GAO Report Advises Federal Role to Manage e-Waste Exports

Environmental Leader - A growing number of states have enacted electronics recycling laws to address the lack of a national approach, raising concerns about a patchwork of state requirements, according to a new federal study from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Currently, 23 states have enacted some form of electronics recycling legislation.

The study reveals that one of the biggest issues that still need to be addressed is the export of electronic waste (e-waste). GAO says a greater federal regulatory role over exports could address the authority limitations of the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and states to regulate exports, and should be part of any approach, whether it’s state-by-state or at a national level, for managing used electronics.

The GAO report, “Electronic Waste: Considerations for Promoting Environmentally Sound Reuse and Recycling,” finds that the EPA’s efforts to manage used electronics focuses on enforcing its rule for the recycling and exporting of cathode-ray tubes (CRT), which contain significant quantities of lead, and several partnership programs that encourage voluntary efforts among manufacturers and other stakeholders.

The study also finds that the EPA’s partnership programs are limited.

Manufacturers Wrestle With Chemicals Regulation

IndustryWeek (Katz) - Producers worry that changes to existing rules will put the industry at a competitive disadvantage...Proposed changes to a decades-old federal toxic substances law has the U.S. chemicals industry concerned that the proposed reforms could stifle innovation and move production offshore. Any changes to existing regulations also could have a far-reaching impact throughout manufacturing supply chains. At issue are proposed reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. Representatives Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) introduced HR 5820, known as the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010, on July 22. The bill would strengthen the federal government's authority over chemical substances in the marketplace by increasing chemicals manufacturers' reporting requirements to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Efforts to Block EPA's Greenhouse Gas Regulations Back in Play

ClimateWire (Schor) - Over the past two years, cap-and-trade advocates used the threat of U.S. EPA climate regulations as a key driver in the push for climate legislation on Capitol Hill. Now, Democratic leaders face the challenge of renewed bipartisan interest in handcuffing EPA before it takes action....Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to allow a vote this year on a corresponding two-year EPA postponement proposed by Boucher's fellow coal-state Democrat, Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia. That decision was made to help dissuade senators from backing last month's broader plan to revoke EPA's "endangerment finding" on carbon emissions, according to a Senate Democratic aide (Greenwire, June 10).

EPA rejects challenge to climate rules
Politico (Samuelsohn) - The Environmental Protection Agency Thursday rejected an effort to keep it from regulating greenhouse gas emissions, saying that e-mails released in last fall’s “Climategate” scandal gave it no reason to reconsider the science of global warming. In a sternly written opinion, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said she didn’t agree with requests from the GOP attorneys general from Texas and Virginia, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other conservative groups that questioned the underlying science linking humans to global warming and also warned of the potential economic burdens from new climate rules.

Energy Star Helps Auto Plants Improve Energy Efficiency

EPA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program has helped improve the energy efficiency of the auto manufacturing industry, which has cut fossil fuel use by 12 percent and reduced greenhouse gases by more than 700,000 tons of carbon dioxide, according to a recent report by the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University.  The emissions reductions, which help to fight climate change, equal the emissions from the electricity use of more than 80,000 homes for a year.

The report, Assessing Improvement in the Energy Efficiency of U.S. Auto Assembly Plants, affirms EPA’s energy management strategy, particularly the importance of performance measurement and recognition for top performance. The report also demonstrates that the gap between top performing plants and others has closed and the performance of the industry as a whole has improved. Read the report: http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/institute/Duke_EE_WP_10-01.pdf

Obama Seeks 2025 Vehicle Fuel Standards, Rules for Heavy Trucks

Green Biz - A month after the federal government finalized fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards for passenger and light-duty vehicles, President Barack Obama announced plans to set 2025 rules and create first-ever standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The president said Friday the moves are aimed at halving fuel use and greenhouse gas pollution over the next 20 years. The memorandum signed today also targets alternative fuel infrastructure development to support plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.

The new rules finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would raise fuel economy for the passenger and light-duty vehicle fleet to 35.5 miles per gallon, with emissions levels of 250 grams of carbon dioxide per mile. Obama requested the EPA and NHTSA immediately begin work on a fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions standard with the state of California for model year 2014 commercial medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, with the goal of issuing a final rule by June 30, 2011. He also wants the agencies to begin working on new rules for passenger and light-duty vehicles that would go into effect for model years 2017-2025.

