environmental and energy news - el trends: july 1-15, 2012 in … · 2019-08-30 · process of...
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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: Nov. 16-30, 2012 e 2011
Issue 28 • December 6, 2012
Latest sustainability & environmental management developments
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EL Trends: November 16-30, 2012
Contents: ENERGY MANAGEMENT 3 COMPLIANCE & STANDARDS 3 ENVIRONMENTAL & ENERGY SOFTWARE 7 CORPORATE REPORTS 7 POLICY & ENFORCEMENT 8 STUDIES & REPORTS 16 PACKAGING & PAPER 17 FLEETS & TRANSPORTATION 17 GREEN BUILDING 19 EXECUTIVE MOVES 21 WATER MANAGEMENT 23 WASTE & RECYCLING 23 RENEWABLE ENERGY 24 CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY 25 RANKINGS 26
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Energy Management
Southwestern US grocery retailer Sprouts Farmers Market installed enterprise asset management software from Verisae to support the company’s aggressive growth strategy. The grocery retailer implemented core components of Verisae’s connected facility platform including enterprise asset management, enterprise refrigerant management and enterprise asset purchasing tools. In a report published in November, GE says the Industrial Internet – which links networks, data and machines through intelligent sensors, software analytics and cloud computing – could boost energy efficiency and account for more than $82 trillion in economic activity by 2025. The US has an opportunity to create a corporate tax structure that encourages investments in energy efficiency and industrial modernization, according to a report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Two InterContinental hotels in San Francisco – the InterContinental Mark Hopkins in Nob Hill and the InterContinental San Francisco in SoMa – have deployed energy optimization software from Stem that will make decisions about getting energy from the grid or using battery power to save on peak usage charges. 3M Renewable Energy Division installed its 3M Sun Control Window Film on the full-roof skylights at the National Bank of Arizona’s 144,000-sq-foot headquarters in Phoenix, to help the bank save electricity costs.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) released a report that details the energy performance of 305 of San Francisco’s municipal facilities during calendar year 2011, including more than 37 million square feet of building area.
Compliance & Standards
LG Electronics became the first major appliance manufacturer to have its refrigerators certified by CSA Group to meet the industry’s new Sustainability Standard for Household Refrigeration Appliances. Nine LG refrigerator models met the requirements of the 2012 environmental standard. CSA Group said it developed the standard, released in June, with the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.
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Two PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh achieved Energy Star certification to become the financial group’s 52nd certified building. Energy reduction practices have reduced utility bills by more than 20 percent at the facility, and PNC said that it expects a return on energy efficiency investments in less than one year.
NSF International, in cooperation with the Glass Association of North America’s float glass manufacturing division, is developing a Product Category Rule for flat and float glass. The PCR will cover sheet glass, plate glass, rolled glass and float glass used in a range of architectural, auto and decorative applications. The rule will provide a science-based method for reporting the environmental impact of glass products and materials throughout their entire life cycle, the groups said.
Apple-Metro, Inc., the New York metro area Applebee’s franchisee, will open New York City’s first LEED Gold certified restaurant in December. The 350-seat location is equipped with more than 40 upgrades including rainwater and daylight harvesting, waterless urinals, LED light fixtures, Energy Star equipment, living walls, and reclaimed wood, the company said.
Creative Recycling Systems, an IT asset management and electronics recycling firm, achieved e-Stewards electronic recycling certification from the Basal Action Network for its Raleigh, N.C., facility. CRS is in the process of certifying its other 12 facilities and holds R2/RIOS, ISO 14001, ISO 9001 and OHSAS18001 certifications, the company said.
Audi of America, in coordination with LAcarGUY, opened its newly redesigned Audi Pacific dealership. The dealership is the largest Audi showroom in the US, and it is the first to be LEED Gold certified. Features of the showroom include energy-efficient water fixtures, low energy-use lighting and a 45 kW solar PV system, Audi Pacific said.
The Asian School of Business campus in Thiruvananthapuram, India, earned LEED Gold certification for new construction to become the first educational campus in the state of Kerala to achieve the rating. The 16-acre campus reduced power consumption by 20 percent and potable water consumption by 30 percent, the Hindu Business Line said.
The Malaysian Highway Authority is urging highway concessionaires to conform to ISO 14000 certification standards so that their operations meet the international standards on environmental management. The authority recommended that concessionaires look at the environmental impact of operations during the construction of highways, and also after roads are open to traffic and during repair works, government news agency Bernama reports.
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Cooper Tire’s Texarkana, Ark., plant received Gold level certification from the US Department of Energy for achieving a 10.1 percent energy savings improvement over three years. The savings were achieved through a variety of means, including lighting upgrades, optimizing equipment speeds, fixing leaks, and training the staff about start-up and shut-down habits.
Asia Pulp & Paper Group has secured SVLK certification for all of its nine mills. SVLK is the Indonesian government’s Wood Legality Verification System. The standard is granted through the National Accreditation Committee and monitored by the Forestry Independent Monitoring Network. SVLK certification addresses country-of-origin verification requirements of US law mandated under a 2008 amendment to the Lacey Act, APP said. The company also said it plans to eliminate deforestation in the supply chain by 2015.
Standards developer CSA Group joined with the International Performance Assessment Center for Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide to announce its carbon capture and storage standard for the geologic storage of carbon dioxide, for Canada and the US. The CSA Z741 Geological storage of carbon dioxide standard stems from IPAC-CO2 research, and the groups intend that their work will lead to the development of international CCS standards, IPAC-CO2 said.
