US EPA sends biofuel-blending volume proposal to White House for review
NEW YORK -The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has sent a proposed rule to the White House for review on the amount of biofuels that oil refiners must blend into their fuel beginning in 2026.
Under the Renewable Fuel Standard, oil refiners must blend billions of gallons of biofuels into their fuel or buy tradable credits from those that do.
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The Hill
10 hours ago
- The Hill
As nations abandon climate goals, cities are more important than ever
A series of recent actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to roll back environmental regulations includes plans to eliminate all limits on greenhouse gases from coal and gas-fired power plants and to rescind the 2009 finding that planet-heating gases, like carbon dioxide, pose a real threat to human health. These rollbacks also come on the heels of recent proposals from the European Union, Australia and Canada to relax rules related to emissions and environmental protections. The overwhelming international scientific consensus is that if we are to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030 and reach net-zero around 2050. Unfortunately, current commitments from the international community through the Paris Agreement fall far short of reaching those goals. Despite the grim reality of weakened national ambition, cities continue to lead with bold and transformative climate action. Global cities are increasingly working collaboratively toward achieving carbon neutrality through innovative solutions and policy approaches that are replicable and scalable worldwide. Some have even set their sights on becoming climate-positive by removing carbon from the atmosphere to undo past emissions. New York City, which has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent within the next 25 years, is one such example. It has developed a number of innovative approaches to reducing emissions, including offering a range of resources to help commercial and large-scale residential buildings with energy retrofits, expanding low-carbon transportation options and cutting emissions from all foods served in city-operated premises. At the same time, the Big Apple has invested over $20 billion to adapt neighborhoods to climate change risks such as flooding, heat, and sea-level rise. The City of Helsinki in Finland has announced its goals to be carbon neutral by 2030, zero carbon by 2040, and thereafter, carbon negative. It is working to achieve this by reducing embodied carbon in buildings by setting limits on the amount of carbon emitted by buildings over their entire lifecycle, including from the production and transportation of the building materials. Construction companies are working to stay under the limit by combining a range of solutions, including changes in the choice of materials, heating solutions and building operations, and repurposing and reusing building elements. Among other innovations, Helsinki's energy company Helen closed its last coal-burning plant in 2025 and is cutting emissions in Helsinki by 30 percent compared to 2024. Helen is also building one of the country's largest underground heat storage facilities in former oil storage caves. The facility is projected to reduce Helen's carbon dioxide emissions by 21,000 tons annually. In the Netherlands, Amsterdam's goal is to achieve a 60 percent reduction in emissions by 2030, and a 95 percent reduction by 2050. The city's Climate Neutral Program focuses on reducing carbon dioxide released within the city of Amsterdam by phasing out the use of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal and structurally transitioning to cleaner energy such as geothermal and solar. The city is also providing grants, loans and free advice to its citizens to help accelerate the energy transition and phase out the use of natural gas in homes. Vancouver, Canada, is another city taking the lead, reducing carbon pollution by 50 percent by 2030 and taking proactive action to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change. Its Climate Emergency Action Plan identifies a suite of actions focused on land-use planning, transportation and buildings. These actions collectively position Vancouver to reach three targets to cut carbon pollution from trips taken within the city: 90 percent of residents being within an easy walk, bike or roll of their daily needs, two-thirds of all trips being by active transportation or transit and 50 percent of all kilometers driven in Vancouver by electric vehicles. Two targets aim to cut carbon pollution from buildings in half from what it was in 2007 and to reduce embodied emissions from new buildings and construction projects by 40 percent compared to 2018. The Climate Change Adaptation Strategy provides a roadmap for addressing the top five climate change-related hazards that Vancouver faces. Sydney, Australia, has three long-standing business partnership programs. Through the Better Buildings Partnership, the city collaborates with property owners representing 55 percent of its office space. The partnership members have reduced emissions intensity by 95 percent. The CitySwitch program supports office-based businesses on their net-zero journey, and 80 percent of members have now switched to using renewable electricity. The Sustainable Destination Partnership brings together businesses in Sydney's accommodation and entertainment sector to reduce emissions, water, and waste. The programs all function as collaborative partnerships, with the city playing the role of convenor and facilitator. These cities are among 23 working together with my organization, Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, to achieve carbon neutrality, not just through incremental improvements but rather through radical, transformative changes to core city systems. The goal is to demonstrate innovative solutions and policy approaches that are replicable and that can inspire other cities to take action to reach carbon neutrality as soon as possible. And, as cities learn from each other about what works to achieve these goals, they are paying it forward by sharing the work and encouraging other cities to take similar action. Why is the work of cities so vital to addressing climate change? Urban areas are responsible for an estimated 75 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions. By setting and achieving these carbon neutrality goals, global cities have the ability to keep us on track toward the Paris Agreement climate goals despite wavering support from the U.S. and other governments. Most critically, these efforts are vital to offsetting the threat to natural systems and promoting the health and well-being of all its citizens. Simone Mangili is the executive director of The Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Praise but no firm promises, as Trump administration officials talk Alaska oil and gas
