Tina Arnold

March 9, 2007

Environmental justice advocates call for reinstatement of Superfund tax

Leaders in the environmental justice movement issued a call for the new Congress "to act immediately to re-instate the Superfund Tax" and key congressional leaders are listening. In a new report, titled Toxic Wastes and Race At Twenty, 1987-2007, the authors hope that this and other measures will reduce the disparity of environmental impacts on minority communities. Reinvention of the Superfund tax is something that that will likely be debated by Congress in the weeks to come.

Environmental Justice Derives Push for Superfund Taxes, TRI Rules, Inside EPA, U.S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Vol. 28, No. 9, Mar. 2, 2007, available at http://www.insideepa.com/secure/docnum.asp?f=epa_2001.ask&docnum=INSIDEEPA-28-9-4.

Robert D. Bullard et al., Toxic Wastes and Race at Twenty: 1987-2007 7 (2007), available at http://www.insideepa.com/secure/data_extra/dir_07/epa2007_0251.pdf.

An early litmus test for Congress on global warming?

Currently an "observer" to the process, the District of Columbia may get an additional push from Congress to join the Northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). A campaign forged by environmental groups may prompt Congress to make a mainly symbolic gesture towards controlling carbon emissions by approving the District of Columbia's commitment to RGGI.

Push for D.C. to Join RGGI Could Be Early Carbon Test For Congress, Inside EPA, U.S. Envtl Prot. Agency, Vol. 28, No. 10, Mar. 9, 2007, available at http://www.insideepa.com/secure/docnum.asp?f=epa_2001.ask&docnum=INSIDEEPA-28-10-15.

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, http://www.rggi.org/index.htm (last visited Mar. 9, 2007).

US tells scientists not to discuss polar bears abroad

U.S. Fish and Wildlife has a "long-standing" policy requiring that anyone traveling who may potentially discuss climate change, sea ice, or polar bears, provide a "statement of assurance that they understand the Administration's position on the issues." In addition, travelers must assert that they will "not be speaking or responding to these issues." Critics believe the effect of this policy is that it halts open discussion by scientists.

Deborah Zabarenko, "Don't Discuss Polar Bears," Says U.S. Memo to Scientists, EnvTl. News Network, Mar. 9, 2007, http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12358.

Press Release, Ctr. for Biological Diversity, Bush-Cheney Administration Issues Polar Bear Gag Order (Mar. 7, 2007), available at http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/press/polar-bear-03-07-2007.html.

Press Release, Nat. Res. Defense Council, Bush Administration Restricting Scientific Discussion on Polar Bears and Global Warming (Mar. 8, 2007) available at

http://www.nrdc.org/media/2007/070308.asp.

New wind farm begins construction of the Texas coast

A Louisiana company took the first steps this week to construct what it hopes to be the country's first off-shore wind farm. Using recycled off-shore oil platforms, the company has constructed and will install a weather station on the platform to determine the exact placement of the wind turbines. It hopes to install the first turbine by September and have the entire project (50 wind turbines) complete by 2010.

Tom Fowler, A Gust of Activity, Houston Chronicle, Mar. 7, 2007, available at http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/4608324.html.

Tex. Gen. Land Office, Offshore Wind Energy,

http://www.glo.state.tx.us/news/archive/2005/events/offshorewind.html (last visited Mar. 9, 2007).

Draft EU plan to call for increased use of green power

Resulting from a summit that ends this week, EU leaders drafted an agreement to curb global warming by setting binding targets to cut greenhouse gases and ensure a fifth of the EU's energy comes from green power sources. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called the measures "the most ambitious package ever agreed by any institution on energy security and climate change."

Paul Ames, EU Drafts Plan to Battle Global Warming, Sets Binding Targets for Switch to Green Energy, Envtl. News Network, Mar. 9, 2007,

http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12362.

Press Release, European Union, Hope for major headway on climate protection (Mar. 8, 2007) available at

http://www.eu2007.de/en/News/Press_Releases/March/0309BKER.html.