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Exxon, Chevron to cut US jobs as oil industry struggles

(AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Exxon Mobil is slashing 1,900 jobs from its U.S. workforce, and Chevron plans to cut a quarter of the employees at its recently-acquired Noble Energy as the pandemic saps demand for fuel.

Exxon said Thursday the reductions will be both voluntary and involuntary and will largely come from its management offices in Houston. The Irving, Texas oil giant had about 75,000 employees worldwide at the end of 2019.

The oil industry was already struggling before the pandemic struck, with a weakened global economy decreasing demand for energy and producers flooding the market with cheap fuel. Then prices fell well below what producers need to break even. A barrel of the U.S. benchmark crude was selling for about $35 Thursday, and most producers need at least $50 a barrel to make ends meet. As the pandemic gripped the U.S. economy and demand for fuel plummeted, Exxon announced in March that it would cut expenses by 30%.

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NJ Senate passes bill making it easier for gas stations to add EV charging units

From NJ Senate Democrats

https://www.senatenj.com/uploads/Electric-Car-520x299-1.jpg

Legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Pennacchio expanding access to charging stations for electric vehicles was approved today by the New Jersey Senate.

Pennacchio’s bill (S-938) streamlines the approval process for installing recharge portals at gasoline service stations, making it more convenient for drivers to plug in and charge their batteries.

“As the popularity of Tesla and other plug-in transportation continues to grow, the number of electric vehicles on New Jersey roads will steadily increase,” said Pennacchio. “This bill would help the availability of charging locations keep pace with the expanding usage of zero-emission vehicles.”

There are over 30,000 plug-in electric vehicles registered in New Jersey, and the number continues to expand. A law signed in January providing a $5,000 rebate on the sale of electric vehicle fueled a buying surge, and more than 1,800 rebate applications have been filed with the state.

Under the bill, electric installations would be permitted at gas stations without the need for them to file additional applications.

Pennacchio noted that these locations have already received zoning approval to operate as a gas station. He said station owners shouldn’t have to go through more bureaucratic red tape to install a charging station.

“There are 565 municipalities in the state,” said Pennacchio. “The last thing we need is each municipality issuing different rules for adding charging facilities to gas stations. My bill would ensure that electric car drivers have lots of convenient options to recharge.”

To meet state clean air goals, 330,000 zero emission vehicles are needed by 2025.

“Cutting emissions reduces air pollution—so when we get more electric vehicles on the road, it will benefit the environment and public health,” said Pennacchio. “My legislation will help expand the charging network to keep pace with demand and help New Jersey families breathe easier.”

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Hospitals in nearly every region report a flood of covid-19 patients

Hospitals in nearly every region report a flood of covid-19 patients

By the Washington Post

Hospitals in many regions of the country — the Upper Midwest, the Mountain West, the Southwest and the heart of Appalachia — are seeing record levels of patients suffering from covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

More than 42,000 people were hospitalized nationally with the virus Monday, a figure that is steadily climbing toward the midsummer peak caused by massive outbreaks in the Sun Belt. In the places hit the hardest, this is nudging hospitals toward the nightmare scenario of rationing care.

The country is not there yet, but the recent rise in confirmed coronavirus infections — which set a single-day record Saturday of more than 83,000 — is an ominous leading indicator of an imminent surge of patients into hospitals. The pattern of this pandemic has been clear: Infections go up, hospitalization rates follow in a few weeks, and then deaths spike.

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California wildfire forces 90,000 to evacuate. Two firefighters critical

Electricity cut to thousands across the state so that equipment doesn’t spark more flames. Wind gusts up to 96 mph hamper firefighters, ground some air missions

By David K. Li and Tim Stelloh, NBC News

A fast-moving, wind-whipped wildfire left two firefighters critically injured and forced more than 90,000 residents in Southern California to evacuate Monday, while huge swaths of the Golden State went without power in an effort to prevent more flames, officials said.

The firefighters, 26 and 31, were injured while battling the Silverado Fire, which had charred at least 7,200 acres in and around the community of Irvine, southeast of Los Angeles, Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy said.

The firefighters — two of about 500 trying to contain the out-of-control blaze — suffered second- and third-degree burns across 65 percent and 50 percent of their bodies, the authority said. Both were intubated.

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Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy said the incident was under investigation. He said that powerful winds had kept aircraft from dropping retardant and water on the blaze, making ground crew firefighters like the two who were injured critical to extinguishing the flames.

“This is a tough fire, where we’re experiencing very high winds, very low humidities,” he said. “Our firefighters are some of the bravest, if not the bravest in the world.”

More than 90,000 people in 22,000 homes in the city of Irvine, about an hour south of Los Angeles, were under a mandatory evacuation order, fire officials said.

More than 5,000 homes in the nearby cities of Yorba Linda, Hidden Hills and Chino Hills were also told to flee after another blaze, the Blue Ridge fire, broke out Monday, Fennessy said.

