Category Archives: environment

EPA Proposes Soot Pollution Standards under Court Order

Depending on the final level of the standard, estimated benefits will range from $88 million a year, with estimated costs of implementation as low as $2.9 million, to $5.9 billion in annual benefits with a cost of $69 million – a return ranging from $30 to $86 for every dollar invested in pollution control.

While EPA cannot consider costs in selecting a standard under the Clean Air Act, those costs are estimated as part of an analysis now undertaken for all significant regulations, as required by Executive Order 13563 issued by President Obama in January 2011. This genuine reform is a fact apparently unknown or ignored by the presumptive Republican presidential candidate who says he require such and analysis if elected. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, environment, news, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ford Motor Farm Wins Land Stewardship Award

Ford Motor Company’s Cherry Hill Farm, the last freestanding working farm the automaker owns, has received an award for effective land stewardship by reducing pollution. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, environment, milestones, news, results | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nissan Creates Zero Emission Fund to Sell CO2 Credits

Nissan Motor Company in Japan today announced the launch of the Nissan Zero Emission Fund for individual Nissan electric vehicle (EV) owners in Japan that converts the amount of CO2 emissions that are offset by driving the electric Nissan Leaf to generate credits. Continue reading

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, environment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Honda Fit EV Rated by the EPA at 118 MPGe, the Highest Ever

The Fit EV’s 20-kWh lithium-ion battery provides the capacity to earn an EPA combined city/highway estimated driving range of 82-miles, meaning the Fit EV on paper and in press releases surpasses the EPA efficiency and range ratings of the Ford Focus Electric (105 MPGe, 76-mile range), Nissan Leaf (99 MPGe, 73-mile range), and Mitsubishi i-MiEV (112 MPGe, 62-mile range). Honda recently settled a class action lawsuit that said in effect that it had overrated the mileage on the Civic hybrid. Continue reading

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, environment, fuel economy or emissions, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

EPA, NIH start Contest to Develop Personal Air Pollution Tool

The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health will announce tomorrow a contest sponsored by EPA and NIH to develop a personal, portable sensor system that measures air pollution and a person’s physiological response to it. Awards will be given as part of a competition called the My Air, My Health Challenge at the Health Data Initiative Forum III. Continue reading

Posted in environment, news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Honda Makes Money on End of Life Car Recycling in Japan

Honda Motor Company in its annual report covering end of life car recycling in Japan said today it made money on the sustainability program that is part of Japanese regulations. The total cost of the recycling efforts amounted to ¥3.48 billion ($44.55 million), which was ¥290 million ($3.7 million) less than the total recycling proceeds received which was ¥3.77 billion yen. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, environment, results | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mid-America Pipeline and Enterprise Products Fined for Spills

As part of a consent decree recorded today in the U.S. District Court in Omaha, Nebraska, in addition to paying a $1,042,000 civil penalty, the companies have agreed to undertake various measures aimed at reducing external threats to their pipeline, enhance their reporting of spills, and spend at least $200,000 to identify and prevent external threats to the pipeline involved in the spills. Continue reading

Posted in environment, litigation, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New EPA Grants Go to Clean Up Contaminated Industrial Sites

Since its inception, EPA’s brownfield investments have used more than $18.3 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funding from public and private sources. During an election year, the ‘no jobs’ Obama Administration claims this has resulted in approximately 75,500 jobs. More than 18,000 properties have been assessed, and more than 700 properties have been cleaned up. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, environment, manufacturing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BP Fined $8 Million for Clean Air Act Violation in Indiana

BP North America  will pay  an $8 million penalty and invest more than $400 million to install pollution controls and cut emissions from BP’s petroleum refinery in Whiting, Indiana because of air pollution violations under the Clean Air Act. The … Continue reading

Posted in auto news, environment, litigation, news, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Natural Gas Company QEPFS Fined for Air Pollution

The Department of Justice said QEPFS, formerly Questar Gas Management, would reduce its emissions by removing outdated equipment at its compressor stations, installing additional pollution controls, and replacing the natural gas powered instrument control systems with compressed air control systems. Continue reading

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, environment, litigation, news, results | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Study Claims E15 Ethanol Gas Will Damage New Car Engines

At the heart of the controversy are the costs of installing E15 pumps at gas stations, which already are selling fuel with E10, as well as warranty costs at automakers, where typically powertrains are now covered for 100,000 miles. The problem for automakers and consumers comes from a regulation that applies to existing vehicles on the road, instead of a phase-in for future vehicles. While automakers are now building some vehicles that can safely run of blends containing up to 85% ethanol, CRC said the decision to move to E15 was “premature and irresponsible,” since millions of existing auto engines cannot. Continue reading

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, customer satisfaction, environment, fuel economy or emissions, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

EPA Drops Gas Station Vapor Recovery Regulation

In an election year where all federal agencies are incorporating political talking points from the ruling party into their releases, EPA claimed this final rule is part of the Obama Administration’s initiative to ensure that regulations protect public health and the environment without being unnecessarily burdensome to American businesses. Significantly, no health or environmental effect data were provided in the EPA release. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, environment, fuel economy or emissions, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

EPA Regulates Diesel Fuel Injected Underground for Fracking

The law is controversial because in pay-to-play Washington, Congress exempted most fracking fluids from the regulation of fluids injected into the ground required under the Safe Drinking Water Act. In environmental circles, this became known as the Halliburton loophole. Then U.S. vice-president Richard Cheney ran Halliburton – the biggest fracking services company in the country – before he was elected, of course. Continue reading

Posted in alternative fuels, energy, environment, news, safety | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cadillac ELR Coupe Coming Using Chevrolet Volt Technology

General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson announced plans today the new Cadillac ELR luxury electric coupe to China. The announcement of the first extended range electric vehicle from Cadillac in China shows just how significant the world’s largest auto market has become to all automakers. The question now is where the ELR will debut first – the U.S. where it was developed and Cadillac’s home market or China? Continue reading

Posted in auto news, electric vehicles, environment, new vehicle | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rebadged BMW i8 Concept Plug in Appears in Beijing

Back in February BWM introduced the new “BMW i sub-brand” of electric and hybrid cars that will debut in 2013 with the production of BMW i3 and BMW i8. BMW also established a holding company called BMW i Ventures capitalized at $100 million. Let’s see – i before e except after… Continue reading

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, environment | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment