Author: WHCEQ Staff Published: 1/17/2023 WHCEQ
Greetings, and Happy New Year!
This Week in Environmental News
The Environmental Protection Agency announced the availability of $100 million for environmental justice grants, the largest amount of environmental justice grant funding ever offered by the Agency. EPA has published two Requests for Applications for this funding through the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program and the Environmental Justice Government-to-Government Program. For more information, including links for pre-application assistance webinars, click here.
Earlier this week, EPA released updated legal guidance on identifying and addressing cumulative impacts from pollution and non-pollution sources. The guidance is a first-ever collection of examples of the Agency’s legal authorities to identify and address cumulative impacts through a range of actions, including permitting, regulations, and grants, in order to consider the lived experience of communities overburdened by pollution and advance environmental justice. Read more.
On Tuesday, the Biden-Harris Administration released the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization. Developed by the Departments of Energy, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Blueprint is a landmark strategy for cutting all greenhouse emissions from the transportation sector by 2050. It exemplifies the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to addressing the climate crisis and providing more equitable, affordable, and accessible transportation options. Check out a video or read more.
The Department of Energy announced $42 million in funding for 12 projects to strengthen the domestic supply chain for advanced batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs). Projects selected for the Electric Vehicles for American Low-Carbon Living (EVs4ALL) program aim to expand domestic EV adoption by developing batteries that last longer, charge faster, perform efficiently in freezing temperatures, and have better overall range retention. Read more.
President Biden’s climate and economic agenda is also continuing to drive historic investments in clean energy manufacturing. This week Hanwha Q CELLS, a South Korean based solar manufacturer, announced the largest single investment in solar manufacturing in U.S. history—more than $2.5 billion in Georgia that will create 2,500 jobs, as a direct result of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
Get Involved
CEQ invites the public to submit expressions of interest in serving as members the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC). The WHEJAC advises CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory and the White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council (IAC) on how to increase the Federal Government’s efforts to address current and historic environmental injustice through strengthening environmental justice monitoring and enforcement. Learn more about the WHEJAC and how to share your interest here. Submittals must be received by January 17, 2023.
The White House Council on Environmental Quality is currently seeking additional nominations for two CCUS permitting task forces. Taking into account the nominations CEQ received in response to its notices of July 28, 2022, CEQ is particularly interested in additional nominees with expertise in the areas of pipeline safety, environmental justice, and representatives of local and Tribal governments. The deadline to submit nominations is January 27, 2023. Notice for the Federal lands task force available here, and non-federal lands task force available here. Please share these Federal Register notices with individuals and networks you think may be interested.
Keep reading for more environmental updates from the Biden-Harris Administration and to learn about opportunities to provide public input on ongoing energy and environmental initiatives. If you were forwarded this email, or are not on our list yet, please sign up here.
#ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)
Last week, the White House Council on Environmental Quality released updated Guidance on Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change to help Federal agencies better assess and disclose climate impacts as they conduct environmental reviews, delivering more certainty and efficiency in the permitting process for clean energy and other infrastructure projects. The updated guidance improves transparency in the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, including the appropriate use of the social cost of greenhouse gases to disclose climate impacts, provides specific recommendations for renewable and low greenhouse gas projects to keep reviews focused, and makes projects more climate-smart and resilient while helping reach President Biden’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
NEWS CLIPS OF THE WEEK
Grist: A $100 million boost for environmental justice
E&E News: White House releases climate guidance for permitting
The Washington Post: Biden administration plan seeks elimination of transportation emissions
The New York Times: Korean Solar Company Plans to Build $2.5 Billion Plant in Georgia
Reuters: U.S. to simplify offshore wind regulations to meet climate goals
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
President Biden (@POTUS): Our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is going beyond roads and bridges. It’s helping companies that make batteries for electric vehicles, build new manufacturing sites, and create more jobs. And we’re doing all this with American workers and products made in America. [Retweet]
The White House (@WhiteHouse): Today, Hanwha Q CELLS – a solar manufacturer – announced the largest single investment in solar manufacturing in U.S. history. This investment is a direct result of
@POTUS’ economic plan – which is delivering good-paying jobs for the people of Georgia and all across the country. [Retweet]
Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP): We made the largest climate investment in history last year through the Inflation Reduction Act—and now it’s time to build on that progress. This afternoon, I convened climate and environmental leaders to discuss the work ahead in 2023. [Retweet]
ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION
PRESS RELEASE: Statement from President Joe Biden on Hanwha Q CELLS Announcement
Today’s Hanwha Q CELLS announcement to make the largest solar investment in U.S. history is a big deal for Georgia’s working families and the American economy. And this investment is a direct result of my economic plan and the Inflation Reduction Act. Full announcement here.
