December 2009

Although the United Nations’ Summit on Global Climate Change failed to reach a binding agreement on a plan to combat climate change, a majority of the parties in attendance have indicated their support for a non-binding agreement negotiated between some of the major players at the conference. This agreement, called the Copenhagen Accord, was negotiated between the United States, China, India, and some of the other largest countries over the last few days of the conference. Although it was not formally adopted by the U.N. because it was not supported unanimously, the Conference of the Parties “took note” of the Accord and many countries expressed their support for the plan. read more

Nevada has been ruled out as an alternative disposal site for low-level radioactive waste from South Carolina. The Nevada Test Site, about 65 miles north of Las Vegas, is being excluded from discussions about the nearly 15,000 drums of depleted uranium because the energy department agreed to conduct a statewide environmental impact statement before accepting new waste there and the review could take longer than a year. read more

On December 4, 2009, New Mexico U.S. Representative Harry Teague announced over $100 million would be funded for an algae-based biofuel refinery near Las Cruces, New Mexico. California-based Sapphire Energy, with a present test facility in Las Cruces, is planning to build a facility in which fuel could be refined from algae. read more

EPA issued a widely anticipated finding today that greenhouse gas emissions “endanger … the public health and the public welfare of current and future generations.” This finding is a prerequisite to EPA finalizing its proposed light-duty vehicle GHG emissions standards proposed in September and is a step towards regulating emissions from stationary sources such as power plants and refineries. read more

On Wednesday, December 2nd, the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest (ACLPI) filed suit in federal district court to challenge EPA’s failure to act on Arizona’s most recent plan to reduce the level of airborne coarse particulate matter in the Phoenix metropolitan are (the "Five Percent Plan"). The lawsuit stems from the Phoenix area’s designation under the Clean Air Act (CAA) as a "serious nonattainment area" for PM10 (particulate matter that is 10 microns or less in diameter), meaning that Phoenix had failed to attain the applicable CAA standard within the requisite timeframe. read more

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is feeling the pinch. Due to Arizona’s fiscal woes, the agency’s funding has been cut by over 50 percent since 2007, dropping from $32 to $13.2 million. This budget shortfall threatens ADEQ’s ability to fulfill its enforcement responsibilities. To make up the difference, ADEQ Director Benjamin Grumbles has sought legislative approval to increase fees for some permitting programs. Absent such additional funding, Grumbles predicts that ADEQ may be forced to yield some of its enforcement authority to EPA. read more

The University of Nevada, Reno, as part of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), has received $3.2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for renewable energy research in addition to the $5.7 million NSHE has secured over the past two fiscal years from the Department of Energy. read more

How to end reliance on coal? Pay homeowners for feeding electricity into the grid at a rate that is double the rate they pay for electricity. Over three gigawatts (!) of solar electric generation have been installed in Germany this year, leading to the sell out of all available solar panels in that country. Time will tell, but it appears that one half of all of the installed photovoltaic capacity in the world is now in Germany! read more