Tag: US EPA

  Northwest Energy Innovations (NWEI) has successfully deployed its Azura wave energy device at the United States Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) near Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. The device will be deployed for 12 months of grid-connected testing as part of a rigorous program to commercialize the Azura technology. “As the first grid connected wave energy device in the U.S. that will be tested and validated by an independent party, this deployment marks a major milestone for our team and the marine renewable energy industry,” said NWEI Founder and CEO Steve Kopf. “A special thanks to Sea Engineering, our deployment contractor, for their tireless efforts in completing the assembly, launch and installation of the Azura at WETS,” Kopf added. Deployment and testing of the Azura at WETS is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Navy, and the University of Hawaii. The University of Hawaii is responsible for data collection, analysis and reporting as a means of independently validating the technology performance. The data will also be delivered to the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Navy for their use in ongoing efforts to validate wave energy technology and advance the marine renewable energy industry. In ...

  On 2 June 2015 the NSW (New South Wales) parliament released a consultation draft of new regulations which will mandate the use of low sulphur fuel (0.1% or less) by all cruise ships berthing in Sydney Harbour after 1 October 2015 and in all NSW ports after 1 July 2016, Holding Redlich writes in an update. “The requirement for all cruise ships to use low sulphur fuel in Sydney Harbour from 1 October 2015 will apply to the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Darling Harbour and the White Bay Cruise Terminal, Sydney’s two main cruise terminals. “The draft regulations introduce an offence if any of the engines of a ship use fuel other than low sulphur fuel during berthing operations, for which the Master and Owner are held liable and may be penalised up to $22,000 in the case of the Master and $44,000 in the case of Owners. Limited exemptions to the use of low sulphur fuel are provided. However, they do not accommodate ordinary commercial operational constraints and will only apply in exceptional and unexpected circumstances,” the law firm says. “Obligations are also imposed on vessel Owners in relation to keeping log books and other records relating to ...

  Ocean liners will be prevented from docking overnight at the terminal at Balmain until the State Government regulates low-sulphur fuel use in the harbor, ABC News reports. The New South Wales Port Authority has suspended overnight cruise ships from berthing at Sydney's White Bay Terminal in response to community concerns about fuel fumes. The move has been welcomed by the Leichhardt Council but it said the terminal also needed to be fitted with shore-based power so ships are not required to keep their engines running, which causes excess fuel emissions. "The temporary suspension and the anticipated regulation of sulphur fuel, which needs to happen urgently, are both welcome steps," Leichhardt Mayor Rochelle Porteous said in a statement. "However, ship to shore-based power must be retrofitted as soon as possible and noise mitigation addressed." Mayor Porteous said the community had suffered significant impacts. "Putting cruise ships with their engines running, invasive noise and diesel fumes belched out across the peninsula just next door to family homes was always going to have significant impacts," she said. A spokeswoman from the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) said it has been working with local residents to remedy concerns about emissions from cruise ships. ...

  The Round Table (RT) of International Shipping Organisations (comprising BIMCO, the International Chamber of Shipping, Intercargo and INTERTANKO) is deeply concerned if the international convention to regulate ships’ ballast water comes into force in the near future without a realistic implementation schedule that recognises the timetable for US type-approved Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS) to be available in sufficient quantities. The RT believes that the resulting dilemma would force the international shipping industry to spend millions of dollars on BWMS that may not achieve US type-approval and therefore will need to be replaced in a short period of time. The RT emphasizes that it supports the need for international requirements to protect local ecosystems from the impact of invasive species carried in ships’ ballast water. The RT also firmly believes that shipping is a global industry requiring global regulation.  The Ballast Water Management Convention is developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and is therefore the best instrument to achieve this objective. The RT expects the Convention will be ratified very shortly and enter into force as early as 2016. Shipowners that have not already done so, will be required to spend between US$1M and US$5M to install a ...