"The federal government was responsive to our calls for a long-range national program," Dave McCurdy, president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said in a statement. "Auto technologies require long lead-times for research and development, typically 5-10 years and more. Energy providers need time to expand availability of low-carbon fuels and their infrastructure. And introducing new technologies and fuels to consumers takes time to get up to speed. So we need to start now."

EPA Moves To Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Associated Press (Daly) - The Environmental Protection Agency moved Thursday to more tightly control air pollution from large power plants, factories and oil refineries, a step to limit emissions widely blamed for global warming...The rule would require companies to install better technology and improve energy efficiency whenever they build, or significantly modify, a plant.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said the rule applies only to large polluters such as power plants, refineries and cement production facilities that collectively are responsible for 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources in the United States. Jackson said the rule sets commonsense standards that will clean the air and protect public health, while avoiding burdensome regulations that could harm farms and small and medium-sized businesses.

An Overview of New Automotive Rules

ThomasNet News (Butcher) - New rules establish an historic national program aimed at dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving fuel economy for new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. Here we look at what the new standards mean for automakers, consumers and future passenger vehicles. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have jointly established new federal rules that set national greenhouse gas emissions standards, with the goal of significantly increasing the fuel economy of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the United States.

The final guidelines, issued by the DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the EPA, set increasingly stringent fuel economy standards under the NHTSA's Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program and greenhouse gas emission standards under the Clean Air Act for 2012 through 2016 model-year vehicles.

EPA Prepares for Regulating Industry’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions

National Association of Manufacturers (Brendle) - [T]he Environmental Protection Agency took another step toward regulating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from stationary sources under the Clean Air Act. Administrator Lisa Jackson issued a final decision on the so-called Johnson Memo, which outlines when EPA’s controls on greenhouse gas emissions will actually take effect. Although the decision states that new regulations will become effective no sooner than January 2011, EPA is clearly preparing to regulate GHG emissions from industrial facilities. According to EPA, “construction and operating permit requirements for the largest emitting facilities will begin when the first national rule controlling GHGs takes effect.” EPA further states that if “finalized as proposed,’’ the tailpipe rule for cars and trucks “would trigger these requirements in January 2011.” This is the earliest date on which vehicles complying with the new emission standards can be sold in the American market, which EPA has argued will “trigger” requirements on industrial facilities.

Nanomaterials and the Move Toward Regulation

IndustryWeek (Naidu) - Early last month, EPA proposed rules applicable to chemical companies that manufacture, process or import certain forms of nanomaterials. Specifically, multi-walled carbon nanotubes that are used as an additive/filler for polymer composites and support media for industrial catalysts would be subject to regulation. This proposed rule does not apply to all variants of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, but it does come on the heels of another proposed rule issued in late November 2009 that applied to a form of single-walled carbon nanotubes and to another form of multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

Once the new proposed rule is finalized, it would have three direct impacts on chemical companies that use multi-walled carbon nanotubes for the particular purposes designated. First, a notice would need to be provided to the agency at least ninety days before manufacturing, processing or importing the substance. This notice would have to contain, among other things, information on the total -- or reasonable estimate -- of the amount that will be manufactured, used or processed, as well as how the substance will be disposed.

Second, submitters would be required to provide test data that are in their possession or control and to describe any other data that is reasonably ascertainable. Specifically, the EPA is seeking data on lung impacts, immunotoxicity and mutagenicity, and is recommending (but not mandating) that tests be conducted in consultation with the EPA in order to facilitate the evaluation of the notice that has been submitted. Third, the proposed rule specifies the personal protective equipment workers should use when handling these substances. For those not involved in manufacturing this form of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, the EPA's requirements and recommendations in this particular instance are likely to be the forerunner of what can occur with other nanomaterials.

