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CRS Insight Report: 'Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Pipeline Development - Federal Initiatives'

Paul W. Parfomak wrote this CRS Insight report (2 June 2023); 'Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Pipeline Development - Federal Initiatives'  

 

 

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Carbon dioxide (CO2) pipelines are essential components of carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems which are proposed to reduce atmospheric emissions of man-made CO2, a greenhouse gas. Approximately 5,000 miles of pipeline already carry CO2 in the United States, primarily linking natural CO2 sources to oil fields where CO2 is used for enhanced oil recovery. However, a much larger pipeline network likely will be needed to meet national goals for greenhouse gas reduction. Developers already are seeking permits for new CO2 pipelines. Summit Carbon Solutions, Navigator CO2 Ventures, and Wolf Carbon Solutions are developing multistate projects in the Upper Midwest which, collectively, would comprise over 3,600 miles of new pipeline for carbon capture from ethanol plants. Along with other actions to promote CCS, the federal government has been advancing initiatives to promote such CO2 pipeline projects, as discussed below.

Safety Regulation
The Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) within the Department of Transportation (DOT) has statutory authority over CO2 pipeline safety. PHMSA has long regulated the construction, operation and maintenance of CO2 pipelines (49 C.F.R. §§190, 195-199). However, a 2020 CO2 pipeline rupture in Satartia, MS, which required a local evacuation and caused 45 people to be hospitalized, has prompted criticism from pipeline safety advocates that PHMSA’s existing regulations for CO2 pipelines are inadequate. Safety concerns also have given rise to siting opposition among some affected landowners and advocacy groups. In response to these criticisms, and findings from its own Satartia investigation, PHMSA announced on May 26, 2022, that it was initiating a rulemaking to update its CO2 pipeline safety standards. The agency plans to publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in June 2024, but has not set a date for a final rule. Some stakeholders have expressed concern that developers may begin constructing new CO2 pipelines before a new rule is finalized.

Financial Support
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, P.L. 117-58) Section 40304 established within the Department of Energy (DOE) a Carbon Dioxide Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation (CIFIA) program for CO2 pipelines. The act authorized and appropriated $2.1 billion for low-interest CIFIA loans and grants. Although CIFIA has not yet funded any pipeline projects, analysts expect that developers such as Summit Carbon Solutions would apply for CIFIA funding. President Biden’s FY2024 budget request for CIFIA includes $308 million in direct loan subsidies and $25 million in grants.

The IIJA (Section 40314) also established a DOE program to support Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs— demonstration projects involving clean hydrogen producers and consumers and the connecting infrastructure. Division J, Title III, appropriated $8 billion to support the program. In September 2022, DOE made a Funding Opportunity Announcement for a first tranche of up to $7 billion to support six to ten hub proposals that were due by April 7, 2023. DOE plans to announce the projects selected for award negotiations in fall 2023. Although DOE has not publicly released hub funding applications, several reportedly include carbon capture (e.g., from methane reforming to produce hydrogen) which could require the development of CO2 pipelines.

The IIJA (Section 40303) also amended DOE’s existing carbon capture technology program to include support for front-end engineering and design for CO2 transport infrastructure. Division J, Title III, appropriated a total of $100 million for the period FY2022-FY2026. On May 17, 2023, DOE announced $9 million in funding for three projects “to perform detailed engineering design studies for regional CO2 pipeline networks.” The three proposed networks would be located in Wyoming, and along the Gulf Coasts of Texas and Louisiana.

Siting Authority
Currently, states have primary siting jurisdiction for CO2 pipelines, although federal approvals may be required for certain pipeline segments (e.g., across federal lands). The USE IT Act (Section 102 of Division S of P.L. 116-260) clarified CO2 pipeline eligibility for streamlined review of any necessary federal permits which might be required. The law also directed the Council on Environmental Quality to set guidance to expedite CO2 pipeline development. Some analysts have asserted, however, that the absence of overall federal siting authority for CO2 pipelines could be “a significant problem.” Certain proposals would federalize interstate CO2 pipeline siting, preempting state siting authority, akin to siting for interstate natural gas pipelines under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. On May 10, 2023, the Biden Administration urged Congress to “address the siting of ... carbon dioxide pipelines and storage infrastructure and provide federal siting authority for such infrastructure.” Some stakeholders may object to federalization of CO2 pipeline siting authority, however, contending that CO2 pipeline development for CCS is relatively new and that there has not been a demonstrated need for federal preemption.

Issues for Congress
Some Members of Congress show ongoing interest in the expansion of the U.S. CO2 pipeline network. For example, at a March 2023 hearing on pipeline safety of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, the ranking member stated, “the safe transmission of carbon dioxide to sequester locations is vital to meeting our carbon reduction goals, and I want to make sure this can be implemented without delay.” In a similar vein, the Building American Energy Security Act of 2023 (S. 1399, 118th Congress) would include CO2 transportation projects among those eligible for streamlined regulatory review and would prioritize them as projects of “strategic national importance.”

Given the essential role of CO2 pipelines in CCS systems, economic and regulatory challenges to CO2 pipelines may limit the deployment of CCS. In particular, siting opposition due to safety concerns could prevent CO2 pipeline development in some localities and increase development time and costs in others. How and when PHMSA will update its CO2 pipeline safety standards might, therefore, be a key oversight issue for Congress. Congress also may evaluate whether the financial incentives it has enacted to promote CO2 pipeline development are attracting pipeline developers as intended. Additionally, Congress may monitor the progress of proposed CO2 pipeline projects in securing approvals from local, state, and federal regulators to determine if further congressional action may be warranted regarding siting and permitting.

Enjoy!

"Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time' is like saying 'I don't want to'." - Lao Tzu

Josh's Water Jobs and More! - 6 June 2023 ~215 Jobs!

From Josh:

Our post a job link was down the last 10 days. Just discovered the issue yesterday, but it is working again. So if any organization posted a job there, please do so again. Thanks!

1) Josh's Jobs

Deadline today (6 June)!

1) IC Consultant- Urban Flood Risk Management (Six Positions) Chennai, Kolkata, Ban – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (India): 6 June   2) Ukrainian speakers: WASH Consultant (3 positions) – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Various, Ukrainian): 6 June

Jobs by Region

Africa jobs Asia jobs Europe jobs Latin America and Caribbean jobs Oceania jobs North America jobs Home-based/Remote jobs

Minimum years experience requested

0-2 years (See all)

3) Programme Policy Officer (Water Resource Management) – World Food Programme (WFP) (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia): 15 June   4) Spanish speakers: Especialista en Análisis Hidro informática – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (Bogota, Colombia): 18 June   5) German speakers: Junior-Berater*in im Vorhaben Wasserpolitik – Innovationen für Resilienz – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (Bonn, Germany): 12 June   6) Local recruitment: Woodlands for Water Officer – The Rivers Trust(Ireland/Home-based): 18 June   7) Local recruitment: Graduate Water Resources Engineer – WaterNSW (Parramatta NSW, Australia): Until filled   8) Local recruitment: Watershed Stewardship Assistant – Oldman Watershed Council (Lethbridge, AB, Canada): 9 June   9) Local recruitment: Associate Attorney – Puget Soundkeeper(Seattle, WA, USA): 15 June   10) Local recruitment: Hydrologist 2 – Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (Helena, MT, USA): Until filled   11) Local recruitment: Environmental Analyst III – Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (Woburn, MA, USA): Until filled   12) Local recruitment: Watershed Program Specialist - Environmental Scientist – Boulder Watershed Collective (Boulder, CO, USA): Until filled   13) Local recruitment: Communications Manager – Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation (McAdenville, NC, USA/Home-based): Until filled   14) Program Coordinator III – Utah State University (Logan, UT, USA): Until filled   15) Local recruitment: Hydrologist (Water Use and Evapotranspiration Analyst) – Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) (Salem, OR, USA): 15 June   16) Local recruitment: Program Coordinator - Lead and Water – Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI) (Michigan, USA/Home-based): 18 June

