The White House Council On Environmental Quality Announces Creation And Launch Of New Website

Executive Branch Activity

Climate Change Announcement

The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has announced the creation and launch of www.data.gov/climate which is intended to collect information related to climate change in order to help cities and the business community prepare to become more resilient to climate change. Initially focusing on sea level rise and coastal flooding, the site will ultimately collect other climate change indicators from across the country including those associated with “risks to human health, the food supply, and energy infrastructure.” The data will be collected in partnership with federal agencies and private companies. A fact sheet on The President’s Climate Data Initiative can be accessed here.

Regulatory Activity

Ozone

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be holding three public teleconferences beginning next week to discuss adopting a second federal reference method for measuring ozone. This is likely to impact cities throughout the U.S. that are currently or likely to be in non-attainment status for the EPA standard.

National Forest System Land

The National Advisory Committee for Implementation of the National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule has been resurrected and the Department of Agriculture is accepting nominations for committee members. The 21-member committee is charged with providing advice and recommendations to improve the implementation of the rule. The committee is comprised of individuals from industry (mineral development, energy, grazing, hunting and fishing, timber, private forest land owners), elected officials, environmental organizations, the scientific community and outdoor recreation. Individuals may nominate themselves. Nominations are due April 28.

Legislative Activity

This Week’s Hearings:

FY 2015 Funding for Bureau of Reclamation and Water Resources

Tuesday, March 25: The House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water and Power, will hold a hearing to considerer proposed Fiscal Year 2015 funding for the Bureau of Reclamation, the hydropower marketing administrations and the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) water program.

Wildlife and Energy Production

Wednesday, March 26:  The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a full committee oversight hearing to explore the administration’s enforcement of wildlife laws and to examine any related impact of enforcement of the laws on the domestic energy industry.