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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for July 26, 2013.
Posted: 26 Jul 2013 12:12:00
ARB Newsclips for July 26, 2013. This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office of Communications. You may need to sign in or register with individual websites to view some of the following news articles. CAP AND TRADE Can California Cap and Trade if Brussels Stumbles? Last week, the European Parliament rejected a proposal to reduce the quantity of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions allowances in order to fix a supply-demand imbalance in the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Some view this as the beginning of the end of the European Union’s ten-year carbon cap-and-trade experiment. A high profile failure of the EU ETS is likely to provide ammunition to critics California’s cap-and-trade program. Posted. http://www.natlawreview.com/article/can-california-cap-and-trade-if-brussels-stumbles Carbon price unlikely to pass Congress but necessary to drive clean technology, experts say. Pricing carbon may be the single most important thing the government can do to drive clean technology and is a necessary but not sufficient condition for mitigating climate change, according to experts. Many of the emerging systems that curb greenhouse gas emissions and displace fossil fuels show promise in the laboratory and at small scales but are too expensive for prime time. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059985112/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY AIR POLLUTION Proposal addresses pollution at Navajo coal plant. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants haze-causing nitrogen oxide emissions reduced by 84 percent at a coal-fired power plant on the Navajo Nation, but a group meeting over the past few months on the proposal says it can do better. An alternative plan to be submitted Friday to the EPA would shut down one of three 750-megawatt units at the Navajo Generating Station near Page by 2020, cutting pollution beyond what the EPA has proposed. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2013/07/26/5597403/proposal-addresses-pollution-at.html#storylink=cpy State amends GPC lawsuit over pollution controls. The state has amended a lawsuit filed against Grain Processing Corp. in Muscatine with additional allegations the company failed to obtain certain air permits or and didn't report all air pollutants. Attorney General Tom Miller said Thursday that a trial begins in September on the lawsuit originally filed in December 2011. Posted. http://www.sacbee.com/2013/07/25/5596813/state-amends-gpc-lawsuit-over.html#storylink=cpy State targets off-road vehicle smog. The California Air Resources Board Thursday moved to tighten pollution controls on most new off-road vehicles even while they sit idle in the garage. The regulation will start with 2018 models and is to be phased in over four years, potentially costing buyers 4 percent to 9 percent more. Existing vehicles are exempt. San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts, who also sits on the state air board, voted to support the regulation. It passed unanimously. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jul/25/air-board-targets-off-road-vehicle-smog/ Heatwaves increase ozone pollution danger, study finds. With more ozone pollution in the air from reduced absorption from plants, the study by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)’s York Centre estimates that this cost the lives of 460 people in the UK during the hot summer of 2006. The research found that ozone pollution from traffic fumes, industrial processes…Posted. http://www.airqualitynews.com/2013/07/26/heatwaves-increase-ozone-pollution-danger-study-finds/ EPA identifies 29 nonattainment areas for SO2 standard. U.S. EPA has designated 29 areas in 16 states as "nonattainment" areas for being in violation of the national air quality standard for sulfur dioxide. The areas were found to be in violation of the 2010 SO2 rule, which set a limit of 75 parts per billion averaged over an hour. Those areas must now develop a state implementation plan within 18 months to reduce the pollution and get below the standard. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059985133/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Deal struck for slashing emissions at West's largest coal-fired power plant. Operators of the largest coal-fired power plant in the West announced an agreement today with the Department of the Interior and environmental groups that will reduce air pollution by quantities greater than U.S. EPA had sought. Under the proposal by a technical working group, the 2,250-megawatt Navajo Generating Station in Arizona will close one coal-fired unit at the power plant by 2020…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059985144/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CLIMATE CHANGE What Can Plants Reveal About Global Climate Change? Recently, climate change, including global warming, has been a "hot" news item as many regions of the world have experienced increasingly intense weather patterns, such as powerful hurricanes and extended floods or droughts. Often the emphasis is on how such extreme weather impacts humans, from daily heat index warnings to regulating CO2 emissions. Posted. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130726112209.htm Dems’ recess game plan: Push climate message. The White House, congressional Democrats and their allies are plotting an August recess offensive to promote President Barack Obama’s climate change plan and head off Republican opposition. The full-court press shows that liberals have learned from past August congressional recesses, when Republicans, aided by the tea party, out organized Democrats and managed to demonize cap and trade and blame them for high gas prices. Posted. http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/dems-recess-game-plan-push-climate-message-94773.html#ixzz2aAoM3UJh Appeals court rejects Texas, industry challenge to EPA's GHG implementation rules. Federal judges today rejected arguments from Texas and industry groups that U.S. EPA unlawfully forced states to adopt its greenhouse gas rules on an inappropriately short timeline. In two cases, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit held that EPA was only carrying out a "self-executing" part of the Clean Air Act that was triggered when greenhouse gases were added to the program as a pollutant. