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Digital TV Transition Could Create a Toxic Mess

September 19, 2008 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Adrianne Kroepsch, CQ Staff

Worried that the transition to digital television will result in a nationwide dumping of lead-laden analog TV sets early next year, environmentalists pushing for a response are beginning to gain traction in Congress. But the attention from lawmakers may be too late to limit damage.

Two resolutions (S Res 663 and H Res 1395) calling for the United States to join other nations in banning the export of electronic waste to developing countries have been introduced. But even if enacted, they would have little or no legal impact. The prospects for any other substantial congressional action in the short term are dim.

Tags: Adrianne Kroepsch, digital television, EPA

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How Secure Are the Country's Utilities? Government About to Find Out

September 9, 2008 2:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by Daniel Fowler, CQ Staff

The water sector is set to become the first of the country's 18 critical infrastructure and key resource sectors to gauge security progress under the National Infrastructure Protection Plan framework.

"We've got a lot of great stories and anecdotes about utilities that are really doing a lot to safeguard not just the hazardous materials they have, but to enhance their 'all hazards' security posture," said L. Vance Taylor, manager of security policy for the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. "But there's nothing that's been developed to date that allows us to get a sector-wide measure of these [efforts]."

Tags: EPA, Homeland Security, National Infrastructure Protection Plan, water utilities

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EPA Studies Nanotech Safety

July 31, 2008 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A number of chemical companies are supplying data to the Environmental Protection Agency so it can assess whether nanoscale materials used in their products may pose health risks. Scientific American reports that 13 companies, including BASF and General Electric, have provided data to the EPA, and another 17 are expected to do so. Some scientists worry that the tiny nanoparticles or carbon nanotubes could interact with human tissue, perhaps having an asbestos-like effect on the lungs.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Tags: EPA, nanoparticles, Scientific American

EPA Considering Rules for Storing Carbon

July 16, 2008 5:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One proposal for limiting greenhouse gas emissions is to capture carbon as it is produced at power plants and store it underground, perhaps in exhausted oil wells. The Environmental Protection Agency is taking a step toward making that possible by publishing a draft of a rule governing such underground storage. The New York Times quotes a carbon storage expert as saying the rule is an important step, but not the only one needed to make carbon storage a reality.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Tags: carbon storage, EPA, global warming, The New York Times

Web Pick: A New Way to Think About Miles Per Gallon

June 23, 2008 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The way we think about fuel efficiency could be undermining our ability to actually figure out how much a car can save us in gas costs, researchers at Duke University suggest.

New Scientist reports that a study found that people think doubling the miles per gallon of a compact car has the same effect on overall fuel consumption as doubling it in an SUV: that is, going from 10 to 20 mpg saves five gallons per 100 miles, while going from 25 to 50 mpg saves only two. The scientists want to flip the Environmental Protection Agency's standard on its head, from miles per gallon to gallons per (100) miles, which they say would make the picture clearer. In this case, 100 miles in the more efficient compact would "cost" 2 gallons, as opposed to 5 gallons in the more efficient SUV.

posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Tags: Duke University, EPA, mpg, New Scientist