-- NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS --
Three Pesticides Added To International Rotterdam Convention PIC
Alaska Governor Unveils Plan To Tap State's Oil & Gas Reserves
Senate Hearing On Proposed Transport & Utility MACT Rules
Senate Hearing On Gulf Spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment
Report From Blue Ribbon Panel On Geothermal Energy
United States v. Mancuso
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director said, "The agreement on listing endosulfan coupled with decisions to strengthen technical assistance and synergies taken by the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention demonstrate that increasing cooperation between the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions is yielding a rich harvest of benefits to countries by the protection of public health and the environment globally." Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) agreed earlier this year to eliminate endosulfan from production and use globally.
The decisions to list three chemicals were among 12 separate decisions adopted at the conference aimed at strengthening the globe's first line of defense for chemical safety. Amendments to the Convention bringing the three new chemicals under the Prior Informed Consent procedure will enter into force on October 24, 2011. This will raise the number of chemicals covered under the Convention to forty-three. Jim Willis, Executive Secretary said, "The addition of these three chemicals marks the second time since the Convention entered into force that Parties have expanded the Convention's list of substances covered by the Prior Informed Consent procedure. This gives countries that are considering importing hazardous chemicals the right-to-know about the risks they carry and how they can protect public health and the environment, as well as the means to protect against unwanted imports."
The conference agreed to include endosulfan as a pesticide in Annex III to the Convention as recommended by the Chemical Review Committee, a scientific expert body, at its second and sixth meetings. This marked a breakthrough, as past conferences had been unable to agree on inclusion of the pesticide in Annex III. Countries will now be provided with risk information allowing them to make informed decisions on importation of the hazardous chemical. The pesticides alachlor and aldicarb were recommended by the Chemical Review Committee at its fourth meeting. Agreement to list a fourth chemical, chrysotile asbestos, eluded the conference for the third time since it was first recommended for listing by the treaty's Chemical Review Committee in 2002. Debate over the recommended listing of chrysotile asbestos drew widespread public attention throughout a week of sometimes tense negotiations between the Convention's parties.
Peter Kenmore, Executive Secretary, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said, "The robust participation of developing countries and countries with economies in transition in the work of the Rotterdam Convention has been on display this past week, as they increasingly are taking over the responsibility to assess the risk attached to hazardous chemicals and severely hazardous pesticide formulations. The failure to find consensus on one substance does not diminish this achievement." Over 500 participants, representing more than 135 governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations attended the fifth meeting of Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention.
Access a release on the COP5 meeting (click here). Access the documents for the COP5 meeting (click here). Access complete background and details on the Rotterdam Convention website (click here). [*Toxics, *Haz]
Parnell also described his actions in recent months to reach out to President Obama, members of Congress and other U.S. governors to encourage broad cooperation on boosting energy production from all states. Commissioner Sullivan laid out for reporters the State's plan to boost development on its land and in State waters. The release indicates that he also discussed the stringent environmental protection measures in place that protect the sensitive tundra and the North Slope's wildlife populations.
According to Sullivan, "For nearly 35 years, Alaska has been one of the most critical sources of domestic energy for American citizens, via the 800-mile trans-Alaska pipeline [Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS)]. More than 15 billion barrels of oil from Alaska's North Slope have been produced for the Lower 48 since TAPS' creation. We are laying out a plan to enhance America's energy security by aggressively marketing additional state lands for development."
The release indicates that, the Central North Slope undeveloped acreage, much of which will be available for lease in the upcoming lease sale, still holds 3 to 6 billion barrels of oil and 24 to 45 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, according to Federal estimates of the region's undiscovered, technically-recoverable resources. The undiscovered resources on State land include dozens of pools of conventional oil that range in size from 50 to 150 million barrels, tens of billions of barrels of heavy and viscous oil, and potentially enormous shale oil deposits. These estimates do not include the more than 5 billion barrels of conventional oil reserves that lie under producing fields or fields that are close to being placed into production.
Karen Harbert, president and CEO of the Chamber's Institute for 21st Century Energy said, "I applaud Governor Parnell and Commissioner Sullivan for stepping up to the plate to help deliver American energy that we so clearly need. Alaska is acting to address our supply problems because the federal government has not. I hope that policymakers in Washington will take notice of the example set by Alaska's leaders by allowing more access to our oil and gas resources which will create jobs and improve our energy security."
Access the hearing website for links to all testimony, statements and a webcast (click here). [*Air]
Access the FR announcement (click here). Access the ... website and link to the complete report (click here). [*Energy/Geo]
Friday, July 1, 2011.
Industrial-Commercial-Institutional, and Small Industrial-Commercial-Institutional Steam Generating Units; Extension of Comment Period PDF | Text |
