LA Times – EPA: U.S. Greenhouse Gases Drop 

The newspaper highlights the latest good news from the EPA: Increased use of natural gas, much of it developed with  hydraulic fracturing, has helped the United States lower its greenhouse gas emissions 1.6 percent from 2010 to 2011 and nearly 7 percent since 2005.

Roll Call – Redford: Keystone XL an Environmentally Sound Way to Enhance Energy Security

Alberta  Premier Alison Redford’s  op-ed argues that Canada is “the safest, most secure and responsible energy supplier to the United States and a reliable trading partner.” This comes after her recent visit to the U.S. advocating  approval of the Keystone XL pipeline project.  Approving the pipeline “is the choice of reason,” she writes.

Master Resource – EPA’s Tier 3: Transportation Ove... more »

A new API report estimates that the U.S. oil and natural gas industry has invested more than $252 billion trying to improve the environmental performance of its products, facilities and operations since 1990 – about 65 percent of that directed toward cleaner air and water.

The report is based on spending data from representative companies that was used to estimate industry-wide performance. Highlights:

• Industry spent about $13 billion in 2011, the report says, including $11 billion to implement new technologies, create cleaner fuels and fund ongoing environmental initiatives. An additional $1.9 billion was spent on research and development, corporate environmental programs and spill remediation efforts. In 2011, 35 percent of industry environmental spending was directed toward cle... more »

On January 2, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began regulating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from stationary sources under the Clean Air Act. EPA's stationary source regulation risks significant adverse impacts on investment, expansion and job creation in today's fragile economy, raises significant legal concerns, and places a tremendous regulatory burden on state resources.

These regulations will eventually impact as many as six million of America's industrial facilities, power plants, hospitals, and agricultural and commercial establishments. In order to comply, businesses would need to obtain permits before moving forward with construction and modification. EPA has never estimated the cost to stationary sources.

EPA has recently released guidance to permitting authorit... more »

A federal appeals court has rejected a motion for a partial stay of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations, clearing the way for the rules to take effect on Jan. 2.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the motions filed by coalitions of industry groups and the State of Texas failed to prove that the harm likely to be caused by the regulations is "certain," or that it will be caused directly by the regulations. API is a member of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) coalition, which moved for a partial stay of the regulation of GHG emissions from stationary sources.

NAM stood behind the coalition's arguments. In a statement, Quentin Riegel, NAM's vice president for litigation and deputy chief counsel, s... more »

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today took two significant steps toward its proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations for stationary sources. It released guidance to help states and local permitting agencies implement controls on GHGs, and it issued "white papers" to refineries, power plants, pulp and paper mills and other industries outlining the Best Available Control Technologies (BACT) that can be used to reduce GHGs.

Starting Jan. 2, 2011, GHG emissions from certain large GHG stationary sources are subject to regulations, and they must obtain GHG permits to build new sources or to expand.

API responded quickly saying the BACT guidance comes too late for the January deadline. "The EPA is railroading job killing regulation onto states, localities and America's businesses," API... more »