Wednesday, April 02, 2014

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 4/2/14

National / International News

 

<> Secy. Kerry Remarks at the U.S.- EU Energy Council Meeting - Remarks at the U.S.-EU Energy Council Meeting of John Kerry Secretary of State Brussels, Belgium April 2, 2014

<> House Committee Hearing On The Fiscal Year 2015 EPA Budget - GOP hearing notice, background, statements, testimony and webcast

<> House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin introduced the fiscal year 2015 House Republican budget - Today the House Budget Committee will mark up the proposal.

<> Wyden, Hatch Announce Markup of Job-Protecting Tax Extenders Package - Senate Finance Committee will markup the package that includes provisions that would benefit individuals, families, and small businesses, incentivize innovative research and development, and promote alternative and renewable energy initiatives, among others

<> Oil Spills and Car-Stopping Contaminated Gasoline – Open Ethanol Letter Takes on API Ads - (April 2, 2014) Today's editions of the New York Times and Politico have published a good-humored, but factual takedown of Big Oil's false, hypocritical attacks against clean, renewable ethanol.

<> d-CON Manufacturer Sues California to Stop Rat Poison Restrictions - (Beyond Pesticides, April 2, 2014) Just last week it was announced that California ruled to remove from store shelves several rodenticide products identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as unsafe for 

<> BTLaw Alert: EPA Proposes Rulemaking: Revising the Regulatory Definition of "Waters of the United States" - The 370-page proposal should be published in the Federal Register soon, starting a 90-day comment period

<> Supreme Court to Decide Whether CERCLA Statute Can Revive Otherwise Time-Barred Toxic Tort Suit - The Supreme Court will hear oral argument in CTS Corp. v. Waldburger, 723 F.3d 434 (4th Cir. 2013), cert. granted, 134 S. Ct. 896 (U.S. Jan. 10, 2014) (No. 13-339), on April 23, 2014. (Marten Law News)

<> Near Record-Low California Snowpack Measurement Warns of Greater Water Supply Challenges Ahead - LOS ANGELES (April 1, 2014) – Critically low California snowpack measurement was reported today by the state's Department of Water Resources (DWR) in its annual April snow survey, revealing the  snowpack. . .

<> As Earthquakes Strike Los Angeles Area, Oil Industry's Fracking Wastewater - Los Angeles County has 64 active or new oil-industry wastewater disposal wells, according to a recent report from the Center for Biological Diversity and other organizations. On Shaky Ground: Fracking, Acidizing, and Increased Earthquake Risk in California, found more than 800 of these oil-industry wastewater wells near recently active faults across California.

<> House Passes the Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2014 - The House of Representatives passed H.R. 2413, the Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2014. The bill passed under a suspension of the rules and had strong bipartisan support from members. . .

<> 2014 Notice of DOT TIGER Funding Availability - Applications for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Discretionary Grants must be submitted through Grants.gov. by April 28; Webinar series also announced. . .

<> Net energy imports in 2013 lowest in more than 20 years - Apr 2, 2014. Total U.S. net imports of energy, measured in terms of energy content, declined in 2013 to their lowest level in more than two decades.

<> UC Davis and Honda Unveil Smart Home For a Zero-Carbon Future - Honda and the University of California, Davis aren't particularly known for constructing homes, but an ambitious project places the two entities at the forefront of designing homes capable of producing more renewable energy. . . 

<> PHMSA Seeking Pipeline Research Projects from Colleges and Universities - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has announced an academic research program that will offer a total of $500,000 to non-profit institutions of higher learning as part of the agency's pipeline research and development program.

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Wednesday, April 2, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Nothing We're Tracking Today