The trans-Alaska pipeline is seen on Sept. 19, 2022, in Fairbanks. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon) Gov. Mike Dunleavy's annual energy conference included visits from three of the Trump administration's top officials, but it didn't include any major developments on the financing of the proposed 800-mile trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline. U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Lee Zeldin, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, traveled to the North Slope and to Anchorage this week during a visit that coincided with the fourth annual Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference. Despite the conference's name, oil and gas development took top billing, with all three officials saying that they hope to increase oil and gas production in Alaska under the direction of President Donald Trump. 'President Trump wants to see the flows through (the trans-Alaska Pipeline System) doubled,' Wright said during a speech on the North Slope this week. 'The oil is here. The discoveries are here. If we free Alaska and the people here (from regulation), we're going to more than double the oil flow through the pipeline and build the big, beautiful twin, the natural gas pipeline, from the North Slope.' Despite the week's enthusiasm for the Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas pipeline, better known as AKLNG, it still isn't clear who will pay for it to get built. The natural gas pipeline and associated processing plants are expected to cost $38.7 billion, but that estimate was published in 2020, and it predates inflation-driven and tariff-driven cost increases under the Biden and Trump presidencies. Energy developer Glenfarne, which is pursuing AKLNG on behalf of the state, announced this week that 50 firms had formally expressed interest in AKLNG contracts worth more than $115 billion. Those contracts include possible supply agreements — people interested in selling things to AKLNG for construction — as well as possible investors. An expression of interest isn't a firm commitment, and no investors said this week that they will back the project. Officials from Japan, Korea and other nations — possible customers for Alaska gas — visited the state this week but made no announcements. Taiwan's state-run energy company, CPC, signed a non-binding agreement in March stating that it would buy liquefied natural gas from Alaska and invest in the project. As currently envisioned, AKLNG would be constructed in two phases — the first would be a pipeline from the North Slope to Fairbanks and Southcentral Alaska for domestic, in-Alaska gas customers. The second phase would involve facilities and equipment needed to export gas overseas. Glenfarne is expected to announce a go/no-go final investment decision on the first phase by the end of the year. Speaking to NBC reporters in Prudhoe Bay, Burgum said that the U.S. military could be a key customer for the first phase of the project. 'They're ready to sign on to take an offtake agreement from this pipeline to get gas to our super strategic, important bases across Alaska,' he said on CNBC. Actually signing a customer agreement could make financing easier to come by. 'If you get the commercial offtakers for the gas, financing is pretty straightforward,' Wright told CNBC. Legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden allows $30 billion in federally guaranteed loans for the project. This week, Wright told reporters in Anchorage that the U.S. Energy Department could make additional loans available. 'They're going to get details of the project to come together, but I think it's quite likely that you will see loan guarantees provided by the loan program office at the Department of Energy to build the pipeline part of that project,' he said. Under the Biden administration, the DOE's Loan Programs Office grew into a major financier for green-energy projects. The Trump Administration has halted most of that work, and Wright suggested that it could be redirected to the natural gas pipeline. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Bill would cover ‘Forever Chemical' exposure at bases under VA benefits
A bipartisan bill would allow veterans with health issues caused by exposure to 'forever chemicals' at U.S. military bases to be treated as service-connected disabilities, which would further open the door to health care and benefits compensation for those impacted. Forever chemicals, more technically known as polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are long-lasting chemicals that break down slowly. They are found in many everyday objects, food, and in air, water, and soil around the world, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The bill, titled 'Veterans Exposed to Toxic PFAS Act,'' or the ''VET PFAS Act,' would designate exposure to PFAS as a service-connected condition for veterans, making them eligible for disability compensation through the Department of Veterans Affairs. It would also allow military dependents, including those 'in utero while the mother' resided at a base with PFAS exposures, to be eligible for hospital care and medical services for certain diseases and conditions, according to the text of the bill. If passed, the legislation would be a major expansion of health conditions and illnesses for which veterans could receive VA care and disability benefits. The bill was introduced in the House on May 29 by New York Rep. Josh Riley, a Democrat, and Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican, and builds upon measures from the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act. The PACT Act, passed in 2022, was the largest expansion of service-connected health conditions eligible for VA care, including service members exposed to burn pits during Iraq and Afghanistan deployments, for Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange-related chemicals, and very specific instances of base exposures. The Department of Defense has identified 718 bases with known or suspected PFAS release. The military estimates that PFAS investigation and cleanup costs could come to more than $9.3 billion in fiscal year 2025, which was more than triple the estimate in 2022. Since 2017, the Defense Department has spent around $2.6 billion to address PFAS, according to a Government Accountability report from February. The bill states that covered health conditions would be identified by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the agency administrator of the Department of Health and Human Services' registry for toxic substances and diseases. Their suggestions would come from studies directed by Congress in the annual defense bill for fiscal year 2018, which are ongoing from the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC's website on health investigations states that existing research suggests that high levels of PFAS could lead to increased cholesterol, changes in liver enzymes, pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, decreases in birth weight, and increased risks of kidney and testicular cancers. The bill specifically calls for health care coverage of perfluorooctanoic acid exposures for veterans diagnosed with high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, testicular cancer, kidney cancer, and pregnancy-induced hypertension. Other iterations of the legislation have been previously introduced. Some Democratic senators have expressed interest in crafting their own PFAS bill, but nothing formal has been introduced yet, a spokesperson for the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee told Task & Purpose. The issue of forever chemicals on military bases and their health impacts on military families has been gaining support in Congress. In April, Senate Democrats held an event on the Hill with former service members and their families who called for a broadening of the PACT Act. At the April event, military families described cancers and other illnesses they believe are the result of PFAS exposures, including former bases like George Air Force Base, California, which later became superfund sites, a designation by the EPA as one of the most polluted sites in the U.S. Despite the designation, the families based there were never notified of their potential exposure. The PACT Act also established a framework for the VA to establish presumptive conditions without an act of Congress through the federal rule-making process. The VA began the process for defining PFAS exposure as a presumptive health condition for VA care with a federal register notice in September. However, an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in January paused all federal rule-making. Navy SEAL Team 6 operator will be the military's new top enlisted leader Veterans receiving disability payments might have been underpaid, IG finds Guam barracks conditions are 'baffling,' Navy admiral says in email Navy fires admiral in charge of unmanned systems office after investigation The Pentagon wants troops to change duty stations less often
