Wednesday, February 22, 2012
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News of Note

Federal Judge Says BLM Ignored Its Own Sage Grouse Protection Policies

Times-News MagicValley.Com
A federal court has ruled the U.S. Bureau of Land Management failed to follow its own sage grouse protection policies when it renewed grazing permits in southern Idaho.  The lawsuit was led by Hailey-based Western Watersheds Project. It challenged the federal agency by selecting five grazing allotment permits renewed by the Owyhee and Bruneau BLM field offices.   Read More ...

Natural Gas Shale Boom Drives Growth in Chemicals Industry

Greenwire
Chemical companies for years have been looking outside the United States for sources of cheap gas, but now they are benefiting from a domestic natural gas drilling boom.  The current gas surplus has driven prices lower, and that is prompting companies to expand in the United States.   Read More ...

Railroad Commission sends letter to EPA on Pavillion Draft Report

Times Record News
Texas Railroad Commissioners has voted in favor of sending a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to an EPA Draft Report released on Dec. 8 in which the EPA attempted to link groundwater contamination and hydraulic fracturing in Pavillion, Wyo.   Read More ...

USGS Releases 2012 Minerals Commodity Report -- Summarizes the State of U.S. Minerals Production

U.S. Geological Survey
The U.S. Geological Survey has released its "Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2012" Report.  This annual report summarizes the state of U.S. minerals production.   There is good news...and there is bad news in 2012.
   Read More ...

In The Spotlight

Roundtable Applauds Inhofe’s CRA Resolution of Disapproval of EPA Utility MACT Rule

Western Business Roundtable
The Western Business Roundtable today applauded Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) for his action in filing a Congressional Review Act (CRA) Resolution of Disapproval regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Air Act Utility MACT Rule (“Utility MACT”). 
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Federal Budget 2013: How Obama’s Budget Plan Affects Each Agency

Washington Post
President Obama unveiled his federal budget proposal for the 2013 fiscal year on Monday. Here is an agency-by-agency breakdown of the plan.   Read More ...

Eleven AGs Want New CAA Rule Regarding Soot

Legal Newsline
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has announced a multistate lawsuit seeking to compel the Environmental Protection Agency to revise air quality standards for pollution involving soot.  The 11 state coalition took action after the EPA was unable to meet a deadline set for October to revise existing standards, as required by the Clean Air Act.   Read More ...

Texas and WY Continue to Fight EPA on Greenhouse Gases

Courthouse News Service
Texas and Wyoming challenged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's effort to "immediately impose greenhouse gas regulations" on the states.   On appeal to the District of Columbia Circuit, the two states claim the Clean Air Act gives states the primary role in adopting and revising implementation plans, but the EPA has imposed regulations as part of its "greenhouse gas regulatory agenda."   Read More ...

For Our Members

Roundtable's "Federal Regulatory Tracking Calendar" (February, 2012)

Western Business Roundtable
In 2011, we launched our monthly regulatory tracking publication, the Roundtable's "Federal Regulatory Tracking Calendar."  Welcome to the February, 2012 edition.   Read More ...

Capitol Hill Wrap-Up: Happenings in Congress Impacting Western Energy/Resource Sectors - 2-10-12

Western Business Roundtable
Welcome to the February 10, 2012 edition of the Western Business Roundtable's "Capitol Hill Wrap-Up Report," our weekly snap-shot report featuring short summaries regarding some key recent developments in Congress.   Read More ...

Roundtable Weighs in on DOI Proposal to Consolidate OSM and BLM

Western Business Roundtable
The Roundtable filed comments with the Department of Interior regarding its proposed consolidation of the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation (OSM) into the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).    Read More ...

Roundtable Files Comments With CEQ on Draft Guidance to Improve Efficiency of NEPA

Westsern Business Roundtable
The Western Business Roundtable engaged with the Obama Administration Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), in response to it draft guidance “Improving the Process for Preparing Efficient and Timely Environmental Reviews Under the National Environmental Policy Act” (76 FR 77492, December 13, 2011). 
  Read More ...

 

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