The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adding two hazardous waste sites that pose risks to human health and the environment to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites, reducing health impacts, including protecting infant health, and encouraging economic revitalization of a formerly toxic site. In addition, the agency is proposing to add six additional sites to the list. 

 

“By updating the NPL, we continue to fulfill our mission to protect public health and the environment by cleaning up contaminated land and returning formerly toxic sites to communities for productive use,” said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “Superfund cleanups help advance the economic well-being of communities by turning contaminated properties into productive community resources that can enhance property values, create jobs and broaden tax bases.” 

 

Recent academic research contributes more evidence that Superfund cleanups help protect public health. An academic study, Superfund Cleanups and Infant Health, demonstrated that investment in Superfund cleanups reduces the incidence of congenital abnormalities for those living within 5,000 meters (or 5,468 yards) of a site. 

 

Today, more than 800 Superfund sites across the nation support some type of continued use, active reuse or planned reuse activities. EPA found at 450 of the 800 sites, at the end of fiscal year 2014, there were ongoing operations of approximately 3,400 businesses, generating annual sales of more than $65 billion and employing more than 89,000 people. Another study conducted by researchers at Duke and Pittsburgh Universities, concluded that making a site final on the NPL may increase housing prices by signaling that a site will be cleaned up. Furthermore, the study found that once a site has all cleanup remedies in place, nearby properties have a significant increase in property values as compared to pre-NPL proposal values. 

 

 

 

 

A new paper published in Climatic Change estimates that when we account for the pollution costs associated with our energy sources, gasoline costs an extra $3.80 per gallon, diesel an additional $4.80 per gallon, coal a further 24 cents per kilowatt-hour, and natural gas another 11 cents per kilowatt-hour that we don’t see in our fuel or energy bills.

 

The study was done by Drew Shindell, formerly of Nasa, now professor of climate sciences at Duke University, and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Panel to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. Shindell recently published research noting that aerosols and ozone have a bigger effect on the climate in the northern hemisphere, where humans produce more of those pollutants.

 

 

 

Global oil spill management market is estimated to witness significant growth over the forecast period on account of escalating oil spill incidents coupled with mounting safety concerns. Increasing oil & gas transportation owing to rising drilling activities is anticipated to fuel the market growth over the forecast period.

Strict government regulations regarding safety and pollution such as Oil Pollution Act, Norway Pollution Control Act and Petroleum Activities Act are estimated to drive oil spill management market in foreseeable future. Establishment of regulatory boards such as Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) & Canadian Coast Guard agency have enforced oil & gas companies to adhere to safety norms. This is further anticipated to drive he industry growth over the forecast period.

Leading oil & gas companies have been constantly involved in R&D to enhance efficiency and oil spill cleaning process which is anticipated to create huge opportunities for industry participants over the forecast period.

 

March 20, 2015

Electric vehicles have gotten a lot of support because they have the potential to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Now it seems these cars may have another benefit—cooler cities

 

A conventional gasoline engine is incredibly inefficient. Most of the energy produced by the tiny explosions inside is actually lost as heat. The engine that runs an electric car, by contrast, is much more efficient and loses far less energy to heat. The difference is enough that if all the cars in Beijing were replaced with electric versions, the city would be almost 2 degrees Fahrenheit cooler in summer, researchers conclude today in Scientific Reports.