3-4 years (See all)

17) Program Support Officer – United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) (Nairobi, Kenya): 8 June   18) Russian speakers: Programme Specialist (Natural Sciences) 1 – United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (Almaty, Kazakhstan): 30 June   19) Finland nationals: Green and blue economy specialist (focus on climate change) (UN Women) – United Nations Volunteers (UNV)(Dar es Salaam, Tanzania): 18 June   20) Finland nationals: Nature and Climate Officer (UNEP) – United Nations Volunteers (UNV) (Brasilia - Federal District, Brazil): 18 June   21) Local recruitment: Water Conservation Specialist 2 – Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (Missoula, MT, USA): 15 June   22) Local recruitment: Water Resources Resilience Analyst – Booz Allen Hamilton (Arlington, VA, USA): Until filled   23) Local recruitment: Water Resources Specialist 3 (Municipal Conservation Program Lead) – Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) (Phoenix, AZ, USA): Until filled   24) Local recruitment: Water Resources Specialist 3 (Drought Coordinator) – Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR)(Phoenix, AZ, USA): Until filled   25) Local recruitment: Water Program Specialist-DSE/FPPE – Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (Williamsport, PA, USA): 16 June

5-9 years (See all)

26) Climate Change Adaption Specialist - Water Smart Agricultural Development – CAREs (Sana'a, Yemen): Until filled   27) Senior Engagement Manager, Nature for Water Facility – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (New Zealand): Until filled   28) Arabic speakers: Hydro-Database Specialist – Committed To Good (CTG) (Riyadh Saudi Arabia): 8 June   29) Programme Manager – United Nations Global Compact (New Delhi, Delhi, India): 15 June   30) Marine Fisheries Officer – Kenya – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (Lamu, Kenya): Until filled   31) Project Manager Western Indian Ocean – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (Mombasa, Kenya/Tanzania): Until filled   32) Saudi Arabia nationals: Irrigation/Water Resources Management Specialist – United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)(Saudi Arabia): 13 June   33) Local recruitment: Regional Analyst (Africa Desk) – Green Climate Fund (GCF) (Incheon, South Korea): 18 June   34) Local recruitment: Resilience Project Manager – New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (Portsmouth, NH, USA): 16 June   35) Senior Communications Manager, Coasts & Watersheds – Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) (United States/Home-based): Until filled   36) Local recruitment: Water Quality Improvement and TMDL Lead (Environmental Specialist 4) – Washington Department of Ecology(Shoreline, WA, USA): Until filled   37) Policy Advisor, Water – The Nature Conservancy (TNC)(USA/Home-based): Until filled

10+ years (See all)

38) Assistant Director-General For Natural Sciences – United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (Paris, France): 30 June   39) Chief of Environment and Development Policy Section – United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) (Bangkok, Thailand): 17 June   40) Deputy Executive Secretary – United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) (Geneva, Switzerland): 15 June   41) French speakers: Objective Lead 2: Sub-Watershed Management - PPR-Nord – DAI (Cap-Haitien, Haiti): Until filled   42) Disaster Management Specialist/Senior Specialist – Caribbean Region – Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) (Bahamas): 7 June   43) Africa Oceans Strategy Director – The Nature Conservancy (TNC)(Various, Africa): Until filled   44) French speakers: Deputy Director of Conservation- Africa – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (Various, Africa): Until filled   45) Arabic speakers: Groundwater Modelling Specialist – Committed To Good (CTG) (Riyadh Saudi Arabia): 8 June   46) Arabic speakers: Hydrochemistry Specialist – Committed To Good (CTG) (Riyadh Saudi Arabia): 8 June   47) Arabic speakers: Geophysical Specialist – Committed To Good (CTG) (Riyadh Saudi Arabia): 8 June   48) Local recruitment: Senior Healthy Waters Specialist (Catchment Planning) – Auckland Council (Auckland, New Zealand): 18 June   49) Local recruitment: Senior Water Resources Specialist (Mid Senior Level) – Environmental Resources Management (ERM) (Philadelphia, PA/Atlanta, GA, USA): Until filled

Not specified (See all)

50) French speakers: Water And Environmental Transition Consultant – Deloitte (Zaventem, Belgium): Until filled   51) Policy & Strategy Director – World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)(Brussels, Belgium): 11 June   52) Programme Director – World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)(Brussels, Belgium): 11 June   53) German/French speakers: Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin/ wissenschaftlichen Mitarbeiter (m/w/d) – Bundesantalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR) (N'Djamena, Chad): 16 June   54) Netherlands nationals: Applicatiemanager watermanagement – Rijkswaterstaat (Delft, Netherlands): 14 June   55) Local recruitment: Senior Projectleider Waterkwaliteit – Hoogheemraadschap van Delfland (Delft, Netherlands): 15 June   56) Local recruitment: Project Manager – The Rivers Trust(Ireland/Home-based): 18 June   57) Local recruitment: Senior Regulatory Officer – Queensland Government (Brisbane QLD, Australia): 13 June   58) Local recruitment: Director, Water Law – Government of New South Wales (Sydney NSW, Australia): 11 June   59) Local recruitment: Manager Water Planning and Delivery – WaterNSW (New South Wales, Australia): Until filled   60) Local recruitment: Manager Water Quality & Operational Modelling – WaterNSW (Parramatta NSW, Australia): Until filled   61) Local recruitment: Director, Water Licensing – Government of South Australia (Adelaide SA, Australia): 10 June   62) Local recruitment: Program Lead - Wastewater Quality Management – Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water (Horsham VIC, Australia): 16 June   63) Local recruitment: Hydrogeologist / Senior Hydrogeologist – Australia Northern Territory Government (Palmerston NT, Australia): 14 June   64) Local recruitment: Assistant Ecohydrologist – Government of New South Wales (New South Wales, Australia): 13 June   65) Local recruitment: Water Modeller / Senior Water Modeller Officer – Australia Northern Territory Government (Palmerston NT, Australia): 12 June   66) Local recruitment: Regional Water Management Officer – Tasmanian Government (Hobart TAS, Australia): 12 June   67) Local recruitment: Flood Engagement Manager – National Flood Forum (Rochdale, UK): 16 June   68) Local recruitment: Water Resources Advisor - Appeals Coordinator – Environment Agency (England, UK): 19 June   69) Local recruitment: Water Resources Advisor (Hydrology/Abstraction Licensing) – Environment Agency (England, UK): 19 June   70) Local recruitment: Water Resources Technical Specialist (G5) – Environment Agency (Reading/Wallingford, UK/Home-based): 18 June   71) Local recruitment: Assistant Project Officer – South East Rivers Trust (SERT) (Leatherhead, UK/Home-based): 18 June   72) Local recruitment: Water Resources Business Management Senior Advisor – Environment Agency (England, UK): 16 June   73) Local recruitment: Restoration Manager – Oldman Watershed Council (Lethbridge, AB, Canada): 11 June   74) Local recruitment: Senior Watershed Planner – Manitoba Government (Brandon/Winnipeg, MB, Canada): 10 June   75) Local recruitment: Staff Hydrologist - Hydrologist 1 – Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (Sauk Rapids, MN, USA): 16 June   76) Local recruitment: Water Resources Management Specialists - Senior and Advanced – Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources(Wisconsin, USA): 13 June   77) Local recruitment: Assistant Director of Restoration – Elizabeth River Project (Norfolk, VA, USA): Until filled   78) U.S. nationals: Civil Engineer (Hydrologic/Hydraulic) – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Albuquerque, NM, USA): 12 June   79) Local recruitment: Hydrologic Technician – Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (Helena, MT, USA): Until filled   80) Local recruitment: AmeriCorps Member – City of Vancouver(Vancouver, WA, USA): Until filled   81) U.S. nationals: Environmental Engineer / Hydrologist – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Seattle, WA, USA): 9 June

Academic

Professors/Lecturers (See all)