The energy management system at Cooper Tire’s manufacturing facility in Texarkana, Ark., was certified as meeting requirements of ISO 50001 and ANSI/MSE 50021, which makes the plant a Superior Energy Performance Gold Certified Partner under criteria from the Department of Energy. Cooper Tire’s Texarkana plant received SEP Gold certification for achieving a 10.1 percent improvement over three years, the company said.
TriMas Corporation said its Monogram aerospace fasteners business has certification of compliance with ISO 14001, registered through DNV Business Assurance. Monogram has identified its first two environmental objectives as achieving reductions in the consumption of resources and in the generation of wastewater and hazardous wastes, the company said.
Lifting equipment manufacturer Verlinde SA has introduced an environmental management system in compliance with standard ISO 14001 at its production plant in Vernouillet, France. The system is based on a four-stage procedure of planning, service enhancement, data collection and inspections that aims to integrate environmental criteria as early as product design and manufacture.
Information Systems Resources, a provider of computer networking infrastructure in Dearborn, Mich., was certified to the ISO 14001 standard for its environmental management system criteria as well as the R2
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standard, which establishes requirements relating to environmental, health, safety and security aspects of electronics recycling, Recycling Today said.
Adobe’s San Jose headquarters, and San Francisco and Seattle buildings, have been re-certified to LEED Platinum status in the Existing Buildings: Operation and Maintenance category. The company now has 22 LEED certifications worldwide, and 16 certifications at the Platinum level.
UK-based Bio-D, a cleaning products company, said its eco-friendly, fragrance-free laundry products were named Allergy Friendly Products by Allergy UK, an organization that represents the interests of people with allergies. Bio-D’s accredited laundry range, including laundry liquid, washing powder and fabric conditioner, may now display the Allergy UK logo, the company said. The Mövenpick Hotel Deira in Dubai, UAE, recertified its Green Globe status. The luxury hotel reached 90 percent of Green Globe certification criteria. In addition to the areas of energy saving, grey water recycling and landfill waste reduction, the property implemented a purchasing policy that favors environmentally-friendly products, where available, Green Globe said. SCS Global Services has entered a partnership with Alpha Hydraulic Engineering Consultants of Japan to conduct audits of sustainable seafood businesses under the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Stewardship Council standards. SCS and AHEC will offer MSC certification for wild capture fisheries, ASC certification for fish farms, and chain-of-custody certification for processors, retailers and restaurants, SCS said. Target Corp. will pursue LEED certification for its 124 Canadian stores opening in 2013. Design plans include conserving energy and water, reducing GHG emissions and limiting waste sent to landfill. Target is among the first organizations in Canada to be part of the LEED Volume Program, which streamlines the certification process for multiple buildings of a similar type, the company said. The Durst Organization, developers of the first LEED platinum certified skyscraper in the US, will not seek LEED certification for its latest 600-unit 80/20 residential building in development in New York City. The company said it intends to focus on the building’s carbon efficiency over the LEED-based method that tends to focus on energy efficiency, Real Estate Weekly writes. IEWC’s distribution center in Monterrey, Mexico, earned LEED for Commercial Interiors certification. Built with energy-efficient equipment and materials, IEWC warehouse is expected to save a minimum of 15
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percent on air-conditioning and heating costs. The wire and cable supplier worked with environmental consultants Quest Resource Management on the project, Quest said. Weis Markets, operators of 162 grocery stores, will open its first LEED-certified store next month in Fogelsville, Pa. The new supermarket measurably reduces environmental impact in areas pertaining to sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection and indoor environmental quality, Supermarket News said.
California’s inaugural sale of greenhouse gas permits under the state’s new cap-and-trade system raised nearly $300 million with emitting businesses paying $10.09 per metric ton for the right to release carbon in 2013.
Environmental & Energy Software
AirCounts, a new online tool to help large and medium-sized cities calculate the health benefits and monetary value of air quality improvements, was introduced by developer Abt Associates.
The American Institute for Packaging and the Environment’s Product Recovery Knowledge Maps, a web-based tool that aims to increase recovery rates for packaging material, has gone live to the public on the company’s web site. The product was previously reserved for Ameripen members only. Now most aspects of it have been made freely available.
Corporate Reports
DuPont’s absolute greenhouse gas emissions increased by 6 percent from 2010 to 2011, according to the company’s latest corporate sustainability report, while its revenue increased 18 percent, from around $32,733 million in 2010 to $38,719 million in 2011.
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Wholesale electricity supplier NextEra’s normalized carbon emissions have dropped 2 percent year-on-year, according to the company’s 2012 corporate sustainability report.
The Procter & Gamble Company cut its energy use per unit of production by 16 percent since 2007 and by 52 percent by 2002, according to the company’s latest corporate sustainability report.
Cisco reduced its contractual scopes 1 and 2 carbon emissions by just short of 40 percent year-on-year, surpassing the company’s financial year 2012 target for a 25 percent reduction over 2007 levels, according to the company’s 2012 corporate sustainability report.
General Motors has realized year-over-year gains against all of its 2020 environmental goals, including reducing its energy intensity by six percent in that time period, according to an update to the company’s first sustainability report since re-organizing in 2009.
Policy & Enforcement
A group of 47 Ecuadoreans asked Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice to seize Chevron assets in Canada to collect on the 2011 $19 billion judgment against the company for environmental damages. The Ecuador ruling ordered the company to pay for oil pollution dating to the 1960s, which Chevron has protested saying it was a decision fraught with bribery and fraud, Bloomberg said.
Rights to drill on 116 tracts in the western Gulf of Mexico netted $157.8 million in high bids during a lease sale. Only 11 of the 116 blocks sold are located in less than 200 meters of water, and 40 of them are in water depths of more than 1,600 meters. More than a dozen companies submitted bids, Fuel Fix said.
US Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Thomas J. Donahue recommended that any deficit agreement between the administration and Congress should include plans to tap into America’s domestic energy resources. The lobby group said that promoting such opportunities could assist in negotiations by creating a “third bucket” of financial resource, in addition to spending cuts and taxes, the Washington Times said.
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The Senate voted for amendment 2985, which would delete a provision in the defense bill blocking the military from spending on alternative fuels if the cost exceeds that of traditional fossil fuels. The Pentagon has opposed the provision, and is asking for $1.4 billion in next year’s budget for investments in clean energy, including hybrid electric drives for ships, more efficient engines, better generators and solar power, the Associated Press said.
The Senate passed amendment 3095 to the defense bill, striking the prohibition on biofuel refinery construction. The amendment allows the Department of Defense to invest in refineries for advanced biofuels such as algae and switchgrass through a joint Agriculture, Energy and Navy departments agreement. The government funds the development of advanced biofuels with $510 million through the Defense Production Act, The Hill said.
Republicans Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) and Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) are seeking support for a resolution declaring that a carbon tax would be economically harmful. Pompeo said that the planned resolution seeks to put Congress on the record as formally in opposition to carbon tax proposals, The Hill said.
Oil executive Nathan Garber pleaded not guilty to a Class C felony charge that he threatened North Dakota drinking water with his company’s hydraulic fracturing wastewater disposal practices. Garber was president of Executive Drilling at the time of the alleged crime. A Class C felony in North Dakota carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $5,000 fine or both, The Dickenson Press said.
The Olympic Fruit Company based in Union Gap, Wash., reached a settlement with the EPA regarding Clean Air Act risk management requirements for its handling of more than 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia. As part of the settlement, the company will pay a penalty of $33,964.
President Obama signed a bill into law that excludes US airlines from European carbon emissions taxes in the EU ETS. The US airline industry argued that the rules – which the EU put on hold earlier this month – were unfair because they would have been applied to the entire length of flights to European destinations, not just the time spent in EU airspace.
BP answered to manslaughter and other criminal charges at an arraignment before a federal judge in New Orleans. BP entered a not guilty plea as a procedural matter, but the company still intends to plead guilty later. A trial date is set for Feb. 4 if the court doesn’t accept a plea deal and the case goes to trial.
Only about half of the 25,866 businesses and individuals that requested an opt-out from the proposed BP settlement managed to submit valid requests, the company and a team of plaintiffs’ attorneys said in a court
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filing. More than 9,000 were deemed invalid because an attorney, not the actual claimant, signed the document, the Associated Press said.
A United Nations-led partnership, Momentum for Change: Innovative Financing for Climate-Friendly Investment, will launch Dec. 6 from the Doha conference. The partnership aims to showcase innovative public-private financing mechanisms for climate change adaptation and mitigation activities. The initiative pairs the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change with the World Economic Forum, the UN News Center said.
House Democrats on the Energy and Commerce and Natural Resources committees requested a briefing from Black Elk Energy on the explosion at an offshore oil platform that killed two workers and left another missing. Black Elk also faces disciplinary action from the Interior Department in its ongoing investigation. The agency had previously cited the company for safety violations, The Hill said.
Industries in Minnesota that emit more than 100,000 tons of greenhouse gases per year may be required to report their emissions under a rule sought by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The MPCA sees the permit ruling as a way to gather the information on large emitters – a total of about 300 facilities around the state – and review what regulatory actions those facilities may need to comply with state and federal laws, Minnesota Public Radio said.
The American Petroleum Institute sued the EPA in an effort to reverse the agency’s mandate to blend 1.28 billion gallons of biodiesel into diesel fuels starting in January. The API also filed a petition for the EPA to reconsider the 2013 required volumes, suggesting the agency roll back to last year’s 1 billion gallon requirement, Market Watch said.
The Bipartisan Policy Center, a group of former lawmakers and government officials, has advanced a plan for the development of a comprehensive US energy strategy. The group also recommends the creation of a National Energy Strategy Council charged with overseeing all aspects of US energy policy, Fuel Fix said.
The Department of the Interior implemented a new experimental long-term protocol for high flow water releases from Glen Canyon Dam. The new protocol calls for experimental releases from the dam through 2020 to send sediment downstream to rebuild sandbars, beaches and backwaters, and maintain power supplies. The releases are expected to improve ecosystems along the Colorado River corridor in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park, the department said.
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Tetra Pak announced that more than 20 billion of its Forest Stewardship Council-labeled packages have been sold globally in 2012. The label certifies that the paperboard used for the packaging material comes from responsibly managed forests and other controlled sources. Tetra Pak uses 75 percent of packaging material from renewable sources, and the used beverage cartons are fully recyclable, the company said.
IEEE released the IEEE 1680.2-2012 Standard for the Environmental Assessment of Imaging Equipment and the IEEE 1680.3-2012 Standard for the Environmental Assessment of Televisions. Each standard requires products to meet the most recent Energy Star technical specifications; reduce the use of toxic and hazardous substances, brominated flame retardants, and PVC; and be designed for easy recycling, the group said.
ASTM International determined that bitumen-derived crude oil – oil sands crude – is no more corrosive than other crudes in transmission pipelines. ASTM published its findings on the corrosivity of a variety crude oils, based on research conducted by several organizations including the laboratories of Natural Resources Canada, in its Guide G205. NRC said the guide is a step toward creating an industry-wide standard test to measure crude oil corrosivity, Oil & Gas Journal writes.
