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-----Original Message----- From: "BNA Highlights" <bhighlig@bna.com<@ENRON Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2001 11:20 PM To: BNA Highlights Subject: Dec. 24 -- BNA, Inc. Daily Environment Report ______________________________ DAILY ENVIRONMENT REPORT Highlights & Table of Contents December 24, 2001 ______________________________ ISSN 1521-9402 __________ HIGHLIGHTS __________ CONGRESS APPROVES SUPERFUND BILL TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT OF BROWNFIELDS The Senate approves a superfund reform bill that would provide liability relief to small businesses and innocent landowners, after a Wyoming senator withdraws his opposition to the bill (H.R. 2869). The House had passed the measure earlier in the day, which means the first major piece of environmental legislation to clear Congress in 2001, a measure designed to promote redevelopment of polluted properties known as brownfields, is now ready for President Bush's signature. The legislation also seeks to promote redevelopment of brownfields sites by authorizing $250 million annually to fund assessment and cleanup activities. . . . Page AA-1 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2d9y4_ REPORT FROM WHITE HOUSE EXPECTED ON FUEL ECONOMY CREDIT TRADING A Bush administration task force is looking to expand on a recent National Academy of Sciences proposal to establish a system of tradeable credits under the Corporate Average Fuel Economy program, John Graham, chief regulatory official at the White House, tells BNA. "Such a program would be less costly than the current program and create a continuous incentive for automakers to improve fuel economy," says Graham. Under such a scenario, automakers could get credits for achieving greater fuel economy standards than required under the CAFE program and sell those credits to other companies struggling to meet the standards. . . . Page A-1 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2d8j4_ WHITMAN SIGNS RULE TO MAKE HAZARDOUS WASTE CLEANUPS EASIER, CHEAPER EPA Administrator Whitman signs a final rule that will allow companies to consolidate hazardous waste at remediation sites without triggering the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act's strict waste management regulations. The final Corrective Action Management Unit rule is expected to make contaminated site cleanups easier and cheaper for companies by allowing consolidation of waste for temporary or permanent disposal. . . . Page A-6 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2e9q8_ EPA PETITIONED TO HALT USE OF TWO PESTICIDES USED TO TREAT WOOD Several environmental and public health groups petition EPA to halt immediately the use of two pesticides used to treat wood and are threatening to sue the agency if it fails to suspend their use. The federal government has failed to act to protect children from exposure to the wood preservatives chromated copper arsenate and pentachlorophenol, according to a statement from Beyond Pesticides/National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, a Washington-based organization, and the lead petitioner. . . . Page A-1 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2b4d6_ SENATE'S ANTI-TERRORISM BILL AUTHORIZES FUNDS FOR DRINKING WATER SECURITY The Senate passes an anti-terrorism bill that would authorize a $50 million EPA program for drinking water and wastewater security grants over six years. A similar bill passed by the House authorizes $60 million for those activities over the next five years. . . . Page A-2 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b1z8v5_ COURT SAYS MASSACHUSETTS SUPERFUND LAW DOES NOT PRECLUDE JURY TRIAL A Massachusetts trial court finds the state's hazardous waste law, which is modeled on the federal superfund statute, does not preclude jury trials. In doing so, the court declines to follow federal case law barring jury trials in superfund cost recovery suits. . . . Page A-3 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b1f0d9_ REGIONAL WATER BOARD DELAYS TOUGHER STANDARDS FOR ORANGE COUNTY, CALIF. The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board decides to postpone for one month action on a municipal stormwater permit that proposes tougher standards for cities in Orange County, Calif. Officials from many of the 24 cities in the county asked for the delay to enable them to review revisions in the five-year national pollutant discharge and elimination system permit. . . . Page A-4 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b1m7x1_ EPA FINDS 'DEFICIENCY' IN AIR PERMITTING PROGRAM OF WASHINGTON, D.C. The air permitting program in the District of Columbia does not provide adequate public notice of permitting decisions and does not comply with federal regulations under Title V of the Clean Air Act, according to EPA. A "notice of deficiency," published by EPA in the "Federal Register", is a prerequisite for withdrawal of EPA approval for the District's operating permit programs, but the director of the air protection division in EPA Region III says D.C. is not in danger of losing control of its air operating permit program. . . . Page A-2 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2d8t1_ __________________ INTERNATIONAL NEWS __________________ NUCLEAR POWER: Germany's Bundestag votes to end the use of nuclear power, thus finalizing the shutdown of the country's 19 nuclear plants over the next two decades. "This is a happy day," the environment minister says during the parliamentary debate. The revised Atomic Energy Act implements a shutdown agreement reached by the federal government