Day: March 14, 2023

U.S. Judge: Flint has 5 months to finish long-overdue lead pipe replacement

Read the full story at Bridge Michigan.

A federal judge has given the city of Flint until August 1 to finish a lead line replacement job that has dragged on for three years beyond its original deadline.

In an order issued Friday, U.S. District Court Judge David M. Lawson also gave city officials until May to figure out which Flint residents’ yards are still ripped up from past lead line replacement work. The city must then restore cracked sidewalks and potholed yards.

The order was issued about two weeks after Bridge Michigan reported that many residents still have gaping holes in their yards or chunks missing from their sidewalks after work crews excavated their service line and then failed to clean up the mess.

EU lawmakers approve CO2-cutting targets and expanding forest carbon sinks

Read the full story from Reuters.

The European Parliament gave its final approval on Tuesday to tougher national targets to cut emissions in some sectors, and expand CO2-absorbing natural ecosystems like forests.

The two laws are part of a major package of climate change legislation passing through the European Union’s policymaking process, designed to ensure the 27-country bloc cuts greenhouse gas emissions 55% by 2030, from 1990 levels.

Oregon eyes mandate for climate change lessons in schools

Read the full story from the Associated Press.

Oregon lawmakers are aiming to make the state the second in the nation to mandate climate change lessons for K-12 public school students, further fueling U.S. culture wars in education.

Dozens of Oregon high schoolers submitted support of the bill, saying they care about climate change deeply. Some teachers and parents say teaching climate change could help the next generation better confront it, but others want schools to focus on reading, writing and math after test scores plummeted post-pandemic.

Groups sue to halt expansion of lakeside dump on Southeast Side

Read the full story in the Chicago Sun-Times.

A pair of Chicago organizations are suing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in federal court over plans to expand a lakeside dump that holds toxic dredged materials from the Calumet River.

EPA proposes PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation

On March 14, 2023, EPA announced the proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, commonly known as GenX Chemicals), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS). The proposed PFAS NPDWR does not require any actions until it is finalized. EPA anticipates finalizing the regulation by the end of 2023. EPA expects that if fully implemented, the rule will prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious PFAS-attributable illnesses.

EPA is requesting public comment on the proposed regulation. The public comment period will open following the proposed rule publishing in the Federal Register. Public comments can be provided at that time at www.regulations.gov under Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0114. Information on submitting comments to EPA dockets can be found here.

EPA will be holding two informational webinars about the proposed PFAS NDPWR on March 16, 2023, and March 29, 2023. The webinars will be similar, with each intended for specific audiences. Registration is required to attend. The webinar recordings and presentation materials will be made available following the webinars at this website. For questions related to the public webinars, contact PFASNPDWR@epa.gov. 

EPA will also be holding a public hearing on May 4, 2023, where members of the public can register to attend and provide verbal comments to EPA on the rule proposal. Registration is required to attend and the last day to register to speak at the hearing is April 28, 2023. For questions related to the public hearing, contact PFASNPDWR@epa.gov. 

Beyond Benign offers online professional development courses to middle and high school chemistry teachers

Beyond Benign is offering three online courses for middle and high school teachers this summer. Each course provides professional development points and graduate credits for continuing education for teachers. The courses are:

  • Sustainable Science: Contextualizing Chemistry Through Safer Hand-On Labs (Middle and high school teachers)
    Learn how to weave Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) sustainability content into your classrooms in this remote learning course for middle school and high school science teachers. Beyond Benign Lead Teacher Erin Mayer will teach this course through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning. Participants will leave with a toolkit of resources and access to a network of other like-minded educators in the region. ($150 to enroll* + $67 (optional) for 1 graduate credit from CSM — Free for teachers from NY, Oregon and Environmental Justice Communities)
  • Introducing Green Chemistry in the High School Classroom (High school teachers)
    In this course, Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teacher Cassidy Javner will help prepare you to integrate green chemistry principles and practices into your teaching through real-world sustainable inventions. You’ll also learn how to develop safer labs and lessons aligned to your local standards in an interactive online environment. This course features forum discussions, lesson plan development, and 4 synchronous zoom classes. Discussions will focus on how to prepare for effective remote learning in this time of an ever-changing educational landscape. ($475 to enroll + $149 (optional) for 3 grad credits from CSM. Free for teachers from NY, Oregon and Environmental Justice Communities; 1/2 off for Washington teachers)
  • Advanced Green Chemistry: Connections to Our World (High school teachers)
    Join Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teacher Annette Sebuyira as you expand your knowledge of green chemistry principles and practices by analyzing Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award technologies. In this course, you’ll dive into toxicology for chemistry basics and investigate the pedagogy for effective guidance of student-based research projects and inquiry-based projects. ($475 to enroll + $149 (optional) for 3 graduate credits from CSM. Free for teachers from NY, Oregon and Environmental Justice Communities; 1/2 off for Washington teachers)

Visit Beyond Benign’s website to learn more about professional development opportunities for teachers.

Despite national goals, agricultural greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked

Read the full story at Energy News Network.

While nationwide emissions from energy and other sectors have fallen in recent decades, those from agriculture — especially livestock and corn — have grown.

New Michigan scholarship seeks to fill jobs at state’s EV companies

Read the full story at Bridge Michigan.

Michigan expects about 3,000 new job openings related to electric vehicles this year, and it aspires to upwards of 290,000 more by 2030. 

To fill those jobs — particularly in electrical engineering and software — the state is now targeting college students with a new recruiting campaign and scholarship program.

The Michigander EV Scholars program, announced on Wednesday, offers up to $10,000 to 350 university students who can use the money toward tuition, but who also must commit to remaining in Michigan for 12 months with one of eight EV-related companies participating in the program. 

A new alliance for ‘high quality’ carbon removal highlights tensions within the industry

Read the full story at Grist.

The group will focus on permanent removal, distancing itself from “temporary” solutions and traditional offsets.

A ‘climate solution’ that spies worry could trigger war

Read the full story from the Washington Post.

Solar geoengineering holds promise for reducing global temperatures. Absent international agreements, it could also spark conflict.