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☆ EPA Reinstates Tougher Rules on Mercury, Other Toxins Eased Under Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Eric Niiler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mercury, arsenic and other toxic metals are released into the air from power-plant smokestacks and make their way into U.S. waterways and to the food chain. The Biden administration has reinstated an Obama-era rule on mercury and other toxic chemicals that are emitted from coal-fired and oil-fired power plants, pollutants that the Environmental Protection Agency says are a health risk to people who live near these facilities. EPA officials said Friday that the rule, known as the 2012 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, is “appropriate and necessary” to regulate emissions from power plants under the existing 1990 Clean Air Act.

☆ Norfolk Southern has erased $5 billion in market value since the Ohio train derailment spilled toxic chemicals into East Palestine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Shares of Norfolk Southern have erased $5 billion in market value since the Ohio train derailment. On February 3, a Norfolk Southern train derailment released toxic chemicals in the community of East Palestine, Ohio. JPMorgan estimated Norfolk Southern will face costs related to the train derailment of as much as $50 million. Despite the efforts, investors have grown concerned about the potential costs Norfolk Southern will face in lawsuits and clean-up actions. So far, water tests have yet to show vinyl chloride entering the drinking water for residents in the East Palestine, Ohio area.

The derailment of the train, operated by Norfolk Southern (NSC.N), forced thousands of residents to evacuate while railroad crews drained and burned off chemicals. “We have mobilized a robust, multi-agency effort to support the people of East Palestine, Ohio," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing. [1/3] A view of a caution tape as members of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (not pictured) inspect the site of a train derailment of hazardous material in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 16, 2023. DeWine called on Congress to review railroad safety regulations, lamenting states have little power to demand information about what types of hazardous goods are rolling through their borders. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Thursday more needs to be done to address rail safety in the face of hundreds of annual train derailments.

☆ Kia's new electric SUV is the stylish, super-quick competitor of Elon Musk's nightmares — but it has one big downside
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The 2023 EV6 GT Kia lent me came out to roughly $63,000, including a destination fee. The 2023 Kia EV6 GT. The 2023 Kia EV6 GT. The 2023 Kia EV6 GT. Our impressionsThe 2023 Kia EV6 GT is a unique, adrenaline-inducing ball of energy that makes you feel outrageously cool while behind the wheel.

The derailment of the Norfolk Southern (NSC.N) operated train forced thousands of residents to evacuate while railroad crews drained and burned off chemicals. "This incident has understandably shaken this community to its core," Regan said at a press conference. Regan noted state and federal testing inside nearly 500 homes close to the derailment site shows that none of the toxic chemicals that were on the train are present in the air. He did urge residents who use private wells to continue using bottled water and to get their wells tested. [1/6] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan speaks during a press conference after inspecting the site of a train derailment of hazardous material in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 16, 2023.

The Biden administration rule would protect wetlands and seasonal streams, not just permanent waterways like the rivers and lakes they feed into. Those smaller waterways were largely eliminated from protections by a Trump administration rule. The Biden administration signaled its intent to replace that rule in June 2021. The Trump-era rule had been vacated by an Arizona federal court in August 2021, which restored previous standards while the Biden administration worked on its changes. For the states: West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, Solicitor General Lindsay See and Senior Deputy Solicitor General Michael WilliamsFor the EPA: Counsel not immediately availableOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: Timeline of Ohio train derailment containing hazardous chemicals cargo
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 14 (Reuters) - A timeline of events since a Norfolk Southern Railroad-operated train derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, while carrying hazardous materials from Illinois to Pennsylvania. Feb. 5: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Michael Graham says video footage of the accident points to possible "mechanical issues on one of the rail car axles." Feb. 6: Crews drain and burn off an "unstable" toxic chemical cargo from five rail cars of the train. Feb. 14: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says 20 cars were carrying hazardous materials, including 10 that derailed. The NTSB says 38 cars in total left the tracks and that the ensuing fire damaged 12 more cars.

[1/3] Drone footage shows the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 6, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released by the NTSB. NTSBGov/Handout via REUTERSFeb 14 (Reuters) - Cleanup is moving quickly after a train carrying toxic materials derailed in Ohio 11 days ago, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said on Tuesday, while residents and observers questioned the health impacts of pollution that spilled into the Ohio River. Officials said the volume of the river diluted the plume and the plume did not pose a serious threat. UNION WARNINGSRailroad union officials said they have been warning that such an accident could happen because railroad cost-cutting harmed safety measures. "No one wants to listen until we have a town blown off the face of the earth, then people listen," said Whitaker, whose union is the largest U.S. railroad union representing conductors, engineers and other workers.