PRESS RELEASE: EPA Proposes to Strengthen Air Quality Standards to Protect the Public from Harmful Effects of Soot
EPA is announcing a proposal to strengthen a key national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for fine particle pollution, also known as PM2.5, to better protect communities, including those most overburdened by pollution. Fine particles, sometimes called soot, can penetrate deep into the lungs and can result in serious health effects that include asthma attacks, heart attacks and premature death – disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations including children, older adults, those with heart or lung conditions, as well as communities of color and low-income communities throughout the United States. Full announcement here.
FACT SHEET: Key Deliverables for the 2023 North American Leaders’ Summit
North American cooperation makes our countries safer, our economies more competitive, and our supply chains more resilient. By working together, the countries of North America are better able to address shared challenges, like climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and transnational criminal organizations trafficking and smuggling people and illicit drugs like fentanyl. The North American Leaders’ Summit (NALS) strengthens our partnerships and advances our shared priorities. Full announcement here.
FACT SHEET: President Biden, Vice President Harris, Senior Administration Officials Kick Off 2023 Implementing Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
President Biden will announce funding to rebuild some of the nation’s most economically significant bridges, during visit to Covington, Kentucky. Full announcement here.
PRESS RELEASE: Interior Department Takes Steps to Strengthen Offshore Clean Energy Development
The Department of the Interior announced that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will publish a proposed rule to update regulations for clean energy development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The proposed regulations would modernize regulations, streamline overly complex and burdensome processes, clarify ambiguous provisions and enhance compliance provisions in order to decrease costs and uncertainty associated with the deployment of offshore wind facilities. The proposed reforms are estimated to save developers approximately $1 billion over a 20 year period. Full announcement here.
PRESS RELEASE: EPA and Army Finalize Rule Establishing Definition of WOTUS and Restoring Fundamental Water Protections
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of the Army (the agencies) announced a final rule establishing a durable definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) to reduce uncertainty from changing regulatory definitions, protect people’s health, and support economic opportunity. The final rule restores essential water protections that were in place prior to 2015 under the Clean Water Act for traditional navigable waters, the territorial seas, interstate waters, as well as upstream water resources that significantly affect those waters. As a result, this action will strengthen fundamental protections for waters that are sources of drinking water while supporting agriculture, local economies, and downstream communities. Full announcement here.
REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION AND GRANT FUNDING
Federal agencies are seeking public input to help inform the development of funding opportunities, grant processes, policy and program implementation. Below is a list of open Requests for Information, where you can submit your comments/feedback.
Environmental Protection Agency: Climate Pollution Reduction Grants
Summary: EPA received $5 billion to assist states, air pollution control agencies, tribes and local governments develop and implement strong, local climate pollution reduction strategies. These eligible entities can apply for planning grants, then for grants to implement plans that have been approved by the EPA. This is a new program that will be informed by comments received via this request for public comment in addition to other stakeholder engagement activities that the Agency will be conducting consistent with its Grant Competition policy.
Link: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0873
Deadline: January 18, 2023
Environmental Protection Agency: Transportation Programs
Summary: EPA received $4 billion for two new programs to reduce emissions from the transportations sector. The first program is the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle program that will invest $1 billion to help cover the costs of replacing dirty heavy-duty vehicles with clean alternatives, deploy supporting infrastructure, and/or train and develop the necessary workforce. At least $400 million must go to areas not meeting national air quality health standards. The application is open to states, municipalities, Indian tribes, nonprofit school transportation associations, and eligible contractors.
