FTZB – The Foreign-Trade Zones Board announced that the LLC dba Hawai’i Gas company proposed production activity of synthetic natural gas in Kapolei Hawaii. Approval of this request would permit Hawai’i Gas to utilize fuels from any source in foreign status. The public comment period is open until July 15, 2013. [Monday, June 03, 2013(Volume 78, Number 106)]

Exxon Mobil Corporation announced on Friday, June 7th, that it will invest $500,000 for a specialized workforce training program that would help create curricula and programs for students interested in certification or degrees in petroleum engineering and other related fields. The program is part of an ongoing campaign to enhance science and math education, with the goal of expanding training in trades necessary for petrochemical processing and manufacturing.

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Budget

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a mapping tool that organizes Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) prepared by federal agencies, as well as EPA’s comments concerning the EIS’s. The National Environmental Policy Act requires federal agencies proposing projects or making decisions on major federal actions to develop an EIS. Within the database, one can search by year, by state, or by EIS’s with open comment records since 2004. EPA comment letters issued within the last 60 days are also available on the map.

On July 9, 2013 the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Environment held a markup of the Weather Forecasting and Improvement Act of 2013 (H.R. 2413).

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) recently released a report outlining the President’s proposed federal investments in research and development for fiscal year (FY) 2014. Under the President’s FY 2014 request, $142.773 billion is allotted for federal research and development, a $1.861 billion (1.3%) increase from the FY 2012 actual spending levels.

The House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation held an oversight hearing on wildfire and forest management on July 11, 2013. The hearing focused on the need for active forest management, which includes both timber sales and prescribed burns, to reduce the fuel available to wildfires.

The House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a mining oversight hearing on June 13, 2013. The hearing focused on mining fees and royalties, the withdrawal of certain lands from new mining claims, and Good Samaritan legislation for the cleanup of abandoned mine lands (AMLs).

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published a five year plan that details their objectives for research and development. The plan’s main objectives focus on climate, weather, oceans, and coasts. NOAA plans to improve climate adaptation and mitigation by developing higher resolution models, improving communication and application of climate information tools and services, testing and strengthening climate vulnerability tests and increasing public awareness and understanding of climate change.