Legislative Activity
Nominations for U.S. Department of the Interior and EPA
On Tuesday, December 17, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will meet to consider the nomination of Neil Kornze to become the Director of the Bureau of Land Management at the Department of the Interior. The Committee will also consider at that time Janice Schneider for Assistant Secretary of the Interior, for Land and Minerals Management, at the Department of the Interior.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will also meet on Tuesday, December 17 to review the nominations of Rhea Sun Suh to be Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the Department of the Interior; Victoria Baecher Wassmer to be the Chief Financial Officer for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and Dr. Thomas Burke to be Assistant Administrator for Research and Development at EPA.
Regulatory Activity
Funding for U.S. Ports for Clean Diesel
EPA has announced a grant program to fund clean diesel projects at ports throughout the United States. Funding will be available from EPA’s Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) Program which targets older diesel engines for replacement. Request for Proposals are due February 13, 2014.
EPA Releases Report Showing Record Gains in Fuel Economy
The EPA has released a report documenting record gains in fuel economy in 2012. Vehicles made in 2012 achieved an all-time high fuel economy of 23.6 miles per gallon (mpg) – a 1.2 mpg gain over vehicles made in 2011 and the second largest annual increase since the early-1980’s.
