el trends: july 1-15, 2012 in this issue: feb. 1-15, 2013 ......feb 01, 2015 · day received a...
TRANSCRIPT
EL
Trends: July 1-15, 2012
Contents: ENERGY MANAGEMENT 3 COMPLIANCE & STANDARDS 4 ENVIRONMENTAL & ENERGY SOFTWARE 9 CORPORATE REPORTS 9 POLICY & ENFORCEMENT 10 FLEETS & TRANSPORTATION 17 GREEN BUILDING 20 PACKAGING & PAPER 20 WATER MANAGEMENT 21 WASTE & RECYCLING 22 RENEWABLE ENERGY 23 CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY 24 RANKINGS 25
In this issue: Feb. 1-15, 2013 e 2011
Issue 33 • February 21, 2013
Latest sustainability & environmental management developments
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EL Trends: February 1-15, 2013
Contents: ENERGY MANAGEMENT 3 COMPLIANCE & STANDARDS 3 ENVIRONMENTAL & ENERGY SOFTWARE 8 CORPORATE REPORTS 8 POLICY & ENFORCEMENT 9 STUDIES & REPORTS 17 PACKAGING & PAPER 18 FLEETS & TRANSPORTATION 19 GREEN BUILDING 22 EXECUTIVE MOVES 22 WATER MANAGEMENT 24 WASTE & RECYCLING 25 RENEWABLE ENERGY 25 CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY 26
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Energy Management International Paper committed to cut its energy intensity by at least 25 percent over 10 years, across its US facilities, as a partner of the Department of Energy’s Better Plants program.
Minneapolis, Minn. officials approved a city ordinance that requires large commercial buildings to report energy and water use annually, beginning in 2014. This makes Minneapolis the first Midwest city to adopt an energy benchmarking and disclosure rule for commercial buildings.
Half the lights in the Superdome went out during the Super Bowl and didn’t come back on for 35 minutes. The next day, Entergy, a Louisiana integrated power company, along with SMG, the management company of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, issued a joint statement regarding the power outage. Public records released by the Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District (LSED), which oversees the Superdome, says tests on the dome’s electrical feeders last fall indicated there was a chance of failure.
Compliance & Standards The World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Cement Sustainability Initiative launched a Product Category Rule providing a common methodology for concrete producers who wish to issue environmental product declarations (EPD) for their products. The CSI PCR is registered under the International EPD System and complies with the European standard for construction products EN 15804:2012.
SCS Global Services awarded Forest Stewardship Council responsible forest management certification to Green Diamond Resource Company for its California operations. The certification covers the company’s 400,000 acres of forestland in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties on the North Coast. To earn the certification, Green Diamond made improvements to forest management policies and practices including increased levels of green tree retention within even-aged harvest units, and reduced use of clear cutting.
NSF International certified the PetroLuxus and AquaLuxus product lines of Planet Resource Recovery, Inc, to be safe and non-toxic according to NSF/ANSI 60: Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals – Health Effects.
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Both product lines received toxicology testing, and the manufacturing facility underwent an inspection and audit, Planet Resource Recovery said.
Roppe Corporation’s rubber flooring and tread, vinyl tile and tread, and wall base products also have been certified to the NSF/ANSI 332 Sustainability Assessment Standard for Resilient Flooring, and meet GSA Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service, P100. The NSF/ANSI 332 standard is used to assess the environmental performance and sustainability attributes of resilient flooring products, then track changes over time to the sustainability profiles of these products, SCS said.
Kitchen and bath faucets manufacturer Brasstech received ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management system. The certificate, granted by TUV, covers environmental impact of operations throughout the company. Brasstech said it began the certification process in 2011 and will conduct an external audit every six months to measure progress towards its goal of 10 percent less energy use by the year 2015.
Sanwaria Agro Oils is now certified as compliant with ISO 14001 for its environmental management system and ISO 22000 for food safety management. Additionally, the company has earned its Certificate of Compliance for Good Manufacturing Practice System under World Health Organization guidelines, and is certified by UK Certification & Inspection Ltd., Equity Bulls said.
The renovation of Carr Hall at Allegheny College earned LEED Gold certification. The renovation project used sustainable materials, heat recovery techniques and energy-efficient lighting among other energy-saving features. The project reconfigured 19,000 square feet to create more space for classrooms, seminars, labs and offices for the environmental science and physics departments, the Erie Times-News said.
Swisslog Healthcare Solutions, a provider of automation and software products for the healthcare industry, achieved LEED Silver certification for Existing Buildings at its North American headquarters in Denver. The facility earned its certification after implementing two years of sustainability projects, and the company said the LEED accreditation is the first milestone in its ongoing sustainability plan.
UL Environment launched its revised EcoLogo Standard for Sustainability for Toys: CCD 172, which establishes a points-based model for evaluation, and adds a platinum level of certification. The standard, developed with input from the Toy Industry Association, is a third-party, lifecycle-based, environmental performance standard.
Washington Gas Energy Services’ WGES PA WindPower renewable energy product is now Green-e Energy certified. WGES PA WindPower is available to households and businesses located in Pennsylvania, and
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sources from 100 percent Pennsylvania wind power, WGES said. Green-e Energy is a North American certification and verification program for renewable energy.
Contract vehicles provider Marstel-Day LLC is the first US company to receive the NSF, International P391 – General Sustainability Assessment Criteria for Services and Service Providers certification. Businesses seeking certification must demonstrate achievement across environmental, labor and social criteria. Marstel-Day received a platinum level certification, the company said.
Flooring products manufacturer Flexco earned the NSF/ANSI 332 Sustainability Assessment Standard for Resilient Flooring in an audit conducted by SCS Global Services. With the certification, the entire line of Flexco products qualify under the new GSA Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service, P100 purchasing requirement. SCS said the Flexco product line also is recognized under the Resilient Floor Covering Institute’s FloorScore program.
