Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Hurricane Harvey demonstrated yet again the high vulnerability of the nation’s fuel production, refining, and transportation systems to catastrophic storms. Harvey struck the Gulf coast of Texas and the nation’s petrochemical epicenter with epic rainfall that forced about half of the area’s 26 refineries to shut down or run at reduced capacity. Included in the […]
An unexpected crack has appeared in the Trump administration’s friendly relationship with the coal mining industry. Specifically, the Department of Energy (DOE) has indicated that it will not grant a fervent request from Murray Energy Corporation to invoke a federal law that provides an emergency exemption from environmental laws for coal-fired power plants. A DOE […]
We hear a lot of heartbreaking stories about birds being killed by wind turbines. But it’s not just the birds. Wind turbine technician (windtech) is the fastest-growing job in the United States. However, it is certainly not without its hazards. Yesterday we discussed fall and fire hazards windtechs face. Today we will consider other hazards […]
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the fastest-growing profession in the United States is wind turbine technician. We’ll take a look at wind turbine service technicians and the hazards inherent in such “green” jobs.
The EPA has taken the middle ground in its proposed rule setting the renewable volume obligations (RVOs) or the minimum amount of renewable fuels that must be supplied to the market in 2018 under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) (Section 211 of the Clean Air Act).
Based on responses to a survey from 66 cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) reports that cities are making progress in responding to climate change, identifying innovative approaches to energy efficiency, and sharing information and results with mayors nationwide. The USCM conducted the survey jointly with the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES). […]
While receiving less attention in the news than the administration’s proposed 31 percent cut to EPA’s 2018 budget, the proposed cut of $1.8 billion (13 percent) for the Department of Interior (DOI) significantly restructures DOI’s top priorities. In testimony before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke made it clear that the […]
Congress is discussing a bill that would allow the year-round retail sale of E15 (an 85 percent gasoline/15 percent ethanol blend). Introduced in the Senate by Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (S. 517) would “expand consumer choice and eliminate confusion at the pump,” says Fischer, “by ensuring a consistently […]
Operation of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) hit a potential roadblock when a federal district judge ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) had approved the project without adequately considering the rights of the Sioux tribe living on the Standing Rock Reservation, which spans the North Dakota/South Dakota border near Lake Oahe. The pipeline […]
In his continuing effort to bring Department of the Interior (DOI) policies into step with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on U.S. energy independence, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has issued another secretarial order of his own, this one to initiate reviews of federal and state plans affecting conservation of the greater sage-grouse.