the Republican-controlled Senate.
McConnell criticized the Paris Agreement as “the big international deal that the Obama administration cheered on” but that had “tons of red tape and real economic damage for zero measurable effect.”
The legislation would force the Trump administration to remain in the agreement by restricting all funds to withdraw from the accord.
The nonbinding international accord, agreed to in late 2015 in Paris, allowed countries to make “nationally determined contributions” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time. The Obama administration set its reduction target to be at least 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.
In 2017, President Donald Trump announced his intention to remove the U.S. from the agreement, though he can’t officially do so until 2020.
Need to Pressure Other Nations Stressed
Democrats say the agreement keeps the country on a path to increase renewable energy and other low-carbon fuel sources, while putting pressure on other nations to also cut their greenhouse gas emissions.
“A vote against H.R. 9 is a vote to let China off the hook,” Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), the lead sponsor of the bill and the chairwoman of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, said on the floor May 1.
Democratic leaders also hope passage of the bill can illustrate party unity on climate in the wake of splits between progressives who ardently back the ambitious Green New Deal (H.Res.109) and other lawmakers wanting to proceed more cautiously.
“You can criticize us for starting too small,” said Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) “But criticizing us for doing something that might alienate people who don’t understand what Paris does, I don’t have a lot of patience for that.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), the Green New Deal’s chief House sponsor, has said “there is no harm in passing” the Paris bill, but that she still backs the bolder action in her resolution.
The Green New Deal calls for meeting all U.S. demand for electricity with “clean, renewable, and zero-emission” sources. It also calls for investments to build resiliency against climate change; rebuilding infrastructure to eliminate pollution and guarantee access to clean water; and upgrading the energy and water efficiency of every building in the country and promoting distributed and “smart” power grids.
GOP Derides Process
Republican leadership derided the process by which the bill came to the floor, saying it was rushed through the House Foreign Affairs Committee and without a hearing in the Energy and Commerce Committee.
“There was no outreach to Republicans whatsoever,” Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) said. Upton voted against the bill even though he opposed Trump’s decision to leave the Paris agreement.
The GOP also said the legislation would let other countries to take less aggressive measures to address climate change while protecting their economies.
“Clearly today is more about the politics of climate change than rolling up our sleeves and getting to work,” Energy and Commerce’s ranking Republican Rep. Greg Walden (Ore.) said.
But Casten, who ran a clean-energy company before being elected in 2018, said it was important for the House to get the ball rolling.
“I don’t think anybody would suggest we’ve solved the climate crisis now that we’ve got HR 9,” he said. “But by committing us to taking demonstrable action—admittedly on a voluntary basis, but Paris still says you’ve got to roll out a plan, you’ve got to say how you’re going to get there, you’ve got to direct the agencies on how to do it—we start a process that, in my own business experience, is rather addictive. Because once you commit yourself to lowering CO2, the next question is, how do we do this as affordable as possible?”
Amendments, Further Action
Despite widespread GOP disapproval of the bill, some Republican amendments were added to the bill.
Those included a measure from Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) to submit the administration’s plan to meet the Paris Agreement’s goals for notice and comment, and an amendment from Del. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (R-Puerto Rico) to publish a report on the positive and negative effects of the agreement on U.S. territories.
House Democrats will continue to address climate change in the face of GOP opposition, said Rep. Harley Rouda (D-Calif.)
“We’re going to keep pushing forward an agenda that can address climate change, the impact it has, while recognizing that there has to be a process that doesn’t disrupt the economy,” said Rouda, who chairs the House Oversight and Reform Committee’s environment panel. “The challenge is getting Republicans to actually speak their mind and not be afraid of what the president’s views are on this matter.”
https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/environment-and-energy/paris-climate-bill-passes-house-but-senate-not-following-suit
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House Passes Bill to Force U.S. to Stay in Paris Climate Agreement
May 2, 2019 | Washington Post
By Dino Grandoni
The House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday designed to force the United States to stay in the Paris Accord, in a rebuke to President Trump who has promised to withdraw from the landmark climate agreement inked under his predecessor Barack Obama.
The Democratic bill, which passed 231-190 in a vote largely along party lines, stands little chance of approval in the GOP-controlled Senate.
But House Democrats seized on the measure to portray Republicans as obstacles to progress on climate change — and make a case ahead of the 2020 election that Trump is undermining the nation’s commitment to rein in heat-trapping pollution. Democrats also hope to signal to other countries party to the Paris agreement inked in 2015 that, if the next president is a Democrat, he or she is likely to keep the U.S. in the climate agreement.ADVERTISING
“Passing this bill is an important signal to our allies, and my expectation is that when we act we’ll see increased ambition from them too,” Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), lead sponsor of the legislation, told reporters a day before the vote.