TMS Tankers Ltd earned ISO 50001 for energy management systems, following an audit conducted by ABS Quality Evaluations. The company is exceeding maritime industry requirements for energy efficiency, and the systems it has established will allow TMS to manage operations that align with increased environmental awareness, ABS said.
Equipment rental company Loxam updated its ISO 14001 and 9001 certifications covering its full European network. The renewal of its certification followed an audit by SGS, which covered a representative sample of the company’s 35 sites in five countries. The ISO renewals mean that all new branches and subsidiaries acquired by the group in recent years are also covered by the accreditation, Access International writes.
Rock Valley College in Illinois earned LEED Gold certification for the Karl J. Jacobs Center for Science and Math. The new building, designed by Saavedra Gehlhausen Architects, uses 46 percent less energy than a baseline laboratory/classroom building, and it is estimated that the annual energy cost savings will be more than $165,000, WIFR News said.
DNV KEMA launched a risk management guide for the carbon capture and storage industry, CO2Riskman, which aims to increase public confidence in the technology through knowledge-based, consistent hazard management. The new guidance, developed over 15 months through a joint industry project with support from 16 industry and regulator organizations, provides a comprehensive reference source for CCS projects and operations globally.
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UL Environment certified North American roofing manufacturer GAF to its new Landfill Waste Diversion validation, UL ECVP 2799. It is the first company to achieve the standard. UL Environment’s Zero Waste to Landfill, Virtually Zero Waste to Landfill, and Landfill Waste Diversion claim validations recognize companies that handle waste in environmentally responsible ways.
The General Services Administration seeks additional input from the public for the next 60 days regarding the federal government’s use of third-party green building certification systems. GSA aims to determine how the federal government can best use certification systems to measure the design and performance of its construction and major modernization projects.
The Council for Responsible Sport certified the Runner’s World inaugural Half Marathon & Festival, in Bethlehem, Pa., to the silver level. The race is the first large running event in the US to achieve such status in its launch year, the council said.
DNV KEMA issued a new framework document for discussing energy losses and uncertainties around wind energy assessments when performing due diligence. The framework document was developed in collaboration with Arcus, Dulas, Natural Power, Oldbaum, Prevailing Wind Farm Analysis, Sgurr Energy, SKM, Wind Prospect and Vattenfall, DNV KEMA said.
GL Systems Certification, the certification body of classification society Germanischer Lloyd, joined WindMade as one of its accredited verifying partners, and will aid in the development of the label. The label, which is backed by the UN Global Compact, WWF, Vestas and the Global Wind Energy Council, requires participating companies to obtain at least 25 percent of their electricity from wind power, WindMade said.
Specialty construction products manufacturer Penetron International earned ISO 14001 certification in a third-party audit of its facilities, including the company’s product development center and production plant in Allentown, Pa. The ISO 14001 certification is a part of an overall program to continually upgrade the company’s environmental, health and safety processes, the company said.
UK-based Minster Insulation and Dry Lining achieved the ISO 14001 standard for all 18 of its distribution branches. Minster made significant changes in its business processes throughout 2012, including recycling and waste management practices, and employee training, Industry Today said.
Fairtrade will launch a new certification scheme – Fairmined silver – in the UK market later this month. Fairtrade has been expanding its standards beyond food products into other commodities, and launched
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Fairtrade gold in 2011. The silver pricing framework is set up the same as the gold framework – with artisanal communities offered a price of at least 95 percent of the London Bullion Market’s fix.
The British Standards Institution has an update to PAS 2030, the standard which supports the Green Deal policy, encouraging the implementation of energy efficiency measures within existing households and businesses. The revision adds 12 more energy efficiency measures either in the form of new annexes or through amendments to existing annexes, including water-efficient hot water taps and shower, hot water systems and controls, ducting and pipework improvements and solar blinds, shutters and shading devices, BSI said.
ANSI and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council completed the pilot phase of the ANSI-IREC program for the accreditation of renewable energy and energy efficiency certificate programs, and the program is now accepting general applications. The program, launched January 2012, evaluates certificate-awarding schools, colleges and other institutions against requirements for equipment, curriculum, facilities, administration and personnel set forth in the IREC Standard 14732: 2013, General Requirements for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Certificate Programs.
ASTM International was accredited by the Standards Council of Canada, a move that increases ASTM’s presence in Canada. More than 180 ASTM standards are referenced in Canadian federal legislation. Accreditation signifies that ASTM meets all of the requirements for consensus standards development set by SCC; SCC requirements mirror the principles of the World Trade Organization, ASTM said.
The Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, earned LEED Silver certification, to become the fifth convention center in the country to achieve this level of certification. In 2012, the Convention Center’s recycling initiatives resulted in a cardboard diversion of 47,810 pounds, and a mixed recyclable diversion of 20,460 pounds, the Dallas Morning News said.
Wake Tech Community College’s new building on the Northern Wake Campus in Raleigh, N.C., received LEED Gold certification. Features of the building include a cool rooftop terrace, daylight sensing lighting systems, low-flow plumbing, and no-irrigation landscaping. Altogether, the facility is expected to achieve a 38 percent reduction in energy use and a 48 percent reduction in water use, the college said.
NBM Production, one of 3CEMS’ South China facilities in Dongguan, successfully achieved ISO 14001 accreditation after an audit conducted by BSI. NBM also has ISO 9001 accreditation. With the NBM certification, all of 3CEMS’s electronics manufacturing facilities in south China hold ISO 14001, the company said.
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Contract manufacturer SMTC Corporation’s facility in Dongguan, China, earned ISO 14001 certification. The company said that every SMTC location will deploy “copy exact” methodology for manufacturing standardized processes and software systems. SMTC is also ISO 9001 certified, EMS Now writes.
The Electronics TakeBack Coalition accused industry organization IEEE of overpowering the process of how standards are developed for the Electronic Product Environmental Tool (EPEAT), a global registry that many consumers, governments and universities base their purchasing decisions on.
The EPA is proposing a 62 percent increase in the amount of cellulosic biofuels that refiners must blend into their gasoline and diesel, despite a federal court’s decision last week to strike down its 2012 standard for the fuel.
