Category Archives: public health

Briggs and Stratton Settles With CARB For Off-Road Emissions

The California Air Resources Board has reached a settlement agreement with Briggs and Stratton of Milwaukee, WI., a significant producer of engines for outdoor power equipment, for $117,314. This was for the company’s violations of the Small Off-Road Engine (SORE) Regulation. The regulation limits emissions of oxides of nitrogen and hydrocarbons from spark-ignited, small off-road engines, including those found in landscape equipment, small power tools, and portable generators. Continue reading

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GM CFO – More Spending Efficiencies on Way for ICE and EVs

Paul Jacobson, GM EVP and Chief Financial Officer said this morning in New York that the aim is to  continue to drive GM’s strong cash flow performance while increasing the margins and the returns to investors while cutting capital spending. (NYSE: GM) Speaking at the Barclays Global Automotive and Mobility Tech Conference, Jacobson said, “we remain absolutely committed to driving to the 8% to 10% margin consistently that we’ve said in North America through this transition (to electric vehicles).” Continue reading

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Stellantis Opens its First Circular Economy Hub in Turin

Stellantis has opened its SUSTAINera Circular Economy Hub (CE Hub) at the former Fiat Mirafiori Complex in Turin, Italy. Stellantis hopes to foster its so-called Circular Economy ambitions with a 360-degree approach based on its 4R strategy: Reman, Repair, Reuse, and Recycle. The objectives of the CE Hub are to extend the life of parts and vehicles, ensuring that they last for as long as possible. When that is no longer possible, the material is collected for recycling from the re-manufacturing operations, and from the end-of-life vehicle dismantling activity, and then returned to the manufacturing loop to build new vehicles and parts. Continue reading

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Cruise CEO Resigns as GM Revamps Embattled Company

Cruise CEO Kyle Voght resigned on Sunday and there are media reports that the chief product officer and co-founder Daniel Can also resigned. You wouldn’t know it from the Cruise web site, which remains mute on the defections or what look to be forced resignations.   Continue reading

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Coffeyville Resources Refining Fined $23 Million for Pollution

“The settlement with Coffeyville delivers on the promise of EPA’s new climate enforcement strategy by reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the annual emissions of 10,000 cars,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “In addition, the actions we are taking alongside our state partners in Kansas will reduce harmful air pollution that makes breathing more difficult and causes smog, acid rain, and tree and plant damage.” Continue reading

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The Corrupting Influence of Money on US Public Health

“Heavy Vehicle emissions standards recently proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would boost the electrification of trucks and buses, but standards stronger than what EPA proposed are needed to de-carbonize transportation at a pace to prevent catastrophic climate change. While leading utilities are showing that they can help build out the infrastructure at the scale necessary to support the proposed standards, they and their customers will need to invest far more ambitiously to support more robust standards.,” claims Daivie Ghosh, Transportation Senior Research Analyst at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Continue reading

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Distracted Driving Laws – Hands Free Results Vary

“In the first few months, reporters write about it, the government runs campaigns for it, and police officers actively educate drivers about it. Over time though, resources and attention shift to other areas,” said Cambridge Analytics. Continue reading

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Drunk Driving – Tie One On for Safety Campaign

Tie One On for Safety is a campaign to remind everyone to stay safe and make the right choice to designate a driver this holiday season by placing a red ribbon on their car this holiday season. The M1 Concourse in Pontiac will host and sponsor the kickoff event on 16 November again this year. Continue reading

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Infrastructure – More DOT Roadway Safety Planning Grants

Whether it’s a dangerous intersection or highway, or a need for better bus and bike lanes, no one can better pinpoint a community’s safety needs than the people who actually live and work there,” said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “In the past five years, the communities we are awarding these grants to experienced nearly 14,000 roadway deaths. To help change that unacceptable reality, we are proud to deliver this needed funding to help them address their unique safety needs and save lives.” Continue reading

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CARB Expands Community Air Protection Program

“Blueprint 2.0 is an example of equity-driven innovation that puts a spotlight on the environmental challenges that overburdened communities face and engages residents so that solutions are informed by their priorities and needs,” said CARB Chair Liane Randolph. “With today’s vote, we expanded the tools that residents have to work toward cleaner air and healthier communities.” Continue reading

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Zero-Emissions Truck Sales Soar in California

“The report makes several important points: users are interested in adopting zero-emissions technology; several manufacturers are stepping up to meet that market interest; and the flexibility that we built in to allow for a phased-in transition toward a zero-emissions future is working,” said Dr. Steven Cliff, CARB’s Executive Officer. “Helping the businesses that rely on trucks to transport goods across the state switch to zero emissions is key to achieving a clean air future, and the data show that progress is well underway.” Continue reading

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EPA Approves California Regulation of Ocean-Going Vessels

“California’s At-Berth regulation is an important step in continuing to modernize the state’s ports with the technology that will advance a clean air future,” said Dr. Steven Cliff, CARB’s Executive Officer. “The emissions reductions and public health benefits that will come from cleaner operations are also a relief for communities alongside the state’s ports that deal with the burden of pollution from multiple sources, including vessels.” Continue reading

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EPA – Lead Emissions from Aircraft Cause Air Pollution 

“The science is clear: exposure to lead can cause irreversible and life-long health effects in children,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Aircraft that use leaded fuel are the dominant source of lead emissions in our air. With today’s action, the Biden-Harris Administration can move forward in the process to propose new standards to protect all communities from the serious threat of lead pollution from aircraft.”  Continue reading

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Honda and Isuzu To Show Fuel Cell Powered HD Truck

“Isuzu and Honda believe that FC technology, utilizing hydrogen as fuel resulting in no CO2 emissions, will be effective to achieve carbon neutrality of heavy-duty trucks which are required to achieve high-efficiency transportation with the capability for long-distance driving, large load capacity, quick refueling,” the Japanese companies said in a release. Continue reading

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Stellantis, Samsung SDI Pick Kokomo for Second Gigafactory

Stellantis has announced plans of reaching a 100% passenger car battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales mix in Europe and 50% passenger car and light-duty truck BEV sales mix in the United States by 2030. To achieve these ambitious sales targets, the Stellantis said it is securing ~ 400 GWh of battery capacity, at what are planned to be non-union facilities. Stellantis, which was created by a mega-merger of Fiat Chrysler (FCA) Renault and Peugeot, thus far is taking a ‘let them eat cake’ position with the unions. This is a high risk strategy, because the unions are sticking to their knitting, so to speak. Sean Fain, the head of the UAW has roots in Kokomo Continue reading

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