82) Professor in Aquaculture Recirculation Technology – Technical University of Denmark (DTU) (Lyngby, Denmark): 16 June   83) Assistant/Associate Professors (Tenure Track) in Hydrology and Water Management Group – Wageningen University & Research(Wageningen, Netherlands): 10 July   84) Assistant Professor of Environmental Aquatic Science – University of Nottingham (Nottingham, UK): 20 June   85) Assistant/Associate Professor (Tenure Track) in Climate Change Adaptation Pathways – Wageningen University & Research(Wageningen, Netherlands): 19 June   86) Assistant/Associate Professor Tenure Track Quantitative Environmental Social Science Research – Wageningen University & Research (Wageningen, Netherlands): 19 June

Postdocs (See all)

87) Two Post-doctoral Research Fellowships: Investigation of Terrestrial Hydrological Cycle Acceleration – Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (Prague, Czechia): 15 June   88) Modelling Nature-Based Solutions for Fluvial Flood Risk Reduction – Postdoctoral Position – Université de Liège (Liège, Belgium): 15 June   89) Postdoctoral Research Associate in Managing Reliability of Water Assets – University of Sydney (Sydney NSW, Australia): 20 June   90) Postdoctoral Researcher (Marine Ecosystem Modelling) – Pacific Community (SPC) (Nouméa, New Caledonia): 18 June   91) Postdoctoral Research Scientist (f_m_x) – Water Quality and Epidemiology – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences (Potsdam, Germany): 18 June   92) Postdoc Research fellowship: Water, Landscapes and Environmental History in the medieval Islamic Mediterranean, c. 600-c.1050 CE – Università Ca' Foscari Venezia (Venezia, Italy): 14 June   93) Postdoctoral Fellow – University of Idaho (Parma, ID, USA): Until filled   94) Postdoctoral Scholar ub computational hydrology, with a focus on data assimilation and physics-informed machine learning – Penn State University (State College, PA, USA): Until filled   95) French speakers: Post-doctorat (H/F) : Dégradation de micropolluants organiques dans les filières de production d'eau potable – Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)(Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France): 15 June

Researchers/Other

96) Researcher (Tenure Track) in Marine Ecosystem Modelling – Aarhus University (Aarhus, Denmark): 15 June   97) Research Fellow or Assistant in Environmental Systems & Policy – Cranfield University (Cranfield, Bedford, UK): 14 June   98) Research Fellow in Freshwater Lake Palaeoecology – University of Southampton (Southampton, UK): 20 June   99) Europe nationals: Land-sea integrated maritime and spatial planning: towards the digital twin of Upper Adriatic Region - Researcher – Università Iuav di Venezia (Venezia, Italy): 20 June   100) Dutch speakers: Assistant – Ghent University (Ghent, Belgium): 20 June   101) Dutch speakers: Projectleider – onderzoeker Water Technology – University of Applied Sciences (Vlissingen, Netherlands): 16 June   102) Water Quality Extension Professional (New York Sea Grant) – Cornell University (Rochester, NY, USA): 15 June   103) U.S. nationals: Research Hydrologist (Research Associate) – U.S. Agricultural Research Service (Columbia, MO, USA): 30 May 2024   104) Technical Specialist – Princeton University (Princeton, NJ, USA): Until filled   105) Assistant Research Scientist – Watershed Conservation Research – Allegheny College (Meadville, PA, USA): Until filled   106) Water Quality Research Assistant – University of Kansas(Lawrence, KS, USA): Until filled   107) Research Aide in Cropping Systems Agronomy – University of Idaho (Parma, ID, USA): Until filled   108) Senior Hydrologist – University of California-San Diego (San Diego, CA, USA): 9 June   109) Academic Program Specialist for Freshwater Collaborative – University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (Various, WI, USA): 11 June

WASH (SEE ALL)

0-2 years (See all)

110) WASH Associate – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh): 10 June   111) WASH Associate #2 – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh): 10 June   112) French speakers: Un·e Coordinateur-Rice Eau, Hygiene et Assainissement – Action Contre La Faim (ACF) (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo): Until filled 113) French speakers: Deux (02) Superviseurs WASH Hard – Action Against Hunger (Kaédi, Mauritania): 11 June   114) Arabic speakers: Water Sanitation and Hygiene Technician – Save the Children (Zahlé, Lebanon): 8 June   115) Arabic speakers: WASH Officer – Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) (Aweil, South Sudan): 13 June   116) Mozambique nationals: WASH Officer (Water Supply and WASH in Institutions) – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Beira, Mozambique): 12 June   117) Philippines nationals: WASH Officer (Climate Change & Environment) - Re-Advertisement – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Cotabato, Philippines): 14 June   118) Honduras nationals: WASH Officer in Emergencies – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Tegucigalpa, Honduras): 7 June   119) Ukraine nationals: WASH Officer – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Mykolaiv, Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine): 18 June   120) Ghana nationals: WASH Officer – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Tamale, Ghana): 16 June   121) Ethiopia nationals: WASH Officer (Re- advertised) – Danish Refugee Council (Liban, Jijiga, Ethiopia): 14 June   122) Local recruitment: WASH Officer – Pakistan Red Crescent(Sindh, Pakistan): 9 June   123) Local recruitment: WASH Officer (Flood Recovery Program) – Pakistan Red Crescent (Islamabad, Pakistan): 9 June

3-4 years (See all)

124) WASH CCCM Project Coordinator – ACTED (Marib, Yemen): 1 July   125) WASH Assistant – Water Supply – Peace Winds Japan (PWJ)(Kakuma, Kenya): 7 June   126) WASH Program Manager (M/F) – Solidarités International(Raqqa, Syria): Until filled   127) Spanish speakers: Gerente de Agua, Saneamiento e Higiene (WASH) – International Medical Corps (Caracas, Capital District, Venezuela): 11 June   128) WASH Project Manager – ACTED (Sudan): 1 July   129) French speakers: Coordinateur(Trice) Consortium Nex’eau (H/F) – Solidarités International (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso): Until filled   130) WASH Coordinator – Action Against Hunger: Until filled   131) Technical Assistant on Water Supply and Mapping – Inter Aide(Sodo, Ethiopia): 15 June   132) Philippines nationals: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Officer (WASH) in Schools Officer (UNICEF) – United Nations Volunteers (UNV) (Cotabato, Philippines): 16 June   133) Ethiopia nationals: WASH Officer – Danish Refugee Council(Berhale, Ethiopia): 14 June   134) Kenya nationals: WASH Manager – International Rescue Committee (IRC) (Lodwar, Kenya): Until filled   135) Local recruitment: Program Officer WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) – Pakistan Red Crescent (Islamabad, Pakistan): 9 June   136) Local recruitment: US WASH Program Manager – Water for People (Home-based, USA): Until filled

5-9 years (See all)

137) WASH Program Manager (PM) – ForAfrika (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia): 15 June   138) Programme Officer (WASH) – International Organization for Migration (IOM) (Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine): 8 June   139) WASH Officer – Mercy Corps (Gode, Ethiopia): 11 June   140) Emergency WASH and Gender Advisor – CARE (Atlanta, GA, USA): Until filled   141) Senior Country WASH Coordinator – Oxfam (Various, South Sudan): 14 June   142) Spanish speakers: Municipal Strengthening Lead, USAID/Ecuador Tu Municipio Responde Activity – DT Global(Ecuador): Until filled   143) Spanish speakers: Water and Sanitation Lead, USAID/Ecuador Tu Municipio Responde Activity – DT Global (Ecuador): Until filled   144) Programme / Project Controller – IRC WASH (Netherlands): 18 June   145) French speakers: Project Engineer / Civil Engineer (m/f/d) Regional Development (GKW Consult) – GFA Consulting Group(Mannheim, Germany): 18 June   146) French speakers: Chief of Party – Chemonics (Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo): 9 June   147) Project Manager – Financial Inclusion Improves Sanitation and Health (FINISH) Society (Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, India): 16 June   148) Ukraine nationals: WASH Specialist – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine): 14 June   149) Local recruitment: WASH and Infrastructure Engineer – World Vision (WV) (Lilongwe, Malawi): Until filled   150) Nepal nationals: Climate Resilience Advisor – SNV Netherlands Development Organisation (Kathmandu, Nepal): 18 June