Environmental & Energy Software New software from General Electric (GE) is designed to help industrial customers quickly manage power in their plants when facing power outages. By integrating GE’s C90Plus Automation Control System into their existing power management system, customers can identify equipment and processes that are critical to their business to ensure that during an outage, power continues to flow to these critical resources.
Corporate Reports Tyson Foods’ total water usage fell 4.7 percent while its normalized water usage increased 1 percent from 2011 to 2012, according to the company’s latest sustainability report.
Sappi Fine Paper North America missed its 2012 goal for the proportion of certified fiber it uses but surpassed environmental goals focused on greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of organic waste sent to landfill, according to the company’s latest sustainability report.
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Novo Nordisk’s carbon emissions from energy consumption increased 30 percent year-on-year, according to the company’s latest combined annual and sustainability report.
The University of Michigan’s normalized greenhouse gas emissions fell seven percent year-on-year, according to the college’s latest sustainability report.
Food marketing and distribution firm Sysco’s energy use in its facilities dropped 6 percent from 2011 to 2012, while the volume of products in its warehouses increased 1.2 percent over the same time period, according to the company’s latest sustainable report.
Policy & Enforcement
Senators Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced their fee-and-dividend climate bill. The fee-and-dividend idea puts a price on carbon at its source and rebates most of the money back to US residents. The concept is modeled on Alaska’s permanent fund that rebates oil royalties to state residents. Boxer, who is chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, expects to hold hearings by spring and have a markup in summer, the San Francisco Chronicle said.
The GAO added financial risks from climate change and gaps in weather satellite data to its High Risk List, in its biennial assessment of federal programs and operations. A total of 30 programs and operations are included on the listing. GAO added climate change because the federal government is not well positioned to address the fiscal exposure presented by global warming and needs a government-wide strategic approach with strong leadership to manage related risks, the agency said.
The Spanish Parliament approved a law that cuts subsidies for alternative energy technologies, backtracking on its push for green power. Foreign investors in renewable energy projects in Spain have hired lawyers to prepare potential legal action. International funds have more than $17 billion of renewable energy assets in Spain and say that the government has reneged on the terms of their investment, Reuters said.
A series of new bills in the Senate seek to limit the EPA’s regulatory reach and would subject the agency to penalties for missing reporting deadlines. Offered by Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), the legislation reflects the
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discontent with the agency’s use of regulations and official memoranda to further the administration’s environmental agenda without congressional approval, The Hill said.
Investors and a group of large businesses urged the EU to revive its emissions trading scheme, ahead of a vote in the European parliament on whether to hold back some carbon permits from sale. Shell, General Electric, Kingfisher, Unilever and EDF were among companies calling for reforms that would raise carbon prices and restore confidence in the scheme.
Koch Nitrogen Company agreed to pay a $380,000 civil penalty to settle alleged violations of the risk management program required by the Clean Air Act at facilities in Iowa and Kansas. The inspected facilities are in Fort Dodge and Marshalltown, Iowa, and Dodge City, Kan. The Fort Dodge and Dodge City facilities manufacture ammonia and urea-ammonium nitrate solution. The Marshalltown facility is a pipeline terminal that processes anhydrous ammonia, the EPA said.
Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing reached a $2,302,500 settlement including a $556,244 civil penalty for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act at its facility in Coffeyville, Kansas. CRRM also will pay $1,746,256 for reimbursement of federal response costs associated with the cleanup of the Verdigris River following a 2007 flood and oil spill, the EPA said.
The United States approved the $15.1bn sale of Canadian oil firm Nexen to China’s state-owned CNOOC, clearing the way for the deal to be completed. The deal was approved by Canadian authorities but also needed US approval because Nexen has operations inside the US, and US regulators had previously blocked an attempt by CNOOC to buy a US-based firm, the BBC said.
President Obama proposed an Energy Security Trust program in Tuesday’s State of the Union address, to divert some revenues from federal oil and gas drilling into research for alternative fuel technology. Obama suggseted that the program would reduce household gasoline expenses. Obama also discussed executive actions as a method to address climate change, The Hill said.
Royal Dutch Shell will tow its two Alaskan Arctic drill vessels to Asian ports for major repairs, which may delay its plans to begin drilling for oil by next summer. The delay also may give the Obama administration more time to decide whether to allow Shell’s seven-year, $4.5 billion quest to continue operations in two Arctic seas after accidents, failed inspections and mechanical problems, the New York Times said.
The New York State decision to lift a four-year ban on natural gas drilling faced further delay after the New York Department of Health, which has been commissioned to study fracking’s effects on public health, asked
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for a few more weeks to review the issues. The health review, and a parallel environmental impact study being conducted by the DEC, will form the basis of new regulations that could open New York’s borders to drilling once again.
The Natural Resources Defense Council and Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy sued the town of Sanford, N.Y., in the Marcellus Shale region. The suit alleges that a town board ruling that bars further discussion of fracking in meetings violated residents’ free speech rights. The resolution said the town had already heard extensively from both sides, and would not hear more until the state completed its environmental review, the New York Times said.
Companies importing timber into the EU must comply with new stricter laws banning the use of illegal timber, coming into force in the UK this March. The EU Timber Regulations impose stricter requirements such as evidence of compliance with legislation, and a description of species, volume, country of harvest and, where applicable, concession of harvest, Builders’ Merchants News said.
US companies are sending spent lead batteries to recycling plants in Mexico that do not meet American environmental standards, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, an environmental agency created under NAFTA, said.
The EPA released its Draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan in response to a directive from Obama’s Council on Environmental Quality. The report, which is open for a 60-day comment period, calls for the agency to amend operations to account for rapid global warming.
President Obama did not cover energy policy during a 20-minute address to the Democratic caucus , spending more time on fiscal issues, guns and immigration. Obama has vowed to make global warming a priority during his second term. Environmental advocates are looking to Obama’s State of the Union speech for direction on the climate agenda, The Hill said.
