News


Choosing the Right Connectivity Solution for Your Agricultural Technology

Choosing the Right Connectivity Solution for Your Agricultural Technology

Ultimately the right connectivity option depends on the technology and its deployment, but to help make your decision here are my top seven things to consider.

NRC Board to Hold Hearings on Texas Storage Proposal

A Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will hear oral arguments on petitions for an adjudicatory hearing on Interim Storage Partners' license application for an interim facility to store spent nuclear fuel in Andrews County, Texas.

First Female Director Appointed to Head Iowa DNR

Kayla Lyon has been appointed director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, effective July 8. She will replace Bruce Trautman, who has served as the agency's acting director since May 2018, and is DNR's first female director.

Dyno Nobel Settles EPA Case Over Oregon Facility's Releases

The $939,852 being paid by the company as part of the settlement will purchase emergency response equipment for authorities in Columbia County, Ore. Dyno Nobel also will file revised estimates of its total ammonia releases and will update its Risk Management Plan.

Maryland's Governor Signs Energy Efficiency Measure

The "Maryland Leads by Example" executive order directs the Maryland Department of General Services and the Maryland Energy Administration to develop and manage an energy savings initiative in state-owned buildings.

Tennessee Settles Lawsuit Over TVA Coal Ash Ponds

The settlement requires the Tennessee Valley Authority to remove approximately 12 million cubic yards of coal combustion residuals from its active coal ash ponds at the Gallatin Fossil Plant, closing the coal ash pond complex and remediating the area in accordance with state law.

NC DEQ Sets Hearings on Log Fumigation Rule

The division has proposed regulating methyl bromide by establishing an Acceptable Ambient Level because the lack of specific federal or state regulatory measures for the use of methyl bromide, a hazardous air pollutant, creates a potential public health risk.

DOE Proposes to Redefine High-Level Radioactive Waste

According to DOE, the revised interpretation, "if implemented through subsequent actions," could provide a range of benefits to both DOE and the public.



Carnival Cruise Lines Paying $20 Million Criminal Penalty for Probation Violations

"A corporation is responsible to its shareholders and board of directors to be profitable, but not by breaking the law and destroying the very environment in which it navigates for profit," said Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. "Carnival's failure to comply with the terms of its probation and, later, its attempt to drown its deceit goes against the fiber of corporate compliance.

Two methods to help contain treatment costs are to field-manage the water quality and to supervise the concentrations of the downhole chem used.

Four Steps to Quickly Evaluate Produced Water Reuse Option Viability

After it has been determined what waste water reuse options are physically possible and affordable, the viability determination isn't over until the regulatory, environmental, and social impacts have been determined.

Preventing Petroleum Pollution in New Jersey

Rutgers and NJDEP team up to train more than 2,000 on proper Underground Storage Tank (UST) operations.

DEQ reported that its water quality crews responded on June 6, 2018, to a report of an algal bloom in Provo Bay and collected five samples at various locations at and around the Swede Sportsman Access. (Utah DEQ photo)

New Method Developed for Tracking Water Pollution Sources

"Isotope tools are very powerful to measure nutrients in water, but historically their use has been very difficult, hampered by cost and accessibility. The new technique allows scientists to run more samples and much more cheaply for large-scale studies. I think it is a game changer," said Leonard Wassenaar, hear of the IAEA Isotope Hydrology Section.

FY2019 NRC Fees Increased for Operating Reactors

The FY2019 annual fees are increasing for operating reactors, research and test reactors, and some materials users. Annual fees will decrease for spent fuel storage/reactor decommissioning, fuel facilities, select materials users, U.S. Department of Energy transportation activities, and the DOE Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act Program.

Pennsylvania DEP Issues Draft Denial of Waste Permit

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced May 15 it has issued a Notice of Intent to Deny to Elcon Recycling Services, LLC for its Phase II Part B commercial hazardous waste treatment and storage facility application, based on a number of outstanding deficiencies that remain unaddressed to its satisfaction.

EPA Adds WV Site to Superfund List

The site has seen significant contamination issues going back to the 1980s, when elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls were first discovered by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection in the soil near the old Shaffer Equipment Company location.

NY DEC Announces Design Opportunity for Hudson Communities

"This unique opportunity will help waterfront communities along the Hudson River bolster their resilience by designing innovative projects like floodable parks and flood-adapted buildings," said Basil Seggos, commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant Shutting Down

"Although we see strong support in Harrisburg and throughout Pennsylvania to reduce carbon emissions and maintain the environmental and economic benefits provided by nuclear energy, we don't see a path forward for policy changes before the June 1 fuel purchasing deadline for TMI," said Kathleen Barrón, Exelon's senior vice president, government and regulatory affairs and public policy.

California Moving to Prohibit Use of Chlorpyrifos

"California's action to cancel the registration of chlorpyrifos is needed to prevent the significant harm this pesticide causes children, farmworkers, and vulnerable communities," said CalEPA Secretary Jared Blumenfeld. "This action also represents a historic opportunity for California to develop a new framework for alternative pest management practices."

EPA Region 9 Launches Smart Sectors Pacific Southwest

In the Pacific Southwest, EPA is engaging with the oil and gas sector initially and plans to expand to several other sectors this year.

AAR Presents 2019 Environmental Excellence Award

Gary Van Tassel II of CSX Transportation and his team made the traditional intermodal facility more efficient by implementing new technology and modernizing site layouts, which allow CSX to operate with a smaller footprint, fewer diesel utility trucks, a transition to electrified cranes, and significantly reduced truck dwell times.