10+ years (See all)

151) French speakers: Regional Director WASH, Environmental Sustainability and Climate Adaptation – World Vision (WV) (Dakar, Senegal): Until filled   152) French speakers: Regional Adviser, WASH and Climate Resilience – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)s (Dakar, Senegal): 14 June   153) Chief Program Officer – Splash (Seattle, WA, USA/Home-based): Until filled   154) Team Leader Expat – Seureca (Mbabane, Eswatini): Until filled   155) Türkiye nationals: Senior Project Assistant - WASH (IOM) – United Nations Volunteers (UNV) (Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye): 9 June   156) Türkiye nationals: Senior Project Assistant - WASH (IOM) – United Nations Volunteers (UNV) (Malatya, Türkiye): 9 June   157) Türkiye nationals: Senior Project Assistant - WASH (IOM) – United Nations Volunteers (UNV) (Antakya/Hatay, Türkiye): 9 June   158) Local recruitment: Water Engineer – World Vision (WV) (Arusha, Tanzania): Until filled   159) Local recruitment: Charity Water Project Manager – World Vision (WV) (Blantyre, Malawi): Until filled

Not specified (See all)

160) Local recruitment: Global Head of Campaigns - Climate Change – WaterAid (United Kingdom/Sweden/Germany/Brussels, Belgium/Home-based): 25 June   161) Environment and WASH Coordinator – Auxilium Skills Academy(Mumbai, Maharashtra, India): Until filled

Consultancies (SEE ALL)

162) Consultancy - Climate Innovation Support, Office of Innovation – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Home-based): 11 June   163) International Irrigation Specialist/ Hydrologist – United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (Dhaka, Bangladesh): 15 June   164) Consultant (Development of Regional Workplans) – Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) (Home-based): 15 June   165) International consultant to support the development of the UNCCD Greater Sahel Programme – United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) (Home-based): 9 June   166) International Policy Expert on Aquaculture – United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (Home-based): 16 June   167) Consultant: Multistakeholder Platform Facilitator – International Water Management Institute (IWMI) (Lusaka, Zambia): 8 June   168) Technical Advisor – United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) (Home-based): 11 June   169) Supporting the 2030 Agenda Partnership Accelerator – United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) (New York, NY, USA): 8 June   170) Consultancy: Development of Harmonized guidelines for resilient borehole development in the IGAD region – Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) (Djibouti): 16 June   171) Spanish speakers: Local recruitment: Sustainable coastal management specialist – United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) (Home-based): 14 June   172) Spanish speakers: Capacity Building Consultant – United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) (Asunción, Paraguay): 20 June   173) International Individual Consultant - Technical Specialist – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Vientiane, Laos/Home-based): 11 June   174) Rwanda nationals: Senior consultant for provision of consultancy services for quality assurance and certification of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Kigali, Rwanda): 13 June   175) Indonesia nationals: Consultant on Water Quality – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Jakarta, Indonesia/Home-based): 13 June   176) Local recruitment: WASH & CCES Policy, Advocacy and Networking Expert – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)(Bengaluru, Karnataka, India): 12 June   177) Local recruitment: Consultant - WASH & CCES Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge Management expert – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Hyderabad, Telangana, India): 12 June   178) India nationals: Consultant for Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (New Delhi, Delhi, India): 7 June   179) Bangladesh nationals: Flood-resilient Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene Specialist – Asian Development Bank (ADB)(Bangladesh): 8 June   180) Indonesia nationals: Consultant on Technical Sanitation – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Jakarta, Indonesia/Home-based): 14 June   181) Local recruitment: Consultant - WASH & CCES Partnership Management and Field Monitoring – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Hyderabad, Telangana, India): 14 June   182) Local recruitment: Consultant - WASH & CCES Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building Expert – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Bangalore, Karnataka, India): 13 June   183) Ukrainian speakers: EU4Environment National Action Coordinator in Ukraine – Consultant – United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) (Home-based): 10 June   184) Azeri speakers: EU4Environment National Action Coordinator in Azerbaijan – Consultant – United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) (Home-based): 9 June   185) Local recruitment: Hiring of Technical Agency/Consultants for conducting Ground Water Survey – Water Sanitation and Hygiene Institute (WASH Institute) (Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India): 15 June   186) Local recruitment: Hiring of Technical Agency/Consultants for conducting Hydraulic design expert – Water Sanitation and Hygiene Institute (WASH Institute) (Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India): 15 June   187) Eswatini nationals: Mid -Term Evaluations Consultant – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Eswatini): 12 June

RFP (SEE ALL)

188) RFP: Provision of Assessment, Survey, Strategy Development and Engineering Services of WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) in schools in Republic of Moldova – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Moldova): 16 June   189) RFP: An Assessment of Climate-Resilient WASH Services in South Asia – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)(Nepal/Bangladesh/Pakistan): 14 June   190) RFP: WASH Capacity Building in 21 Districts in Zambia – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Zambia): 17 June   191) RFP: Development of Smartphone Applications for Citizen Science Data Collection in South Africa – United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (Johannesburg, South Africa): 14 June   192) Content Writers – WaterAid (India): 7 June

Internships (SEE ALL)

193) E.U. nationals: Funded traineeship for young graduates at the EU Delegation to the OECD and UNESCO in Paris – European Union(Paris, France): 7 June   194) French speakers: Poste Assistant.e Programme EHA (H/F) – Solidarités International (Mayotte): Until filled   195) French speakers: Stage/Alternance : Assistant.e Programme (H/F) – Solidarités International (Marseille, France): Until filled

Scholarships/Assistantships (SEE ALL)

196) PhD Research Fellow within Water Isotope Research – University of Bergen (Bergen, Norway): 15 June   197) PhD Position AdaptCoast: Adaptive Coastal Monitoring and Modelling of Intermittent Anthropogenic and Natural Impacts on Beach-Dune Systems – Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)(Delft, Netherlands): 15 June   198) PhD: Graduate Assistant in Geography (water management) – University of Lausanne (Lausanne, Switzerland): 15 June   199) NEXtra Doctoral Researchers 2024 – United Nations University (UNU) (Dresden, Germany): 18 June   200) PhD Position Analysis of Socio-technical Tipping Points in Integrated Modelling for Climate Policy – Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) (Delft, Netherlands): 18 June   201) A doctoral researcher (PhD student)/ postdoctoral researcher position in wastewater treatment and photobioreactor operation – University of Turku (Turku, Finland): 15 June   202) Doctoral scholarship holder Tidal wetland restoration – University of Antwerp (Antwerp, Belgium): 15 June   203) PhD Candidate within Microfluidics for Water Treatment – Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) (Trondheim, Norway): 20 June   204) PhD scholarship: Improving rainfall prediction with deep learning and dynamical systems theory – Vrije Universiteit Brussel(Brussels, Belgium): 20 June   205) Ph.D. student assistantship in Hydroclimate Extremes and Impacts – Auburn University (Auburn, AL, USA): 18 June   206) Smart Water: Engendering Climate-sensitive Low-land Flood-resilience Through Novel Nature-based Abstraction – PhD – University of Lincoln (Lincoln, UK): 18 June   207) PhD position in Health Impacts of Flooding (f_m_x) – H elmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences (Potsdam, Germany): 18 June   208) Spanish/Catalan speakers: PhD in Stable Isotopes Applied to Determine the Origin, Fate and Remediation of Pollution in Aquifers Discharging to Coastal Lagoons (ISOREM) – Universitat de Barcelona(Barcelona, Spain): 16 June   209) Doctoral Researcher in integrated groundwater – surface water modeling – University of Oulu (Oulu, Finland): 20 June   210) French speakers: These en hydrogéologie (H/F) – Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) (Rennes, France): 15 May   211) French speakers: Thèse de Doctorat = Evolution hydroclimatique dans la dépression Afar et impact sur les milieux et l'adaptation des sociétés néolithiques (H/F) – Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) (Valbonne, France): 16 June   212) PhD Researcher position in Climate Change Risks to Provision of Urban Water Infrastructure – KWR Water Research Institute(Nieuwegein, Netherlands): 11 June   213) U.K. nationals: Cross-boundary effects of forest diversity on aquatic ecosystems - PhD – Royal Holloway, University of London(London, UK): 19 June     Last week’s list, in case you missed it