An EU budget emerged with deep cuts into a new transportation and energy fund. Spending for cross-border transport, energy and telecoms projects was reduced to $40.14 billion from a proposed $50 billion. The Commission has estimated €100 billion ($134 billion) is needed just to improve the energy transmission lines for a connected European energy market that integrates renewable power.
A new global group – the Global Ocean Commission –formed with the goal to begin advising the United Nations on global governance of oceans by 2014. David Miliband, a former British foreign secretary, will co-
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chair the commission with former Costa Rican president Jose Maria Figueres and Trevor Manuel, a minister in the South African cabinet in charge of planning, Reuters said.
A Duke University survey found that the majority of US adults, 64 percent, are “strongly or somewhat” in favor of the government regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, factories and cars and requiring utilities to generate more power from low-carbon sources.
A special UNEP envoy met with the Nigerian government to discuss major oil contamination in the Ogoniland region of the country. An independent, 14-month assessment showed greater and deeper pollution than previously thought, requiring an initial sum of $1 billion to cover the first five years of clean-up operations. In July 2012, the Nigerian government announced its Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project, designed to fully implement UNEP’s recommendations to clean up the area, the UN said.
The Department of Interior will offer 38.6 million acres for oil and gas development in the Central Gulf of Mexico. Lease Sale 227 auctions all unleased areas from three to 230 miles offshore of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and could lead to the production of about one billion barrels of oil and 4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The sale will be held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on March 20, DOI said.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare said in a report that Japan props up its whaling industry with $400 million in tax money, and increased subsidies even as consumption of whale meat declined. The group challenges the notion that whaling is a national tradition in Japan, and says it is struggling industry employing fewer than 1,000 people and dependent on public handouts, the New York Times said.
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative released an updated RGGI rule and program review. Changes include a reduction of the 2014 regional CO2 budget from 165 million to 91 million tons – a reduction of 45 percent – and a new forestry protocol. As well, RGGI said it would not allow the resale of unsold 2012 and 2013 CO2 allowances.
China’s cabinet issued a timetable for oil companies to deliver cleaner fuel nationwide beginning this year, but the new standards won’t become mandatory for four years. The new standard for automobile gas caps sulfur content within 10 parts per million (ppm) before the end of the year, with a grace period extending to the end of 2017, Reuters said.
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The Indian government said in response to a US complaint at the World Trade Organization that New Delhi’s solar power program doesn’t discriminate against foreign equipment makers. The Indian government has received a notice from the WTO, and said it will reply within 10 days.
EU lawmakers voted to overhaul the region’s fisheries policy by imposing sustainability quotas by 2015 and ending the practice of discarding unwanted fish at sea. Under current policy, 63 percent of the EU’s Atlantic stocks and 82 percent of its Mediterranean stocks are overfished.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, sent a letter to the DOI saying the hydraulic fracturing rule under revision should include measures to protect public health and the environment. Wyden is calling for provisions requiring firms to publicly disclose fracking activities and ensure the integrity of wells. He is also urging for monitoring requirements in the rule, The Hill said.
The EPA reached a $618,000 settlement with three gold mining companies, all subsidiaries of Barrack Gold Corporation, related to their reporting of toxic chemical releases and waste management activities. The companies, Barrack Cortez, Inc., Barrack Gold US, Inc. and Homestake Mining Company, agreed to pay a total of $278,000 in fines and spend an additional $340,000 to conduct an environmentally beneficial project.
The EPA reached a settlement with Merriam Manufacturing, Aztec Industries, and the Estate of Allan Adams for partial reimbursement of EPA’s past costs in the remediation at the Durham Meadows Superfund Site. Because of the parties’ limited ability to pay, the consent decree allows them to meet responsibilities solely through payments from insurance claims proceeds and the sale of property at the Merriam Manufacturing Co. portion of the site.
The US Departments of Energy and the Treasury announced the availability of $150 million in Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits for clean energy and energy efficiency manufacturing projects. The initial funding round provided $2.3 billion in credits to 183 projects across the country. The $150 million in tax credits made available now were not used by the previous awardees, the DOE said.
Gulf Coast states and local governments made a combined $34 billion in claims against BP for the 2010 Macondo oil spill. BP said that the methods used to calculate the claims are seriously flawed, and the claims overstated, and the company would litigate them, Reuters reports.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said the city will increase preparations for a rising sea, referencing the heavy flooding in New York City following Hurricane Sandy. Menino called on city agencies and owners of low-lying
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properties to assess what parts of city infrastructure would be most at risk from flooding in the event of a climate-change related rise, Reuters said.
The Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration announced revisions to the environmental review process for all proposed transit projects seeking federal funds. The changes, the first in more than 25 years, are expected to expedite the review of critical transit projects. The changes will also allow for the expedited release of Hurricane Sandy emergency relief funds to damaged transit assets in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and other states, the department said.
EU regulators gave approval for Britain’s £600 million ($944 million) of public support for the Green Deal energy efficiency scheme. Britain’s Green Deal permits loans to consumers and businesses to help them pay for efficiency measures such as loft insulation, modern boilers and draft-proofing, Reuters said.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the ranking Republican on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released her energy and resource policy agenda. The blueprint is called “Energy 20/20,” and it includes plans to open more federal lands and waters to oil drilling, launch a new green-energy fund, and expedite LNG exports to US allies, The Hill said.
The EPA reached a settlement with Pacific Mills Acquisition to recover agency clean-up costs at the Bay State Plating and Polishing Superfund site in Lawrence, Mass. In the agreement, Pacific Mills will pay $300,000 of the costs, and the EPA will release a lien it holds on the property, the agency said.
Phillips 66 Company agreed to pay a $50,000 penalty to settle alleged violations of hazardous waste regulations at its former refinery located in Trainer, Pa., the EPA said. The agency cited the company for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act violations involving hazardous waste stored at the facility, including oil refinery hydrocarbon waste, chromium waste, heavy metal waste from batteries, and mercury waste from fluorescent bulbs.
The eight-nation Arctic Council’s oil spill response agreement is vague and ineffective, Greenpeace said. The activist group says the draft contains a series of major omissions including any discussion of oil company liabilities or effective arrangements in case of a transboundary incident. The draft fails to outline any essential response equipment or methods for capping wells, Greenpeace said.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu offered his resignation to President Barack Obama. Chu said he will stay at least until the end of the month, and may stay until a successor is confirmed. Chu’s departure was expected
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and follows resignation announcements from interior secretary Ken Salazar, EPA chief Lisa Jackson and NOAA head Jane Lubchenco, the Washington Post said.
Defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel said that he will make programs to boost energy efficiency and alternative fuels a key focus at the Pentagon if he wins Senate confirmation. Hagel said such programs are a way to help lower the military’s estimated $18 billion-per-year energy budget, The Hill reports.
The European Commission plans to propose a ban on the use of the pesticides clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiametoxam, used in maize, rapeseed, sunflower and cotton farming, for their potential risks to declining bee populations. The ban would start in July. However, Britain, with German and Spanish support, is opposed to the ban and is preparing its own scientific study to challenge the EU’s research.
The EPA published the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Major Sources: Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Boilers and Process Heaters Final Rule in the federal register. Existing structures will have until Jan. 31, 2016, to comply with the rule, while new sources must comply with the rule at startup, Power Engineering said.
The UK’s Department for Food, Environmental and Rural Affairs released new plans to improve the quality of paper, card, metals, plastic and glass recycling collected from businesses and homes. The proposed new code of practice for recycling facilities is expected to help grow a stronger market for recycled materials, Defra said.
ClientEarth and BirdLife International filed an application to the General Court in Luxembourg against the European Commission over its failure to publish a review of greenhouse gas emissions from biomass. The groups say that with access to the study they could verify their claim that biomass used for heat and power is free of emissions, Reuters said.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality found two potential violations of state environmental requirements at ski area the Arizona Snowbowl, which recently became the first ski resort to make snow out of wastewater piped directly from a sewage treatment plant. The agency directed the ski area to place signs on snow guns informing the public that reclaimed wastewater is in use and should not be ingested, and to color-code pipes delivering wastewater to distinguish them from the potable water delivery system, the New York Times said.
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Ten Michigan residents in Benzie County filed a lawsuit against fruit processor Graceland Fruit and a septic hauler who dumped waste blueberry juice into a gravel pit in 2002, damaging a stream and contaminating groundwater. In a 2008 settlement, the companies promised to restore the waterway and pay $250,000 in fines and restoration costs, but residents say the creek and their wells are still polluted.
The Department of Energy backed away President Obama’s stated goal of putting 1 million electric cars on the road by 2015, and outlined its strategy of promoting advanced-drive vehicles. Under the new strategy, the DOE is supporting research into new battery technologies and manufacturing methods that would lower the cost of lightweight materials.
The EPA and the State of Illinois signed a consent decree with H. Kramer and Co., to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act and state air pollution violations at the firm’s copper smelting foundry in Chicago. Under the settlement, H. Kramer will spend $3 million on new state-of-the-art pollution controls for the foundry, pay a $35,000 penalty and provide $40,000 to retrofit diesel school buses, the agency said.
Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska) and colleagues floated the “Expedited LNG for American Allies Act” that would ensure federal approval of US natural gas exports to NATO countries and Japan. The Energy Department is currently reviewing 16 applications to export LNG to countries that don’t have free-trade deals with the US, and Japan is looking to expand imports as its nuclear capacity remains offline, The Hill said.
The UN Climate and Clean Air Coalition called for accelerated action to substantially reduce venting, leakage, and flaring of natural gas from oil and gas operations worldwide. Specifically, the coalition intends to work with interested oil and gas companies to achieve global methane and black carbon emission reductions.
The City of Sacramento launched a new program, Clean Energy Sacramento, to help finance energy-saving upgrades for commercial buildings and homes. The program will open with $22 million already committed to upgrades. Building owners incur no upfront costs and will gradually pay back the financing in installments on their property tax bills.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection received $7.25 million in funding from the Commonwealth Financing Authority to complete the agency’s Sunshine Solar Program. The program had been in a waiting-list phase since August 2011 because the demand exceeded available funds.
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Thermal Energy Development Partnership, a biomass electric power plant in Tracy, Calif., will pay $145,000 in a settlement for Clean Air Act violations involving emission monitoring equipment. Thermal Energy’s monitoring equipment failed to monitor sulfur dioxide for 30 months, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide for 27 months, and opacity for 9 months.
California officials proposed changes that would eliminate the use of toxic flame-retardant chemicals, and change the way it conducts flammability tests. The state aims to overturn a 1975 law, known as Technical Bulletin 117, that requires polyurethane foam in upholstered furniture and children’s products to withstand a small open flame for 12 seconds.
Rig operator Transocean pleaded guilty to a violation of the Clean Water Act and agreed to pay $400 million in criminal penalties for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, which killed 11 workers and caused the worse offshore oil spill in US history.
Studies & Reports
Support for environmental and social shareholder proposals at US public companies more than doubled between 2005 to 2011, according to a study by the IRRC Institute (IRRCi). During this time frame, average support for these proposals grew from about 10 percent to more than 20 percent, it says.
Sustainability is an emerging field with highly educated individuals entering into it from a wide range of backgrounds, which has created demand for specialized training, according to key findings from a survey released by Sustainable Plant.
This year, North American carbon markets will more than double in value to $2.5 billion, according to market intelligence firm Thomson Reuters Point Carbon.
Ecosystem services – benefits provided by functioning ecosystems – may shape future policy and regulations as well as government expectations of the private sector, particularly on public lands, according to a report by BSR.
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Companies can improve their 2013 Carbon Disclosure Project scores by reporting and verifying all categories of scope 3 emissions, and responding to the new supply chain questions, according to WSP. The environmental and sustainability consulting firm updated its white paper, Making the Most of the Carbon Disclosure Project, to coincide with the recent release of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) 2013 Investor Information Request and scoring methodology.
The value of global carbon markets fell 35 percent to €62 billion ($84 billion) in 2012, largely due to an oversupply of credits, according to analysis from Thomson Reuters Point Carbon.
Sustainability is paying off for a growing number of companies with 37 percent of surveyed executives reporting a profit from their efforts, a 23 percent rise over last year, according to a global study by the MIT Sloan Management Review and The Boston Consulting Group.
Congressional Democrats’ Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change has written to Google, the NBA, the NFL, Walmart, Wells Fargo, the Clinton Global Initiative and more than 300 other organizations to canvas their opinions on combating global warming.
The EPA released its 2012 Chemical Data Reporting information on more than 7,600 chemicals in commerce. The CDR database contains comprehensive use and exposure information on the most widely used chemicals in the United States.
An organization’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance can directly and indirectly impact its market valuation, according to a Deloitte report.
Packaging & Paper
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a citywide ban on plastic-foam food packaging from stores and restaurants. Bloomberg also plans to use his final year as mayor to create a curbside food-composting pilot program, encourage more recycling and increase the number of parking spaces for electric vehicles.
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AT&T partnered with The Nature Conservancy to reduce the use of plastic bags. The program, which runs through July 31, encourages customers to “skip the bag” when making purchases at AT&T’s retail stores in Northern California. AT&T will donate 10 cents to The Nature Conservancy for each checkout bag its customers choose to forgo.
Asia Pulp and Paper Group, one of the largest paper producers in the world, announced it would stop clearing natural forests across its supply chains in Indonesia, accelerating a pledge to use only trees from plantations by 2015. Unilever has developed a deodorant can design half the size of its standard model, yet containing the same amount of product. The company calls this the first major packaging reduction initiative for aerosol deodorant cans since they were introduced in the late 1960s. Retailer Marks and Spencer used modified atmosphere packaging, which uses less water, to transport thousands of flowers over Valentine’s Day. The company said it would save 10,000 liters of water on Valentine’s Day by using this technology to deliver its £22 bouquets of Fairtrade red roses.
Fleets & Transportation
Volvo Buses’ North American subsidiary, Nova Bus, received an order for 475 hybrid buses from Quebec, Canada, with an option for a further 1,200 vehicles. The customer, ATUQ, is a consortium consisting of the province’s nine transit authorities.
Classification society Det Norske Veritas and process modeling firm Process Systems Enterprise have developed a concept design for on-board chemical capture, liquefaction and temporary carbon dioxide storage for ships in transit.
Greenhouse gas emissions from flights within Europe are likely to fall by around 1 million tons or roughly 1.5 percent this year, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The drop should come as carriers bring newer, more fuel-efficient fleets online and pack their planes more tightly as a result of high oil prices.
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Fogfuels will use its patented process to transform fats, oils and grease into B100 biodiesel fuel to power school buses, vehicles and machinery operated by the City of Atlanta. The company will work with independent haulers in the metropolitan Atlanta area to receive trap grease generated by restaurants and institutional sources. The waste will be received at the Fogfuels processing center and converted to B100 biodiesel fuel.
Green Planet Group Inc. received additional orders for its XenTx diesel fuel savings and clean emissions additive from the Dallas County School System in Texas. The school district is the third largest pupil transportation district in the US and transports about 71,000 students to and from school each day. DCS expects to save $600,000 in fuel and maintenance costs during the first year of using XenTx.
Boeing has informed airlines that further deliveries of its fuel-efficient 787 Dreamliner could be delayed, just days after Qantas’s chief Alan Joyce threw his support behind the troubled aircraft. Meanwhile, regulators are continuing to investigate overheating batteries that prompted the model’s grounding.
Lower than average snowfall coupled with a hot and dry summer caused water levels in Lakes Michigan and Huron to hit a record low for the second month in a row, causing economic hardship on shippers forced to carry lighter loads, according to a report by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Ford’s MyFord Mobile smartphone app and Web portal now features a charging station finder powered by PlugShare.com, compatible with the new Ford Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid vehicles. In addition to aggregating publicly available lists of stations from a variety of sources, PlugShare incorporates crowd-sourced information from users as it aims to provide the most comprehensive dataset available.
Beer distributor J.J. Taylor Companies ordered 43 Freightliner Business Class M2 112 compressed natural gas tractors and plans to completely replace its Tampa-based fleet of 95 diesel tractors with the cleaner burning CNG units within the next 36 months.
Liquefied natural gas fueling firm Linde North America deployed 20 additional LNG Class 8 trucks to its distribution fleet. These trucks are delivering cryogenic gases to Linde’s customers in North America. Linde says that its LNG-fueled tractors are lighter in weight, allowing Linde to increase payloads, improve service and better manage fuel costs.
Kia Motors America unveiled the Cross GT 3.8-liter V6 hybrid concept car at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show. Backing the V6 is an evolution of Kia’s parallel hybrid system, a pancake-shaped electric motor sandwiched between the V6 and transmission. The electric motor sits under the rear floor. Combined, the
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V6 and electric motor produce 500 lb.-ft. of torque and 400 horsepower, with an all-electric range of 20 miles, Kia says.
Also at the Chicago Auto Show, Chevrolet unveiled the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel. Chevy is hoping to cash in on the jump in diesel sales in the US. There have been double-digit increases in diesel sales in 20 of the last 24 months, Chevy says.
Virgin Media will use SageQuest, a web-based tracking and management tool developed by Fleetmatics Group, to help save fuel and improve efficiency of its 2,600-vehicle fleet serving the UK and Ireland.
Schindler Elevator Corporation announced an initiative that will have the company replacing more than 500 internal combustion sedans in its North American vehicle fleet with the Toyota Prius Two. The gas-electric hybrid car is expected to reduce greenhouse gases by 42 percent over the company’s current sedan fleet. The fleet replacement will take place over the next three to four years.
