The Obama Administration Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issues a pipeline safety bulletin in today's Federal Register pertinent to operations
throughout the United States:
Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities
Caused by Flooding, River Scour, and River Channel Migration
http://www.gpo.gov/...
Some of the recent spills on the Yellowstone River were mentioned.
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In other news....
Meetings: Pipeline Safety: Public Workshop on Pipeline Safety Management Systems
http://www.gpo.gov/...
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P,G&E gets $1.6 billion fine for fatal pipeline accident in San Bruno, CA in 2010:
http://www.latimes.com/...
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Natural Resources Defense Council
News Release - on Gulf Deadzone Litigation under Clean Water Act...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Josh Mogerman, NRDC, 312-651-7909
The Mucky Mississippi: Algae Pollution Case Back in District Court
CHICAGO (April 8, 2015) - A suit to force the Environmental Protection Agency to put limits on nutrient pollution dumped into the Mississippi River was sent back to District Court yesterday.
The ruling from the federal appeals court, revising a lower court ruling, reinforced many arguments made by the Natural Resources Defense Council on behalf of the Mississippi River Collaborative aimed at breaking decades of inaction from the federal government on the issue of the pollution fueling the Gulf Dead Zone off the coast of Louisiana. The court rejected EPA’s argument that it was immune from judicial scrutiny and asked the lower court to rule on whether the Agency’s decision to avoid action on the algae problem was allowable under the Clean Water Act.
Following is a quote from NRDC attorney Ann Alexander:
“The ruling reinforced our long-standing contention that the EPA’s decisions must be scrutinized in the light of day. They have hidden from the stubborn problem of Mississippi River pollution for decades, and the federal decision reinforces our argument that they cannot expect to hide from the court as well.
“This gives us a chance to further clarify arguments about how the Clean Water Act requires EPA to give the public straight answers on whether federal action is needed to address the problem, since state efforts to address this problem have been too weak or nonexistent to get the job done. Waterways across this nation are being mucked to the point of threatening drinking water supplies.
“We are hopeful that the arguments that won the day before will win again.”
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Here is the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision:
http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/...
Note the list of plaintiffs includes several other groups, such as Sierra Club and Environmental Law and Policy Center.
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Also....interesting on issue of mercury emissions relating to
NEPA reviews.....
"Judge Nixes Navajo Mine Expansion Permit" [on basis of potential mercury emissions from coal to be mined]
http://www.law360.com/...
Another Sierra Club and Center for Biological Diversity victory with a possible precedent-setting effect on NEPA environmental review of cross media transfer and mercury emissions and with implications for federal coal policy.
6:12 PM PT: Is Halliburton trying to establish a monopoly in the oil field supply industry with hydraulic fracturing services by its acquisition of Baker-Hughes?
http://www.bloomberg.com/...
Why should getting rid of a few exploration units of the company make any difference to the overall federal issues associated with anti-trust and competitiveness policy in the United States?
6:33 PM PT: Here is the Center for Biological Diversity's News Release about the Federal District Court decision in the Navajo mine expansion case involving the Department of Interior and NEPA review of mercury emissions associated with coal to be mined and combusted in the nearby power plant.
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/...
The National Environmental Policy Act has teeth and government violation of it by failure to properly show and describe environmental impacts of pending major federal decisions.....definitely has consequences.
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/...