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Snow, cold not enough to end Colorado wildfires

By Jim Hooley, Fox 31

BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Incident commanders for the East Troublesome Fire believe the cold and snow is not enough to put an end to the massive blaze.Latest Updates: East Troublesome Fire holds at 192,000+ acres, 20% containment

In a morning briefing on Facebook, fire officials said the winter weather is ‘not a season ending event’.

The total acreage is now at 192,560 and the fire is 20% contained as of Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday, firefighters will patrol and secure the fire lines and try to button up the southern edge of the fire.

The Grand County Sheriff’s Office says it is still working toward re-entry for people evacuated in the Grand Lake area.

Monday, people living on the east of Highway 34 were allowed to return.

The Grand County Sheriff had a warning for people who have been traveling to the Grand Lake area and going around roadblocks to access the fire zone.

“This is not safe and it is putting firefighters in danger,” shared the sheriff on Tuesday.

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Despite pandemic, EPR-style legislation drawing state-level interest

Editor’s note: This roundup story overlooks a recycling-content bill in New Jersey that is attracting a lot of attention from recyclers, product manufacturers and environmentalists. Sponsored by Senate Environment and Energy Chairman Bob Smith, S-2515 was recently sent back to the legislative drawing board for no fewer than 28 amendments. The revised version (not yet publicly available) is expected to more closely model California’s recycled content law. Sponsor Smith says the bill will be handled in committee in December.

By E.A. Crunden, Waste Dive

Momentum behind extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws for packaging is growing in multiple states, per comments at this year’s virtual Northeast Recycling Coalition conference. Officials and EPR proponents from Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island all spoke to increasing interest.
Several cited Maine’s bill (LD 2104), in limbo due to the pandemic, as a policy blueprint. Massachusetts and New York have considered bills recently, while Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) Environmental Analyst Tom Metzner said his state is busy seeking buy-in from municipalities.
Motivating factors include pandemic-induced budget cuts facing local governments, with state attention driving more business engagement. “The industry is coming around” on EPR, said Metzner, adding “I think the states are getting weary of this manufacturer position that ‘no it doesn’t really work,’ or ‘let’s keep talking.'”

Viewpoints around EPR legislation are evolving during an unprecedented year that has upended many state legislative sessions. Actual progress on bills has been limited — in addition to Maine’s stalled effort, California did not pass its legislation for the second year in a row. But the waste industry has increasingly discussed EPR as a possibility it may have to contend with based on state trends.

“In some regions, recycling costs have eclipsed disposal costs,” said Josh Kelly, materials management section chief for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, adding “EPR programs are shifting that dynamic of who pays.”

Vermont, Washington and Oregon are among states that have recently considered EPR, although in past years such legislation has failed to gain traction in states like Connecticut and Rhode Island due to a lack of producer involvement and other stumbling blocks. DEEP’s Metzner said his state remains “very interested” in packaging EPR and sees municipalities as a good potential ally.

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Colorado wildfire forces new evacuations as firefighters ‘praying we get a lot of snow’

The East Troublesome Fire is the second-largest wildfire in Colorado state history (Fox News)

Snow hits Cameron Peak fire, should move to East Troublesome fire Sunday afternoon

The northern parts of the Cameron Peak fire saw between three and five inches of snow

By SHELLY BRADBURY | sbradbury@denverpost.com | The Denver Post

East Troublesome Fire sparked as spot fire behind structures at the Hidden Springs Ranch in Granby along highway 40 Oct. 24, 2020. Firefighters and several helicopters made quick work of the spot fire, dousing it within a couple of hours. The East Troublesome fire has consumed over 200,000 acres with 4 percent containment ahead of an impending winter storm. Andy Cross photo (Denver Post)

Snow started falling on Colorado’s two biggest wildfires Sunday in a much-needed storm that is expected to dampen the fires and slow their ferocious spread for at least a few days.

The northern parts of the Cameron Peak fire saw between three and five inches of snow by Sunday morning, while the southern parts of the fire saw about two to four inches, incident meteorologist Dan Byrd said in a morning update.

The snow hadn’t reached Estes Park by 9 a.m., he said, and temperatures around the East Troublesome fire remained in the 40s early Sunday morning.

However, the cold front will move to the south as the day goes on, Byrd said, and the area around the East Troublesome fire should see temperatures drop by Sunday afternoon, and then see some snow in the afternoon and evening.

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Trump reverses course on California wildfire disaster declaration petition

By Caroline Kelly, CNN

President Donald Trump approved California’s request for a presidential disaster declaration to help combat the state’s record-setting wildfires, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday, a day after the administration initially rejected the request.

“Just got off the phone with President Trump who has approved our Major Disaster Declaration request. Grateful for his quick response,” Newsom said in a statement Friday.

The back and forth comes after the White House said Thursday that California’s request for a presidential major disaster declaration was rejected because it was “not supported by the relevant data.” Thirty-one people have died as a result of the wildfires and more than 9,200 structures have been destroyed.

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Liverpool slams revelers; Northern Ireland shuts schools

Revelers in Liverpool, the first city in England to be placed under the government’s toughest Tier 3 restrictions amid soaring rates of coronavirus infection, poured into the streets to dance and taunt police as pubs closed ahead of the restrictions that could keep them shuttered for months.

Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson wrote on Twitter: “These pictures shame our city, attacking our brave police officers is unacceptable. Our health service is creaking, 300 in hospital and 30 people dead in week. Ignoring these facts is why we are in Tier 3 measures.”

The new three-tier system forces pubs and bars that don’t serve meals to close. In addition, indoor social gatherings with people from other homes are banned and residents are advised not to travel outside the area.

Empty tables and chairs outside Sweeney’s Bar in Liverpool, the night before new measures across the region are set to come into force, in England, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Britain, which has suffered the deadliest outbreak in Europe with a toll of more than 43,000. Under plans unveiled this week, Liverpool is in the highest-risk category, and its pubs, gyms and betting shops have been shut. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP) — Empty tables and chairs outside Sweeney’s Bar in Liverpool, the night before new measures across the region are set to… (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Northern Ireland on Wednesday introduced the tightest COVID-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom, closing schools, pubs and restaurants to slow the spread of the virus.

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Much of America has stopped celebrating Columbus Day, but the explorer remains revered in Italy

A monument to Christopher Columbus looms over Piazza Acquaverde in Genoa, Italy, in this 1894 photograph. (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

By Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post

ROME — While many Christopher Columbus statues were toppled this year in the United States — dragged into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, beheaded in Boston — the towering marble monument to the explorer in his hometown, Genoa, Italy, is disturbed only by pigeons.

As Americans feud over whether Columbus Day should remain a federal holiday — or whether the man who first charted the transatlantic route in 1492 should be remembered as a colonial oppressor — in Italy, Columbus is still held in high esteem. Italians tend to think of him as the sum of their best qualities: ingenuity, courage and resilience.

“Columbus represents genocide,” protesters wrote in Richmond after throwing a Columbus statue into a lake. In Italy, that’s just not the case.

The disconnect might have to do with a lack of knowledge among Italians about the more objectionable aspects of Columbus’s life and legacy. But scholars say there’s also a national defensiveness that has gotten in the way of further understanding.

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Editor’s note: Columbus Day is a federal holiday in 2020 and also a state holiday in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, but not in Delaware.

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COVID death toll at NJ veterans homes skyrockets after review

Members of the Passaic Valley Elks Lodge, including veteran Bob Keller, second from left, honor each of the over one hundred veterans who have passed away from Covid-19 at the New Jersey Veterans Home in Paramus by placing one flag for each veteran on the front lawn of the home on May 24, 2020.

Lindy Washburn and Scott Fallon, NorthJersey.com

The New Jersey attorney general has requested troves of documents from the Paramus and Menlo Park veterans homes in a far-reaching investigation of their high death tolls during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a state records review has increased total coronavirus deaths at the two state-run facilities to 190.

The addition of 47 “probable” deaths due to COVID-19 at the two New Jersey veterans homes means that nearly a third of the residents at each home died of confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19. Two nurses’ aides, one at each of the homes, also died.

Thirty-nine previously uncounted deaths at the Menlo Park Veterans Memorial Home make its 101 resident deaths the highest now reported at a New Jersey nursing home and the highest among state-run veterans homes nationwide. There were 300 residents at the home on March 13, when the homes closed their doors to visitors on orders from health officials.

At the Paramus Veterans Memorial Home, an additional eight probable deaths attributed to COVID-19 by the state Health Department increase its total to 89. Before the pandemic, the home had 312 residents. The number of probable deaths at each home was released this week after NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network New Jersey asked for them.

“Having one-third of the residents die in our veterans homes is tragically unacceptable,” Sen. Joe Vitale, D-Middlesex, said in an interview Wednesday. “Someone has to be held accountable for this.” In August, Vitale held a hearing on the deaths at the homes.

Many residents of nursing homes throughout the state died without being hospitalized or tested for COVID-19. Information on their death certificates allows examiners within the Communicable Disease Service at the state Health Department to determine whether the death should be attributed to the novel coronavirus.

More on veterans homes: Massachusetts veterans home leaders face criminal charges over coronavirus outbreak

Across the state, 1,787 deaths have been identified as “probable” coronavirus deaths after such reviews. March and April saw many more deaths statewide than would be typical in a normal year, and the reviewers looked at medical records for symptoms related to COVID-19, as well as possible alternative causes of death.

The news confirms what many front-line staffers and families of residents have said since the pandemic’s first days: that the number of COVID-19 deaths at both homes had been undercounted.

Some have suggested the lack of testing may have been deliberate.

“If you’re not testing residents, you conveniently do not have a COVID death on your tally sheet,” said Paul da Costa, a lawyer representing dozens of families of veterans home residents who plan to sue the Menlo Park home.

“I always knew more than [62] Menlo Park residents had passed from the COVID because so many veterans died at JFK Medical Center like my Dad,” she said.

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Search Results for: EV

Snow, cold not enough to end Colorado wildfires

By E.A. Crunden, Waste Dive

Snow hits Cameron Peak fire, should move to East Troublesome fire Sunday afternoon

The northern parts of the Cameron Peak fire saw between three and five inches of snow

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