Two New Reports on EPA’s Rulemaking for Mountaintop Mining

US EPA The Effects of Mountaintop Mines and Valley Fills on Aquatic Ecosystems of the Central Appalachian Coalfields, and A Field-based Aquatic Life Benchmark for Conductivity in Central Appalachian Streams http://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/august2010/mountaintop.htm [From Press Release]  The Effects of Mountaintop Mines and Valley Fills on Aquatic Ecosystems of the Central Appalachian Coalfields provides a state-of-the-science assessment on [...]

Coal Mine Safety: Do Unions Make a Difference?

Standford University Law School / by Alison D. Morantz www.hks.harvard.edu/inequality/Seminar/Papers/Morantz10.pdf [Abstract]  Although the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) has always advocated strongly for miners’ safety, prior empirical literature contains no evidence that unionization reduced mine injuries or fatalities during the 1970s and ‘80s. This study uses a more comprehensive dataset and updated methodology to [...]

Analysis of an Amendment Proposed for H.R. 1229, the Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act

Congressional Budget Office http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/122xx/doc12205/hr1229amendmentLtr.pdf This letter responds to your recent letter regarding CBO’s analysis of an amendment you proposed to H.R. 1229, the Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act. That amendment concerned the liabilities of owners and operators of oil and gas drilling platforms that operate in the coastal waters of the [...]

S. 350, Environmental Crimes Enforcement Act of 2011

Congressional Budget Office Sponsor: Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] (introduced 2/15/2011)      Cosponsors (8) http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/122xx/doc12220/s350.pdf SUMMARY AS OF:  2/15/2011–Introduced. Environmental Crimes Enforcement Act of 2011 – Directs the United States Sentencing Commission to review and amend the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and policy statements applicable to persons convicted of offenses under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act [...]

Driving California’s Economy: How Fuel Economy and Emission Standards Will Impact Economic Growth and Job Creation

Next 10 http://next10.org/next10/pdf/economy/Final_vehicle_efficiency_report.pdf [Domesticfuel.com]Maybe a coincidence, but on the same day the EPA and DOE released new fuel economy labels, Next 10 released a new study, “Driving California’s Economy: How Fuel Economy and Emission Standards Will Impact Economic Growth and Job Creation.” The study found that policies that support fuel efficiency will drive consumer savings, [...]

Projected Outlook for Next Generation and Alternative Transportation Fuels in California: 2010-2030

Fueling California | Orange County Business Council | Consumer Alliance for Responsible Fuel Policies http://www.fuelingcalifornia.org/docs/Fueling%20CA%20Next%20Gen%20Alt%20Fuels%20Final%20May%202011.pdf Fueling California and Orange County Business Council have released a report entitled, “Projected Outlook for Next Generation and Alternative Transportation Fuels in California 2010-2030,” authored by research experts at UC Irvine, Automobile Club of Southern California, and Tiax LLC. The [...]

Five Feet High and Rising : Cities and Flooding in the 21st Century

World Bank / by Abhas Jha, Jessica Lamond, Robin Bloch, Namrata Bhattacharya, Ana Lopez, Nikolaos Papachristodoulou, Alan Bird, David Proverbs, John Davies, & Robert Barker http://bit.ly/jIEFTY [Abstract] Urban flooding is an increasingly important issue. Disaster statistics appear to show flood events are becoming more frequent, with medium-scale events increasing fastest. The impact of flooding is [...]

Overview Of Selected Tax Provisions Relating To The Financing Of Infrastructure

United States Congress, Joint Committee on Taxation http://www.jct.gov/publications.html?func=startdown&id=3789 The Senate Committee on Finance has announced a public hearing to examine public financing of infrastructure. This document, prepared by the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, provides a description of present-law provisions relating to certain infrastructure trust funds and their dedicated taxes, an overview of public-private [...]

Tax Policy and Gasoline Prices

Congressional Research Service via Sen. Harry M. Reid (D-NV) http://democrats.senate.gov/pdfs/20110511-crs-analysis-on-gas-prices.pdf This memorandum is written in response to your request for an analysis of the extent to which proposed tax changes on the oil industry are likely to affect domestic gasoline prices. The specific tax proposals that you requested be considered are the Section 199 deduction [...]

Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest: Powering the Next Generation of Flight

Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest (SAFN) http://www.safnw.com/sustainable-aviations-fuels-bibliography/ [Green Car Congress]   The Pacific Northwest has the diverse feedstocks, fuel-delivery infrastructure and political will needed to create a viable biofuels industry capable of reducing greenhouse gases and meeting the future fuel demands of the aviation industry, according to a newly-released study by Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest (SAFN). Creating [...]