Legislative Activity

Nuclear Waste

Nuclear waste is one of the topics of the week in Congress, with both the House and Senate holding hearings on how to address nuclear waste and nuclear waste facilities.

This Week’s Hearings:

  • Monday, July 29: The House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water and Power, will hold a hearing concerning federal lands and property rights.
  • Tuesday, July 30: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining, will consider National Forest System land and other public lands bills.
  • Tuesday, July 30: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a full committee hearing to consider the S. 1240, the Nuclear Waste Administration Act of 2013, which is intended to establish a new organization to manage nuclear waste, provide a process for siting nuclear waste facilities and ensure funding for managing nuclear waste.
  • Wednesday, July 31: The House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy, will hold an oversight hearing concerning the Department of Energy’s (DOE) strategy for the management and disposal of used nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz will testify.
  • Wednesday, July 31: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on National Parks will hold hearings on National Parks lands bills.
  • Thursday, August 1: The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a full committee hearing concerning a review of the Administration’s approach to endangered species.

Regulatory Activity

Chemical Safety

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has added more than 130 chemicals to its Safer Chemical Ingredients List (the List). The List, which now contains 602 chemicals, is intended by EPA to serve as a resource for manufacturers interested in making safer products; health and environmental advocates seeking to encourage the use of safer chemicals; and consumers seeking information on the ingredients in safer chemical products. The Safer Chemical Ingredients List can be accessed here.

2014 Clean Air Awards

The EPA is accepting nominations for its 2014 Clean Air Excellence Awards Program (CAEAP). The CAEAP is open to both public and private entities. Entries are limited to efforts related to air quality in the U.S. There are five general award categories:

  1. Clean Air Technology;
  2. Community Action;
  3. Education/Outreach;
  4. Regulatory/ Policy Innovations; and
  5. Transportation Efficiency Innovations. Details of the submission process can be accessed here. All submissions of entries for the CAEAP must be postmarked by September 27.

Children’s Health

The EPA is inviting nominations for candidates to be considered for appointment to its Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee (CHPAC). The CHPAC is looking for experience in children’s environmental health policy, research, and in specific issues such as lead poisoning and asthma, prenatal environmental exposures, chemical exposures, public health information tracking, knowledge of EPA regulation development, risk assessment, exposure assessment, tribal children’s environmental health, and children’s environmental health disparities. CHPAC is seeking applicants from the private sector, state and local government, academia (including a graduate level student representative), NGOs, public health practitioners, pediatricians, obstetrics, occupational medicine, community nurses, environmental groups, health groups, health research, epidemiology and toxicology. Details of the application process can be accessed here. Vacancies are anticipated to be filled by December.