 

2) Additional Jobs from WaterWired

214) Positions: Many! From @joshswaterjobs: Oregon Water Resources Dept. - Many jobs available! Visit: https://tinyurl.com/2v32cprx #JobWaWi

 

215) From @IISD: Many Climate Change Job Vacancies. Go to 

https://bit.ly/41s102J

 

249) Position: (City of Newport - Oregon) - Administrative Project Support - Engineering (Newport, OR). Closes: 12 June). https://tinyurl.com/3nzf7hak #JobWaWi

 

 

3) Additional Resources                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Congressional Research Service Positions                                                                                                           

Check out @AidJobs - Vacancies in aid, development, humanitarian & nonprofit sector (volunteers, consultants or F-T employment) https://aidjobs.org

Conservation Jobs Board

UN Jobs in Water Resources

UN Jobs in Water Management

UN Jobs in Water and Sanitation

WASH Vacancies

Academic Jobs Online

Higher Education Job Site

Get Hydrology Jobs

AAG Jobs

@BCWaterNews Jobs Click View Jobs

@EcologyWA - Current Openings - Updated every few days. Click here.

King County (WA)Jobs

Geoscience Job Board - go to Education and Careers

California DWR Jobs

AZ Water Career Center

Florida Water Jobs (Indeed.com)

NYC DEP

Nature Conservancy Careers

State of Washington Careers

Idaho DEQ

Oregon State University Jobs

Water District Jobs

Academic Jobs in Schools of Physical/Earth Sciences

Mac's List - Jobs in Portland and Beyond!

New Zealand Hydrological Society Jobs Board

Government Jobs

Association of Oregon Counties Job Postings

Soil Science Societies Career Center

AGU Career Center for research/academic jobs

GoodWorkCanada - Canada's Green Jobs Site

How to Find Work Overseas, with Marcelle Yeager. https://bit.ly/1pIopLT

For the full list of Josh's active water jobs, please visit www.joshswaterjobs.com/jobs

Enjoy!

"Democracy is like a raft; you're safe, but your feet get wet." -- John P. Campana (1914 - 1984)  

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geoscience; 2) Environmental Science; 3) Coastal Zone Management - 5 June 2023

From @WorldBank: 'What the Future Has in Store - A New Paradigm for Water Storage' https://bit.ly/43bqq6m (I think this number doesn't include groundwater)

The articles displayed herein are selected by Dr. Elaine J. Hanford. I do not necessarily agree with the viewpoints expressed and the article descriptions that precede each link.

******************************************************************************************

Geoscience Bulletin Board – 5 June 2023 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

In Colorado, “geology is life”

• https://www.gmtoday.com/travel/when-it-comes-to-colorado-in-the-summer-geology-is-life/article_f9770726-fedc-11ed-938a-3f46fc512d30.html

Sarasota County, Florida, is distinguishing Nokomis holes “deep geological strata” from sinkholes

• https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/05/28/sarasota-county-defines-nokomis-holes-deep-geological-strata/ 

Museum of Geology at South Dakota School of Mines is commemorating 100th anniversary

• https://www.newscenter1.tv/news/south-dakota-mines-museum-of-geology-celebrates-100th-anniversary/article_fb910588-fcc1-11ed-bd0c-4f1a0c40340e.html 

Geological story of Valles Caldera in New Mexico

• https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/new-mexicos-answer-yellowstone-geological-story-valles-caldera 

Bowen Basin Stories – Part 2:  Geological Dramas

• https://www.spectator.com.au/2023/05/bowen-basin-geological-dramas/ 

Summer season has begun at Crates of the Moon National Monument and Preserve

• https://www.idahostatejournal.com/townnews/geology/summer-operations-at-craters-of-the-moon-have-begun/article_d3bd3a48-ff11-11ed-a494-ef3c0714aafd.html

Uranium deposits in Athabasca Basin of Saskatchewan, Canada, formed more than 1.5 byo

• https://www.mining.com/scientists-figure-out-geological-features-linked-to-untapped-uranium-deposits/

WMU Dinosaur Park in Michigan is expanding into the Jurassic

• https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2023/05/wmu-brings-jurassic-era-to-life-with-dinosaur-park-expansion-plans.html 

Perspective:  Pros and cons of the Anthropocene as a Geological Time Scale unit

• https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/should-the-anthropocene-be-added-to-the-geological-time-scale.html 

Shallow earthquakes (M4.0 and M3.1) felt in northern Nevada – centered between Cold Springs and Peavine Peak – felt two very gentle pulses here at the homestead – MMI II

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/earthquakes-rattle-northern-nevada/ar-AA1c0M0F 
• https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nn00860639/executive 

Geological Mapping Project for the Arabian Shield valued at $207M

• https://www.zawya.com/en/projects/mining/saudi-arabia-launches-207mln-geological-mapping-project-kpsx81k4 

Devils Garden is a hydroclastic volcano

• https://www.heraldandnews.com/outdoors/down-the-devils-garden-path/article_593c8a4e-ff2f-11ed-85f1-3f1deddb1ab2.html 

This goalie plans to become a geologist

• https://www.itemlive.com/2023/05/30/lynnfield-goalie-mcsweeney-ringing-out-in-tune/ 

European Energy Metals announces exploration planning for LCT and REE Nabba exploration in central Finland

• https://www.investorsobserver.com/news/qm-pr/7679853063672604 

National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Strategic Plan – goals & objectives

• https://www.asce.org/publications-and-news/civil-engineering-source/civil-engineering-magazine/article/2023/05/federal-plan-outlines-post-earthquake-road-map-to-functional-recovery 
• Plan:  https://nehrp.nist.gov/pdf/FY2022-29%20NEHRP%20Strategic%20Plan%20-%20Post%20Version.pdf 

Simulating the K/Pg extinction event

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/the-biggest-extinction-event-in-the-planet-s-history-is-happening-again-in-santa-cruz/ar-AA1bWcBi 

Further testing & analysis of structural elements & foundation conditions of failed Champlain Towers in Florida

• https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2023/05/may-31-2023-champlain-towers-south-investigation-update-second-warehouse 
• https://www.npr.org/2023/05/31/1179197153/surfside-florida-condominium-collapse-champlain-towers-south 

Complicated legal issues associated with Fernley groundwater and the Truckee Canal

• https://apnews.com/article/water-rights-irrigation-west-nevada-court-rural-eedcdd03d2245ae5e1f9ac67c89be920 

AI models thickness of ancient crust – should not replace critical thinking by geologists

• https://eos.org/editor-highlights/machine-learning-helps-constrain-the-thickness-of-ancient-crust

Glacial advances and retreats on Antarctica – ice thickness varies over time

• https://www.techexplorist.com/antarctic-ice-sheet-rocks-reveal-surprising-past/61046/ 
• Paper:  https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adf2639 

2 active craters & incandescent avalanches on Karangetang Volcano in northern Indonesia

• https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/karangetang/news/212736/Karangetang-volcano-Api-Siau-Island-northern-Indonesia-two-active-craters-incandescent-avalanches-se.html 

Long-term, continuous record of uplift in southern Italy – Calabrian forearc uplift

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230602115057.htm 

Hydrothermal activity at “petit-spot” submarine volcanoes

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230601160150.htm 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-023-00832-3

Archea can break down petroleum components on the sea floor - methanogenesis

• https://www.mpg.de/20408366/0601-mbio-bremen-researchers-cultivate-archaea-that-break-down-crude-oil-in-novel-ways-154772-x?c=2249 
• Paper:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-023-01400-3