The offices of the Intuit India Product Development Center in Bangalore earned LEED Platinum certification. Jones Lang LaSalle, West Asia consulted on the certification process of the 41,000-square-foot offices, the Hindu Business Line said.
Stamats earned LEED Silver certification for its headquarters building in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The office was damaged by severe flooding in 2008 and the market research company rebuilt its 30,000 square foot facility to LEED standards, with features including low flow water fixtures that reduce water usage by 30 percent, and use of locally sourced building materials, Stamats said.
Acme Refining Scrap Iron & Metal Co., headquartered in Chicago, earned ISO 14001 certification for its nonferrous metals and fleet maintenance departments with the creation of an environmental management system. Auditing firm Registrar PRG awarded the certification. Acme Refining said that it expects that the standard will be helpful in attaining contracts with government agencies and manufacturers that require the 14001 certification, Recycling Today reports.
Super Crop Safe Limited successfully completed ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 audits conducted by ISOQAR. ISO consultants Global Manager Group worked with the agrochemicals manufacturer to implement the management systems, GMG said.
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The European Union, one of the few parties to have promised to sign up to a second emissions-cutting period under the Kyoto process, has lost some leadership capacity at the global climate talks, because of the ongoing debt crisis. As well, the EU recently delayed its aviation emissions law, and member states remain divided over an oversupply of “hot air” pollution permits, called Assigned Amount Allowances (AAUs), Reuters said.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed a decision on new fracking regulations in the state into 2013. The state DEC has been doing an environmental impact study and drafting new regulations since 2008. The deadline for finalizing regulations is Nov. 29 under the state Administrative Procedures Act. National experts are conducting a health impact review of shale gas drilling, which could be ready in December, but the new rules might be delayed by another six months, the Associated Press said.
The British government announced changes to energy regulations, aiming to develop renewable energy and nuclear power. The changes gradually quadruple the charges to consumers and businesses to support low-carbon energy generation, to about £9.8 ($15.7) billion in the 2020-21 fiscal year, from £2.35 billion now, the New York Times said.
Louisiana Generating, an electric generating company owned by NRG Energy, agreed to a settlement with the EPA and DOJ for violations at its Big Cajun II coal-fired power plant in New Roads, Louisiana. The settlement will require the company to spend $250 million by 2015 to reduce air pollution, pay a civil fine of $3.5 million, and spend $10.5 million on environmental mitigation projects.
The EPA, the DOJ, and the Mississippi DEQ reached a Clean Water Act settlement with the City of Jackson, Miss. Jackson has agreed to make improvements to its sewer systems to eliminate unauthorized overflows of untreated raw sewage and unauthorized bypasses of treatment at the Savanna Street Wastewater Treatment Plant, the city’s largest wastewater treatment facility. Jackson also will pay a civil penalty of $437,916 and implement an $875,000 supplemental environmental project, the EPA said.
Four seafood processing vessels operating in federal waters off the coast of Alaska failed to comply with federal Clean Water Act permits regulating their seafood waste discharges, according to settlement agreements with the EPA. The companies owning the vessels agreed to settle the violations and pay fines as follows: Aleutian Spray Fisheries ($120,000), United States Seafoods ($90,600), and Ocean Peace ($98,000).
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The Asia Investor Group on Climate Change has added its name to a grouping of institutional investors, with over $22.5 trillion in managed assets, calling for governments around the world to change climate change policy.
The World Bank’s new report Turn Down the Heat warns of catastrophic consequences if average world temperatures rise more than 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century. The study said the four-degree increase would likely trigger widespread crop failures and malnutrition and dislocate large numbers of people from coastal areas. World Bank president Jim Yong Kim acknowledged that a 2-degree goal is unlikely to be met with an increase of 3 or 3.5 degrees Celsius now considered probable, the Washington Post said.
The Department of Justice and the EPA reached an agreement with Honeywell International and 23 other parties in the cleanup of the Quanta Resources Superfund site in Edgewater, NJ. The consent decree requires Honeywell to carry out the cleanup work under EPA supervision, which is expected to take two to three years and cost $78 million. The other parties that have agreed to the consent decree include: BASF; Consolidated Rail Corp; Exxon Mobil Corp; Ford Motor Company; General Dynamics Land Systems; Hess; Miller Brewing Co; and Northrop Grumman Systems, the DOJ said.
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) will ask the Department of Justice to probe this year’s West Coast gas price spikes. Cantwell referred to a report from McCullough Research saying the October price spike added up to a 66-cent-per-gallon windfall profit for oil companies — or about $25 million a day.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved a settlement between its Office of Enforcement and Gila River Power for Gila River’s manipulation of power markets in California between July 2009 and October 2010. The settlement agreement marks the first time that a market participant has admitted to a violation of FERC’s anti-manipulation rule in an energy trading case. It calls for Gila River to pay a fine of $2.5 million and disgorge unjust profits of $911,553 plus interest, the FERC said.
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has begun an investigation into the explosion and fire on a Gulf of Mexico oil production platform that killed one worker. The US Chemical Safety Board is also looking into the accident. Platform owner Black Elk Energy continued to search for a second missing worker after the US Coast Guard stopped its search.
The EPA reached a $2 million settlement with 290 small parties for the Casmalia Resources Superfund Site – a former hazardous waste disposal facility that accepted approximately 5.6 billion pounds of waste from nearly 10,000 generators between 1973 and 1989. The settlement requires the parties to pay their
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share of the estimated $284 million total cost of cleaning up the site and resolves their liability for 23 million pounds of waste they collectively sent to CRSS, the EPA said.
German environment minister Peter Altmaier gave his support to a European Commission proposal to withdraw 900 million emission permits from the EU carbon market in an effort to prevent its collapse. The permits would be auctioned from 2013-2015, the first three years of the next phase of the EU ETS. The commission said market operators need a decision on the proposal by the end of the year, Reuters reported.
More than 100 international corporations including Unilever, energy giants Royal Dutch Shell and Statoil, re-insurer Swiss Re, and construction company Skanska have called on policymakers to develop a clear, transparent and unambiguous global carbon price to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Electric car battery maker A123 Systems received a $946,830 check from the Energy Department on the day it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month; it has received more than $133 million from the government and may still get tens of millions more. The Energy Department has said it will consider distributing the rest of the grant funding to A123 or to its eventual buyer despite the company’s bankruptcy, The Hill reports. Officials with the Justice Department are conducting negotiations over a potential payout from BP of $20 billion or more in civil pollution penalties. In the process DOJ must represent the sometimes conflicting interests of federal government as well as the five gulf state governments. BP and the Justice Department said they intended to take the matter to trial in late February, Reuters said. A group of senators is asking President Obama for a meeting about the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The letter from 18 senators, led by Sens. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.), urges Obama to back the project for its job creation and energy security provision, The Hill said. The Department of Justice ended its antitrust investigation into Monsanto’s soybean genetic traits business and the seed industry. DOJ closed the inquiry without taking any enforcement action, and with the cooperation of the agriculture company, Monsanto said. An oil spill at an ExxonMobil facility offshore from the Niger Delta spread at least 20 miles from its source, coating fishing waters in sludge. Residents said it is the worst spill in the area since Exxon started its operations. Oil spills are common in Nigeria where enforcement of environmental regulations is lax and pipelines are frequently damaged in theft operations, Reuters said. The EPA resolved an enforcement action against Lealani Corp. and Poipu Inn, owners of Brennecke’s Beach Broiler, for failing to close two large capacity cesspools in Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii. The company will pay a
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$47,455 fine, and has closed and replaced its two large capacity cesspools. The restaurant owners also paid for and completed a $500,000 supplemental environmental project in the County of Kauai, the agency said. Roquette America Inc. agreed to pay a $4.1 million civil penalty to settle more than 1,000 alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit at its grain processing facility in Keokuk, Iowa, the EPA and the DOJ said. In addition to paying the penalty, Roquette will complete other required improvements valued at more than $17 million, to further protect the Mississippi River and Soap Creek. The entire House GOP leadership team has registered its opposition to climate legislation as a revenue generator. The Tea Party group Americans for Prosperity pointed out that GOP lawmakers are among the signers of the group’s “no climate tax” pledge. Earlier this week, a senior Treasury Department official said that a carbon tax might be considered if Republicans brought it forward, The Hill reports. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, proposed that Congress extend a wind power tax credit for one year, with the condition tax reform discussions next year lead to a plan for its gradual phaseout. The cost for a one-year extension is about $5 billion. Murkowski’s committee does not have jurisdiction over the credit, The Hill said. Yuan Cheng International Group and NST, Inc. in Montclair, Calif., reached a settlement with the EPA and the DOJ for allegedly importing and selling vehicles and engines from China in violation of Clean Air Act requirements. The settlement resolves allegations that, between 2006 and 2011, the now dissolved companies imported and introduced into commerce 17,521 vehicles and engines without proper EPA certifications. Penalties total $300,000, the EPA said. The owners of the Sellafield nuclear waste site face charges from British regulators, based on allegations of illegal dumping of radioactive waste. The nine charges relate to the dumping of low-level waste in a landfill in 2010, the latest in Sellafield ‘s history of complaints, Reuters said. The EPA announced 16 enforcement actions against 16 companies for violations of the lead-based paint renovation, repair and painting rule. The enforcement actions include 13 administrative settlements and 3 filed administrative complaints, and the agency assessed a total of $53,792 in civil penalties in the settlements. In the three administrative complaints, the agency said it seeks civil penalties up to the statutory maximum of $37,500 per violation.
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Studies & Reports
More than half of all couches tested in Duke University-led research contained potentially toxic or untested chemical flame retardants that may pose risks to human health, according to a study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Bio-based material companies should move beyond niche applications to address the same large markets dominated by petro-based material, according to a study by Lux Research. Two thirds of consumers in six countries recognize the need to consume less and purchase products that are good for the environment and society, according to The Regeneration Consumer Study, a joint project by GlobeScan and SustainAbility with support from BBMG. The study surveyed 6,224 consumers across Brazil, China, India, Germany, the UK and the US.
Natural resource and environmental risks are becoming financially material for sovereign credit risk, according to a study by the United Nations Environment Programme’s Finance Initiative.
Fiscal responsibility, community quality of life, and a commitment to a better environment are three reasons state departments of transportation are implementing a variety of sustainable practices and programs across the country, according to a report by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Center for Environmental Excellence.
US investment in sustainable and responsible investments rose 22 percent in two years, according to research by the US SIF Foundation.
Despite the embattled state of the global economy and resulting lack of political enthusiasm for tackling environmental and climate change issues, the $866 billion global environmental market managed four percent growth in 2011, according to research by Environmental Business Journal.
Corporate spending on energy, environment and sustainability management in 2013 will grow by less than 10 percent, according to a Verdantix survey.
The disclosure of corporate sustainability data should be mandated, because such information can help diminish financial risks and improve investment opportunities, and is necessary for investors to make fully
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informed decisions, according to On Materiality and Sustainability: The Value of Disclosure in the Capital Markets, a white paper by Harvard University’s Initiative for Responsible Investment.
Investments made between 2009 and 2011 using proceeds from the allowance auctions of The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative – a cap-and-trade system for power plants in certain northeast and mid-Atlantic states – will help avoid the emission of 12 million short tons of carbon dioxide pollution, according to a report released by the states participating in the program.
Packaging & Paper
Sustainable packaging innovations saved Nestle between 40 and 70 million kg of materials over the past two decades, according to Anne Roulin, the company’s global head of packaging and design.
Dry Lube’s latest product innovation is GlassLube 2.0, a solution for high-speed packaging of glass bottles on stainless steel. Based on natural materials from renewable sources, the company says GlassLube 2.0 offers substantial benefits in hygiene, safety, efficiency, water and power consumption.
Fleets & Transportation
The Drive Natural Gas Initiative, a collaboration between utilities and producers, launched a calculator to help fleet owners analyze the cost of converting vehicles to natural gas. In Bologna, Italy, the Guglielmo Marconi airport activated a new EV charging station powered by solar energy. The San Diego Zoo installed a 90-kW solar photovoltaic canopy that directly charges electric vehicles in the zoo’s parking lot.
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For between $9,000 and $15,000 each, older school buses can be fitted with tailpipe and crankcase filters that reduce soot emissions by up to 90 percent, according to an Environmental Defense Fund report.
The trucking sector could save 624 million metric tons of CO2e by 2022 if US tractor-trailer fleet operators adopted seven currently available efficiency technologies, according to a report published by Carbon War Room and Trimble.
Teijin Limited’s Eco Circle Plantfiber bio-polyester was selected for use in the seats and interior trim surface of the electric Nissan LEAF. More than 30 percent of the material is made with biofuels derived from sugarcane. This is the first time Teijin’s Plantfiber product has been used for the interior of a mass-produced vehicle. The seat and interior trim surface were co-developed by Teijin, automotive seat manufacturer Suminoe Teijin Techno Co., and Nissan.
Coca-Cola partnered with Nissan to test the automaker’s e-NV200, an all-electric commercial vehicle. Field tests started in November, both companies said. Coca-Cola’s regional organization Coca-Cola Central Japan will use the Nissan commercial van as a sales vehicle in Yokohama, evaluating its performance and practical usability compared to conventional internal-combustion engine vehicles.
Ford unveiled EV+, an energy efficiency feature for its plug-in vehicles, in which the vehicle’s GPS system helps it learns the routes of frequent destinations and changes the way power is used to save fuel and stay in electric mode longer. The patent-pending feature combines built-in GPS with software algorithms developed by Ford engineers.
Ford will introduce the compact Transit Connect Wagon, a seven-passenger vehicle expected to deliver up to 30 mpg-plus on the highway. Ford designed the vehicle to drive like a car with the flexibility to be used as a utility van that can haul the payload of a full-size pickup truck. The wagon will be brought to North American Ford dealerships in the fourth quarter of 2013, Ford said.
Toyota is recalling 670,000 of it s2004-2009 model Prius hybrids in the US to fix problems with the steering system, according to a notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Toyota recalled the vehicles because the metal used for the steering component doesn’t have “sufficient hardness” and could wear out, resulting in a loss of steering ability.
Propel Fuels and Solazyme partnered to make algae-based fuel available at retail pumps through a month-long pilot program. The pilot program will test consumer response to the renewable fuel, which will be sold at Propel’s Clean Fuel Points in Redwood City, San Jose, Berkeley and Oakland, Calif.
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General Motors and its research partners will begin developing more fuel-efficient tires next year at the National Tire Research Center in Halifax County, Va., the automaker says.
General Electric will purchase 2,000 Ford C-MAX Energie Plug-in hybrids for its fleet as part of a broader collaboration with the automaker.
Green Building
For the past four years, Jones Lang LaSalle and the Better Buildings Partnership have analyzed 225 commercial buildings in London and found there is little or no correlation between Energy Performance Certificate ratings and actual energy performance. The Health Product Declaration Open Standard, an open format for reporting contents and chemical hazards in building products, was released during Greenbuild. The HPD Open Standard, which is available free at www.hpdcolloborative.org, was developed with the participation of 29 building product manufacturers and 50 expert reviewers across the building industry. The World Green Building Council, US Green Building Council and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group expanded their partnership to focus on creating green building solutions that can be readily implemented in C40 mega-cities around the world. The partnership will give C40 cities access to the full range of USGBC and WorldGBC green building expertise in project best practices, policy development and implementation, education and training, and data-driven tools and resources. Data logger and weather station supplier Onset has launched a research-grade system design to measure the performance of green roofs. The HOBO Green Roof Monitoring System allows users to monitor roof conditions, measure stormwater runoff, improve irrigation scheduling and maintain rooftop vegetation. The system has plug-and-play sensors. customizable data displays and web-based access to data. Clearwater Systems’ non-chemical treatment solution Dolphin WaterCare earned LEED points on more than 350 projects including both new construction and existing buildings. The Dolphin WaterCare systems is designed to improve building resource efficiency within the HVAC system by reducing potable water use and wastewater discharge while controlling corrosion and bacteria.