Though Trump announced his intent to pull out of the Paris accord after only a few months in office, the earliest he could actually go forward with the withdrawal is November 2020.
“That’s an interesting date, isn’t it?” Castor said.
The approval of the Climate Action Now Act also constitutes the first time in nearly a decade a major piece of legislation focused on addressing climate change has passed the lower chamber. That’s despite the warnings from climate scientists over that period of time about the perils of inaction when it comes to reducing climate-warming emissions.
Just three Republicans -- Vern Buchanan (Fla.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) -- crossed over to vote with Democrats to pass the bill.
The bill would defund any effort by the federal government to withdraw from the agreement, and would a compel Trump come up with a plan for meeting the United States’ Paris targets.
Under the Paris accord, more than 190 nations voluntarily vowed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the goal of keeping the globe under 2 degree Celsius warming over pre-industrial levels.
But each nation sets its own emissions-reduction targets under the agreement. Developing countries such as China gave themselves non-binding goals that still allowed them to increase greenhouse-gas emissions for years to come, as the poor in those nations rise out of poverty and increase their energy use.
The differing standards for the United States and its chief economic rival became a bone of contention for Republicans, who raised this issue again ahead of the passage of the bill.
“Climate change is real,” Greg Walden (R-Ore.), the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said on the House floor ahead of the vote. “But addressing climate change should not involve binding ourselves to international agreements that put United States workers and jobs at a disadvantage to our main competitors around the world.”
Since losing the House in November, Walden and other Republicans have instead emphasized investment in new technologies, like advanced nuclear reactors, over regulation and international agreements to reduce the buildup of greenhouse gases.
“We really don’t need a Paris climate agreement” to reduce emissions, Rep. John Shimkus (Ill.), the top Republican on the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on climate change and the environment, said during floor debate.
Castor, an ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) who chairs the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, introduced the measure as part of a Democratic effort to reset the climate debate in Congress after the defeat in the Senate of the Green New Deal. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in March forced a vote on the Green New Deal in an effort to divide Democrats on the bill that would rapidly reduce carbon emissions over the next decade, all while improving access to jobs and health care.
The Climate Action Now Act is much narrower in its ambitions, but with more than 200 co-sponsors, it affords Democrats an opportunity to show a unified front on the issue of climate change.
And unlike progressive star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal, Pelosi and other House leaders backed it.
“This clearly is one of the most, if not the most, important issue confronting our global community,” House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters Wednesday.
But Republicans have shown little sign of letting up on their focus of the Green New Deal specifically, with Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.) filing a discharge petition Wednesday that would force a vote on the resolution.
Though the Green New Deal resolution itself is short on details about how exactly to reduce emissions from the power, agricultural and transportation sectors, Republicans across the Capitol decided to fill in the gaps themselves and suggested it would result in bans on hamburgers and air travel.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/05/02/house-passes-bill-force-us-stay-paris-climate-agreement/?utm_term=.1ef3c08c1423
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Ewire: GOP House Member Tries to Force 'Green' Deal Vote
May 2, 2019 | Inside EPA
Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) has formally introduced a discharge petition that would force a House floor vote on the Green New Deal (GND) climate resolution, though the effort faces an uphill battle because he would have to persuade nearly two dozen Democrats to agree to bring up the measure.
Hice's May 1 introduction of the petition comes as the House began debate on a separate climate bill, H.R. 9, that would block President Donald Trump's pledge to leave the Paris Agreement and require him to submit a plan to meet the Obama administration's greenhouse gas target under the deal.
The House is expected to pass the Paris bill today on a largely party-line vote -- with Democrats hoping to use the measure to highlight what they say is GOP reluctance to address climate change.
House Republicans, meanwhile, are hoping to replicate a tactic in the Senate by bringing the GND resolution to the floor, even though they have continually attacked the measure as overly costly and unrealistic. Republicans see the vote as an opportunity to split Democrats into those that are wholeheartedly behind the GND and those who believe it goes too far.
Hice tells The Hill that he has had some “positive conversations” with Democrats on his discharge petition.
“There are 92 Democrats that have co-sponsored the Green New Deal, so hopefully some of them will come on board and call for a vote,” he said.
The resolution's chief sponsor, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), is dismissing the move as a political stunt.
“They want to divide the caucus and they are going to try to call folks out who are co-sponsoring it and voting against the discharge, but this is just a maneuver. It's not substantive,” she said.
https://insideepa.com/daily-feed/ewire-gop-house-member-tries-force-green-deal-vote
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