with major utilities in June 2000. . . . Page A-5 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5a9r0c6_ ENERGY TAXES: Belgium's six-month effort to negotiate an agreement on an energy harmonization tax while holding the European Union presidency ends in failure. As a result, Belgium's Finance Minister says prospects for gaining approval of the tax in 2002 are bleak. "This is another setback for the EU and its efforts to implement and meet the Kyoto Protocol targets on greenhouse gas reductions," says an EU official. . . . Page A-6 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2b9j4_ WATER POLLUTION: The Chinese government will invest $33 billion between 2001 and 2005 in water treatment, flood control, and irrigation projects, says Vice Minister For Water Resources Zhang Jiyao. . . . Page A-5 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b1e6g6_ _________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS _________________ LEADING THE NEWS BROWNFIELDS Measure providing small businesses liability relief heads to White House . . . Page AA-1 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2d9y4_ ____ NEWS ____ AIR POLLUTION EPA declares air permitting program in D.C. deficient, but revocation unlikely . . . Page A-2 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2d8t1_ Fuel economy credit trading considered by White House; report expected soon . . . Page A-1 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2d8j4_ BROWNFIELDS Measure providing small businesses liability relief heads to White House . . . Page AA-1 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2d9y4_ CALIFORNIA Regional water agency delays action on tougher standards for Orange County . . . Page A-4 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b1m7x1_ CHINA Plans set to invest $33 billion for projects for drinking water, flood control, irrigation . . . Page A-5 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b1e6g6_ DRINKING WATER Senate-passed anti-terrorism bill would authorize funds for security needs . . . Page A-2 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b1z8v5_ ENERGY German parliament approves law to end nation's use of nuclear power . . . Page A-5 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5a9r0c6_ In setback for reducing greenhouse gases, European tax harmonization efforts fail . . . Page A-6 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2b9j4_ HAZARDOUS WASTE Whitman signs final rule expected to make cleanups easier, cheaper . . . Page A-6 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2e9q8_ MASSACHUSETTS State superfund law does not preclude jury trial in cost recovery suits, court says . . . Page A-3 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b1f0d9_ PESTICIDES Groups petition EPA to halt use of wood preservatives, citing health risks . . . Page A-1 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2b4d6_ WATER POLLUTION Federal court rejects county request to dissolve treatment facility injunction . . . Page A-3 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b1y0h9_ IN BRIEF Bush names EPA chief financial officer . . . Page A-7 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2c8k1_ EPA announces $2 million in brownfields grants . . . Page A-7 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2a2m6_ Country club fined for asbestos violations . . . Page A-7 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2d6c7_ Webber to vacate chemical industry leadership . . . Page A-7 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2b8m3_ ________ CALENDAR ________ CONGRESS Legislative calendar . . . Page C-1 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2k3p8_ PRESIDENT President's calendar . . . Page C-3 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2k3z0_ _________________ REGULATORY AGENDA _________________ COMMENT DEADLINES Due dates for comments on pending rules . . . Page D-4 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b1y4m1_ DEC. 26 FEDERAL REGISTER Entries from today's table of contents . . . Page D-1 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b2c7n2_ DEC. 21 FEDERAL REGISTER Previous day's entries with page citations . . . Page D-2 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b1y4e2_ ______________ TABLE OF CASES ______________ Crutchfield v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (E.D. Va.) . . . Page A-3 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b1y0h9_ Newly Weds Foods Inc. v. Westvaco (Mass. Sup. Ct.) . . . Page A-3 http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/den.nsf/id/a0a5b1f0d9_ ___________________________________________________________ Daily Environment Report (ISSN 1521-9402) Highlights are published daily by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., 1231 25th St., NW, Washington, DC 20037. Registered Web subscribers can access the full text of these articles by using the URL link supplied. To register for a FREE Web trial, go to http://web.bna.com. For subscription information and other inquiries, call BNA Customer Relations at 1-800-372-1033, Mon. - Fri. 8:30 am - 7:00 pm (ET), excluding most federal holidays. To request retransmission or to order a copy of the summarized article, contact 1-800-452-7773 or e-mail bnaplus@bna.com. For copyright guidelines, go to http://www.bna.com/corp/copyright. Copyright © 2001 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. Washington, D.C. 20037. Use of this service is subject to the terms and conditions of the license agreement with BNA. Unauthorized access or distribution is prohibited.
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