Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
august 2016
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federal agencies & administration
President Obama appoints new official to Arctic post
August 5, 2016
President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint six new officials to key Administration posts, including Dr. Jackie Richter-Menge to the United States Arctic Research Commission (USARC). USARC serves as the advisory body to the President, Congress, and the Administration on emerging Arctic research.
Since 1983, Dr. Ritcher-Menge has served as a Research Civil Engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and as a professional engineer for the state of New Hampshire. As of 2016, she has held the position of Affiliate Professor at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, as well as the position of Visiting Research Scientist at Dartmouth College beginning in 2015. She is also the Chair of the Science Steering Committee for the Submarine Arctic Science Program (SCICEX) and the Sea Ice Lead for the NASA IceBridge Science Team.
Sources: Greenwire, NASA IceBridge, Submarine Arctic Science Program, United States Arctic Research Commission, White House Office of the Press Secretary.
Thirteen states sue over EPA methane rule
August 11, 2016
Thirteen states have sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over three new updates to the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) under the President’s Climate Action Plan: Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions and the Clean Air Act. The rules, which were finalized in May, are part of the Obama Administration’s effort to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 to 45 percent below 2012 levels by 2025.
The EPA’s first update sets requirements for monitoring, finding, and addressing methane leaks. The second update issued the first draft of an Information Collection Request (ICR), seeking a broad range of information on the oil and gas industry. The third update issued two rules to clarify permitting requirements: the Source Determination Rule and a final federal implementation plan for the Minor New Source Review Program in Indian country.
According to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, the updates “will help combat climate change and reduce air pollution that immediately harms public health... [and] every leak that is fixed means more gas is available to be used or sold and less pollution is affecting the health of our communities, as well as the stability of our climate.”
The states involved in the suit are Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The Kentucky Energy and Environmental Cabinet (EEC) and North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCQEQ) have signed on as well. North Dakota filed its own lawsuit in July.
Industry and government agency representatives from the thirteen states argue the updates are unnecessary, duplicative, and would add new costs to oil and gas drillers. Howard Feldman, the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) Senior Director of Regulatory and Science Affairs, voiced his disapproval, pointing out that the industry is “incentivized already to prevent methane emissions” because they can sell methane on the open market.
Sources: E&E Daily, Environmental Protection Agency, The Hill
BLM, industry, and interest groups spar over public land lease sales
August 12, 2016
The Western Energy Alliance (WEA), which represents more than 300 oil and gas producers and service companies across the Western United States, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for New Mexico to challenge the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for not holding quarterly oil and gas lease sales, as required by the Mineral Leasing Act. Sales have been called off in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
An 1987 update to the law states “lease sales shall be held for each State where eligible lands are available at least quarterly and more frequently if the Secretary of the Interior determines such sales are necessary.” This mandate is reiterated by related BLM regulations, specifying that state offices are to hold lease sales “at least quarterly if lands are available for competitive leasing.”
According to Alex Obrecht, an attorney representing WEA, “the failure to hold regular lease sales consistent with the Mineral Leasing Act’s mandate results in unnecessary delays for-- and can completely halt—development of certain federal minerals.”
Various environmental groups argue that BLM has broad authority to decide when lands are not available, even if they’re listed as open for the area’s resource management plan. The groups view the lawsuit as an attempt to undo the progress of the “keep it in the ground” movement. Michael Saul, a senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, voiced concerns about the lawsuit, claiming that “this baseless lawsuit ignores well-established authority for the President and BLM to not offer new climate-destroying leases to industry.”
Sources: Centredaily.com, E&E Energywire, Greenwire, U.S. District Court of New Mexico
EPA Science Advisory Board concerned over hydraulic fracturing conclusions
August 11, 2016
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) released its final report assessing EPA’s recent study of potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas on drinking water resources. Congress requested the study in 2009, and EPA released its draft review in June 2015.
EPA found that drilling activities had contaminated groundwater, but concluded that hydraulic fracturing hasn’t caused “widespread, systemic” problems with contaminated drinking water. The 2015 draft report was then subject to peer-review by a 30-member SAB panel of scientists and academics.
The reviewers were concerned that the EPA study made national-level conclusions about localized drilling problems. In particular, the reviewers asked for more information on drinking water contamination cases in Dimock, PA; Pavillion, WY; and Parker County, TX.
EPA officials said they “will use the SAB’s final comments and suggestions… to revise and finalize the assessment,” with new studies and public comment periods. The study should be finalized in the coming months.
Sources: Energy Wire, Environmental Protection Agency, High Country News, National Public Radio, The Dallas Morning News
Happy 100th Birthday to the National Park Service!
August 25, 2016
The National Park Service (NPS) celebrated its centennial on August 25, 2016, marking 100 years of stewardship of America's national parks and engagement of communities through recreation, conservation, and historic preservation programs.
NPS has planned hundreds of events during August, and is granting free admission to all 412 national parks from August 25-28 to encourage people to join in on the celebration. In June, President Obama celebrated the anniversary at Yosemite National Park. A virtual reality module of his experience is available on the White House webpage.
The fiscal year (FY) 2017 President’s budget request, along with the House and Senate appropriations committees’ Interior and Environment appropriations bills, include language to increase funding for NPS in FY 2017 but the budget has not yet been agreed.
Source: House Appropriations Committee, National Park Service, Senate Appropriations Committee, White House
Updated 9/7/2016