Not all gravel is created equal – impacts of gravel on cycling

• https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/not-all-gravel-is-created-equal-how-geology-dictates-tech-choices-for-unbound-and-other-big-events/ 

Bihar Mines & Geology Department will have dedicated “Armed Mining Police Force” to curb illegal mining

• https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/law-order/2473828-bihar-mines-geology-dept-will-have-own-dedicated-armed-mining-police-force-official 

Bowling Ball Beach on Mendocino Coast in California (video)

• https://www.abc10.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/backroads/mystery-bowling-ball-beach-bartells-backroads-solved/103-5bffd262-c191-44e9-aded-e7911b250fcb

Update:  new casework on missing geologist Daniel Robinson – last seen 23 June 2021 – cell phone data

• https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/tempe/2023/06/01/tempe-geologist-missing-since-2021-new-police-casework-available/70275609007/ 

Perspective:  Europe needs geological strategy to compete with China

• https://www.ifri.org/en/publications/notes-de-lifri/notes-cerfa/can-europe-do-without-geological-strategy-face-china 

New theory on oxygen-rich atmosphere and evolution of Ediacaran animal life – phosphorus cycle

• https://phys.org/news/2023-06-theory-earth-oxygen-rich-atmosphere-late.html 

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Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 5 June 2023 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford 

Repeated covid vaxxing with mRNA increases IgG4 levels may cause autoimmune diseases & promote cancer growth & autoimmune myocarditis in susceptible individuals – promotes unopposed SARS-CoV2 infection & replication by suppressing natural antiviral responses – higher mortality in people repeatedly vaxxed or in those who took third dose – all cause mortality higher than before the pandemic

• https://www.uncoverdc.com/2023/05/30/igg4-increases-with-repeated-mrna-vaccines-linked-to-disease/
• Paper:  https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/11/5/991

Australia boasted high vaxx rate, now concerned with high excess death rate though claiming it is not related to vaxxing

• https://www.actuaries.digital/2023/03/06/almost-20000-excess-deaths-for-2022-in-australia/ 
• https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-COVID-coronavirus-vaccine-australia-125014733236 

A great Covid cover-up – a disastrous whitewash…history being rewritten in front of our very eyes – tackling “disinformation” became censorship

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/i-fear-we-are-witnessing-a-covid-cover-up/ar-AA1bZyrH 
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/how-secretive-units-tackling-covid-disinformation-strayed-towards-censorship/ar-AA1c3uvG 

Top Chinese scientist admits coronavirus may have emerged from accident at Wuhan Lab

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/top-chinese-scientist-concedes-that-coronavirus-may-have-leaked-from-wuhan-lab-181714446.html

Litigation continues in attempt to resolve issues surrounding water rights in Fenley and the Truckee Canal which dates to the origins of the Bureau of Reclamation and the Newlands Act

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/nevada-fight-over-leaky-irrigation-canal-and-groundwater-more-complicated-than-appears-on-surface/ar-AA1bTFgi 

Toxic legacy of the Cold War nuclear weapons production defies solution:  Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington and sites in South Carolina, Ohio, Idaho & Tennessee

• https://news.yahoo.com/poisonous-cold-war-legacy-defies-182716450.html

Invasive (introduced) 25-pound snapping turtle captured in field in Oregon

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/25-pound-creature-threat-human-155252055.html 

Mountain lions “lethally removed” in northern Arizona after being labeled “aggressive” 

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/aggressive-mountain-lions-killed-threatening-185637921.html

US Appeals Court sending plan to allow continued cattle grazing in western Wyoming & urging consider limited how many female grizzly bears may be killed for preying on livestock

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/environmental-groups-prevail-limit-grizzly-221926710.html 

Black bear fights back after being shot twice for harassing chickens – Lankford went in search of the bear

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/bear-attacks-oregon-man-shoots-161353232.html 

11th horse euthanized (killed) after racing injury at Churchill Downs, Kentucky, in past month

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/another-horse-dies-at-churchill-downs-taking-toll-to-11-in-a-month/ar-AA1bKKTu

State Farm will no longer sell new homeowner & property insurance policies in California – wildfire risks and construction costs outpacing high inflation

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/state-farm-will-no-longer-issue-property-insurance-in-california/ar-AA1bMso6 

How the current administration defines “domestic terrorist” – parents protesting bad school policies, people who spread “disinformation” as defined by the current Disinformation Governance Board, political rivals and those who oppose current administration agenda …  those who threaten Supreme Court justices, vandalize churches or firebomb pregnancy centers are not domestic terrorists

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/biden-keeps-turning-his-political-enemies-into-terrorists/ar-AA1bKo8D

SunZia Project receives final BLM approval – 520-mile transmission line NM to AZ, 900 wind turbines – still questions as to whether project is justified – crossing environmentally sensitive lands

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29052023/sunzia-transmission-project-approval/ 
• Overview & Map:  https://eplanning.blm.gov/portal/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=28d0a079822f41e487d03e517520ce16&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpPKiBhDvARIsACn-gzCHkKWtDb6wmu-H_CQTr_tQ1o6gVHXHumU1qEW_JpS94NGzpM7zjP8aAluWEALw_wcB 

Invasive species intercepted by boat inspections at Lake Tahoe

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/tahoe-boat-inspections-intercept-invasive-species/ar-AA1bRpQ0 

More dumb human behaviors at Yellowstone that irritate Bison

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/he-s-going-right-at-him-yellowstone-tourist-ignores-signs-of-enraged-bison/ar-AA1bSmNP

Video:  “The secret life of plastic recycling” – US produces more plastic waste than any other country – recycled or shipped overseas? Or incinerated where it produces toxic air pollution? – Plastic is ubiquitous

• https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/trashed-secret-life-plastic-recycling-99557139 
• https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/4022444-the-uns-low-ambition-plastics-plan-supports-industry-at-humanitys-expense/ 

“green” alternatives to throwaway plastics do not break down in the ocean

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/scientists-warn-that-green-alternatives-plastics-fail-to-break-down-in-ocean/ar-AA1bGoem 

Idaho F&G Commission approved plan to reduce wolf population by 60% over next six years – limit to 500 wolves

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/idaho-fish-and-game-aims-to-reduce-wolf-populations-by-60-percent-over-the-next-six-years/ar-AA1bR02I 

Air New Zealand to weigh passengers to improve data on weight load & distribution

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/cm/air-zealand-weigh-passengers-board-091841904.html

Sewage & chicken farming pollution result in downgrading ecological status of Rier Wye – “pea soup”

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/river-wye-ecological-status-downgraded-as-sewage-turns-water-into-pea-soup/ar-AA1bTT9F

Animal rescue service shelters over-capacity crisis in Washoe County, Nevada, 

• https://washoelife.washoecounty.gov/washoe-county/washoe-county-regional-animal-services-and-nevada-humane-society-unite-in-urgent-appeal-to-save-lives-in-overcapacity-crisis/ 
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/washoe-county-animal-services-kennels-reach-max-capacity-for-first-time-in-over-a-decade/ar-AA1bWOyU 

Attempts to recycle plastic is simply recycling toxic chemicals and increasing pollution

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/significant-global-ecological-disruption-plastic-is-destroying-earth-and-recycling-won-t-help/ar-AA1bUrnt 
• Greenpeace:  https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/new-greenpeace-report-calls-out-toxic-hazards-of-recycled-plastic-as-global-plastics-treaty-negotiations-resume-in-paris/ 
• Report:  https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/GreenpeaceUSA_ForeverToxic_ENG.pdf 

Mount Everest is yet another dumping ground for human trash

• https://explorersweb.com/everest-camp-4-trash/ 

Bullfrogs are invading Sheridan, Wyoming – almost impossible to eradicate

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/bullfrogs-are-invading-sheridan-threatening-native-species/ar-AA1bVvlg

Perspective:  Thoughts on the Lower Colorado River Basin water deal – cut water use & received $1.2B 

• https://sibleysrivers.com/thoughts-on-the-lower-colorado-river-basin-water-deal/ 

Slide show:  Most modern Americans would not have survived the Oregon Trail journey by covered wagon

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/facts-about-the-oregon-trail-that-prove-most-of-us-would-have-never-made-it/ss-AA1bTXXn

Proposed bill in Ohio designates climate policy as “controversial belief or policy” for higher education – would “encourage students to reach their own conclusions…and not inculcate any social, political, or religious point of view” – imagine that, expecting student to think critically about all topics!