Energy Star Rating Said To Be Given To Wide Range Of Efficiencies

Washington Post (Fahrenthold) reports that in 2008, the most recent year for which the government has data, the Energy Star program, "instead of recognizing only high-performing products," appears to have "often" given "the same star to the first-rate and the middle-of-the-road." There is the concern that if the market is filled with Energy Star products, it could "dilute customers' confidence and weaken the pressure on manufacturers to get better." However, Energy Department and EPA officials "said it is tricky to determine when standards should be adjusted. If these become too tough too fast, they said, Energy Star products could become difficult to find." Still, "they resolved to update the criteria faster" and to test more products. Meanwhile, Energy Star "will be crucial to a nearly $300 million White House program that resembles 'Cash for Clunkers.'" Hat Tip: NAM

Help us serve you better by making EPA more open

EPA - Under President Obama's Open Government Directive, we're taking several steps to be more transparent and work with you to protect the environment. But we won't come up with all the best thinking on our own.

Until March 19, we're specifically looking for good ideas about what to put into our open government plan, how to assess the quality of our information, and prioritize what we publish. So please join the conversation on our new open government Web site.

DOE and EPA Join States to Speed Progress on U.S. Energy Efficiency

EERE News - DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on February 2 the creation of the State Energy Efficiency (SEE) Action Network. This network will help states achieve maximum cost-effective energy efficiency improvements in homes, offices, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities by 2020. Through the network, member organizations will assist states with their energy efficiency initiatives, including residential efficiency programs, financing solutions, and improved availability of energy usage information.

Led by DOE and the EPA, the SEE Action Network will provide targeted technical assistance to states in order to reach national energy goals. The network will drive energy efficiency by using a broad set of goals from the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, a public-private initiative that began in 2005 to create a sustainable commitment through the collaborative efforts of gas and electric utilities, utility regulators, and other partner organizations. Its goals range from establishing state-of-the art billing systems about consumer energy use to developing strong energy efficiency policies at the state level.

Wal-Mart, Best Buy, HP, Dell, Toshiba Establish ‘Green’ Electronics Label

Environmental Leader - Retailers Wal-Mart and Best Buy, together with electronics suppliers Dell, HP, Intel and Toshiba, have banded together to create a system to help consumers identify “green” electronics, according to a press release. Acting under the umbrella of The Sustainability Consortium, the companies are working with Arizona State University and the University of Arkansas, the same two universities that Wal-Mart is working with on its Sustainability Index. The consortium is developing sustainability standards based on lifecycle environmental and social impacts of products.

The Future of Energy Part One -- Emissions Regulation: A New Era Dawns

IndustryWeek (Alpern) - Whether by the hands of Congress or the EPA, regulations on carbon emissions loom in the near future. Here's how U.S. industry is mobilizing.

Not all corporations have the resources to create entire departments in charge of overseeing emissions regulation compliance. For some medium-sized companies that emit enough greenhouse gases to qualify for oversight, new regulations pose a significant threat. "Manufacturers are always concerned about the nature of regulation because it can fundamentally alter the way they do business," says Ethan Cohen, a senior manager in application services at Hewlett-Packard. "But on the opposite side of the coin is that altering the way you do business can often produce real benefits."

Food Processing Plants Increase Energy Efficiency, Earn EPA’s Energy Star

EPA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing the first three frozen fried potato processing plants to earn the Energy Star for superior energy performance. These plants perform in the top 25 percent for energy efficiency nationwide and, on average, use nearly 20 percent less energy when compared to similar plants across the country. Together, these plants annually save more than $10 million and prevent nearly 40,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is equal to the emissions from the yearly electricity use of 5,000 homes.

The three potato processing plants to first earn EPA’s Energy Star are J.R. Simplot Company’s Aberdeen, Idaho plant; J.R. Simplot Company’s Othelllo, Wash. plant; and ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston Inc.’s Quincy, Wash. plant.

Energy Star Energy Performance Indicators allow companies to measure their energy performance against others in the industry, while achieving breakthrough improvements in energy efficiency. More information on Energy Star for Industry

Congress Completes FY2010 Appropriations with $150.5 Billion in R&D

AAAS - As a result of congressional action on the budget, the federal research and development investment for FY 2010 is an estimated $150.5 billion, $3.5 billion (2.0%) more than FY 2009, not including American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, and $3.0 billion (2.4%) more than the President's request. Congressional action increased defense R&D by $2.5 billion over the proposed cuts in the President's request to $86.5 billion, resulting in a $783 million (0.9%) increase over FY 2009. Non-defense R&D increased by $490 million through Congressional action to $64.0 billion, resulting in a $2.7 billion (4.4%) increase over FY 2009. A summary table by agency, along with detailed agency tables are available at http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/.

