News


NYC Mayor Cutting City's Vehicle Fleet

The city will eliminate least 1,000 vehicles from its fleet by June 2021 and will reduce the number of take-home vehicles by at least 500 vehicles, curtail the reliance on SUVs in the city fleet, and promote increased vehicle efficiency by using advanced data collection.

More Federal Loan Guarantees Given for Vogtle Expansion

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry was on hand for the announcement of the closing of approximately $1.67 billion in additional Department of Energy loan guarantees for the Vogtle 3 and 4 units, which Georgia Power has predicted will cost about $25 billion to complete, or nearly twice their original estimated cost.

Virginia Governor Signs Coal Ash Cleanup Bills

"The potential risks to public health and water quality posed by unlined coal ash ponds in the Commonwealth are far too great for us to continue with business as usual," said Gov. Ralph Northam. "This historic, bipartisan effort sets a standard for what we can achieve when we work together, across party lines, in the best interest of all Virginians."

Houston-Area Petrochemical Terminal Fire Extinguished

The fire at Intercontinental Terminals Company's Deer Park terminal was fully extinguished by 3 a.m. March 10, the company reported.

Registration Available for 2019 Hanford Tours

The public tour program focuses on environmental cleanup and gives participants with a look at key projects that support the ongoing cleanup of the Richland, Wash., site.

Sacramento's Electric Car Share Program Expanded to All Residents

"Gig is thrilled to bring the largest all-electric car sharing service in the United States to Sacramento, a city that's becoming recognized as a worldwide leader in zero-emission energy," said Jason Haight, president of GIG Car Share.

UN Official Calls for Urgent Action on Climate Change

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed decried what she called the negative consequences of the current "take, make, and dispose" global economic model, citing harmful environmental and health impacts associated with the extraction of metals used in mobile phones, plastic waste flowing into the oceans, and the huge amount of electronic waste generated every year.

SEC Charges Volkswagen, Former CEO with Defrauding Investors

The complaint alleges that Volkswagen made false and misleading statements to investors and underwriters about vehicle quality, environmental compliance, and VW's financial standing and that, by concealing the emissions scheme, Volkswagen obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in benefit by issuing the securities at more attractive rates for the company.



GM Dials Up More Wind Power in Michigan

At this point, GM has contracted or invested in a total of 1.71 terawatt hours of clean energy power in North America, equivalent to the power consumed by more than 145,000 U.S. households.

IMO Trains Caribbean Oil Spill Managers to Boost Response Capacity

The March 11-14 course has showcased success stories of several countries in ratifying relevant international preparedness and response conventions, adopting national oil spill legislation, and developing oil spill response capacity.

Pennsylvania DEP Promoting Governor's Infrastructure Plan

"Unexpected flood repairs can drain a municipality's budget. Restore Pennsylvania will provide financial relief to make necessary repairs and allow communities to return to normal," Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Southcentral Regional Director Joe Adams said when he visited York County to talk with local leaders about the plan.

Ohio Landfill Misses First Deadline for Odor Control

The first key deadline required Sunny Farms Landfill LLC to ensure parts of the landfill, not currently accepting waste, were covered with 3 feet of soil by Feb. 28, but an inspection on March 1 by Ohio EPA inspectors found many areas where the facility failed to provide adequate soil cover.

Texas Agency OKs $30 Million for Water, Wastewater Projects

The Texas Water Development Board on March 5 approved financial assistance totaling $30,024,161 for water and wastewater system projects located in three counties. Part of the funding, $4,739,161, was approved for rural projects.

Resident Inspectors Chosen for New Vogtle Units

Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials in Atlanta recently announced the selection of Kenya Carrington and Patrick Heher as resident inspectors for the construction of Vogtle Units 3 and 4, new units being built near Waynesboro, Ga.

The Netherlands Ratifies Ship Recycling Convention

Under the treaty, ships to be sent for recycling are required to carry an inventory of hazardous materials, specific to each ship. Ship recycling yards are required to provide a "Ship Recycling Plan" specifying the manner in which each ship will be recycled, depending on its particulars and its inventory.

MDEQ Announces Plans to Deal with Climate Change

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's Feb. 20, 2019, executive order reorganizes the MDEQ into the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, which will integrate the state's mission of protecting the Great Lakes, providing clean drinking water, and addressing climate change

DOE Opens Battery Recycling Center at Argonne National Laboratory

The goal is to reclaim and recycle critical materials such as cobalt and lithium from lithium-based batteries cost effectively.

Survey Finds 18 Million Trees Died in California During 2018

"It is encouraging that the rate of mortality slowed in 2018. However, 18 million trees are an indication that the forests of California are still under significant stress," said Thom Porter, CAL FIRE's director and California's state forester. "The stress of drought, insects, disease, and prolific wildfire will continue to challenge the resilience of the state's forests."

Vermont Top State for Battery Recycling in 2018

Atlanta-based Call2Recycle, Inc. revealed the top 10 battery recycling states on Feb. 18, National Battery Day.

TVA to Retire Two Coal-Fired Power Plants

TVA's board of directors on Feb. 14 approved the retirement of Paradise Unit 3 in Drakesboro, Ky., and the Bull Run facility in Clinton, Tenn., older coal generating units that TVA describes as "not designed to efficiently respond to today's continually fluctuating power needs of customers."

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