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/31052023/ohio-state-college-climate-bill/ 

Data reveals levels of radioactive contaminants in wastewater stored at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant – decommissioning company proposes dilution and releasing 1.1M gallons into Cape Cod Bay

• https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/05/25/state-report-radioactive-pollutants-pilgrim-wastewater 
• Report:  https://media.wbur.org/wp/2023/05/DPH-Split-sample-report-with-Holtec-results-5-19-23.pdf 

New plan to raise 340-ft curved gravity Gross Dam near Boulder, Colorado, by 131 feet

• https://www.denverwater.org/grossreservoir/construction/raising-a-dam 

Booming exurban population in Texas sprawls housing into areas subject to wildfire risk

• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-05-30/housing-need-and-wildfire-risk-collide-in-fast-growing-central-texas?sref=p6BhGudo

Pot and illegal drug trade is poisoning California

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/illegal-pot-trade-linked-mexican-093159291.html 

Perspective:  “Green Energy” is neither green nor energy

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/don-t-be-fooled-green-energy-is-neither-green-nor-energy/ar-AA1bZ2Tr

E-bikes are dangerous

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/e-bike-injuries-we-re-only-seeing-the-tip-of-the-iceberg-trauma-experts-warn/ar-AA1bZ1TS 

Proposal to study & develop large-scale renewable hydrogen & CO2-based 3e-natural gas production 

• https://www.h2-view.com/story/totalenergies-and-tes-partner-to-develop-large-scale-hydrogen-based-e-ng-production-facility-in-us/ 

Arizona plans to limit new construction after analysis found not enough groundwater to support planned growth

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/water-concerns-prompt-new-limits-on-growth-in-arizona/ar-AA1c0Hv6
• https://www.npr.org/2023/06/01/1179570051/arizona-water-shortages-phoenix-subdivisions 
• Study:  https://new.azwater.gov/phoenix-ama-groundwater-supply-updates

Teaching prescribed burns in California – with the erroneous idea that they will be kept under control

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/california-is-meant-to-burn-experts-teach-landowners-art-of-prescribed-burns/ar-AA1c0rWW 

Can the risk of extinction from AI be mitigated? – we were warned by The Terminator

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/artificial-intelligence-could-one-day-cause-human-extinction-center-for-ai-safety-warns/ar-AA1bTCf0 

100% no-till farming would not only save soil but would help rebuild it

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careers/40-of-their-study-area-used-no-till-farming-researchers-asked-what-if-it-was-100-results-were-astounding/ar-AA1c1VH2 

Visualizing population pyramids from different continents and countries – expansive, constrictive, stationary

• https://www.visualcapitalist.com/population-pyramids-compared/ 

Fixit culture still faces resistance – many items could be repaired rather than trashed

• https://www.npr.org/2023/05/27/1178512938/fixit-culture-is-on-the-rise-but-repair-legislation-faces-resistance 

Lack of transparency in $8B “clean hydrogen” program 

• https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02062023/federal-hydrogen-program-is-cutting-out-local-groups-threatening-climate-goals-advocates-say/ 

Slide show:  human radiation experiments conducted by the Atomic Energy Commission – injected people with doses of plutonium & exposed people to full-body irradiation & dosing pregnant women

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-government-s-secret-radiation-experiments-on-united-states-citizens/ss-AA16Lmmo

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Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 5 June 2023 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford 

Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, turns phosphorescent green – why?

• https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/28/europe/venice-grand-canal-green-water-intl/index.html 

It is not a question of “rising sea level due to man-made global warming” but rather is coastal land subsidence cause by human activity

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/land-around-the-u-s-is-sinking-here-are-some-of-the-fastest-areas/ar-AA1bSzXn

Sargassum seaweed washing up on Florida beaches contains Vibrio bacteria & plastic

• https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/perfect-pathogen-storm 
• https://www.floridarambler.com/environment/sargassum-seaweed-florida-beaches/ 

Like humans, orcas are an apex predator

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/comparing-an-orca-s-brain-to-a-human-s-explains-why-killer-whales-are-the-ocean-s-ultimate-apex-predator/ar-AA1bVSDz 

Japan preparing to release treated radioactive water from Fukushima into the ocean

• https://www.cbsnews.com/video/japan-prepares-to-release-treated-radioactive-water-from-fukushima-nuclear-disaster-into-sea/
• https://apnews.com/article/japan-iaea-fukushima-nuclear-plant-water-release-3e3c295d77203dc3801ce139e6d745be 

Charter boat found partially submerged off SE Alaska near Sitka – search for missing persons in rough seas

• https://www.dailynews.com/2023/05/31/authorities-identify-4-missing-1-dead-after-alaska-charter-boat-found-partially-submerged/ 
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/tragedy-left-5-dead-missing-040709180.html 

Audit says EPA failed to oversee Lake Pontchartrain Basin grant program that dispensed $31M

• https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/environment/epa-failed-to-oversee-lake-pontchartrain-grant-program-gao/article_4c4d5b28-ba74-5d1a-a5f7-59af43438c9e.html
• GAO Audit Report Summary:  https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-105547 
• GAO Report:  https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-105547.pdf 

New evacuation maps for parts of Southeast Georgia as 2023 Hurricane Season begins

• https://www.news4jax.com/weather/2023/06/01/new-evacuation-maps-in-place-for-coastal-southeast-georgia/

Locals consider culling herd in coastal Oregon communities due to increase in elk-human interactions

• https://www.opb.org/article/2023/06/01/oregon-coastal-communities-grapple-with-rising-elk-population/ 

Invasive lionfish spreading southward from the Caribbean – threat to ecosystems & livelihoods

• https://theconversation.com/invasive-lionfish-have-spread-south-from-the-caribbean-to-brazil-threatening-ecosystems-and-livelihoods-199229

Increase in growth of coastal phytoplankton populations – some associated with upwelling currents – others caused by increased use and runoff of fertilizers

• https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/151374/coastal-phytoplankton-on-the-rise 

EPA proposes updated draft permit under CWA for MWRA Deer Island Treatment Plant to protect Boston Harbor

• https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-proposes-updated-protection-boston-coastal-waters-new-draft-permit-mwra-deer   

Warning issued to travelers to avoid Baja coastal highway due to landslide risk

• https://fox5sandiego.com/news/border-report/travelers-to-baja-advised-to-avoid-coastal-highway-due-to-possible-landslides/ 

Hoping beach restoration & coastal protection 5-year project will revive tourism in Saly, Senegal

• https://www.dredgingtoday.com/2023/06/02/beach-restoration-coastal-protection-revive-tourism-in-saly-senegal/ 

Chemours missed extended 31 May 2023 deadline to complete mile-long underground barrier wall to limit PFAS contaminated groundwater from entering Cape Fear River in North Carolina

• https://coastalreview.org/2023/06/chemours-misses-deadline-to-complete-groundwater-barrier/ 
• Consent Order:  https://www.deq.nc.gov/news/key-issues/genx-investigation 

International terminals at Port of Oakland, California, closed Friday due to labor shortages

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/major-western-marine-port-closes-amid-labor-shortage/ar-AA1c3Fvp

Upper Barataria Marsh Creation Project in Louisiana has moved estimated 8.4M cubic yards of sediment (video)

• https://www.fox8live.com/2023/06/03/coastal-project-near-lafitte-used-nearly-two-superdomes-worth-sediment/ 

"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. 'Tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning." - Mark Twain. 

CRS InFocus Report: 'Environmental Reviews and Permitting - Pending Legislation'.