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059985141/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY DIESEL EMISSIONS Pollution regulators set sights on off-road vehicles. The California Air Resources Board Thursday moved to tighten pollution controls on most new off-road vehicles even while they sit idle in the garage. The regulation will start with 2018 models and is to be phased in over four years, potentially costing buyers 4 percent to 9 percent more. Existing vehicles are exempt. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jul/26/tp-pollution-regulators-set-sights-on-off-road/ Some reefer owners are eligible for time extension. Some reefer owners may be eligible for a time extension in order to comply with the latest emissions requirements enforced under California’s Transportation Refrigeration Unit Regulation. The California Air Resources Board recently notified reefer owners that owners of reefers or TRU gen sets can apply for a compliance deadline extension in order to meet California’s Ultra-Low-Emission TRU (ULETRU) requirements for model year 2003 and older engines. Posted. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=25496 FUELS Oil falls back to near $104 a barrel. The price of oil surrendered some of its recent gains Friday, falling back to near $104 a barrel, as concerns over China's decision to press ahead with painful economic restructuring offset upbeat U.S. economic news. By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark crude for September delivery was down $1.19 to $104.30 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 10 cents to $105.49 on Thursday. Posted. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OIL_PRICES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT Canada Oil Firm Still Unable to Stop Leaks. Four Separate Leaks Reported at Air-Force Base in Alberta. Canada's largest independent oil producer has been unable to stop a series of leaks from underground wells, according to regulators in Alberta, raising questions about a technology the industry has championed as less environmentally disruptive than the open-pit mining of oil sands. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323971204578626273811559896.html Fracking fuels opportunity in Mexico. Parent company Sempra and Mexico’s IEnova well positioned to profit from natural gas transport. Mexico’s energy landscape is rapidly being transformed by the boom in U.S. natural gas production — and no company may be better poised to profit than a Mexico unit of San Diego-based utility holding company Sempra Energy. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jul/26/fracking-fuels-opportunity-Mexico/ Calif. needs rules that learn from problems elsewhere – experts. California must act now to protect water, land and residents before unconventional oil and gas drilling expands significantly, experts said yesterday at a Los Angeles forum. The Golden State has been behind the curve, with no current regulations in place to monitor hydraulic fracturing. That is expected to change in the coming months, so advocates need to press for what they want…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1059985118/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Rosy outlook for natural gas in EIA report. Natural gas will be the world's fastest-growing fossil fuel through 2040, according to an Energy Information Administration report released yesterday. The EIA's "International Energy Outlook 2013" predicted a 1.7 percent annual increase in worldwide gas consumption over the next 27 years, meaning the fuel will continue to represent about a quarter of overall energy use. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1059985096/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Natural gas vehicles make inroads in Canada. Canada's first liquefied natural gas station opened just four months ago, but the alternative fuel has already turned heads in the country's trucking sector. Natural gas prices have plunged since the North American shale renaissance unlocked vast new supplies in the late 2000s, leaving per-gallon-equivalent prices at the pump up to $2 cheaper than oil-based fuels. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1059985095/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY USDA to roll out controversial sugar purchase program. The Agriculture Department on Monday will roll out a program that allows the government to buy up excess sugar in the marketplace and sell it to ethanol producers. The Feedstock Flexibility Program is one of several actions the department is taking this year to combat sugar prices that have fallen nearly 12 percent since December. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059985138/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY VEHICLES Electric cars could be cost-competitive with gas-powered in 2017. The cost of owning an electric car is wriggling its way down to becoming competitive with its gas-powered peers, according to new projections by the Electrification Coalition. Representatives from the Washington, D.C., advocacy group said during a conference call Thursday that short-range plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are already cost competitive with cars powered by internal combustion engines, as well as hybrid electric vehicles. The recent analysis assumed five years of ownership and about 14,000 miles driven each year. Posted. http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-electric-car-ownership-2017-20130725,0,6639649.story Valley air district offering grants to buy low-polluting vehicles. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is accepting applications for grants to help public agencies purchase alternative-fuel vehicles. Cities, counties and public education institutions, along with water and irrigation districts in the Valley, can receive up to $20,000 per vehicle and up to $100,000 a year from the air district. Posted. http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20130726/NEWS01/307260021/Valley-air-district-offering-grants-buy-low-polluting-vehicles GREEN ENERGY Californians Consider a Future Without a Nuclear Plant for a Neighbor. Residents of this quiet Orange County beach community often all but forgot about the hulking nuclear plant just south of the city limits. But reminders, while infrequent, were jarring. The governor’s office mailed residents potassium iodide pills, to take in case of a radioactive leak. Emergency sirens occasionally sounded in the middle of the night (false alarms, residents were told). Posted. . http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/26/us/californians-consider-a-future-without-a-nuclear-plant-for-a-neighbor.html?ref=science&pagewanted=print Camarillo reaffirms partnership with energy alliance. The Camarillo City Council reaffirmed its partnership with the Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance on Wednesday, allowing the city to continue participating in energy conservation and education programs. The alliance is run by a joint powers authority consisting of representatives from the county and Fillmore, Oxnard, Santa Paula…Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/jul/25/camarillo-reaffirms-partnership-with-energy/?print=1 Here's how some states are trying to bolster the energy grid. Kansas is undoubtedly a windy state, but it is not yet the “Saudi Arabia of Wind' that Republican Gov. Sam Brownback wants it to be. Kansas has more wind energy potential than any state except Texas, but eight states generate more total megawatts of wind power — even as Brownback and his legislature have taken steps to boost Kansas's wind industry. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/business/ci_23737278/heres-how-some-states-are-trying-bolster-energy?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_23737278/heres-how-some-states-are-trying-bolster-energy?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com Mojave Mirrors: World's Largest Solar Plant Ready to Shine. The Ivanpah Valley of the Mojave Desert in California is home to spiky yucca trees, long-nosed leopard lizards, loggerhead shrikes, and a rare species of tortoise—and soon, the largest solar thermal energy plant in the world. More than six years in the making, the Ivanpah plant is now slated to begin generating power before summer's end. Posted. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/07/130725-ivanpah-solar-energy-mojave-desert/ MISCELLANEOUS California power prices up 59 percent after nuke shutdown. Federal number crunchers say the shutdown of the seaside San Onofre nuclear plant is partially to blame for a 59 percent increase in wholesale electricity prices for California during the first half of the year. The Energy Information Administration says the closure also caused a "large and unusual separation" in power prices between the northern and southern parts of the state. Posted. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_23729799/california-power-prices-up-59-percent-after-nuke?source=rss Car cleanup event slated for Saturday. Valley CAN (Clean Air Now) and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District will hold a Tune In and Tune Up car cleanup event Saturday, including emissions testing and vouchers for vehicles that do not pass. The event does not take the place of a legally required smog test, but it does give residents some idea if their vehicle is likely to pass the real test, and if not, they will be eligible for as much as $500 in financial assistance to make needed repairs. Posted. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130726/A_NEWS/307260313 MIC on CARB OHV Evaporative Emissions. Today, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted regulations to control evaporative emissions from off-highway recreational vehicles (OHRVs), including off-highway motorcycles (OHMs), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), sometimes called UTVs or side-by-sides. For the past seven years while these regulations were being developed…Posted. http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/669/16719/Motorcycle-Article/MIC-on-CARB-OHV-Evaporative-Emissions.aspx OPINIONS Reduce U.S. Carbon Emissions To Zero, And The Temperature Decrease By 2100 Will Be Undetectable. A year ago former Republican congressman Bob Inglis famously predicted the facts on global warming will “overwhelm” GOP resistance to climate change action, and alter the party’s stance. In response, he proposed a carbon tax. Thanks to this, we provide you with a calculator that may overwhelm the entire notion. Posted. http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickmichaels/2013/07/25/reduce-u-s-carbon-emissions-to-zero-and-the-temperature-decrease-by-2100-will-be-undetectable/ BLOGS The positive economic impact of a carbon tax in, uh, hang on … 10 charts. There is no federal carbon tax coming to the U.S. any time soon, not as long as a revanchist, reactionary bunch of fruitbats runs the Republican Party and gerrymanders itself a decade-long House majority. (Ahem.) But just as an intellectual exercise, if nothing else, let’s take note of the fact that warnings about the calamitous effects of a carbon tax are nonsense. Posted. http://grist.org/climate-energy/the-positive-economic-impact-of-a-carbon-tax-in-uh-hang-on-10-charts/ Refocusing the Debate in Congress on Climate Change. Nobody wants climate change to be real. It's scary. It's hard. We would all much rather it wasn't happening. But denial is a costly proposition. Just ask the insurance industry. Last week, at the Senate's first hearing on the issue since President Obama rolled out his comprehensive plan to respond to climate change, insurance representatives voiced concern about the recent spike in severe weather. Posted. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/phaedra-ellislamkins/refocusing-the-debate-in_b_3655194.html