Clean Air Act Digest, 5.20.13
UPDATES Congress: House On Tuesday, May 14, House Energy and Power Subcommittee marked up H.R. 271, “Resolving Environmental and Grid Reliability Conflicts Act of 2013.” This bill takes the unprecedented step of authorizing total civil and criminal amnesty from all federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations for electric... Read more of this article
Bonn Climate Talks Conclude Amid Projections of Record High Atmospheric CO2 Levels, Hotline 5.8.13
Bonn Climate Talks Conclude Amid Projections of Record High Atmospheric CO2 Levels Photo credit: Flickr, Creative Commons: Adopt a Negotiator The second session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP2)—the latest intersessional of the international climate change negotiations... Read more of this article
Clean Air Act Digest, 4.26.13
UPDATES Congress: The Senate Environmental and Public Works committee is expected to vote on the nomination of Gina McCarthy, President Obama’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, in the next couple weeks, possibly May 8. The final step in the confirmation process is a vote by the full Senate. Administration: A group of... Read more of this article
Clean Air Act Digest, 4.22.13
UPDATES Administration: Last Monday, April 15, was the legal deadline under the Clean Air Act for finalizing the landmark carbon pollution standards for new power plants that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed one year ago. A record-breaking 3.2 million Americans raised their voices in public comments in support of the proposed... Read more of this article
Clean Air Act Digest, 4.8.13
UPDATES Congress: Congress has been in recess for two weeks, reconvening this week. Senate: During the night on March 22, the US Senate voted on dozens of amendments and passed a blueprint for next year’s federal budget (S. Con. Res. 8). Senator Inhofe (R-OK) offered an amendment that he described as prohibiting further greenhouse gas regulations... Read more of this article
How Did Your Senators Vote On Climate Amendments Last Week? Hotline 3.28.13
How Did Your Senators Vote On Climate Amendments Last Week? In case you missed it: All through the night on Friday and into the wee hours of Saturday morning (March 22-23)—while many of us were sleeping—the US Senate voted on dozens of amendments and finally passed a blueprint for next year’s federal budget (S. Con. Res. 8). The... Read more of this article
Clean Air Act Digest, 3.19.13
UPDATES Congress: Budget Resolution: This week, Congress is working to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government through the end of FY2013. Current government funding expires on March 27th and if a CR isn’t passed, the government would be forced to shut down. The House has passed a CR, and the Senate is debating its own version.... Read more of this article
Clean Air Act Digest, 3.6.13
UPDATES Congress: Energy Production and Project Delivery Act of 2013 (S.17) Last week, Senator Vitter (R-LA) and Congressman Bishop (R-UT) introduced the “Energy Production and Project Delivery Act of 2013,” S. 17. This bill repackages many of the last Congress’ legislative attacks on our air, water, and lands. In particular, the bill... Read more of this article
Take Action: Tell Congress Not to Sequester, Hotline 2.22.13
Take Action: Tell Congress Not to Sequester Clean Energy and Climate Action Without Congressional action, drastic, automatic across-the-board budget cuts are due to take effect on March 1, 2013. These cuts, also known as the ‘sequester,’ were punted back from their original start date of January 1, 2013. The action earlier this year... Read more of this article
Clean Air Act Digest, 2.15.13
UPDATES Congress: On Wednesday, Senator Boxer, Chair of the Environmental and Public Works Committee, held a briefing on the latest climate science. All Senators were encouraged to attend. The briefing featured four climate scientists who presented on the latest trends and scientific evidence related to the growing impacts associated with climate... Read more of this article
Moving the Nation Forward on Climate, Hotline 2.8.2013
Moving the Nation Forward on Climate We could call 2012 the ‘Year of Climate Impacts.’ In twelve short months, the nation weathered Hurricane Sandy, overwhelming heat waves, calamitous drought, and watched the Southwest burn. As President Obama said in his second Inaugural Address, “…none can avoid... Read more of this article
Clean Air Act Digest, 2.1.13
UPDATES Administration: New Boiler, Incinerator, and Cement Standards: On January 31, 2013, the Final National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Major Sources: Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional Boilers and Process Heaters were published in the Federal Register. Finalized on December 21, 2012, these final boiler emissions... Read more of this article
Clean Air Act Digest, 1.25.13
UPDATES Congress: On January 24, 2013, U.S. Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) announced a new bicameral Task Force on Climate Change. Rep. Waxman, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, will co-chair the Task Force along with Senator Whitehouse, Chairman of the Subcommittee on... Read more of this article
Clean Air Act Digest, 1.18.13
UPDATES Congress: Fiscal Cliff Part 2: On New Year’s Day, Congress postponed the “fiscal cliff” by passing a last-minute tax bill. After years of significant spending cuts, the bill was the first to provide needed revenue to continue popular federal programs, including incentives promoting clean energy. But the final bill did... Read more of this article
Clean Air Act Digest, 12.19.12
UPDATES Congress: House: Last Wednesday, December 12, 2012, the House voted on the Asthma Inhalers Relief Act of 2012 (H.R. 6190), sponsored by Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX). This bill was designed to put back on the market a 1960’s-vintage over-the-counter product called “Primatene Mist,” which was banned at the end of last year. Primatene... Read more of this article
Deciphering the Doha Outcome, 12.10.12
Deciphering the Doha Outcome Arabs lead the first ever climate march in Qatar, calling on nations to lead in UN climate negotiations. (Photo credit: flickr.com/photos/adoptanegotiator) In a dramatic twist, the Doha climate talks came to an abrupt end a little more than 24 hours after their scheduled conclusion.... Read more of this article
Clean Air Act Digest 11.30.12
UPDATES Congress: Congressional leaders and the Administration have begun negotiations over the “fiscal cliff” – tax increases and federal budget cuts that will take effect at the beginning of January unless Congress passes legislation setting a different course. The fiscal cliff includes deep cuts to federal discretionary funding,... Read more of this article
An Uneven Playing Field In the Face of Superstorms, Hotline 11.1.12
An Uneven Playing Field In the Face of Superstorms As Hurricane Sandy headed to the East Coast, a group of activists with 350.org, a global climate campaign, unfurled a giant parachute banner with the words “End Climate Silence.” For more info, visit 350.org. (Photo credit: flickr.com/photos/350org) By... Read more of this article
Clean Air Act Digest, 10.12.12
UPDATES Congress: Congress is currently out of session, but will reconvene after the November elections for a “lame duck” session starting on November 13. House of Representatives: Before Congress left, the House passed the “Stop the War on Coal Act” (H.R. 3409). This bill bundled a number of anti-environmental bills; it would eliminate... Read more of this article
Clean Air Act Digest, 9.20.12
UPDATES Congress: Congress will recess at the end of this week, reconvening after the November elections for a “lame duck” session starting on November 13. House of Representatives: Making yet another attack on the environment prior to recessing for the elections, the House leadership has bundled a number of anti-environmental bills into... Read more of this article
