‘Scary’: Fuel shortage could ground aircraft battling wildfires in western U.S. states

California temperatures continue to climb into the triple digits, worsening the West’s unprecedented drought.

CNN’s Stephanie Elam reports.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Airport officials facing jet fuel shortages are concerned they’ll have to wave off planes and helicopters that drop fire retardants during what could be a ferocious wildfire season, potentially endangering surrounding communities.

Sporadic shortages at some tanker bases in Oregon and Utah have already been reported. The worry is that multiple bases go dry simultaneously during what is shaping up to be a very busy wildfire season in the U.S. West. Tanker bases in Arizona, where many large fires are burning, have also had jet fuel supply issues in the last month.

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“We haven’t run into that before,” said Jessica Gardetto, a National Interagency Fire Center spokeswoman in Boise, Idaho, and a former wildland firefighter. “It’s a scary thought, with all the shortages going on right now.”

Airport officials, aviation supply companies and jet fuel transport companies said jet fuel demand declined sharply and supply chains atrophied during the coronavirus pandemic. They have yet to bounce back in the Western U.S. even as the economy zooms ahead and more passengers flock to airports for long-delayed trips.

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EPA appoints new members to science advisory panel on chemicals

From the EPA

On June 15, 2021, EPA appointed nine new members to serve on the Toxic Substances Control Act Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (TSCA SACC). Additionally, a new Chair was appointed, and seven existing members were reappointed. These appointments, made by the EPA Administrator, follow public calls for nominations and public comment periods on the potential candidates.

Members of the TSCA SACC serve staggered terms of appointment, generally of three years. They possess expertise in scientific and technical fields relevant to chemical risk assessment and pollution prevention including human health and ecological risk assessment and chemical exposure to susceptible life stages and subpopulations. In addition to scientific expertise, members also have backgrounds and experiences that will contribute to the diversity of scientific viewpoints on the committee, including professional experiences in government, public health, industry, and other groups.

The TSCA SACC serves as a primary scientific peer review mechanism of EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention and is structured to provide independent scientific advice and recommendations to EPA on the scientific basis for risk assessments, methodologies, and pollution prevention measures and approaches for chemicals regulated under TSCA.

A list of all current members and their biographies can be found at the TSCA Scientific Peer Review Committees website.

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Go figure. Despite Biden climate pledge, U.S. drilling approvals increase


By MATTHEW BROWN, Associated Press


BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Approvals for companies to drill for oil and gas on U.S. public lands are on pace this year to reach their highest level since George W. Bush was president, underscoring President Joe Biden’s reluctance to more forcefully curb petroleum production in the face of industry and Republican resistance.

The Interior Department approved about 2,500 permits to drill on public and tribal lands in the first six months of the year, according to an Associated Press analysis of government data. That includes more than 2,100 drilling approvals since Biden took office on January 20.

New Mexico and Wyoming had the largest number of approvals. Montana, Colorado, and Utah had hundreds each.

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Biden campaigned last year on pledges to end new drilling on federal lands to rein in climate-changing emissions. His pick to oversee those lands, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, adamantly opposed drilling on federal lands while in Congress and co-sponsored the liberal Green New Deal.

But the steps taken by the administration to date on fossil fuels are more modest, including a temporary suspension on new oil and gas leases on federal lands that a judge blocked last month, blocked petroleum sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), and cancellation of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada.

Because vast fossil fuel reserves already are under lease, those actions did nothing to slow drilling on public lands and waters that account for about a quarter of U.S. oil production.

Further complicating Biden’s climate agenda is a recent rise in gasoline prices to $3 a gallon ($0.79 a liter) or more in many parts of the country. Any attempt to limit petroleum production could push gasoline prices even higher and risk souring economic recovery from the pandemic.

“He’s walking the tightrope,” said energy industry analyst Parker Fawcett with S&P Global Platts, noting that Keystone and ANWR came without huge political costs because they were aimed at future projects.

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Environmental Quality Board approves RGGI rule, moving Pa. a step closer to joining carbon emissions program

Members of the Environmental Quality Board are seen in this screenshot during the July 13, 2021 meeting. Courtesy PAcast live stream


[Editor’s note: New Jersey rejoined the RGGI compact in 2019 after being withdrawn in 2012 by then-governor Chris Christie. Other RGGI member states are: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia]

By Rachel McDevitt, StateImpact

Pennsylvania is set to become the first major fossil fuel-producing state to put a price on carbon emissions. 

The Environmental Quality Board voted 15-4 this morning to adopt the final regulation that would have Pennsylvania join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap-and-trade program that targets carbon dioxide emissions in the power sector. 

Related environmental news stories:
Clean Air Council applauds vote to join RGGI
As Pa.’s crucial RGGI vote nears, here’s a quick look at the program
Report: RGGI Could Provide Financial Boost to PA Coal Communities
Democrats unveil RGGI investment plan while Republicans move to block

EQB’s vote is a significant step in the regulatory process. 

The rule now goes to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission and the Attorney General’s Office for final review before publication. The Wolf Administration hopes to join the program in early 2022.

IRRC determines whether a proposed rule is in the public interest, as defined by state law. The board is made up of three Democratic appointees and two Republican appointees. 

The Attorney General must determine whether a proposed regulation complies with existing law. 

There could be other hurdles. DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell has said he anticipates a legal challenge.

Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) said during the EQB meeting that lawmakers will bring up a bill this fall that would require legislative approval to join a cap-and-trade program. Wolf vetoed a similar bill last year. 

Gov. Tom Wolf signed an executive order starting the RGGI process in October 2019, as part of his overall climate goals of reducing state greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent by 2025 and 80 percent by 2050, compared to 2005 levels.

Pennsylvania is one of the country’s top five carbon-emitting states. The Department of Environmental Protection says emissions from the state’s power sector are greater than total emissions from some small countries.

Scientists say emissions must be cut dramatically in the next decade to avoid the worst effects of climate change. 

If you liked this post you’ll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Don’t take our word for it, try it free for an entire month. No obligation. 

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Solar developer in Maine may have the answer to NIMBYites

Tuck away those solar panels where nobody can see them

A 119-acre solar farm will be built in Buxton. Credit: CBS 13


From the Bangor Daily News

A massive solar farm is coming to the small Maine community of Buxton.

Glenvale Solar, based out of Boston, is creating a 119-acre solar farm on a plot of land in the York County town.

The owners of the property and Glenvale have been working for the last two years on the idea.

Aidan Foley, the founder of Glenvale Solar, said the farm will sell energy to ratepayers at a low price and will connect to existing Central Maine Power transmission lines.

Glenvale Solar said the massive solar farm will be tucked away out of sight.

“I think most people in Buxton wouldn’t know this project was here if they didn’t read about it in the newspaper,” Foley said. “It’s on a private, secluded piece of land that you don’t see from any main roads.”

Glenvale plans to start work next year and said the project will generate about 100 construction jobs.

EP Editor’s note: Even if Buxton ends up hosting the only solar farm unknown to opponents, it won’t be the town’s only claim to fame. In the film, The Shawshank Redemption, based on a story by Maine native Stephen King, Buxton is the site of the oak tree and rock wall where ‘Red’ goes after being released from prison to retrieve a message from his friend Andy Dufresne, who escaped from prison earlier. We trust you’ve seen the film as it seems to appear on one cable station or another almost every month. Despite that, I still haven’t. What’s your recommendation? Watch or skip? –FB

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