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Heliotrope, an Oakland, Calif.-based developer of energy efficient electrochromic glass, won the top prize of the NOCA Innovation Competition 2012. The company, which was picked as the winner by the US Green Building Council-Northern California Chapter and building materials manufacturer Saint-Gobain, has developed smart glass products that can switch between solar transparent, heat blocking and heat and light blocking tints. A McGraw-Hill Construction study, released in conjunction with Greenbuild, said K-12 schools and universities plan to continue investments in green buildings, largely driven by financial and social benefits. The New & Retrofit Green School study found more than 75 percent of respondents consider improving indoor air quality and enhancing health and well being as key drivers to invest in green schools, nearly the same percentage that cited financial benefits such as lower operating costs and reduced energy use. The Bullitt Center, the first heavy-timber commercial building in Seattle since the 1920s, was chosen as the commercial/institutional winner of the 8th Annual Design & Build with Forest Stewardship Council Awards. Hotel et Geos Spa Sacacomie in Quebec received honorable mention. The judges’ choice award in the commercial or institutional category went to Woodtech, an Oakland, Calif. company that manufactured wood tables for Cisco Systems’ telecommunications products. The US Green Building Council says a sample survey of LEED buildings performed in the top 11th percentile for energy performance in the nation. The average Energy Star score for the 195 LEED buildings sampled was 89 out of a possible 100 possible points. The analysis was based on LEED projects that have submitted data to USGBC both voluntarily and as required by LEED 2009. The buildings analyzed in the sample were a mix of office and retail and ranged in size from 2,000 to 3 million square feet, with the average 254,000 square feet. A months-long life cycle assessment conducted by architecture firm Perkins+Will found CalStar Products’ non-fired brick has significant environmental benefits. Data show the cradle-to-gate (from raw material extraction and transportation to manufacturing) carbon emissions for a single CalStar brick is 0.13 pounds, versus 0.81 pounds for a single clay brick. For cradle-to-gate embodied energy, the life cycle assessment show a single CalStar brick requires 1,203 BTUs of energy compared to the 6,251 BTUs the traditional process requires. The US Green Building Council says Google will award a $3 million grant aimed at encouraging change within the building materials industry and accelerating the creation of healthier indoor environments. The grant will focus on three areas: supporting research on building materials and health, developing new transparency tools and engaging stakeholders from across the industry.
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BuildingGreen’s annual top 10 green building products list focused on resilient design and durability in the wake of more droughts, wildfires and the superstorm Sandy, the company said. The top products were Amorim’s expanded-cork boardstock insulation, Atlas CMU block with CarbonCure, CyberRain irrigation controllers, the GeoSpring hybrid electric water heater from GE, Haiku ceiling fans by Big Ass Fans, LoE-i89 glazing from Cardinal Glass Industries, Proglaze ETA engineered transition assemblies from Tremco, Viridian reclaimed wood, XS-P series streetlights from Cree Lighting, and WUFI software. The global construction market has shifted and now views green buildings as a business opportunity rather than a niche market, according to a study released at Greenbuild by McGraw-Hill Construction in partnership with United Technologies. The report found 51 percent of firms surveyed said more than 60 percent of their work will be green by 2015. LiveWall says its green wall systems can contribute to projects earning 10 or more LEED credits. The planted wall system, which is on display at the Greenbuild conference, may contribute to credits in a number of LEED categories including sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere and materials and resources. FTSE Group, the US Green Building Council and the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts have jointly developed green property indexes for institutional and retail investors. The indexes have been designed to give investors a way to measure and model the risk and reward profile of green property, using the first codified, transparent definition of listed green property, the organizations said.
Executive Moves
Ketchum PR agency appointed Julie Ferriot to the newly created position of global director of Ketchum Social Responsibility. Ferriot’s previous role was vice president and management supervisor in the corporate practice of Ketchum West’s San Francisco office.
The EPA appointed Dr. David Allen to the post of EPA Science Advisory Board chair and Dr. H. Christopher Frey to chair the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee. Allen is a chemical engineering professor and the director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Resources at the University of Texas at Austin. Frey is
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professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC.
Nonprofit GreenBlue, which helps businesses become more sustainable, appointed Nina Goodrich as executive director. Goodrich will also continue in her current role as program director for GreenBlue’s flagship project, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition.
Shorenstein Properties, a private real estate investment company, appointed Jaxon Love as sustainability program manager. Prior to joining Shorenstein, Love was a fellow of the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps program.
Heumann Environmental, a company which provides engineering consulting services and manufactures industrial particulate separation equipment, hired Dennis Roederer as senior sales manager. Before joining Heumann Environmental, Roederer was regional sales manager for Fisher-Klosterman of Louisville, Ky.
Retroficiency, provider of the on-demand Building Efficiency Intelligence platform, appointed Bill Richardson, Paul Dickerson, Ron Weidner and Eric Teicholz as the first members of its advisory board.
US Ecology, a waste management and recycling services company, terminated James R. Baumgardner, who served as president, chief executive officer and chief operating officer. Baumgardner also resigned from the company’s board of directors. US Ecology also announced it has appointed Jeffrey R. Feeler as acting president and chief operating officer. Feeler formerly served as vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer.
Cornerstone Environmental Group, an engineering, environmental consulting and field services firm, announced that Randall W. Russell joined and will expand the company’s solid waste, water, and wastewater services in the Southeast. Russell previously served as president of civil and environmental engineering firm Kenvirons for 28 years.
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Water Management
Midwest utilities that claimed Syngenta’s weedkiller contaminated their water supplies will likely receive their share of a $105 million settlement within 60 days, according to Baron and Budd, the water providers’ law firm.
The installation by Hach Lange of a continuous oil-in-water monitor in coolant water at a steel re-processing plant has prevented downtime and avoided costly and time-consuming laboratory analysis, the company says.
A bioreactor water treatment system designed by an Ohio State University researcher has saved an Ohio poultry farm $10 million over the next-best option.
Waste & Recycling
GE announced eight new industrial service technologies and a joint venture with Accenture that GE says will potentially cut $150 billion in waste across major sectors. The new technologies combine product diagnostics software and analytics, and will connect machines to machines, machines to people, and machines to business operations allowing airlines, railroads, hospitals, manufacturing and energy companies to operate more efficiently and reduce costs, the company says. Burt’s Bees has partnered with Preserve to spur collection of #5 plastics from lip balm tubes and caps, while providing raw material for consumer goods. The partnership will recover plastics from Burt’s Bees Lip Balm, Tinted Lip Balm and Lip Shimmer products, and use them to create goods including toothbrushes and razors.
Burton Snowboards and Mountain Dew – a PepsiCo brand –launched their 2013 Green Mountain Project, a line of winter sport outerwear featuring sustainable fabric made from recycled plastic bottles.
The EPA launched its Food Recovery Challenge by signing up grocery stores, universities, entertainment venues, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, convention centers and federal facilities to a five percent cut in food
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waste in their first year. The University of Arkansas, Rice University, the LA Dodgers baseball team, the Blue Man Group – Boston performance troupe, the City of Cupertino, Calif., and Warner Bros. Entertainment are just some of the 130 organizations signed on for the program.
US electronics recyclers have stockpiled 860 million pounds of cathode ray tube glass from TVs and monitors, instead of recycling the material, according to a report from Transparent Planet. The report shows that many US electronics recyclers have collected payment for old CRT TVs and monitors, but instead of sending the toxic glass to proper glass processors, they stored it on their property and other locations.
Earth911 and Unilever announced a project to test whether deodorant sticks can be economically recycled. Along with supporting partners Nextlife and FundingFactory, the team will try to demonstrate that the many million of deodorant sticks thrown in the trash each year represent a significant raw material resource for communities that recycle plastics. By recycling 50,942 devices during a one-week period, AT&T customers broke the world record for collecting the most wireless devices in a week, as certified by Guinness World Records. In 2011, AT&T collected about three million cell phones and expects to surpass that number in 2012. By recycling these devices, AT&T customers avoided sending about 25,471 pounds of waste to landfills.
The London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games broadly delivered on its sustainability objectives and will meet its targets to send zero waste to landfill and ensure 70 percent of waste is reused, recycled or composted, according to a report by the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012.
Renewable Energy
The use of corn-based ethanol required by the federal Renewable Fuel Standard mandate has dramatically distorted the market and increased costs throughout the food supply chain to the tune of billions of dollars, according a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, for the National Council of Chain Restaurants. Microsoft’s data center research project in Cheyenne, Wyoming, will be powered by a fuel cell power plant from FuelCell Energy. The power plant will utilize renewable biogas generated by a wastewater treatment facility.
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The EPA rejected requests to waive the federal Renewable Fuel Standard requiring ethanol be blended into gasoline, effectively disagreeing with states and industry groups that argued the mandate was pushing up corn prices following a catastrophic drought that ruined crops in the Midwest.
Corporate Sustainability
The EPA temporarily suspended BP and its named affiliated companies from new contracts with the federal government. The agency is taking this action due to what it calls BP’s “lack of business integrity” as demonstrated by the Deepwater Horizon blowout, explosion, oil spill, and response.
While a company’s reputation is the primary reason for adopting a corporate social responsibility program, there is still a close link between profits and CSR, according to research by corporate and investor relations firm Adam Friedman Associates.
Friends of the Earth called on Apple and Samsung to tell consumers where they source the tin used in their mobile phones, as part of the UK-based advocacy group’s Make It Better campaign.
Plumbing and heating products distributor Wolseley UK announced it will reduce carbon emissions from energy use by 30 percent in the next three years as part of its new environmental policy for sustainable development.
Hazardous chemical residues have been found in clothing made by Zara, Calvin Klein, Benetton, Giorgio Armani, the Gap and 15 other global brands, according to a Greenpeace investigation.
A lawsuit filed against Dole Food accuses the fruit and vegetable company of misleading consumers about the sustainability of banana-growing practices. The class-action lawsuit filed in federal court by law firm Hagens Berman alleges that despite Dole’s promises to act as a safe and sustainable company in communities where its products are grown, the company knowingly purchased bananas from a plantation in Guatemala that devastated the local environment.
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DHL expanded its GoGreen environmental services with two new carbon reporting services – DHL GoGreen Carbon Estimate and DHL GoGreen Carbon Footprint – aimed at providing US importers and exporters with transparency of their carbon emissions. Global companies’ confidence in correctly tracking the financial contribution of corporate social responsibility has fallen from 76 percent to 66 percent in two years, even as the proportion of companies trying to quantify that measure has skyrocketed, according to an IDC survey. Cotton sourced to Better Cotton Initiative standards is being used to make 900 Marks & Spencer products, as the company announced that 35 percent of its products now have an ecological or ethical attribute.
BP has pleaded guilty to federal felony charges and agreed to pay $4.5 billion in fines for the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which killed 11 workers and caused the worst offshore oil spill in US history.
A project led by the Illinois State Geological Survey, the Illinois Basin–Decatur Project -- aimed at demonstrating the commercial viability of carbon capture, utilization and storage technology -- has injected 317,000 metric tons of CO2 in its first year, from an industrial plant into a subterranean reservoir.
Rankings
Indian technology firm Wipro debuted as No. 1 in the international version of Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics, unseating last year’s leader HP.
Chevrolet and Renault lead automakers in the plug-in electric vehicle market due to strong strategy and execution, according to a Pike Research report evaluating 16 leading manufacturers.