☆ Meet the GOP leaders in charge of critical House environmental committees
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Westerman, a representative for Arkansas's fourth congressional district, has a background in engineering and is a licensed forester. He's also introduced legislation to plant 1 trillion trees globally by 2050 in order to pull carbon out of the atmosphere. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, chair of House Committee on Energy and CommerceRep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) during a House Energy and Commerce Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill on April 2, 2019 in Washington, DC. "We'll be focusing on promoting innovative technologies to facilitate our clean energy transition," Lucas told CNBC. Lucas said the committee would also conduct "robust oversight" of the spending being distributed to advance the country's clean energy sector.

☆ The workers who are supposed to lead the US response to the climate crisis are feeling 'burned out'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

There's a staffing crisis at the nation's top environmental agency, union officials say. The number of Environmental Protection Agency employees today is similar to the Ronald Reagan era. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. "People are burned out," Marie Owens Powell, an EPA employee and the president of its union chapter known as AFGE Council 238, told Insider. "Communities need to implement these programs, whether it's replacing lead service lines for drinking water or cleaning up environmental pollution."

☆ Rural Ohio is facing comparisons to Chernobyl after a massive chemical leak caused by a train derailment. Here's what the disaster really has in common with the nuclear accident.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

On February 3 a train derailment caused chemical spillage in East Palestine, Ohio. However, the environmental impact of the East Palestine incident should not be ignored, experts say. The chemicals in the East Palestine incident are also not as potent as the nuclear waste in Chernobyl. Nobody died as a result of the East Palestine chemical spillTwo people died immediately following the explosion at Chernobyl. East Palestine resulted in an evacuation, but it was short-livedAfter the derailment, close to 2,000 residents in East Palestine were asked to evacuate.

☆ Worried residents near Ohio train derailment report dead fish and chickens as authorities say it's safe to return
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Aria Bendix | David K. Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Drone footage shows the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 6, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released by the NTSB. For days, authorities have been telling residents of the area around East Palestine, Ohio, that it is safe to return home after a 150-car train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed Feb. 3. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources said the chemical spill resulting from the derailment had killed an estimated 3,500 small fish across 7½ miles of streams as of Wednesday. For some people who live near the derailment site, the reports continue to spur fear that they and their animals might be exposed to chemicals through the air, water and soil. The Ohio Department of Agriculture said the risk to livestock remains low.

A map of Turkey showing the city of Kahramanmaras in relation to the epicenter of the earthquake. A set of before and after images that show how a block in the downtown Kahramanmaras area was turned to rubble by the earthquake. For days, rescue teams and family members have been working through rubble of collapsed buildings throughout the city. Residential buildings Before Residential buildings After Google Maps Street View from November 2022; Adem Altan/Agence France-Presse, via Getty Images from Feb. 7, 2023On many blocks, only a few buildings remain. A set of before and after images that show another block of residential buildings destroyed, leaving the Clarion Hotel Kahramanmaras standing alone.

☆ Why Processing Sweden’s Rare-Earth Haul Won’t Be Easy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

The find is adjacent to the company’s Kiruna iron-ore mine, an operation that would eventually be expanded to extract the rare earths plus phosphorus, a critical mineral for fertilizers. The company said it would take 10 to 15 years to start recovering the rare earths. LKAB facilities in Kiruna, Sweden. Also, LKAB reported that its find has a total rare-earth oxide level of 0.18%, a low level of concentration. U.K.-based Pensana PLC aims to mine rare-earth concentrates in Angola, before separating and processing them in the north of England.

☆ Republican senators seek to reverse U.S. heavy-duty truck emissions rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - A group of 34 Republican senators said on Thursday they would seek to overturn U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules that aim to drastically cut smog- and soot-forming emissions from heavy-duty trucks. Under the Congressional Review Act, a simple majority vote in both chambers of Congress can reverse recently finalized rules. The new EPA rules target heavy-duty truck and engine manufacturers by tightening yearly emissions limits and changing key provisions of existing rules to ensure emissions reductions in long-term road use. Separately, the EPA plans to propose by next month "Phase 3" greenhouse gas (GHG) standards for heavy-duty vehicles and new emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles. Transportation is the largest source of U.S. GHG emissions, making up 29%, and heavy-duty vehicles are the second-largest contributor at 23%.

☆ Big Oil made $200 billion in profit last year. Shareholders won big, clean energy missed out
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But the flood of cash has not delivered a commensurate boom in renewable energy investments, despite clear evidence that the world needs to move much faster with efforts to address the climate crisis. The record-setting results mark a dramatic turnaround for a sector that suffered brutal losses and slashed shareholder payouts in 2020, when pandemic lockdowns sharply reduced demand for energy and oil prices collapsed. An aerial view of the BP oil refinery in Whiting, Indiana on August 29, 2019. Tannen Maury/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockJust three years ago, BP unveiled a plan to slash oil and gas production by 40% from 2019 levels by 2030. It is also now aiming to cut carbon emissions from its oil and gas production by 20%-30% by 2030, down from the previous goal of 35%-40%.

