** The Trump administration considers selling oil and gas leases in the Arctic Ocean more than 200 miles offshore, but experts say the industry may not be interested due to resource and legal uncertainty.
** North Dakota lawmakers advance a proposal that could offer up to $500 million in subsidies to support the development of a gas pipeline from Bakken oil fields to industrial uses farther east.
** A Texas company says it’s developed new methods to treat wastewater from the Permian Basin’s fracking operations so that it can be released into bodies of water and used by farmers.
** Experts warn federal budget cuts could create a “blind spot” by closing a program that operates 18 weather buoys that provide real-time ocean and weather data off the coasts of North and South Carolina and Florida.
** A new national group is calling for an end to the use of sewage sludge on farmland and other open lands, warning of the health and environmental risks posed by toxic chemicals. The Coalition for Sludge-Free Land is advocating for a nationwide ban on the practice of applying treated sewage—commonly known as sludge—to agricultural fields as fertilizer.
World
** India has proposed zero tariffs on steel, auto components and pharmaceuticals on a reciprocal basis up to a certain quantity of imports in its trade negotiations with the US, people familiar with the matter said.
** Chinese firms are purchasing liquefied natural gas shipments from the spot market, a reversal of months of relative inactivity from the world’s top buyer, after prices slumped to the lowest level in about a year.
** General Fusion CEO Greg Twinney issued a call for more funding as he shared news of layoffs at the energy company based in British Columbia. General Fusion is backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and last month added Bob Smith, former CEO of Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture, as a strategic adviser.
** The World Bank has approved a $90.7 million loan to support Bosnia and Herzegovina’s “just transition” to renewable energy in former coal regions under the Balkan’s country’s national energy and climate plan, the bank said on Monday.
** India has begun work to boost reservoir holding capacity at two hydroelectric projects in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, after fresh tension with Pakistan led it to suspend a water-sharing pact.
** Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra expects its sport utility vehicle (SUV) sales to grow by up to 19% in the current financial year, an executive said on Monday, citing strong interest in its combustion engine and new electric models.