From Kristen Hite comes this CRS InFocus report (31 May 2023): 'Environmental Reviews and Permitting - Pending Legislation'.

Click on the graphics to enlarge them.

Overview of the Review Process Under the National Environmental Policy Act The National Environmental Policy Act(NEPA, 42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq.) mandates environmental review of many agency actions, including issuing permits. NEPA requires that federal agencies consider the potential impacts of their actions that may affect the human environment. If a major federal action could result in significant impacts, NEPA requires the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that analyzes effects of the proposed action and alternatives to that action. An agency may prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) to decide whether to prepare an EIS or instead issue a Finding of No Significant Impact. An agency need not prepare either document if a proposed action is unlikely to have a significant impact and falls under a categorical exclusion—that is, if the action is a type of activity that an agency has already determined does not usually result in a significant impact. Categorical exclusions apply to the vast majority of agency decisions.

NEPA and Permitting Decisions NEPA reviews often contemplate a wide range of potential impacts early in the decisionmaking process. An agency must include in a draft EIS a list of all federal permits, licenses, and other authorizations that must be obtained in implementing the proposal. Examples of laws that impose such requirements include the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.; Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.; and National Historic Preservation Act, 54 U.S.C. § 300101 et seq.

Title 41 of Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41, 42 U.S.C. §§ 4370m–4370m12) contains additional permitting coordination requirements for “covered projects.” Those projects include federal infrastructure projects with costs over $200 million likely to require multiple federal permits and/or EISs. FAST-41 establishes two-year completion goals and a unified schedule for environmental reviews of such projects.

Requirements, time frames, and processes can vary across agencies and authorities. Agencies typically promulgate regulations under both NEPA and their specific statutory authorities to address review requirements. Applicable state, tribal, and local requirements may also be included.

Considerations for the 118th Congress
The 118th Congress has seen more than 60 bills referencing NEPA since January 2023. The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, H.R. 3746, contains provisions related to NEPA and permitting, including some provisions originally introduced in other bills. Table 1 compares the provisions of H.R. 3746 to existing law. While proposals related to NEPA vary, many would address the following issues:

Single document: Existing NEPA regulations set a goal for agencies to develop draft EISs “concurrent with and integrated with environmental impact analyses” required by other federal laws and executive orders. Some proposals seek to require more collaboration, including a default requirement of a single document that incorporates multiple agencies’ analysis and/or permitting decisions for the same project. Some also set page limits on documents.

Time limits: Some proposals seek to impose statutory time limits for environmental reviews, including two years for a full EIS and one year for an EA. Others impose a two-year limit for overall permitting decisions. NEPA regulations contain similar goals, although they allow senior agency officials to extend deadlines as necessary. Some proposals require an agency that misses a deadline to pay a project sponsor. Others are silent on the consequences.

Inter-agency collaboration and cooperative federalism: Many permitting decisions fall outside federal jurisdiction. States, tribes, and local authorities can play important roles in permitting decisions. While some proposals would preempt existing state authority for specific decisions (e.g., transmission line siting), others encourage states, tribes, and local authorities to jointly undertake reviews and permitting decisions with federal agencies.

Community engagement and public comments: Many environmental reviews require an opportunity for public comment during the review process. Some proposals would extend public comment period times or require a new community impact assessment. Others would set time limits that could affect agencies’ abilities to solicit, consider, and respond to comments before a final decision.

Judicial review: Typically, the Administrative Procedure Act (APA, 5 U.S.C. § 551 et seq.) governs judicial review of agency decisions. The applicable statute of limitations provides six years to file a claim. Some proposals would provide shorter time limits to file a challenge to NEPA analysis, would exempt categorical exclusions from suit, would require a plaintiff to have first raised the matter with the agency, and would direct courts to expedite decisions.

Enjoy!

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CRS Insight Report: '2023 Hurricane Outlooks and 2022 Hurricane Season Review'

Eva Lipiec authored this 30 May 2023 CRS Insight report: '2023 Hurricane Outlooks and 2022 Hurricane Season Review'.

Download CRS_Insight_2023_Outlook_2022_SEason_Revied-30May2023

Click on the graphics to enlarge them.

Note that Insight reports have embedded links that are inoperative in this pasted-in paper. Read the articles online or in the PDF version (above) to access the online material  

Introduction
Many in Congress have expressed interest in increasing understanding of tropical cyclones and improving forecasts to help their constituents prepare for the yearly hurricane season. These improvements may potentially decrease a storm’s impact on an individual or community. The Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is responsible for monitoring tropical cyclones as they develop and issuing forecasts, including track, intensity, storm surge, and rainfall.

NOAA defines a tropical cyclone as a “rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has a closed low-level circulation.” According to NOAA, tropical cyclones include the following:

• Tropical depressions—maximum sustained winds of ≤ 38 miles per hour (mph).

• Tropical storms—maximum sustained winds of 39-73 mph. NOAA typically names a storm once it reaches this strength.

• Hurricanes—maximum sustained winds of ≥ 74 mph, corresponding to at least category 1 or 2 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Hurricanes may also be called typhoons or cyclones, depending on the storm’s location.

• Major hurricanes—maximum sustained winds of ≥ 111 mph, corresponding to category 3, 4, or 5.

  NOAA releases seasonal hurricane outlooks relevant to the United States, including for the North Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, and Central Pacific Oceans, in May before each hurricane season begins. Such outlooks include information on the number of potential named storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes. The Eastern Pacific season begins May 15, whereas the Atlantic and Central Pacific seasons begin June 1. All seasons run through November 30. Tropical cyclones, however, may form outside of these time frames. In August, NOAA typically updates the Atlantic outlook but not the Pacific outlooks. Multiple nonfederal entities also publish outlooks. These forecasts rely, in part, on NOAA’s collected and shared information.

  2023 Hurricane Season Outlooks
  In May 2023, NOAA issued its initial 2023 Atlantic hurricane outlook (Table 1), indicating a 40% likelihood of a near-normal season rather than an above-normal (30%) or below-normal (30%) season. The hurricane season is expected to be less active than in recent years, due to the interaction of several climate factors. These factors include the high potential for the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the Central and East-Central Equatorial Pacific (El Niño phenomenon), which would suppress Atlantic hurricane activity. These suppressive factors are expected to compete with warmer-than- average sea surface temperatures and weaker winds in the Atlantic Ocean and an enhanced West African monsoon, which are likely to produce Atlantic storms.

  

  NOAA released its 2023 outlooks for the Eastern Pacific (Table 2) and Central Pacific hurricane seasons in May 2023. NOAA anticipates that the Eastern Pacific area is likely to experience an above-normal season (55%) rather than a near-normal (35%) or below-normal (10%) season. NOAA predicts a 50% chance of an above-normal season for the Central Pacific, rather than a near-normal (35%) or below- normal (15%) season. NOAA expects a total of four to seven tropical cyclones in the Central Pacific in 2023 (the average is four to five tropical cyclones per year).

  

  NOAA released its 2023 outlooks for the Eastern Pacific (Table 2) and Central Pacific hurricane seasons in May 2023. NOAA anticipates that the Eastern Pacific area is likely to experience an above-normal season (55%) rather than a near-normal (35%) or below-normal (10%) season. NOAA predicts a 50% chance of an above-normal season for the Central Pacific, rather than a near-normal (35%) or below- normal (15%) season. NOAA expects a total of four to seven tropical cyclones in the Central Pacific in 2023 (the average is four to five tropical cyclones per year).

  

  The 2022 Eastern Pacific hurricane season (Table 4, Figure 2) began with Hurricane Agatha, which formed May 28, 2022. The season featured four major hurricanes: Bonnie, Darby, Orlene, and Roslyn.

  

  NOAA predicted the Central Pacific would experience two to four tropical cyclones in 2022. One major hurricane (Darby) traveled from the Eastern Pacific into the Central Pacific Basin in 2022 (see Hurricane Darby’s track on Figure 2).

Enjoy!

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President: Uni Lease Car
Provost: Pool car
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