☆ Controlled chemical release scheduled to prevent explosion in wake of Ohio train derailment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Dennis Romero | Marlene Lenthang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Drone footage shows the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 6, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released by the NTSB. Three days after a 150-car train derailed in northeastern Ohio, and risked exploding due to chemicals on board, authorities have announced a planned chemical release. Josh Shapiro ordered an immediate evacuation of a 1-mile by 2-mile area surrounding East Palestine that includes parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Graham on Sunday identified at least 10 of the derailed cars as "hazmat cars," or those carrying hazardous materials or chemicals. In a statement Saturday, the village of East Palestine said "zero health risks" had been discovered so far.

☆ Why I'd buy a Tesla Model Y over the Mercedes EQB after driving both electric SUVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Tesla Model Y. Tim Levin/InsiderTesla's always been the one to beat when it comes to range. The Model Y serves up an EPA-estimated 330 miles of driving per charge, making it one of the industry leaders. The 2022 EQB carries a comparatively weak 243-mile rating, which drops to 227 miles in the quicker EQB 350 model I tested. The Tesla Model Y. Tim Levin/InsiderTeslas are refreshingly minimalist and uncluttered, but not nearly as conventionally luxurious as BMWs and Benzes. The Tesla Model Y. Tim Levin/InsiderIn the Model Y, technology takes center stage in the form of a big, feature-packed display.

☆ U.S. Treasury makes more Tesla, Ford, GM EVs eligible for tax credits
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The move is a win for Tesla, GM, Ford and other automakers which had pressed the Biden administration to change the vehicle definitions. The decision raises the retail price cap to $80,000 from $55,000 for GM's Cadillac Lyriq, Tesla's five-seat Model Y, Volkswagen's ID.4, the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Escape Plug-in Hybrid. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk tweeted last month the EV tax rules were "messed up." The five-seat version of the Tesla Model Y is not considered an SUV, while the Model Y seven-seat version is and can qualify for the credit. The Treasury said the revised definition will apply to all buyers of EVs since Jan. 1.

☆ Hyundai's sleek new electric car brings Tesla-beating range in a futuristic package
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan brings streamlined looks and impressive driving range. It can drive 361 miles before needing to charge up, the EPA recently said. This week, the EPA granted the Ioniq 6 a stellar range estimate of up to 361 miles, three miles more than Tesla's uber-successful Model 3. The Hyundai Ioniq 6. The base, rear-wheel-drive Model 3 serves up 272 miles of EPA range.

☆ In boost for Ford and Tesla, Treasury changes EV tax rules making it easier to qualify as an SUV
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Until now, the Treasury Department considered the Mustang Mach-E a car, not an SUV, for purposes of tax credits. The tax rules seemed to defy both common sense and what the EPA was saying. Before, the Treasury Department had been relying on vehicle definitions used by the National Highway Traffic Administration to administer Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations. “This change will allow crossover vehicles that share similar features to be treated consistently,” the Treasury Department said in an announcement. 2023 and who didn’t qualify for a tax credit under the old rules may now qualify, Treasury said in its announcement.

☆ Mercedes' cheapest electric car is more luxurious than a Tesla but with way less range
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Mercedes-Benz EQB 350. It starts at $54,500, and the 2022 EQB 350 Mercedes lent me came out to $58,050, including optional heated seats. The Mercedes-Benz EQB 350. The Mercedes-Benz EQB 350. The Mercedes-Benz EQB 350.

☆ The $54,500 Mercedes EQB is a solid electric SUV for people who think Teslas lack luxury
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

☆ I've tested 19 different electric cars. The technology is amazing, but you shouldn't buy one yet.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Testing well over a dozen new electric cars has convinced me that I want one someday. New electric cars are too expensiveThe Tesla Model Y costs close to $70,000. Today, you can't find a used EV with more than 250 miles of EPA-rated range for less than $24,000. Tim Levin/InsiderUnderdeveloped charging infrastructure is widely cited as one of the top reasons more people don't buy more electric cars. Did you recently buy an electric car, sell one, or trade it in for a different brand?

☆ Central banks are fighting a war on inflation. They're not done yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

London CNN —One of the main jobs of central banks is to keep prices under control, allowing households and businesses to plan for the future with some certainty on what things will cost. Tolga Akmen/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockPolicymakers face difficult questions about exactly when to pause interest rate hikes. The European Central Bank’s main rate is 2%, while the Bank of England’s is 3.5%. Still, investors are becoming increasingly confident that major central banks will change course soon. “Central banks are relatively close to the end,” Sels said.

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