On October 2, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that New York State will receive $1.4 million to combat invasive species.  The grants are a part of 21 grants offered the EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.  

The grants are listed below:

1. Paul Smith’s College of Arts and Sciences will receive $399,891 for the Lake Ontario Headwaters Watercraft Inspection Program.  The project will help to prevent the spread of invasive species by allowing the College to conduct inspections on watercraft entering the western part of Adirondack Park.  

2. Central Michigan University, NY, will receive $356,154 in order to assess the risk of invasive species in the Erie Canal Corridor.  The project will catalog non-native species throughout the Mohawk-Hudson River and Lake Champlain basins.  By conducting the study, the project will try to find pathways for the invasive species.  

3. The Nature Conservancy will receive $315,059 to develop models that can forecast the spread of invasive species like Hydrilla verticillata in New York, northwestern Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio.  

4. Cornell University will receive $277,484 in order to work with government and nongovernmental agencies to raise awareness among anglers and boaters about the dangers of invasive species.  

5. SUNY-Buffalo State College will receive $99,756 to access the potential dangers of the invasive Ponto-Caspian fish from European shipping ports.  The data will be used to develop early detection techniques for the invasive fish that is capable of adapting to the waters in the Great Lakes.  

EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck stated, “Invasive species is a very serious problem facing the Great Lakes.  These EPA grants will help prevent larger costs and damage to the environment in the future and will help ensure the continued revitalization of western New York’s economy.”

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

On November 21, 2012, the Energy Information Agency (EIA) announced the wind energy production tax credit (PTC) may expire by the end of the year unless legislation extends the tax credits.  The PTC is one of the main contributing factors to wind energy growth within the United States in the last decade because it allows more financial return on wind energy investment and allows companies to competitively price their generation. 

The PTC was enacted in the 1992 Energy Policy Act and replaced former incentives for wind investment and generation in the Energy Tax Act of 1978.  The first tax credit amount was 1.5 cents per kilowatthour (in 1992 dollars), and the credit is now valued at 2.2 cents per kilowatthour. 

The PTC contributed to an explosion of wind investment and wind generation over the last 20 years.  In 1992, the United States only generated 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of wind power.  At the start of 2012, the United States was generating 45 GW from wind.  State incentives—like the mandate in Minnesota to produce 425 megawatts of power from wind by 2003—have helped increase wind energy production in the last decade as well, but the PTC has pushed for the most wind energy production overall. 

There is hope legislation may extend the PTC though.  Congress let the PTC expire a total of three times from 1999 to 2004.  During these periods, there is usually a large amount of construction on wind energy projects during the year before expiration of the PTC, followed by a year of lower production as the tax credit is discussed and reinstated. 

The PTC has not expired since the Working Families Tax Relief Act was passed in 2004, and substantial year-to-year growth has occurred from 2005 to 2010.  New generation fell again in 2010 as natural gas prices became competitive, but new wind generation picked back up in 2011. 

Some recent projects have taken advantage of an investment tax credit known as the 1603 Grant.  Projects that began construction before 2011 receive a cash grant in lieu of the investment tax credit by electing the 1603 Grant. 

2012 saw a continuing increase in the generation of new wind production.  In the months up to October, 6 GW of new installations have occurred.  The PTC will expire at the end of this year unless legislation extends the credit, and projects that started construction before the end of 2011 are still eligible for the 1603 Grant. 

Source: Energy Information Agency

On November 15, 2012, the Sierra Club announced that Patriot Coal Corporation will immediately begin to phase out large scale surface mining throughout Appalachia. Patriot is one of the largest mountaintop coal removal companies in Appalachia. 

Patriot Coal filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 9, 2012.  A court order and settlement within certain groups persuaded Patriot to reach an agreement with the Sierra Club, and the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy.  Attorneys with Appalachian Mountain Advocates required Patriot to install new pollution controls, but Patriot agreed to cease mountaintop removal mining if granted an extension on the time allowed to install the new controls. 

Michael Brune, the Executive Director of the Sierra Club, stated: “This is an historic moment for people hardest hit by mountaintop removal coal mining.  Tens of thousands of people have worked tirelessly to put an end to this destructive process, and today’s agreement is a major step towards ending this abhorrent form of mining and repairing the damage done to communities and ecosystems across the region.”

Patriot is granted additional time on installing selenium treatment at designated mines if it goes through its plan to stop mountaintop removal mining.  The dragline at the Catenary mine complex will stop immediately, and Patriot will retire the dragline at the Hobet mine complex by 2015. 

As part of the agreement, Patriot is also required to withdraw applications for Clean Water Act section 404 valley fill permits.  The permits—currently under review by the Army Corps of Engineers—allow companies to dump mountaintop removal waste into valleys.  The waste can bury streams and headwaters. 

Additionally, Patriot will not apply for new large-scale surface mine permits and will not open any new stand-alone surface mines.  Patriot is still allowed to continue with the opening of a new metallurgical coal mine under its pending 404 permit application, but groups have the right to challenge the pending application. 

The court order for selenium controls by Patriot at the Hobet mine has been extended 15 months.  The installation of selenium controls at 42 other mines is extended 12 months. 

Cindy Rank with the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy stated, “We've been saying for many years that if companies had to pay the real costs of mountaintop removal, it would not be economically feasible.  Hopefully, it’s now become clear that when coal companies are required to prevent illegal selenium pollution and pay the costs for cleanup themselves it’s simply doesn’t make economic sense to continue this destructive form of mining.”

