Obama Denies Permit for Keystone XL Pipeline After Republican Strong Arming Attempt Fails

The Obama administration has denied TransCanada’s application for a permit to complete the hotly contested Keystone XL pipeline.

Photo courtesy of priceofoil.org.

The move came after Republicans tried to force a rapid decision on the pipeline through creating an arbitrary early deadline on the issue by attaching it to a temporary payroll tax cut measure.

President Barack Obama gave a statement saying, “As the state department made clear last month, the rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted by the Congressional Republicans prevented a full assessment of the pipeline’s impact, especially the health and safety of the American people, as well as our environment.

“As a result, the secretary of state has recommended that the application be denied. After reviewing the state department’s report. I agree.”

 The president went on to say that, “This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the state department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people. I’m disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision.”

Among the controversies plaguing the project in recent months were concerns in Nebraska about the pipeline going through the state’s ecologically valuable Sand Hills, which include a high concentration of wetlands and an extensive area of very shallow groundwater.

The state department agreed that it needed to take more time to review potential alternative routes through Nebraska.

The state department added that – on the whole – based on its own experience with pipeline reviews and the time typically required for environmental reviews, a decision on the pipeline would be expected no later than the first quarter of 2013. This appeared to be too long for Republicans to wait.

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Federal/Private Sector Pooling Together Nearly $4 Billion For Energy Upgrades To Buildings

The Obama administration has just set a plan to partner with private industry to provide energy upgrades for buildings nationwide.

Graphic courtesy of Columbia Law School.

Nearly $4 billion in combined federal and private financing will go toward the initiative over the next two years. The investment will include a $2 billion federal commitment to make energy upgrades in federal buildings.

The energy upgrades to federal buildings are expected to be made under the government’s Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC) program. Under the program, new energy efficient equipment will be installed in those buildings at no up-front costs to the government, said the administration during the announcement of the plan.

The costs of the improvements will be paid over time with the energy savings on utility bills, added the administration.

The plan was announced at a White House press event by President Barack Obama, who was joined by former President Bill Clinton, as well as about 60 CEOs, mayors, university presidents, and labor leaders from around the country.

The private sector participation is part of the Better Buildings Challenge, which is part of the Better Buildings Initiative that was launched by the president in February 2011.

The purpose of the Better Buildings Initiative is to support job creation in the private sector through investments in upgrades in commercial and industrial buildings, with the goal of making U.S. buildings 20 percent more efficient over the next 10 years.

The members of the private sector present at this event have committed to contributing the remaining $2 billion of the $4 billion investment.

The private sector financing is expected go toward energy upgrades in facilities including hospitals, universities, community colleges, school buildings, industrial buildings, and municipal buildings.

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Refinery To Pay $12 Million In Fines For The Willful Release Of Toxins Into Louisiana’s Air

After years of spewing out toxic chemicals into Louisiana’s air, threatening the health of its employees and surrounding local residents, Pelican Refining Co. is finally being made to pay for its crimes.

Pelican’s refinery at Lake Charles, La. Photo from the U.S. EPA.

Pelican Refining pleaded guilty to clean air violations and obstruction of justice charges in federal court, and is now being sentenced to pay $12 million in felony violations.

The violations relate to the company’s crude oil and asphalt refining facility located in Lake Charles, La. Pelican signed a court document called a “joint factual statement,” where the company agreed that all of the allegations were a “true and accurate statement” of their “criminal conduct.”

Among the most glaring and specific violations of the company is the handling a damaged floating roof on one of its tanks.

The Pelican refinery stored crude oil in tanks with floating roofs that go up and down with the volume of the petroleum inside the tank. Floating roofs have seals around the perimeter. The purpose of a sealed floating roof is to prevent pollutants, including volatile organic compounds and hydrogen sulfide from escaping.

In 2005 and 2006, the Pelican refinery processed sour crude that had high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide.

Hydrogen sulfide is a highly toxic and flammable gas inherent to sour crude. It is colorless, but has the smell of rotten eggs at low concentrations. At higher concentrations, it paralyzes the sense of smell, so that its odor is no longer perceived.

At very high concentrations, it paralyzes the respiratory center of the brain so that the exposed individual stops breathing, losses consciousness, and dies unless removed from exposure and resuscitated.

“Nearby residents complained to Pelican Refining Co. and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) about odors emanating from the Pelican Refinery,” according to court documentation.

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New York City Implementing New Green Technologies to Reduce Waterway Pollution

As part of New York City’s ongoing efforts to clean up the pollution in its surrounding waters, NY Waterway has decided to revamp nine of its ferries with new engines and catalysts designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the environment.

Photo courtesy of wirednewyork.com.

Part of the financing for this project will include $2.5 million in funding secured from a grant by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) and a $900,000 contribution from the NY Waterway.

NY Waterway has also already converted the fleet to use 100 percent ultra-low sulfur diesel.

“The city has set a high standard with a cleaner retrofit for Staten Island ferry boats and equipping private fleets with this technology now brings a new standard to the industry in New York,” said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan in a statement.

NY Waterway estimates that it carries about 35,000 passengers per day on 31 boats serving New Jersey, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Rockland, Westchester, Orange, and Dutchess County.

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Small City Receives Big Grant For Drinking Water System Renovation Upgrade

As local water infrastructures age around the country, more and more financing options are becoming available to cities from both the state and federal level for renovations.

Image courtesy of theatlanticcities.com.

The city of Russell, Kan. - with a population of about 4,300 people - has just received a $388,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the renovation of its drinking water system.

The purpose of the project is to replace old, deteriorated cast iron pipes with new plastic ones. “This will eliminate numerous leaks that have occurred in the past 20 years. Such leaks can cause low water pressure and introduce contaminants to the water, which is a potential risk to public health,” said the EPA.

The construction will include two sizes of waterline pipes (six-inch, stretching 5,400 feet, and eight-inch, stretching 4,500 feet), as well as water valves, and fire hydrants.

The EPA grant will only partially cover the construction project, which it’s estimated will cost about $843,500 to complete. The project is expected to be completed by the fall of 2012.

In 2005, the U.S. Conference of Mayors sent out a survey concerning water infrastructure investments, which was responded to by 414 cities. The survey results confirmed that rehabilitating aging water infrastructure was a top priority among the responding cities.

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