Water


GAO Recommends Eliminating Coal Mine Operators' Self-Bonding

GAO found that state agencies and OSMRE report they hold approximately $10.2 billion in surety bonds, collateral bonds, and self-bonds as financial assurances for coal mine reclamation. The stakeholders GAO interviewed identified several challenges OSMRE and state agencies face in managing financial assurances, citing industry bankruptcies and lower coal demand.

NNSA Team Wins Project Management Award

The presentation took place during the 2018 DOE Project Management Workshop held in Arlington, Va. The TWF project at Los Alamos National Laboratory is NNSA's first Hazard Category 2 Nuclear Facility project completed under budget.

New Compliance Date for EPA's Formaldehyde in Composite Wood Products Regulation

The new compliance date is June 1, 2018, for its formaldehyde emissions regulation for composite wood products, under Title VI of the Toxic Substances Control Act.

West Virginia Debuts Webpage on Pipeline Projects

Information available on the page includes maps of the proposed pipeline routes and a link to WVDEP's searchable online database where additional information, such as any inspection and enforcement actions and any permit modifications, can be found.

EPA Scrapping GHG Emissions Rules for Cars, Light Trucks

He said EPA is beginning a joint process with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop a notice and comment rulemaking to set more appropriate GHG emissions standards and Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. The California Air Resources Board's chair, Mary D. Nichols, issued a statement condemning Pruitt's decision.

Fumigation Air Quality Permit Request Dropped in NC

The division had planned to hold a new public comment period and public hearing to enable additional input for the draft air quality permit. DEP reported that most of 1,100 comments received since Feb. 23 were opposed to issuing the permit.

U.S. Steel Settles CWA Case Involving Wastewater Spill

A consent decree was filed in federal district court in the Northern District of Indiana that requires U.S. Steel to pay more than $600,000 as a civil penalty and to reimburse EPA and the National Park Service for response costs incurred after an April 2017 spill of wastewater containing hexavalent chromium that entered a waterway flowing into Lake Michigan.

U.K. Government Announces Drink Container Deposit Return Scheme to Reduce Litter

“It is absolutely vital we act now to tackle this threat and curb the millions of plastic bottles a day that go unrecycled,” Environment Secretary Michael Gove said. “We have already banned harmful microbeads and cut plastic bag use, and now we want to take action on plastic bottles to help clean up our oceans.”



Deadline Nears for Michigan Energy Excellence Awards

Anne Armstrong Cusack, Michigan Agency for Energy acting executive director, says the contest "is a chance to celebrate leaders in innovation all over the state. Past winners have cut energy usage without sacrificing productivity or comfort. They have seen firsthand that the cheapest, most reliable, and greenest energy is the energy you don't need."

A nuclear waste cask is loaded onto a barge during the Sandia National Laboratories "triathlon." (Photo courtesy Sandia National Laboratories)

Sandia Details 'Transport Triathlon' Results

The eight-month test involved a waste transportation and storage cask fresh off the assembly line being loaded with three surrogate fuel rod assemblies from the United States, Spain, and South Korea and then traveling from Spain to Colorado and back again by truck, ship, and train.

State Study of Mohawk River Ice Jams Announced

The study will analyze storm and ice-jam flood mitigation needs in high-risk areas, including Schenectady, N.Y., which experienced ice-jam flooding in February 2018. The study will include recommendations to mitigate future hazards on the Mohawk River and other waterbodies across New York state.

Analysis Links West Texas Ground Movement to Oil Drilling

Alarming movement is linked to prolonged oil production and is a danger to residents, roads, railroads, levees, dams, pipelines, and groundwater, the authors concluded.

The researchers successfully tested the method at a Colorado well field containing place methane leak sources. (Stephanie Sizemore and Ian Coddington/NIST illustration)

New Method Shown for Detecting Methane Leaks Inexpensively

As described in their paper, the researchers tested this method successfully on a Colorado well field containing placed methane leak sources.

Volvo's Sales of Electric Buses Top 4,000

Volvo Buses has now sold more than 4000 electrified Volvo buses to customers around the world, the company announced March 14, saying its latest order is for 90 hybrid buses from Brussels.

Vestas Signs Agreement for Composite Blades Made in China

The V150-4.2 MW turbines' blades are 73.7 meters, or 242 feet, long, and they have the industry's tallest steel tower, according to Vestas.

CARB Awards Grant for Ultra-Low NOx Truck Demonstration Project

California's ultra-low NOx emissions standard is 0.02 grams per brake horsepower-hour. This program will demonstrate the first diesel engine to comply with this state standard.

Drought Declaration Signed for Klamath County, Oregon

Gov. Kate Brown's news release said at the end of February, the snow-water equivalent in Klamath County was 40 percent of a normal water year, and forecasted water conditions are not expected to improve. Drought, severe weather conditions, and the upcoming fire season are significant threats to the local economy, agriculture and livestock, natural resources, and recreation in the county.

Canada Funds $1.3 Million for Removal of Abandoned Boats

"Abandoned boats are not just an eyesore; they are a safety concern and a financial burden to communities," Minister of Transport Marc Garneau said.

California Officials Preparing for the Next Disasters

The governor and legislative leaders are partnering on solutions this year that will make California more resilient against the impacts of natural disasters and climate change.

Home Depot to Pay $27.84 Million for Hazardous Waste and Record Disposal Violations

The company's stores and facilities were found to have improperly managed the disposal of aerosol cans, batteries, electronics, pesticides, paint, and other items, as well as customer information.