UPS announced the deployment of 100 fully electric commercial vehicles that will deliver packages around California. UPS says the initiative will help implement governor Jerry Brown’s executive order to achieve widespread deployment of zero emission vehicles throughout California.
Shipping a container on the Cold Train refrigerated express intermodal service from Washington State’s Port of Quincy to Chicago or from Chicago to Quincy reduces the shipment’s carbon footprint by 52 percent compared to a long-haul truck, says energy services company McKinstry.
Chevrolet says it will purchase up to 75,000 metric tons worth of carbon credits created by the IdleAir truck stop electrification project. Chevy is supporting various energy-efficiency, renewable energy and conservation initiatives in its goal to prevent up to 8 million metric tons of CO2 from entering the earth’s atmosphere between 2010 and 2014. To date, it has secured commitments for nearly 7 million metric tons.
Google, Ford and GE are among 13 companies that have joined with the DOE to launch the Workplace Charging Challenge, an effort to increase the number of US employers offering electric vehicle charging tenfold in the next five years. GE Aviation won a Boeing contract to provide a flight management system designed to save money by using less fuel, while producing fewer emissions. The flight management system, which will be manufactured at GE facilities in Grand Rapid, Mich., and Clearwater, Fla., will be integrated into the Boeing 737 MAX airplane.
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In what appears to be the latest of Better Place’s mounting difficulties, the EV battery swapping company says it is winding down North American and Australian operations and will focus its efforts in Denmark and Israel.
Green Building
Texas state Sen. John Carona has introduced legislation that would allow building owners to use private sector financing for water conservation and energy-efficiency improvements through long-term loans paid with voluntary property assessments.
Designing a building holistically, and making sure that its components and systems work together according to design intent, can pay big dividends in energy savings and occupant satisfaction, according to a study by scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory of the performance of The New York Times Building in New York City.
Executive Moves
American Institute for Packaging and the Environment’s first executive director, Joan Pierce, is stepping down. Her retirement is effective March 30. Pierce retired from Colgate-Palmolive at the end of 2011. A search for a new Ameripen head has already begun.
XL Group’s Matthew V. O’Malley was promoted to lead the environmental business of the company’s insurance operations. O’Malley previously served as head of Environmental Underwriting Operations, overseeing the business’ field operations and sales and marketing activities. He joined XL Group in 2004.
SCS Global Services named Stanley Mathuram as the new head of its furniture industry certification services. Before joining SCS, Mr. Mathuram worked for companies such as Michigan Steel, AECOM, The Mannik & Smith Group, and DLZ Corporation.
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Carbon Friendly Solutions has appointed Dr. Isaac Yaniv to its board of advisors. Yaniv is CEO of ORIS Advanced Materials, which undertakes international technology transfers.
National Academy of Sciences appointed NYU Stern Professor Melissa Schilling to the academy’s Committee on Overcoming Barriers to Electric Vehicle Deployment. The committee will study the technological, infrastructural and behavioral barriers to widespread adoption of electric vehicles in the US, and will provide recommendations to Congress.
Xanterra Parks & Resorts appointed Catherine Greener vice president of sustainability. Prior to joining Xanterra, Greener was a founding partner of Cleargreen Advisors, a sustainability management services firm.
GEI Consultants promoted Ryan Hoffman to Boston environmental division manager. Hoffman has 15 years of project-management experience in site investigation and remediation, construction support and due diligence assessment.
Leggette, Brashears & Graham named Brad Granley, Brad Cross, Bill Stein and John Nelson senior associates. Granley is based in the firm’s St. Paul, Minn., office. Cross is based in the Austin, Texas office of LBG-Guyton Associates, previously served for 15 years at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and also served as a consultant to the EPA. Stein has worked with LBG-Guyton Associates in Austin, Texas for more than 21 years. Nelson is based in the Houston office.
Best Foot Forward’s co-founder and director Nicky Chambers is stepping down from the post of CEO. Chris Stanley, who has been a director of Best Foot Forward for a year, is the new CEO. Chambers is writing a book on a new sustainability framework for organizations.
Marten Law announced that attorney Richard Allan joined the environmental and energy law firm at its Portland office. Allan, formerly a partner with Ball Janik LLP, has more than 20 years of experience helping utilities, developers and other Northwest businesses with their environmental, land use and natural resource issues.
American Forest & Paper Association elected Graphic Packaging president and CEO David Scheible AF&PA board chairman, along with the 2013 slate of board officers. Scheible has served as Graphic Packaging’s president and CEO since 2007. Also elected to officer positions by the AF&PA board are: First Vice Chairman John Williams, president and CEO of Domtar and Second Vice Chairman Mark Gardner, president
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and CEO of Sappi Fine Paper North America. Alexander Toeldte, president and CEO of Boise Inc., will serve as the immediate past chairman. Beginning terms as members of the AF&PA Board of Directors in 2013 are: Buckeye Technologies’ John Crowe, Deltic Timber Corporation’s Ray Dillon, Liberty Diversified International’s Mike Fiterman, Interstate Resources’ James Morgan and PaperWorks Industries’ Mark Staton.
Water Management
Vincor International’s Quebec bottling plant is saving water and energy after installing a System Plast NG conveyor chain and a Nolu-S wear track from Power Transmission Solutions. The so-called “dry wine” bottling procedure eliminates soap-and-water lubrication and has improved production volumes, sanitation standards, reliability, maintenance costs and noise levels, according to Sustainable Plant.com.
In response to the drought — lake levels in Wichita Falls, Texas dropped below 40 percent capacity last week — several Texas cities are pursing projects to turn treated sewage into millions of drinking water per day, the New York Times reports.
Kroff Inc. penned a five-year agreement with the University of Michigan to provide custom-formulated water treatment services for the university’s Central Power Plant and North Campus Research Complex. Kroff will provide chemical water treatment, testing, monitoring and consulting services for the boilers, cooling towers and cooling loops in those areas.
The Global Environmental Management Initiative updated its GEMI Local Water Tool and the GEMI LWT for Oil and Gas. The updates include a new data source list with additional watershed areas for both water tools. The new list may be found on the tool web page.