Source: Sierra Club

On November 28, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) temporarily suspended BP Exploration and Production Inc, BP PLC and all affiliate companies from entering into new contracts with the federal government.  The EPA has decided to take such action because it states BP lacked business integrity and showed poor conduct after the Deepwater Horizon explosion, the following oil spill, and overall response. 

BP was subject to a private class action lawsuit by individuals and businesses affected by the oil spill, and the federal government also filed a criminal lawsuit against BP. 

The BP Claims Program accepted claims filed by the private sector under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 in June of 2012.  BP agreed to a settlement of approximately $7.8 billion for the class action lawsuit, but the federal government also charged BP with gross negligence, willful misconduct, violation of the Clean Water Act, breach of federal safety and construction regulations, and more. 

BP agreed to pay the largest criminal fine ever issued by the federal government on November 15, 2012.  The EPA reports that the company pled guilty to 11 counts of Misconduct or Neglect of Ship Officers, one count of Obstruction of Congress, one misdemeanor of violating the Clean Water Act, and one misdemeanor of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. 

BP agreed to pay a criminal fine around $4.5 billion on top of the $7.8 billion settlement with private businesses and individuals affected by the oil spill.  The criminal fines and compensatory settlement are being paid from BP’s $20 billion Trust.  BP was exempt from securities and shareholder claims as part of the settlement. 

The BP oil spill was the worst environmental disaster in U.S. History.  The suspension of new contracts with the federal government was not announced at the time of the settlement on criminal fines, and the recent announcement showcases stronger enforcement by both the federal government and environmental agencies. 

The EPA was declared the head agency in charge of actions for suspension and debarment.  Such actions are taken to protect the integrity of federal programs and make sure the programs are only operated by responsible companies and individuals. 

All new federal government contracts, grants, and other transactions are suspended until BP can prove to the EPA that it meets all federal business standards.  Past agreements still in operation are not affected by the suspension. 

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

On November 27, 2012, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warned that thawing permafrost will likely increase the effects of global warming in the coming years.  During discussions at Doha, UNEP issued a new report that permafrost in the northern hemisphere contains about 1,700 gigatonnes of carbon.  1,700 Gt is twice the amount currently in the atmosphere, and accelerated thawing could have devastating effects. 

Greenhouse gas emissions from melting permafrost are not currently factored into greenhouse estimates.  The report by UNEP encouraged a special IPCC assessment to help create monitoring networks and plans for adaptation. 

The UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner, stated: “Permafrost is one of the keys to the planet's future because it contains large stores of frozen organic matter that, if thawed and released into the atmosphere, would amplify current global warming and propel us to a warmer world.”

According to current estimates, warming permafrost may emit 43 to 135 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide by 2100 and even 246 to 415 gigatonnes by 2200.  Ultimately, permafrost emissions could account for 39 percent of the world’s emissions. 

The lead author of the UNEP’s report warned that warming permafrost emissions need to factor into the new treaty on climate change at Doha that may replace the former Kyoto Protocol. 

The report recommends the following to address economic, social, and environmental factors associated with global:

·   the IPCC report needs to address how carbon dioxide and methane emissions from permafrost influence trends in global warming in order to further support discussion on policy and treaty negotiations

·  countries should start operating their own monitoring sites, increase funding for these monitoring sites, and expand testing

·  expansion of monitoring needs to occur particularly in Russia, Canada, China, and the United States

·  the International Permafrost Association should encourage national monitoring networks but remain part of the Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost as well

·  countries, especially the four listed above, need to evaluate how melting permafrost damages and degrades infrastructure

Thawing permafrost can make building foundations, roads, pipelines, railways, and power lines weak.  The world’s largest terrestrial oil spill in Northern Russia in 1994 was a powerful example of the damage thawing permafrost can cause. 

Kevin Schaefer with the University of Colorado National Snow and Ice Data Center stated, “Thawing permafrost represents a dramatic physical change with huge impacts to ecosystems and human infrastructure.  Individual nations need to develop plans to evaluate the risks, costs, and mitigation strategies to protect human infrastructure in permafrost regions most vulnerable to thaw.” 

Source: UN Environment Programme

On September 24, 2012, a veterinary health products company called Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. settled with the US Environmental Protection Agency and agreed to pay a $68,475 civil penalty.  The penalty will be paid to the United States because of violations within the Resource Conservation Recovery Act.  According to the EPA, the company “mishandled” mercury waste in St. Joseph, MO. 

The EPA reports the following specific violations:

·  the failure to determine hazardous waste levels in various streams

·  the storage of hazardous waste without a RCRA permit

·  failure to meet generator requirements

·  sending waste containing mercury to non-authorized sites

·  the transportation of hazardous waste without proper license of manifest

·  failing to meet waste lamp requirements

·  failing to meet recycled oil use requirements

EPA representatives went to inspect the facilities at the St. Joseph location in May of 2010 and found the above violations under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act—the main Act controlling the use of hazardous waste. 

The EPA indicates that the veterinary health products company produces mercury within its vaccine production process. 

In addition to the civil penalty, the veterinary company is also required to build an innovative $300,000 hazardous waste storage facility.  After agreeing to the settlement, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. is now certified under all RCRA regulations. 

Karl Brooks, the EPA Region 7 Administrator, states, “The proper handling and management of hazardous waste is an integral part of protecting human health and the environment.  In the event of an accidental release on site or while in transport, proper labeling, storing, and management practices can help reduce the risk of exposure to hazardous material by response personnel as well as reduce risk to public health by identifying the necessary and proper cleanup methods.”

Source: Environmental Protection Agency