** POLITICO says two Republicans on the Federal Trade Commission are asking the White House for any proof of illegal activity by the oil and gas industry to raise gasoline prices, which Biden asked FTC Chair Lina Khan to investigate last week. Commissioners Noah Phillips and Christine Wilson requested evidence “so that we might consider …
Category: EPA
New Mexico Environment Dept releases assessment report
The New Mexico Environment Department released a first-of-its kind performance assessment report that offers the public, stakeholders, and legislators the opportunity to track the Department’s progress in protecting public health and the environment. The new report, developed by NMED’s Office of Strategic Initiatives, is the first installment in reporting on 47 performance measures over five …
EPA flunks Colorado oil hub with new smog rules
Weld County, the most prolific oil-producing county in the state of Colorado was declared out of compliance by the Environmental Protection Agency with the agency’s 2015 ground-level ozone standards. All of the county that is north of Denver next to the state line. E & E News reported the declaration came after a federal …
Wednesday’s energy news headlines
** Some 64 percent of respondents in a CBS News poll believe the U.S. economy is in bad shape. Of these, 74 percent are blaming the bad economy on high prices at the pump, the news outlet reported. ** Boston Mayor Michelle Wu signed an ordinance Monday designed to divest the city from fossil fuels. The ordinance will …
New EPA Regional administrators named
The Environmental Protection Agency announced the appointment of three new regional administrators. The Region 8 Regional Administrator will be KC Becker who will handle the implementation of the Biden administration’s environmental agenda in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and with 28 Tribal Nations. “With her background on critical climate change …
Headlines of other energy stories
** The Build Back Better bill passed Friday in the House could expand tax credits on some EV models to up to $12,500 and make it easier for more people to qualify. ** The surging cost of gasoline and home-heating fuel is a political problem in itself. Energy is 7% of the typical family’s budget, and …
Other energy news headlines
** Airzona Rep. Paul Gosar will lose his seat on two committees he sits on, Natural Resources and Oversight and Reform, for posting a video depicting violence against a Democratic colleague. The Arizona Republican’s ouster from Natural Resources, where he also serves as the ranking member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, is a major blow for …
Wednesday energy news headlines
** The company behind last month’s southern California oil spill is facing a U.S. Justice Department probe, seven other investigations, and at least 14 lawsuits; financial filings suggest it may not be able to cover cleanup costs. ** Rivian shares continued to soar Monday, putting the stock more than 85% above its IPO price. It hasn’t even been …
EPA sets hearings for proposed methane emissions restrictions
The Environmental Protection Agency announced the dates for public hearings on the agency’s proposed comprehensive new methane reductions efforts. The agency in announcing the dates said the protections were meant to “sharply reduce pollution from the oil and natural gas industry–including, for the first time, methane reductions from existing sources nationwide.” The proposed new …
Tuesday energy news headlines
** International Business Machines Corp and Amazon.com Inc’s Amazon Web Services said on Monday they would work together to extend the reach of a set of tools that oil companies use to manage disparate types of data. ** Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) urged the Biden administration on Sunday to tap into the nation’s emergency petroleum …