General
EPA chief will focus on ocean trash, not climate change, at upcoming global summit Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis, The Washington Post
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in an interview Monday that he will emphasize the importance of curbing marine debris during an upcoming summit with his Group of 20 counterparts in Japan, rather than seeking new action on climate change.
Mining project puts Interior secretary’s ethics pledge to test Ben Lefebvre, Politico
The Mid-Continent quarry has sat for decades in the hills of western Colorado, where kayakers paddle the Roaring Fork River and tourists soak in the natural hot springs. But now a proposed expansion of the 16-acre limestone mine has kicked off a battle that stretches to the office of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, whose former employer is lobbying for the project.
EPA issues guidance critics say would limit state’s authorities over pipeline projects Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a guidance Friday that critics say seeks to limit states’ influence over controversial pipeline projects. Federal law through the Clean Water Act essentially gives states veto power over large projects that cut through their rivers and streams if they believe those projects would negatively impact their water quality.
Virginia Pipeline Projects Could Drive Voters to the Polls Andrew M. Ballard, Bloomberg BNA
Control of legislatures is politically vital in states like Virginia, where it is central to redrawing voting district maps after the 2020 census. Primaries for legislative seats in the Commonwealth are set to be held June 11.
Nature Conservancy’s Caribbean program chief to exit after probe Zack Colman, Politico
The executive director of The Nature Conservancy’s Florida-based Caribbean chapter became the latest executive of the giant environmental group to depart, in a sign that complaints about a toxic workplace culture have stretched far beyond its D.C.-area headquarters.
Oil edges above $62 as OPEC cuts counter growth concerns Alex Lawler, Reuters
Oil edged further above $62 a barrel on Tuesday as firmer equities and expectations OPEC and its allies will keep withholding supply countered concern about slowing economies and demand.
Oil and Natural Gas
Commodities trader Trafigura posts sharp rise in first-half profit Julia Payne, Reuters
Commodities trader Trafigura posted a net profit of $425.7 million for the first half of its financial year, up 92 percent from $221.8 million in the same period the year before, the company said on Tuesday.
Supreme Court rules against oil drilling platform workers Jessica Gresko, The Associated Press
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday against workers on oil drilling platforms off California who argued they should be paid for the off-work time they spend on the platform, including sleeping.
As Biden tours Iowa, farmers want to know where he stands on ethanol Jarrett Renshaw, Reuters
The former U.S. vice president has pledged support for advanced biofuels as part of his bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. But Biden, who leads the crowded Democratic field in opinion polls in Iowa and nationally, faces lingering questions in the U.S. Farm Belt over his push in 2014 as President Barack Obama’s No. 2 to slash the amount of corn-based ethanol that refiners must blend into the country’s fuel supply.
US EPA readies proposal for 2020-21 biofuel mandate Meghan Gordon, S&P Global Platts
The US Environmental Protection Agency is close to releasing its proposal for how much biofuel refiners must blend into the US transportation fuel supply next year, a spokesman said Monday.
U.S. refiner group sues Trump EPA over high-ethanol gasoline Richard Valdmanis, Reuters
The legal challenge from the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) association escalated a battle between the oil and corn industries over the nation’s biofuel policy, which requires refiners to blend biofuels like corn-based ethanol into their gasoline, often at great expense.
US ramps up prohibitions on Venezuelan petroleum trade, holds off secondary sanctions Brian Scheid, S&P Global Platts
Trump administration officials are still considering secondary sanctions to push the Maduro regime out of power in Venezuela, though analysts said Monday that there may be little reason to impose them.
The Great LNG Debate: A growing industry faces stiff, organized opposition in the Rio Grande Valley Sergio Chapa, Houston Chronicle
The Gundersons and their neighbors are part of the fierce opposition to proposed LNG plants that are dividing residents of the impoverished border region along the familiar lines of growth versus quality of life, jobs versus the environment and change versus preservation.
Utilities and Infrastructure
Keystone XL pipeline no closer to construction despite Montana court win Meghan Gordon, S&P Global Platts
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed a Montana judge’s injunction Friday that had blocked most preparatory work since November.
Renewables
Electric Truck Company Workhorse Gets Needed Cash Infusion Matthew Goldstein, The New York Times
Workhorse, the electric truck maker involved in a proposed deal to acquire an idled General Motors factory in Ohio, said Monday that it had raised $25 million from investors.
US wind energy industry is booming, but tariffs pose a threat Kate Rogers, CNBC
The American Wind Energy Association’s U.S. Wind Industry Annual Report found that by the end of 2018, the sector supported 114,000 full-time-equivalent jobs directly associated with wind energy project planning, development, construction, manufacturing, supply chain and operations. Some 8,500 jobs were added in 2018 — an increase of 8%.
As Rooftop Solar Grows, What Should the Future of Net Metering Look Like? Dan Gearino, InsideClimate News
Like solar installers across much of America, Mark Hagerty is adapting to drastic changes in the economics of his business. His state, Michigan, is one of many that are cutting the rates rooftop solar owners receive for selling excess power to the grid.
Coal
Federal judge approves sale of Kemmerer coal mine Nick Reynolds, Casper Star Tribune
In an order filed last week in the Southern District of Texas, Judge David R. Jones granted the sale of Kemmerer mine to a group of secured lenders, a significant development for the mine and a community that has grappled with its future since the mine’s owner — Westmoreland Coal — declared bankruptcy in October.
U.S. senators target $1 billion a year coal subsidy, ask IRS for test results Tim McLaughlin, Reuters
Three U.S. senators on Monday urged the Internal Revenue Service to crack down on a $1 billion-a-year subsidy for burning chemically treated refined coal, after a new study showed some power plants using the fuel produced surging amounts of mercury and smog instead of cutting pollution.
How much credit can Beyond Coal claim for plant closures? Benjamin Storrow, E&E News
In 2011, when the Sierra Club and then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched the Beyond Coal campaign, coal accounted for 42% of America’s power generation. Today, that figure is closer to 25%.
Nuclear
Murphy’s clean energy goals include nuclear in long-awaited master plan Scott Fallon, North Jersey Record
The 108-page draft report lays out an ambitious plan to convert New Jersey’s electricity production to 100 percent clean energy by 2050.
Climate
More U.S. businesses making changes in response to climate concerns Steven Mufson, The Washington Post
Last week, Lindblad said it would offset 100 percent of its carbon footprint by investing in projects that will reduce emissions elsewhere. The carbon offsets, or carbon credits, will include solar projects in Mexico and India, wind power in Vietnam, reforestation efforts in Peru and Zimbabwe, and a cookstove project in Rwanda.
Near-record ‘dead zone’ forecast off U.S. Gulf coast, threatening fish Rich McKay, Reuters
A near record-sized “dead zone” of oxygen-starved water could form in the Gulf of Mexico this summer, threatening its huge stocks of marine life, researchers said.
How Dengue, a Deadly Mosquito-Borne Disease, Could Spread in a Warming World Kendra Pierre-Louis and Nadja Popovich, The New York Times
Climate change is poised to increase the spread of dengue fever, which is common in parts of the world with warmer climates like Brazil and India, a new study warns.
A TV meteorologist objected to management’s ‘code red’ orders. Now he might be out of a job. Matthew Cappucci, The Washington Post
Crain criticized his station’s initiative to implement “code red” days in their forecasts. Meteorologists at his station and other affiliates also owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group are encouraged to declare code red or weather alert days.
California taps clean air money to pay for drinking water Adam Beam, The Associated Press
To pay for it, the state would tap a fund dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a move that alarmed some environmental activists who say its set up an unfair choice between clean air and water.
Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives
Trump Strikes Gold in Proposed Fix to America’s Broken Mineral Mining Process Matthew Kandrach, Morning Consult
With America’s reliance on imported minerals rising rapidly, the last thing we need is a trend that makes them rise even faster than they should. Yet that is what is happening in the production of weapons systems and commercial products such as cellphones and flat-screen televisions: U.S. dependence on foreign countries for strategically important minerals has doubled in the past two decades.
Research Reports
U.S. Climate Change Litigation in the Age of Trump: Year Two Dena P. Adler, Columbia Law School
More than two and a half years into the Trump Administration, no climate change related regulatory rollback brought before the courts has yet survived legal challenge. Nevertheless, climate change is one arena where the Trump Administration’s regulatory rollbacks have been both visible and real.
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