MillerCoors reduced overall water use across its eight major breweries in 2012 to 3.82 barrels of water per barrel of beer, a 6.1 percent decrease from 2011. This is its lowest water-to-beer ratio to date, according to the brewing company. GE announced its zero-liquid discharge wastewater treatment technology will be installed at two new 758 MW natural gas-fueled, combined-cycle power plants in Texas. The two power plants, which are owned by Panda Power Funds, will reduce incoming water needs by recycling and reusing more than 98 percent of
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their own cooling tower wastewater. When complete, each power plant will provide electricity for about 750,000 homes. The EPA awarded a contract to Bowling Green, Ohio-based Blue Water Satellite to provide historical data on concentrations of potentially harmful elements at four Great Lakes beaches. Blue Water Satellite will use its technology to identify and quantify the concentration levels of cyanobacteria, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a in water bodies. The company’s proprietary technology has the ability to retrieve and analyze data back to 1984. The Port of Seattle awarded a $10.5 million contract to Imco General Construction for cleanup along the waterfront in the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site. Imco will remove contaminated upland soil and river sediment beginning in May. The job, which will include demolition, excavation, dredging, disposal, and upland and dredge backfilling, is due to be completed by Feb. 15, 2014. Intellitect Water is launching a new version of their Intellisonde in-pipe monitor for long-term live monitoring of water quality. The Intellisonde Version 2 is easier to use, more accurate and more reliable, the company says.
Waste & Recycling
Alaska Airlines has partnered with Ecova to increase its recycling volume by a fifth and reduce that program’s expenses by 73 percent, according to a case study released by the sustainability management firm.
Pittsburgh-based MSA, the largest producer of industrial hard hats in North America, has launched the V-Gard GRN hard hat, which it says is the first industrial safety product produced from nearly 100 percent renewable resources.
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Renewable Energy
Microsoft used funds collected over the past six months from its internal carbon offset fee to invest in renewable energy projects, including wind, hydro and biomass, as well as provide grants to help drive efficiency measures throughout its operations, according to the software company.
Greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fell 4.6 percent to 2,221 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from 2010 to 2011, largely due to an increase in electricity generation from natural gas and renewable energy, according to the EPA’s second annual release of greenhouse gas data.
California is home to nearly 30 advanced biofuel companies, but dozens of other states from coast to coast also are beginning to realize the economic benefits of this emerging industry, according to analysis by green business policy group Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).
First Solar has acquired the 50 MW Macho Springs Solar project in New Mexico, expected to be the state’s largest solar power plant. And, according to Bloomberg, the company may sell electricity at a lower rate than new coal plants earn.
Biofuel mandates and growth in the biochemicals industry are expected to triple demand for biomass by 2030, placing pressure on available feedstocks, according to a report, Finding Feedstocks for the Bio-Based Fuels and Chemicals of Today and 2030, by Lux Research. The report said today biofuels and biochemicals need more than a billion metric tons of biomass material each year to replace about three percent of total petroleum products.
Mage Solar and Paradise Energy have installed a 1.12 MW solar farm at construction materials supplier Martin Limestone’s New Holland, Penn. property. The companies say the solar array will supply about 50 percent of the concrete facility’s needs.
Solar panel makers are generating millions of pounds of polluted sludge and contaminated water, hazardous waste that is not always reported, an investigation from Associated Press found.
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Corporate Sustainability
Brookshire Grocery Co. joined the EPA’s GreenChill partnership, an initiative that works with supermarkets to reduce refrigerant emissions. By joining GreenChill, Brookshire pledges to go beyond regulatory requirements to protect the ozone layer and combat climate change.
Sportswear company Puma launched InCycle, the brand’s first “closed-loop” collection of footwear, apparel and accessories, all of which have earned the Cradle to Cradle Certified Basic certification.
A record 722 investors with $87 trillion in assets have become signatories to the Carbon Disclosure Project’s (CDP) climate change program in 2013, up 10 percent from last year’s 655 investors with $78 trillion. This represents about a third of the world’s invested capital, CDP says.
Outdoor clothing and equipment company Patagonia started focusing on sustainability after staff at its Boston store became sick from formaldehyde, which was seeping from clothing stored in the basement, the company’s senior editor Vincent Stanley told the Guardian.
Calorie-free sweetener brand Truvia surpassed its 2020 goal of a 25 percent reduction in its water intensity in just 18 months, according to an update on its sustainability performance.
The white powdered sugar that coats Dunkin’ Donuts Powdered Cake Donuts and Hostess Donettes contains nanoparticles of potential carcinogen titanium dioxide, according to research by green nonprofit As You Sow. The research presents results of a survey of 2,500 food companies about their use of nanomaterials in food products, and includes laboratory results from testing on the doughnuts.
As part of what it calls the “greenest” Super Bowl in the game’s history, the New Orleans Host Committee says it will donate carbon credits to offset some 3.8 million pounds of CO2 emissions, among other sustainability initiatives.
Nissan opened a manufacturing facility that the company says can cut energy consumption by 30 percent, carbon emissions by 30 percent and volatile organic compound emissions by 70 percent.
Procter & Gamble agreed in a California court to reduce the levels of the chemical 1,4 dioxane in its laundry products. EPA calls the chemical a “probably human carcinogen,” and California’s Proposition 65, the state law governing toxic chemical exposure in consumer products, classifies 1,4 dioxane as a known carcinogen.
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Ocean Spray implemented two distribution initiatives that combined have led to a 20 percent reduction in transportation CO2 emissions, while achieving comparable cost savings across the transportation network.
The US Postal Service says it saved more than $52 million in 2012 by reducing energy, water, consumables, petroleum fuel use and solid waste to landfills, and generated nearly $24 million in revenue by recycling.
Conducting thorough due diligence on a property’s former use and any environmental issues it may face is both sensible risk management and critical to defense against lawsuits, according to John Beauchamp, environmental product head at insurance company Beazley.