Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 6, 2025

As the year kicks off with a very cold January weather forecast, US power grid operators and the regulators who oversee them are paying close attention to ensure that the grid failures of several past extreme winter storms dont happen again.

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Fossil Fuels Wind Power Electricity 2018 299

Legal Planet

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

However, following high gas prices in the winter of 2022-23, the CPUC permitted Southern California Gas Co. Notably, SCG has actually reversed course on its projections for gas demand between the 2022 and 2024 California Gas Reports, projecting in 2022 that gas demand in SoCal would decrease at an annual rate of 1.5

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2024 2022 2027 Natural Gas 279

Circle of Blue

NOVEMBER 15, 2022

Farther west, in southeastern Arizona, groundwater regulation appeared headed to a split decision. In Willcox basin, over 61 percent of voters rejected a proposal to regulate groundwater. The post What’s Up With Water – November 15, 2022 appeared first on Circle of Blue. Voters in Douglas basin felt differently.

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2022 Electricity Regulations Environmental Protection 264

Circle of Blue

NOVEMBER 1, 2022

Another is to regulate 25 new contaminants. The European Commission’s regulation list also includes the class of chemicals known as PFAS, or ‘forever’ chemicals. The post What’s Up With Water – November 1, 2022 appeared first on Circle of Blue. One is to tighten existing rules for 16 pollutants.

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2022 Renewable Energy 2030 Regulations 255

Circle of Blue

MARCH 1, 2022

It was filed by the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union and the Green League, who object to a 30-year groundwater pumping permit given by state regulators. The post What’s Up With Water — March 1, 2022 appeared first on Circle of Blue. That lawsuit is now headed to court.

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2022 Climate Change Air Pollution Cooling 306

Circle of Blue

JULY 26, 2022

July 26, 2022. We as the consumer have the burden of paying for a lack of regulation, mandates, and policies on water contamination.”. While federal regulation is on the way, the state of Illinois currently does not regulate PFAS in drinking water. October 11-13, 2022: Great Lakes Commission Annual Meeting – register.

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2022 Climate Change Regulations Carbon Emissions 236

Circle of Blue

DECEMBER 28, 2022

Activists call on Bolivia to regulate the mining industry’s use of mercury, which continues to pollute biodiverse watersheds, rivers, and drinking water. The Year in Water, 2022 — “Sharpening the Shark’s Teeth,” a roundup of Circle of Blue’s reporting and investigations, from climate change to public health to ecosystems.

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2022 Climate Change Regulations 2025 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 29, 2024

Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it would regulate two forms of PFAS contamination under Superfund laws reserved for “the nation’s worst hazardous waste sites.” The same suppression and disinformation kept government regulators at bay for decades.

Regulations 246

Regulations Toxic Substances Control Act Government 2006 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 15, 2022

The EPA is getting ready to finalize a critical regulation limiting emissions of smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NO X ) and soot (or particulate matter, PM 2.5 ) from new heavy-duty trucks. State regulations have strict inducements, so the degree to which EPA aligns with such parameters is important. Limits on mal-maintenance/tampering.

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Regulations 2027 Nitrogen Oxides Technology 246

Circle of Blue

DECEMBER 20, 2022

State regulators had already fined the Port of Morrow for repeated environmental violations over the mishandling of its wastewater. The post What’s Up With Water – December 20, 2022 appeared first on Circle of Blue. It’s this month only – so find out more – and make a difference at circleofblue.org.

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2022 Waste 2026 Conservation 246

Legal Planet

OCTOBER 31, 2024

This legislation mandates the removal of regulated PFAS chemicals from menstrual products. AB 2316 is a huge step in the right direction toward eliminating harmful chemicals from being consumed by children. The T.A.M.P.O.N. Act ( AB 2515 ) by Assemblymember Diane Papan is also known as “Take All Menstrual Product PFAS Out Now.”

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Law 2027 2021 2025 58

Circle of Blue

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

There is similar lack of regulation on the nitrogen-rich manure produced by contemporary animal agriculture. The EPA is again in the middle of a six-year review of drinking water regulations. The post What’s Up With Water – February 8, 2022 appeared first on Circle of Blue. The nitrate standard was not one of them.

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2022 Environmental Protection 2012 2016 246

Circle of Blue

JUNE 28, 2022

Alan Roberson is the executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, a group that represents state regulators. The post What’s Up With Water — June 28, 2022 appeared first on Circle of Blue. The warnings also test the limits of laboratory observation.

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2022 2016 Environmental Protection Regulations 245

Circle of Blue

AUGUST 9, 2022

August 9, 2022. The standards will allow Wisconsin to regulate the harmful chemicals while the state’s other attempts at rulemaking are challenged in court. . August 12, 2022: Webinar: Climate Change in the Great Lakes Basin — register. August 30, 2022: Webinar: Lake Erie Algae in the Depth of Winter — register.

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Legal Planet

MAY 23, 2023

A key finding is that regulation, which is critical for protecting public and environmental health, can encourage or impede innovation. As a result, innovative projects may require utilities and regulators to engage in new ways as they navigate unfamiliar technical, legal, and institutional territory. municipal wastewater sector.

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Regulations Technology Technology 2022 360

Circle of Blue

JUNE 21, 2022

Last month, Chile’s environmental regulator rejected the project. The post What’s Up With Water — June 21, 2022 appeared first on Circle of Blue. Reuters reports that Anglo American intends to shift to desalinated water and recycled water for mining operations at Los Bronces by 2030.

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2022 2030 Recycling Politics 246

Legal Planet

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

The argument is that the Board shouldn’t have to consider that because EPA has authority to regulate air pollution, not the Board. Moreover, in amending NEPA in 2022, Congress didn’t impose any requirement of geographical or temporal proximity; instead, it only required that effects be “reasonably foreseeable.”

Air Pollution 246

Air Pollution Pollution Control Law Regulations 246

Circle of Blue

JUNE 8, 2022

In Context: Some rural California communities have waited nearly a decade for state regulators to repair their tainted drinking-water systems, reported California Health Report last year. The post The Stream, June 8, 2022: Drought in California Weighs Heavily on Rural Communities appeared first on Circle of Blue.

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2022 Nuclear Power Climate Change 2015 245

Circle of Blue

JUNE 15, 2022

What’s Up With Water–June 14, 2022 – This week’s episode of What’s Up With Water covers how Bolivia’s gold rush is polluting rivers, a resurgence of nitrate pollution in Iowa, and the expansion of desalination in Egypt. Jane Johnston, Stream Editor. In Recent WaterNews. 53 MILLION.

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2022 2019 Recycling Regulations 246

Circle of Blue

MAY 4, 2022

Michigan’s Lack of Septic System Regulations is Causing Problems for Some of its Most Pristine Lakes Failing systems can allow contaminated water to seep through the earth into nearby bodies of water. Lester Graham, Michigan Radio – May 4, 2022. . Throughout the Great Lakes region and across the U.S., water systems are aging.

Regulations 246

Regulations 2008 Waste 2016 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

I’ve written previously about how the truck industry is fighting regulations at the state and federal level with everything they’ve got. One of the scare tactics truck manufacturers have been pushing is the old industry canard of job-killing regulations. Why would truck regulations impact jobs? Source: ERM 2022 ).

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2007 Nitrogen Oxides Regulations 2004 299

Legal Planet

APRIL 24, 2023

The SWRCB is currently using watershed-based emergency regulations under Water Code section 1058.5 For example, in August 2022, a group of water users diverted more than half of the Shasta River’s flow, in direct violation of a curtailment order, for more than a week. as its primary tool for implementing curtailments.

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2018 Regulations 2021 2020 348

Legal Planet

AUGUST 22, 2023

States and local air quality regulators have the legal authority to set particulate matter (PM), ozone, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions standards and adopt regulations for these pollutants when they are already in attainment of the national ambient air quality standards ( NAAQS ) set by the U.S.

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Regulations Ozone Air Pollution Clean Air Act 130

Legal Planet

JUNE 27, 2024

It is significant because if its huge public health benefits and because it has provided the basis for EPA regulation of greenhouse gases. Until gutted by the Supreme Court in 2022, it also provided important protection to the nation’s wetlands. If I were listing laws in order of importance, I would put the CAA on top.

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Law Clean Air Act Endangered Species Act Clean Water Act 290

PA Environment Daily

OCTOBER 12, 2024

While municipalities may have some flexibility in how they zone or regulate oil and gas operations – provided they do not exceed limitations in state or federal law – doing so in an unreasonable manner which prevents future natural gas development should render the municipality ineligible for state collected and distributed impact fees.

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Natural Gas Fossil Fuels Law 2019 109

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 19, 2022

The 2022 danger season brought disruption and death in the form of extreme heat, floods and fire weather, not to mention hurricanes. Hurricanes in 2022. For 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted a season with above normal activity on its August 4 updated forecast , calling for 14-20 named storms.

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2022 Fossil Fuels Government 2005 348

Circle of Blue

MAY 16, 2022

As the collaborative explored last week , regulators are now encouraging some water utilities to consolidate, a catch-all term that could mean small steps like sharing staff, or big changes like closing decrepit, oversized water plants in favor of buying water from a neighbor. All that excess infrastructure is expensive to maintain.

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2022 Government Regulations 2011 264

Circle of Blue

OCTOBER 26, 2022

Election 2022: Water Regulation and Spending Punctuate State and Local Ballots – Groundwater regulation, legal rights to clean water, and spending measures highlight this election cycle. Nutrient Pollution : EPA sued over lack of plan to regulate pollution from factory farms. Brett Walton, Interim Stream Editor.

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2022 Regulations 130

Legal Planet

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

Critically, AB 3233 clarifies and confirms local government authority to regulate, and even prohibit outright, oil and gas operations. He signed the package on a Los Angeles soccer field that overlooks oil wells, joined by community organizers who have led the charge for years.

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Law 2026 Regulations Government 289

Legal Planet

JULY 25, 2022

Some of the findings are not surprises: stricter regulations actually do result in improved air quality. Many people identify that discipline with cost-benefit analysis and assume that economists are opposed to regulation. By and large, the papers support the utility of regulation. Others are more surprising.

Air Pollution 246

Air Pollution Clean Air Act Law Regulations 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 22, 2022

California’s air pollution regulator, the Air Resources Board, is poised to adopt one of the most important steps that the state has ever taken to reduce exposure to air pollution and limit climate changing emissions. The ACCII regulations have several key components that make sure gasoline tailpipe pollution is greatly reduced.

Air Pollution 290

Air Pollution 2026 Nitrogen Oxides 2030 290

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is considering amendments to its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) regulation, but indicated they have no plans to address the problems caused by counter-productive subsidies for manure biomethane. California’s transportation fuel policy is knee deep in cow poop, and it’s not a good look.

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Fossil Fuels Regulations Carbon Dioxide Renewable Energy 331

PA Environment Daily

OCTOBER 25, 2024

The IFO projects another $100 million drop in revenue in calendar year 2024 fee revenue from 2022 to $170 million. So, in calendar year 2024, DEP will again have a 75% shortfall in the revenue needed to support its Oil and Gas Regulation Program. million to ensure compliance with state environmental laws and regulations.

Natural Gas 120

Natural Gas 2024 2007 Regulations 120

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 3, 2023

EV sales are high despite some manufacturers lagging Sales of new EVs in 2022 in California reached nearly 20% of new car sales despite the lackluster or non-existent ZEV offerings from some of the major automakers. With numbers like that, Alameda County is poised to be the first in state to have new EVs outnumber new gasoline cars.

Electricity 279

Electricity Regulations 2026 Air Pollution 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 10, 2023

As a handy reference for litigators, regulators, investors, and all who are affected by climate change, below is an A to Z of fossil fuel industry denial, deception and delay tactics. It’s déjà vu all over again in 2023, with BP rolling back its climate pledges after record-breaking 2022 profits since Russia’s unjust war on Ukraine.

Fossil Fuels 363

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Carbon Dioxide Renewable Energy 363

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 10, 2024

Biodiesel and renewable diesel are mostly made from vegetable oil Biodiesel and renewable diesel are made from the same starting materials, are both blended into diesel fuel, and are supported by the same regulations. The chart above shows the oils and fats used to make biodiesel and renewable diesel in 2022. percent in 2022.

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Biofuels 2016 2022 Deforestation 358

Circle of Blue

JULY 14, 2022

The largest saline lake in the western hemisphere, the Great Salt Lake dropped to a record low in 2022 as a result of a hot drought that increased evaporation and decreased water flows. By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue – July 14, 2022. Activists in Arizona are gathering signatures to put groundwater regulation on the ballot.

Atmosphere 352

Atmosphere Regulations Politics Electricity 352