  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy visited the Port of Houston to highlight grants aimed at improving air quality. The port will receive about $900,000 in funding as part of EPA’s Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) grant program for clean diesel projects at U.S. ports. “We celebrate that the Port of Houston is growing and thriving, while still reducing pollution,” Administrator McCarthy said. “The DERA program is a good investment for both business and the environment.” “As the leading port in the nation for environmental stewardship, we are pleased with the announcement of the award of substantial EPA grants to improve regional air quality,” said Port Commission Chairman Janiece Longoria. “As part of the Port Authority’s strong commitment to environmental stewardship, we have worked to reduce emissions from our own operations and those of our tenants, as well as the broader Port of Houston”. “Replacing old, high polluting diesel engines with new, cleaner technology is always a good investment,” stated Jack Steele, Houston-Galveston Area Council Executive Director. “The grant funding awarded today is essential to ongoing efforts to reduce pollution and improve quality of life in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria region.” "This collaborative effort is part of an ongoing ...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  awarded $5 million in grant funding for clean diesel projects at U.S. ports. The selected projects in California, Oregon, New Jersey and Texas will improve the air quality for people who live and work near the ports, and significantly reduce emissions of the greenhouse gasses that lead to climate change. “EPA and ports have a shared interest in working together to find practical solutions to reduce pollution for the benefit of workers and communities,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said at a conference hosted by American Association of Ports Authorities, where she announced the grant recipients. “The key to our success, the key to healthier families and strong economic growth, is all of us working together.” Most of the country’s busiest ports are located near large metropolitan areas and, as a result, people in neighboring communities are exposed to high levels of diesel emissions, which contribute to smog and soot that can cause illness, hospitalization, or premature death. Since most ships and equipment at ports run on diesel engines, clean diesel projects at ports produce immediate emissions reductions and provide health benefits to those living and working in the area. Depending on the type of ...

  MTU America (MTU), a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG, will implement an auditing program to ensure proper emissions testing and compliance with federal emission standards for its heavy-duty diesel non-road engines as part of a settlement to resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced. The complaint filed with the settlement alleges that MTU violated the Clean Air Act by selling 895 non-road, heavy-duty diesel engines, which are used in mining, marine and power generation vehicles and equipment, without valid certificates of conformity.  EPA voided the certificates of conformity purporting to cover the engines based on improper emissions testing by MTU employees.  Under the settlement, MTU will pay a $1.2 million penalty and perform annual audits of its engine emission testing and certification activities for three years.  The audits will be conducted by an EPA-approved, third-party auditor that will monitor and evaluate compliance with Clean Air Act requirements for testing, certification, record-keeping and reporting.  MTU is also required to initiate corrective actions if the audit reveals non-compliance. “Certificates of conformity are a critical part of EPA’s program to ensure that vehicles and engines meet Clean Air Act emissions ...

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) published a Marine Safety Information Bulletin as a reminder that fuel oil used by all ships operating in Emission Control Areas, or ECAs, including the North American and United States Caribbean Sea ECAs, cannot exceed 0.10% fuel sulfur (1,000 ppm). Ship operators are required to use compliant fuel within 200 nautical miles of the North American coast and within approximately 50 nautical miles of the United States Caribbean Sea coast. Only vessels with a MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 3 trial program exemption issued by the vessel’s flag state, and acknowledged by the United States, or a MARPOL Annex VI, Regulation 4 equivalency, issued by the vessel’s flag state, may use fuel oil which exceeds the fuel sulfur requirements. This is consistent with the Regulation 3 permit or Regulation 4 equivalency guidance previously provided. U.S. flagged vessels are subject to inspection for compliance with MARPOL Annex VI. Similarly, non-US flagged vessels are subject to examination under Port State Control while operating in US waters. If an examination of a non-US flagged vessel indicates a violation of MARPOL Annex VI, the USCG has the authority under MARPOL and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) to ...

As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to addressing climate change, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has outlined a series of steps it plans to take to address methane and smog-forming VOC emissions from the oil and gas industry, in order to ensure continued, safe and responsible growth in U.S. oil and natural gas production. The agency’s commonsense strategy will reduce methane pollution from new sources in this rapidly growing industry, reduce ozone-forming pollutants from existing sources in areas that do not meet federal ozone health standards, and build on work that states and industry are doing to address emissions from existing sources elsewhere. Building on Commonsense Standards for Methane and VOC Emissions Methane –the key constituent of natural gas – is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential more than 25 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. Nearly 30 percent of methane emissions in the U.S. in 2012 came from oil production and the production, processing, transmission and distribution of natural gas. While methane emissions from the oil and gas industry have declined 16 percent since 1990, they are projected to increase by about 25 percent over the next decade if additional steps are not ...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to amend requirements under the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) to improve the nation’s ability to plan for and respond to oil spills. This proposal addresses issues raised by the public, responders, government, and industry officials during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. “Our emergency officials need the best available science and safety information to make informed spill response decisions when evaluating the use of specific products on oil discharges,” said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “Our proposed amendments incorporate scientific advances and lessons learned from the application of spill-mitigating substances in response to oil discharges and will help ensure that the emergency planners and responders are well-equipped to protect human health and the environment.” The proposed Subpart J revisions include: New and revised product toxicity and efficacy test methodologies for dispersants, and other chemical and biological agents; New toxicity and efficacy criteria for listing agents on the Subpart J Product Schedule; Additional human health and safety information requirements from manufacturers; Revised area planning requirements for chemical and biological agent use authorization; and New dispersant monitoring requirements when used on ...