New England Pilot Project Cuts Energy Costs for Massachusetts Manufacturers

Massachusetts MEP - MEP-EPA Partnership Generates 10:1 Return on Investment

The Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership today [Jan 5] released the results of a tri-state pilot project designed to cut energy costs for manufacturers. Developed as a collaborative initiative between northern New England manufacturing extension partnerships (MEPs) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the project generated a 10:1 return on its investment. As a result of the pilot project’s success, MassMEP will offer the energy-cutting program to manufacturers throughout the state.

“The energy savings achieved by companies participating in this pilot project validated the approach. By integrating the EPA energy toolkit into our MEP lean manufacturing program, we can provide a much more effective method for identifying opportunities for energy savings. This approach represents the next level in sustainable green manufacturing,” said Jack Healy, executive director of the MassMEP.

Cost concerns can deter manufacturers from implementing energy-saving changes. Small manufacturers in particular may fear that the payback period for energy efficiency investments is too long. But the MEP pilot project demonstrated that the energy-saving paybacks from its approach typically begin immediately and are attainable even for small manufacturers.

The MassMEP executive director pointed to another advantage of the initiative. It can help small and mid-size manufacturers satisfy the green supply chain requirements that many large manufacturers and retailers increasingly require of their suppliers.

EPA Plans to List ‘Chemicals of Concern’

GreenBiz - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced plans to establish a “Chemicals of Concern” list and is beginning a process that may lead to regulations requiring significant risk-reduction measures to protect human health and the environment. The agency’s actions are being undertaken under its authority of the existing Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), recognizing EPA’s “strong belief” that the 1976 law is both outdated and in need of reform.

In addition to phthalates, the chemicals EPA is addressing are short-chain chlorinated paraffins, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and perfluorinated chemicals, including PFOA. These chemicals are used in the manufacture of a wide array of products and have raised a range of health and environmental concerns.

This is the first time EPA has used TSCA’s authority to list chemicals that “may present an unreasonable risk of injury to health and the environment.” ... More information on EPA’s legislative reform principles and a fact sheet on the complete set of actions on the four chemicals can be found at http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals.

Emissions Disclosure as a Business Virtue

New York Times (Kaufman) - Boeing and other enterprises are voluntarily doing what some might fiercely resist being forced to do: submitting detailed reports on how much they emit, largely through fossil fuel consumption, to a central clearinghouse. The information flows to the Carbon Disclosure Project, a small nonprofit organization based in London that sifts through the numbers and generates snapshots by industry sectors in different nations.

By giving enterprises a road map for measuring their emissions and pointing out how they compare with their peers, experts say, the voluntary project is persuading companies to change their energy practices well before many governments step in to regulate emissions...

Rob Bernard, chief environmental strategist for Microsoft, which is helping the project make its data more accessible to the public, says the impact of the reports is growing. “With each year we are able to compare performance on greenhouse gas information with new levels of granularity,” he said. “Now we just have to hope that more people read it and care.”

In September, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it could require the nation’s biggest power plants and industrial operations to report greenhouse gas emissions as early as 2011. The United States Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers have firmly opposed such regulation, saying that it would be legally and technically burdensome, drive up fuel costs by promoting renewable sources and send job overseas.

But nations that have already pressed ahead with regulations are prodding the United States to match their efforts. The European Union has been monitoring and limiting carbon dioxide emissions from its most energy-intensive sectors since 2005 through a cap and trade program.

Republicans Mount Challenge to EPA Emissions Regs

Environmental Leader - Republican lawmakers aim to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s endangerment finding that would regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the top GOP member of the Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is leading the charge by attempting to rally support behind a joint resolution of disapproval, Reuters reports. If successful, the resolution would repeal the EPA’s endangerment finding. Murkowski said that Congress, not the EPA, has the right to determine whether greenhouse gases should be regulated.