Environmental Industry News
- California Agency Extends Comment Deadline on PCBTF Listing The American Coatings Association asked for an extension of the comment period, which the agency granted. Comments are now due by 5 p.m. on Jan. 23.
- California EV Sales Top 500,000"Reaching 500,000 electric vehicles in California is yet another indicator that the future of transportation is electric. And that future is approaching faster than ever," said Veloz board Chair David Hochschild. "We have seen monthly sales of electric vehicles triple this year, and California is well on our way to 5 million by 2030."
- USDA Funding Water and Wastewater Infrastructure ProjectsUSDA is providing financing for 234 water and environmental infrastructure projects through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program -- funding that can be used for drinking water, stormwater drainage, and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.
- Wind Turbine Manufacturers Notch Big OrdersSiemens Gamesa Renewable Energy announced it received the order for the 487 MW SeaMade offshore wind power project in Belgium from customer Seamade NV, while Vestas announced it has received an order for 100 V120-2.2 MW turbines for an undisclosed project in the United States.
- TVA Preparing EIS on Coal Ash Storage at Memphis SiteTVA wants public comments and is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate the potential environmental effects of several options at Allen. An estimated almost 3 million cubic yards of coal ash and other coal combustion residuals remain in the ash impoundments at the site.
- Explo Systems Employees Sentenced in Conspiracy Case"Through their reckless mismanagement of waste explosives, the defendants put the safety of an entire town at risk," said Susan Bodine, assistant administrator of the EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "Today's sentencing should send a clear message that EPA and our law enforcement partners will hold corporate officials responsible for violating laws designed to protect our communities and the environment."
- Clean Water Act Liability for Groundwater ContaminationIn just the past year, litigation related to the groundwater conduit theory has generated diverging opinions from numerous federal courts, leaving businesses uncertain regarding their potential liability.
- Warning Signs in New 3D Printing Findings"Following our series of studies – the most extensive to date on 3D printer emissions – we are recommending additional investments in scientific research and product advancement to minimize emissions and increased user awareness so safety measures can be taken," said Marilyn Black, vice president and senior technical adviser at UL.
- DOE Funds 40 New ProjectsThe selected OPEN 2018 projects are in 21 states and fall into nine technical categories, including transportation, electricity generation and delivery, and energy efficiency.
- California Agency Recommends New Restrictions on Use of ChlorpyrifosThe new measures will provide increased protections from potential exposure to the pesticide while DPR completes a formal regulatory process to list chlorpyrifos as a toxic air contaminant and develops permanent restrictions on its use.
- Florida State Expenditure Plan ApprovedIt allocates $291 million in project funding to address environmental restoration and enhancement, as well as economic revitalization, along Florida's Gulf Coast in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010.
- Aurora Flight Sciences Announces Solar-Powered Autonomous AircraftNamed Odysseus, it is described by the Boeing-owned company as "a groundbreaking persistence aircraft inspired by the need for climate and atmospheric research."
- Mock-Up Project Lowers Risk for SRS Workers"The mock-ups used for the liquid waste operations and SWPF tie-in project are an ideal way to test the execution of this important but hazardous scope," DOE-Savannah River Assistant Manager for Waste Disposition Jim Folk said. "Ultimately, it helps to determine the tools and techniques that will be needed to perform the tie-ins while reducing exposure to the workers."
- Texas Water Foundation Announces New Strategic PlanIt calls for boosting the foundation's role as a key influencer in securing Texas' water future through a robust legislative agenda and a strategy to promote statewide water awareness and leadership.
- Compliance Order Issued After Pipeline ExplosionThe Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection reported that its inspections after the Sept. 10 explosion "discovered violations including unreported landslides, impacts to aquatic resources, construction activities occurring in unpermitted areas, and several sections of the pipeline that required the installation of additional measures to prevent accelerated erosion."
- Pennsylvania DEP Funds 61 Projects from Sunoco PenaltyGrants have been awarded for stormwater management, invasive species removal, forest restoration, farm runoff reduction, streambank restoration, and many other projects that ultimately improve water quality in Pennsylvania.
- Waste Recycler Settles RCRA Case with EPAThe settlement requires Rho-Chem, LLC to complete a supplemental environmental project to purchase and provide at least $352,992 worth of emergency response instruments and communication and computing equipment to the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Homeland Security/Hazardous Materials Response Section.
- Wyoming Becomes 38th NRC Agreement StateThe agreement signed Sept. 25 transfers regulatory authority over certain radioactive materials to the state. NRC transferred responsibility for licensing, rulemaking, inspection, and enforcement activities needed to regulate source material involved in uranium or thorium milling and the management and disposal of milling waste.
- Cal/OSHA Cites Waste Collection Company After Fatal AccidentThe worker who died was making a turn while operating the truck from the right-hand side when he fell out and was run over. Cal/OSHA investigators determined the truck had a safety chain for the truck cab opening that could not be used because a part was missing.
