It is reported that House Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on the Environment and Economy Chair John Shimkus (R-IL) is working on draft legislation to reform TSCA, which Shimkus expects to introduce and on which he expects to hold a hearing in the coming weeks. B&C has issued a memorandum providing an overview of the Subcommittee's fifth hearing on TSCA reform held on February 4, 2014. The memorandum is available online. There is a renewed sense...
February 14, 2014
House Transportation And Infrastructure Committee Field Hearing On Elk River Spill
On February 10, 2014, the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure convened a field hearing in Charleston, West Virginia, on "The Charleston, West Virginia Chemical Spill." On January 9, 2014, a coal processing chemical, 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (MCHM), stored in an aboveground tank owned by Freedom Industries leaked into the Elk River in West Virginia. The leak compromised the water supply to nine counties in the state affecting some 300,000 residents. Due to a...
February 7, 2014
Kia Recognized For Biobased Organic Carbon Content
Kia Motors Corporation announced this week that "the company's new Soul EV (electric vehicle), which will have its world premiere at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show starting later this week, has achieved UL Environment validation for bio-based organic carbon content for 10% of its interior materials. UL Environment is the environmental business unit of UL (Underwriters Laboratories), a global independent safety science company." The Company explained that "[v]arious bio-based...
On February 6, 2014, it was announced that Versalis, the chemical subsidiary of Eni, and Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc., a producer of specialty chemicals from natural oils, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership to jointly develop and scale a new metathesis technology to produce bio-chemicals from vegetable oils. According to a press release by Elevance, "Versalis and Elevance intend to focus on jointly developing and scaling new catalysts,...
The Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG™) sponsored the 5th Annual Next Generation Bio-Based and Sustainable Chemicals Summit, which took place February 4-7, 2014, in San Diego, California. The Summit is considered one of the premier biobased and sustainable chemicals information and networking events for biobased start-ups, global chemical majors, brand owners, feedstock providers, venture capitalists, and academics. This year's Summit provided a detailed overview of...
February 7, 2014
EPA Files Brief Supporting Its 2013 RFS Final Rule
On February 4, 2014, EPA filed a 113 page brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. In its brief, EPA attempts to defend its final rule setting the 2013 RFS in the face of challenges to it by Monroe, the American Petroleum Institute, and American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers. EPA argues that it was reasonable to maintain the total renewable and advanced biofuel levels under the RFS statute for 2013...
February 7, 2014
Monroe Energy Files New Lawsuit Challenging EPA On RFS
Monroe Energy, LLC (Monroe), a refinery and subsidiary of Delta Airlines, has filed another lawsuit challenging EPA's implementation of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In this latest suit, Monroe argues that blenders, not refiners and importers, of fuel should be deemed the obligated parties under the RFS. Monroe does not have blending capacity like some larger refiners. Monroe asserts that the fact that EPA in its proposed rule to set the 2014 RFS renewable...
February 7, 2014
New DOE Funding Opportunity For Production Of Biobased Carbon Fiber
On February 3, 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced that up to $12 million in funding would be made available to advance the production of cost-competitive, high-performance carbon finer material from renewable non-food based feedstocks. Feedstocks could include agriculture residues and woody biomass. This funding supports DOE's Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative. A copy of DOE's press release on this announcement...
February 7, 2014
Upcoming House Transportation And Infrastructure Committee Hearing On West Virginia Spill And Ways
On February 10, 2014, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is scheduled to hold a field hearing in Charleston, West Virginia, to examine the effects of and response to the January 9, 2014, chemical spill into the Elk River. More information on the hearing is available online....
February 7, 2014
Senate EPW Subcommittee Holds Hearing On West Virginia Spill
On February 4, 2014, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works' Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife held a hearing on "Examination of the Safety and Security of Drinking Water Supplies Following the Central West Virginia Drinking Water Crisis." A full list of witnesses is available online. Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) spoke at the hearing and stressed the need for reform of TSCA in the wake of the January 9, 2014, chemical spill in West...