Link: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0874
Deadline: January 18, 2023
Environmental Protection Agency: Methane Emissions Reduction Program
Summary: EPA received $1.55 billion to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by providing financial assistance (grants, rebates, contracts, loans, and other activities) and technical assistance as well as implementing a statutorily required waste emissions charge. Eligible recipients for these funds include, but are not limited to, air pollution control agencies, other public or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, organizations, and individuals. The program specifies that at least $700 million must be used for activities at marginal conventional wells. Section 60113 also requires EPA to implement a waste emission charge on methane emitted from applicable oil and gas facilities that emit over 25,000 metric tons of CO2e and that exceed statutorily specified waste emissions thresholds beginning in 2024. The waste emissions charge will start at $900 and increase to $1,500 per metric ton.
Link: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0875
Deadline: January 18, 2023
Environmental Protection Agency: Funding to Address Air Pollution
Summary: EPA received over $300 million in funding to support the agency’s air quality mission by investing in a range of activities that will increase monitoring in and by communities, expand and strengthen national monitoring methods, improve monitoring methods and capacity, make monitoring data more available and useful for communities, and improve air quality in our nation’s schools. Six of these programs are authorized under Section 60105. This section establishes a wide range of eligible applicants that includes individuals, state, local and Tribal Air pollution control agencies, and other public or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, and organizations EPA also received $50 million in Section 60106 to address air pollution at schools with $12.5 million dedicated to providing technical assistance and the remainder for grants and other activities to monitor and reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions at schools in low-income and disadvantaged communities. Eligible applicants for this funding include individuals, air pollution control agencies, and other public nonprofit private agencies, institutions, and organizations.
Link: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0876
Deadline: January 18, 2023
Environmental Protection Agency: Funding for Implementation of American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM)
Summary: Funding includes $38.5 million for implementation of the AIM Act to implement the Kigali Agreement on hydrofluorocarbons. Of this funding, $15 million is dedicated towards new competitive grants for reclaim and innovative destruction technologies, $20 million is dedicated to EPA to carry out the AIM Act, and $3.5 million is dedicated to EPA to deploy new implementation and compliance tools for the AIM Act.
Link: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0877
Deadline: January 18, 2023
Environmental Protection Agency: Low Emissions Electricity Program & GHG Corporate Reporting
Summary: Low Emissions Electricity Program [60107] Funding includes $87 million to fund a wide range of activities to encourage low emissions electricity generation through education, technical assistance, and partnerships with consumers, low income and disadvantaged communities, industry, and state, local, and Tribal governments. GHG Corporate Reporting [60111] Funding includes $5 million to enhance standardization and transparency of corporate climate action commitments and plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance transparency regarding progress toward meeting such commitments and implementing such plans, and make progress toward meeting such commitments and implementing such plans.
Link: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0878
Deadline: January 18, 2023
Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Federal Acquisition Regulation: Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate-Related Financial Risk
Summary: DoD, GSA, and NASA issued a proposed rule to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement a requirement to ensure certain Federal contractors disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risk and set science-based targets to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The deadline for submitting comments is being extended from January 13, 2023, to February 13, 2023.
Deadline: February 13, 2023
Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP): Framing the National Nature Assessment
Summary: Nature is important in its own right, and provides value to the lives of all Americans. To increase our knowledge of nature in the United States and its links to global change, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), on behalf of the United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), requests input from the public to help inform the framing, development, and eventual use of the first National Nature Assessment (NNA). USGCRP committed to conducting a National Nature Assessment on April 8, 2022, under the authority of the Global Change Research Act of 1990. President Biden reinforced and elevated the importance of this assessment to a matter of national policy by calling for it in Executive Order 14072 (https://www.federalregister.gov/ documents/ 2022/ 04/ 27/ 2022-09138/ strengthening-the-nations-forests-communities-and-local-economies) on Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities and Local Economies (April 22, 2022). This request for information (RFI) will inform USGCRP as it develops this first-of-its-kind assessment.
Deadline: March 31, 2023