** Firestone agreed to pay a $3.35 million penalty after reaching agreement with the federal government and the state of Louisiana for violations of the Clean Air Act at its synthetic rubber manufacturing plant in Sulfur, Louisiana.
** The EPA announced the creation of an internal council charged with helping the agency foster stronger relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This internal council will identify enhanced opportunities for recruitment of students and support for institutions through grants and contracts.
** Chevron U.S.A. Inc., a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation and Bunge North America, Inc., a subsidiary of Bunge Limited announced the signing of definitive transaction agreements to create their previously announced joint venture.
** Blackstone Inc., once a major player in shale patches, is telling clients its private equity arm will no longer invest in the exploration and production of oil and gas, according to people with knowledge of the talks.
** The Biden administration asked a court Tuesday to send a Trump-era permit approval for an Alaska mining road running through Indigenous territory back to the Interior Department for further analysis of its environmental impacts.
World
** Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told Reuters Europe should learn to wean itself from energy dependence on Russia and at the same time develop green energy and import more liquefied natural gas.
** Russia’s Putin promised this week he would not stop the flow of natural gas supplies to world markets after Germany halted a key gas pipeline’s certification because of Moscow’s invasion of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.
** The White House on Tuesday called Germany’s decision to halt certification of the new Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline “a major turning point in the world’s energy independence from Russia.”
** Britain sanctioned five Russian banks and three billionaires on Tuesday and Germany halted certification of a gas pipeline in a first wave of western sanctions after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into two regions of eastern Ukraine reported Reuters.
** Monterra Energy plans to pursue legal action against Mexico and seek damages of about $667 million for the “unlawful” closure of its Tuxpan fuel imports terminal in the Mexican state of Veracruz for five months.
** U.S. supermajor ExxonMobil has kicked off drilling of an exploration well on the Cutthroat prospect offshore Brazil. The well, which is being drilled using the Seadrill-owned ultra-deepwater drillship West Saturn, is located in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin.