A new round in the fight over the Keystone XL pipeline has begun, as TransCanada reapplied for a U.S. permit to build the controversial $7.6-billion, 1,600-mile-long project, which would carry crude oil from Alberta's tar sands to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s top official in the South and Southwest region—the heart of oil and gas country—resigned on April 30 after remarks he made in 2010 about crucifying energy companies that break environmental laws became public and sparked a national controversy. Al Armendariz, appointed to the EPA post by President Obama in 2009, sent a letter to the agency's Administrator, Lisa Jackson, on April 29 apologizing for the comments, which were recorded on video, and part of his description of how he approached enforcing the region’s environmental laws. His resignation became effective on April 30. On the video, Armendariz
Photo courtesy of SAIC Newly fractured or refractured wells typically emit pollutants such as benzene and methane into the air for days until they are vented, burned off or captured. Related Links: Details of the EPA regulation NRDC report, "Leaking Profits" New Environmental Protection Agency standards that aim to cut air pollution from oil and natural gas produced through hydraulic fracturing have received tempered praise from industry groups and mixed reviews from environmental organizations. The energy industry prefers the rule's Jan. 1, 2015, compliance date to an earlier EPA proposal's tighter deadline. Environmental organizations call the regulation, announced on April 18,
In a report released on April 17, a group of former BP oil-spill commissioners gave Congress low marks for failing to enact substantive reform to make offshore drilling safer.
Following allegations by the National Labor Relations Board Inspector General that NLRB member Terence Flynn, a Republican, violated ethics standards, unions are calling for his resignation and Democratic lawmakers are asking for a Justice Dept. investigation.But Flynn's representative, Barry Coburn, an attorney at the Washington, D.C., firm Coburn & Greenbaum, says Flynn "strenuously objects" to claims he engaged in any improper conduct while serving as chief counsel to former board member Peter Schaumber in 2011.President Barack Obama appointed Flynn and two Democrats to the board during a congressional recess in January.A March 19 report by the NLRB inspector general alleged
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on April 18 finalized standards under the Clean Air Act to reduce air pollution associated with oil and natural gas production through hydraulic fracturing.
The new Envision system, designed to rate infrastructure project sustainability, will incorporate one industry firm's approach to measuring "return on investment" and hopefully become a tool to better predict potential outcomes, said officials at the product's launch in Washington, D.C., on April 3.
Seeking to achieve the dual goals of ensuring a reliable water supply for the state while protecting the San Francisco Bay-Delta ecosystem, California agencies have worked at cross-purposes at times, according to a new report from the National Research Council.
The International Code Council's 2012 International Green Construction Code, or IgCC, released on March 28, seeks to provide the building community with more flexibility in the design of high-performance buildings than did earlier versions, its developers say.The culmination of a three-year effort by the ICC, the code was developed with significant input from construction industry leaders, policymakers and environmental groups. Formally approved in November 2011, it is the first model code to include sustainability measures for an entire construction project and its site for the entire life cycle of the project.The 2012 code incorporates the 2011 version of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES/USGBC Standard
New rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency could put a choke hold on the construction of new, conventional coal-fired powerplants, industry sources say. On March 27, the EPA proposed the first-ever Clean Air Act standard for carbon emissions from new powerplants. The proposed rule—which does not apply to existing powerplants or plants that already have been permitted and will break ground within the next 12 months—would require power-generating units to limit emissions of carbon dioxide to 1,000 pounds per megawatt. Currently, there are no limitations on how much carbon dioxide can be emitted by powerplants. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson
