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Fwd: Our health and climate are on the line!
by Duane Nichols via MVCAC 26 Sep '16

26 Sep '16

> From: Clean Air Council <members(a)cleanair.org> > Date: September 26, 2016 at 11:14:59 AM EDT > To: duane330(a)aol.com > Subject: Our health and climate are on the line! > Reply-To: eroben(a)cleanair.org > > > > Dear MonValley Clean Air Coalition, > > In 2014, the U.S. oil and gas industry leaked 9.8 million metric tons of the greenhouse gas methane into our air. That's the climate equivalent of running almost 225 coal-fired power plants for a year. What's more, everywhere methane leaks it is accompanied by other toxic air pollutants that threaten the health of those who live nearby. > > Last May, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized standards that will reduce air pollution leaks from new oil and gas facilities. But the air pollution leaks from the 1,193,118 existing oil and gas facilities continue unchecked. > > As the oil and gas industry has expanded across our country, regulations have lagged. And while industry is making a profit, our health and climate are suffering the impacts of a severely under-regulated industry. > > When our health and climate are on the line, we have to demand bold action from our nation's leaders. Write to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and tell her we need to stop these dangerous leaks now! > > > Sincerely, > > > > Joseph Otis Minott, Esq. > > Executive Director > > PHILADELPHIA > > 135 S. 19th Street > Suite 300 > Philadelphia, PA 19103 > P: (215) 567-4004 > F: (215) 567-5791 > HARRISBURG > > 107 N. Front Street > Suite 113 > Harrisburg, PA 17101 > P: (717) 230-8806 > F: (717) 230-8808 > WILMINGTON > > 100 W. 10th Street > Suite 607 > Wilmington, DE 19801 > P: (302) 691-0112 > Unsubscribe > >

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Sept. 24 - Citizen Science Gathering in Morgantown
by Jonathan Rosenbaum via MVCAC 14 Sep '16

14 Sep '16

The following was sent to you because you are a Member of the DEP News List mailing list. ============================================================ Wednesday, September 14, 2016 @ 2:11 PM ============================================================ Sept. 14, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Reminder: Registrations Still Being Accepted for Sept. 24 Citizen Science Gathering MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – It’s not too late to sign up to attend the Sept. 24 Citizen Science Gathering in Morgantown. Registrations for the event will be taken through Sunday, Sept. 18. The event was organized by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Environmental Advocate’s Office, in conjunction with West Virginia University, Trout Unlimited, and several other groups. The gathering will be at the WVU College of Law from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will include presentations and roundtable discussions about the applications of citizen science. Citizen science, or “citsci,” involves the collection of environmental data by concerned citizens. This data can sometimes be used to shape environmental policy, but often there is confusion on the part of the citizens about best practices for collection and presentation of that data. The purpose of this gathering is to help eliminate some of that confusion. Renowned coal mine safety expert Davitt McAteer will speak on the legal applications of citizen science, and there will be presentations from WVU’s Michael McCawley, Gretchen Gehrke of PublicLab.org, and Ryan Grode of the Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project. The registration fee is $20. To sign up, or to obtain more information, email Diana Smith atdiana.k.smith(a)wv.gov by the end of the day on the 18th. You can also leave a phone message for Diana at 304-926-0499, ext. 1329. For more DEP news and information, go to www.dep.wv.gov. Also, be sure to connect with the agency on all social media platforms. Follow @DEPWV on Twitter and find us on YouTube by searching “Environment Matters.” For specific information about our REAP (Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan), West Virginia Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), West Virginia Watershed Improvement Branch, Youth Environmental Program and Human Resources initiatives, connect on Facebook. ###

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by Annuity Rate Quotes 14 Aug '16

14 Aug '16

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SNL: EPA lays out road ahead for states to address particulate matter
by Duane 09 Aug '16

09 Aug '16

https://www.snl.com/web/client?auth=inherit#news/article?id=37292672&KeyPro… ### --- EPA lays out road ahead for states to address particulate matter --- ### The U.S. EPA issued a final rule for states to use in creating their plans to address particulate matter pollution, including new due dates for attainment and plan submissions and information on how to demonstrate compliance. The July 29 publication addresses current and future National Ambient Air Quality Standards for fine particulate matter, which sets limits on emissions of that pollutant. Particulate matter can be emitted directly from a source, such as unpaved roads or construction sites, which the EPA regulates through the primary NAAQS for the pollutant, but can also be formed in the air due to a chemical reaction after certain pollutants are emitted from sources such as power plants. The EPA regulates this particulate matter as the secondary standard, referring to the chemicals necessary for the reaction as "precursors." Power plants are among the leading sources of the precursor pollutants. Also on July 29, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a decision related to the issues addressed in the rule, but the EPA confirmed in an Aug. 2 email that the decision and the rule release will have no impact on each other. The D.C. Circuit in 2013 remanded the EPA's NAAQS for particulate matter back to the agency, finding that the standards were set under an incorrect section of the Clean Air Act. The EPA responded by issuing the PM2.5 Deadline and Classification Rule in April 2014 under the correct section of the act, which was the underlying rule at issue in the July 29 court decision, the agency said. The final rule issued the same day also responds to the remand by finalizing planning requirements for states with areas that do not meet the 1997 and 2006 particulate matter standards, as well as for the 2012 standards. The agency said states that do not meet the standards addressed in the new rule will now have to develop plans, and the new rule offers guidance on how to demonstrate compliance. Those plans must be completed within 18 months of being designated as out of attainment with the NAAQS consistent with the corrected Clean Air Act section. The new guidance applies to current areas deemed nonattainment and future regions that receive such a designation. The final rule selects the precursor pollutants — sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and ammonia — which will need to be controlled in most circumstances. But the rule also gives states a chance to demonstrate that a particular pollutant is not contributing to the exceedance of particulate matter pollution in a given nonattainment area. There are two classes of attainment designations, moderate and serious, and the EPA has now clarified the process of reclassifying areas from moderate to serious. The agency is revoking the original 1997 primary standard for areas designated as attainment because the agency revised that standard in 2012. The particulate matter NAAQS were reviewed and revised in 2006 and most recently in 2012. Finally, the rule addresses new source review permitting, defining major sources and major stationary sources of particulate matter precursor pollutants and designating significant emissions rates of these precursors that would apply for modifications of existing major stationary sources. See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Take Action |Mon Valley Needs Clean Air
by Duane Nichols 01 Jul '16

01 Jul '16

http://org.salsalabs.com/o/2155/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=195… We Need a Proactive Plan for Clean Air in the Mon Valley U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works looms over 37,000 people who have to live with constant health problems due to dangerous coke oven emissions, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified as a carcinogen. Recently the Health Department announced a consent agreement with U.S. Steel to attempt to resolve the 6,700 violations Clairton has incurred over three and a half years. Sadly, this is just the latest in a series of consent agreements dating back to 2007 that have failed to bring the plant in compliance with the law. Sign the Petition and tell the Health Department we need immediate and proactive leadership to clean up Clairton.

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30 May '16

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Clean Power Plan set for DC District Court on September 27th
by Duane 17 May '16

17 May '16

Full Appeals Court to Hear President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan From an Article by Casey Junkins, May 17, 2016, The Wheeling Intelligencer WASHINGTON (AP) - The full appeals court in Washington will hear arguments in the legal fight over President Barack Obama's plan to curtail greenhouse gas emissions, potentially accelerating the case's path to the Supreme Court. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued an order Monday scheduling oral arguments on the legality of the Clean Power Plan for September 27. A three-judge panel had been scheduled to hear the case June 2, but whichever side lost was considered likely to seek a review by the full appeals court. By using its discretion to skip a step, the appeals judges are potentially shaving months off the time before the case could be heard by the high court. About two dozen mostly GOP-led states sued the Environmental Protection Agency over the new carbon-cutting regulations, which aim to slow climate change by reducing power-plant emissions by one-third by 2030. More than 100 conservative advocacy groups, electric utilities and coal mining companies have also filed suit. If the Clean Power Plan were to be struck down in court, it would become more difficult for the United States to meet its goals for cutting carbon emissions under the landmark international climate treaty signed in Paris at the end of last year. The U.S. is the world's largest emitter of harmful greenhouse gases. Of the 11 active judges on the DC Circuit, Chief Judge Merrick Garland and Judge Cornelia Pillard recused themselves from hearing arguments on the Clean Power Plan. Garland, who is Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court seat vacated by the February death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, has been recusing himself from active cases. The court's order gave no explanation for Pillard's recusal. Even without them, the court's makeup could favor Obama. Of the nine remaining judges, five were appointed by Democratic presidents. Environmental groups cheered the court's move. "The court's order may well speed up final resolution of the case," said David Doniger, director of the Climate and Clean Air Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "We look forward to our day in court - and remain confident that the Clean Power Plan will prevail over efforts by polluters and their allies to block climate action." The Supreme Court voted 5-4 earlier this year to delay implementation of the plan until the legal challenges are resolved, but that vote was taken prior to Scalia's death. Republicans leaders in the U.S. Senate have promised not to vote on Garland's nomination until after a new president is elected in November, leaving the Supreme Court split 4-4 between conservatives and the more moderate and liberal justices. If a ninth justice is not appointed before the high court takes up the Clean Power Plan, then the appeals court's decision would stand in the event of a tie. Opponents of the plan reiterated Monday that the outcome of the case is still far from certain. They have portrayed the Obama Administration's move to use the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon emissions as an illegal power grab. "So much about the Clean Power Plan has defied precedent," said Scott Segal, a lawyer representing the pro-coal Electric Reliability Coordinating Council. "When it comes to the Clean Power Plan, it is best to expect the unexpected." See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Group Documenting Marcellus Gas Well Leaks / Public News Service
by Duane 16 May '16

16 May '16

http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2016-05-16/climate-change-air-quality/grou… Group Documenting Marcellus Gas Well Leaks By Dan Heyman, WV Public News Service, May 16, 2016 Charleston, WV -- Armed with a specialized thermal imaging camera, a group is traveling in the West Virginia Marcellus fields this week documenting natural gas leaks and pollution. Nadia Steinzor, eastern program coordinator for Earthworks, says the environmental group bought a forward looking infrared camera (FLIR) because most gas industry leaks of methane and volatile organic compounds can't be seen with the naked eye. Steinzor says people who live down wind of leaks have a tough time getting their health issues taken seriously. "The same complaints all across the country of headaches, nausea, dizziness – and yet they've been dismissed as just anecdotal information,” she points out. “We purchased this camera in order to make invisible pollution visible." Oil and gas drillers defend their industry as much cleaner than many other kinds of energy production, and say reports of air pollution are often exaggerated. Steinzor says residents interested in having facilities near them examined can get in touch with the team via the invisible air pollution page at earthworksaction.org. Last week the Obama administration finalized the first ever rules on oil and gas industry methane leaks. The regulations aim to reduce those emissions by more than 40 percent over the next decade. Steinzor says the drilling companies will be pushed into doing a better job of dealing with the kind of leaks Earthworks is documenting. "That final rule is going to go a long way toward requiring operators to do leak detection and repair,” she stresses. “They are themselves going to have to go out and inspect their own operations and then take action." Criticism of the new methane rules has been muted. Steinzor says that's probably because estimates from the EPA and others say the regulations will end up saving the industry more money than they cost. See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Lobbying Continues Unabated on EPA's Clean Power Plan
by Duane 14 May '16

14 May '16

EPA to issue carbon-trading guidance this summer The Environmental Protection Agency intends to issue guidance to states looking to trade emissions credits under the Clean Power Plan, even as the rule is on hold pending court action. Separately, congressional lobbying on the CPP continued in the first quarter, with more than 130 organizations disclosing such activity. http://www.bna.com/lobbying-continues-unabated-n57982070620/ Lobbying Continues Unabated on EPA's Clean Power Plan By Anthony Adragna, Bloomberg BNA, May 3, 2016 Near-impossible odds of legislative success and upcoming oral arguments in federal appeals court haven't deterred entities from continuing aggressive lobbying of Congress on the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan. More than 130 entities reported lobbying on the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's domestic efforts on climate change during the first quarter of 2016, according to disclosures reviewed by Bloomberg BNA. That number is virtually unchanged from a year ago when efforts to stop the regulation were at a near-fever pitch in Congress. Lawmakers have previously passed legislation and resolutions of disapproval to overturn or block the regulation, but support was always well below the levels needed to override the stroke of Obama's veto pen. Despite that reality, many of the entities reported lobbying Congress on those same efforts during the first quarter of 2016. The continued lobbying doesn't surprise academics and other outside experts. “This is hardly surprising,” Lee Drutman, a senior fellow with New America, told Bloomberg BNA May 3. “The passage of legislation is just the first battle in the endless fight on almost every issue. There's always another venue, and another opportunity for lobbying, another chance to make your case. Especially when you have lots of paying corporate clients.” Diversity in Groups Represented As in previous reporting periods, the entities lobbying on the Clean Power Plan ranged from major public health organizations to large publicly traded companies to coal companies (139 ECR, 7/21/15). Among the companies lobbying on the centerpiece of the Obama administration's domestic efforts on climate change were Westrock Co., Alcoa Inc., Tesla Motors Inc., Xcel Energy Inc., Occidental Petroleum Co. and Siemens AG. Public health and environmental advocates, including the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States, all disclosed lobbying on the Clean Power Plan. Southern Co., Vectren Corp., Duke Energy Co., Calpine Corp., NorthWestern Energy Corp. and Entergy Corp. are among the energy interests that also said they pushed Congress on the regulation. Entities Lobbying on Issue Entities lobbying on the issue were identified through a search of lobbying records with the keywords “Clean Power Plan,”“111(d),” the number of the resolution of disapproval passed by Congress ( S.J. Res. 24) and two pieces of legislation (H.R. 2042; S. 1324) that would impede or outright kill the EPA's regulatory efforts under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act. After Obama vetoed both resolutions of disapproval Dec. 18, 2015, congressional aides and lawmakers said they were unlikely to try to override them. Oral arguments in a federal appeals court case challenging the regulation are slated for June 2 and possibly June 3 (West Virginia v. EPA, D.C. Cir., No. 15-1363, oral argument 6/2/16). Lobbying Interest Not Surprising Despite the shift away from Congress to the courts in the fight over the Clean Power Plan, observers said they were not surprised lobbying efforts continued. Congress remains influential in the debate surrounding the EPA rule, some said. “Whether or not litigation is the best strategy, Congress retains the ability to influence the process ... so it makes sense that industry lobbyists would continue to spend time talking to them,” Lisa Gilbert, director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch, told Bloomberg BNA. “I am slightly surprised that the amount of money spent would be exactly the same, but I’d imagine they are also spending comparable resources on every potential avenue that might influence the outcome.” Jennifer Victor, a professor of legislative politics at George Mason University, told Bloomberg BNA many of the groups lobbying on the EPA rule have the primary purpose of advocacy before Congress. Others are membership-based and may feel pressure to show they are doing something, she said. “Some pretty big shift in the political landscape would be necessary for them to curtail this kind of activity,” Victor said, such as a change in administration or the end of litigation on the Clean Power Plan. See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Group Against Smog & Pollution (GASP)
by Duane Nichols 07 May '16

07 May '16

Making the Connection: Air Pollution and Brain Health Join GASP as we host Doctors Michelle Block and Jane Clougherty for our next Making the Connection event. They will speak on the effects that urban air pollution, diesel vehicle pollution, and social stressors have on brain health. The event is free and will be held Wednesday, May 11. Please click below to learn more and to register. Inspire Speakers Series Featuring Paul Hawken Paul Hawken, an environmentalist, entrepreneur, and author, comes to Pittsburgh May 19. His work includes starting ecological businesses (including some of the first natural food companies), writing about the impact of commerce on living systems, and consulting with heads of state and CEOs on economic development, industrial ecology, and environmental policy. He is the author of several best-selling books, including Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution. Mr. Hawken will be speaking on his new endeavor "Drawdown," a solutions-based approach to climate change that uses data to model how reducing atmospheric carbon benefits us all. Join him and Dr. Joylette Portlock, board member of the Allegheny County Board of Health and president of Communitopia, a Pittsburgh nonprofit focused on climate change communication. Learn more and register. CommentAiry "It remains to be seen when Pennsylvania's methane proposals will be finalized, what they will accomplish, and the degree to which operators will be held accountable for the pollution they cause." Pennsylvanians waiting for methane and VOC protection. "'...unprecedented insight into literally block-by-block air quality' in Pittsburgh." Large grant funds new air monitoring center at Carnegie Mellon University. Together, we can make a difference in our region's environment. We won't trade or sell your email address with other organizations or inundate you with messages. Visit our website at gasp-pgh.org or call us at (412) 924-0604 for more information or to become a member today. We can't do this without you! Copyright © 2016 Group Against Smog and Pollution, All rights reserved. Thanks for receiving our air news and for being engaged! Our mailing address is: Group Against Smog and Pollution 1133 South Braddock Avenue Suite 1A Edgewood, PA 15218

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