BTW - This is a great free daily newsletter. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "POLITICO New York" <ny.ene...@politico.com> Date: Aug 18, 2017 10:07 AM Subject: POLITICO New York Energy: L.I. dumping suit filed — Water woes headed to court — More on Niagara sewage To: <irene32...@gmail.com> Cc:
By Marie J. French and David Giambusso | 08/18/2017 10:00 AM EDT *LONG ISLAND DUMPING LAWSUIT FILED — POLITICO New York's Marie J. French: *New York state filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over a newly designated dumping site for dredged material in the Long Island Sound. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed the lawsuit on Thursday, asking the court to block the establishment of the site because the EPA's actions were "arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law." The dredging site is the third designated in the Long Island Sound and was moved by the EPA out of New York's waters and wholly into Connecticut's after New York raised objections. But Gov. Andrew Cuomo continued to oppose the dumping site because of environmental concerns and announced the state would sue in December. "We will continue to do everything in our power to protect New York's environment, and with the EPA's unfathomable and destructive decision to turn the eastern Long Island Sound into a dumping ground - now is the time for action," Cuomo said in a statement. "We will establish that this designation not only poses a major threat to a significant commercial and recreational resource, but that it also undermines New York's long-standing efforts to end dumping in our treasured waters." New York will be harmed by the dumping because dredged material could contain contaminants, the lawsuit argues. Read more here. <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815a84541a04b4326a83cdae42348cd4b87e0d8da2a8ade41930165e60ee5018a322deb8b25fa7029794752c4ea7025065f> *— Newsday's Carl MacGowan:* "The federal plan, crafted with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, calls for storing dredged material in existing sites off Stamford and New Haven, and adding a new site off New London — all in Connecticut waters. Connecticut officials have supported the EPA plan." Read more here. <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c6214181562b5d23772aeef58cbe33c1ac9a9fc8446e5aef276d2354051ded935beac89138941aed5d201104a21ec7238b3c058dd> *WATER WOES HEADED TO COURT — Long Island Herald's Brian Stieglitz: *"In the wake of the New York Public Service Commission's May 19 approval of New York American Water's $3.63 million rate increase, an outpouring of opposition has come from the utility's ratepayers. NYAW is a private company, and must pay property taxes. But the company passes those taxes on to its ratepayers. 'I, for one, am tired of being the cash cow for the town and county and paying bills that are giving American Water record profits,' said Susan Melnick, of Merrick, who attended an Aug. 2 meeting with the activist group Long Island Clean Air Water and Soil, at which NYAW customers discussed ways to fight back against its rising rates. Claudia Borecky and Dave Denenberg, LICAWS' co-founders, announced at the meeting that they would take legal action on the grounds that the approved rate increases would pierce the state property tax cap. They also intend to file a class action lawsuit against the Town of Hempstead on the grounds that it is unconstitutional for many town residents who are served by NYAW to pay property taxes while others, who are municipal customers, do not." Read more here. <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815acfad036406c603ea48fc2d120033b2466c879b5d23422d75966aa8752b64dfe413fa22817f1099d71d42e4e8bc6dc8c> *GOOD FRIDAY MORNING:* Let us know if you have tips, story ideas or life advice. We're always here at dgiambu...@politico.com and mfre...@politico.com. *And if you like this letter*, please tell a friend and/or loved one they can sign up here. <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815dd50103e18649f8b1619e2fbd6ed1fdc7e5f42471fd82f39e32b32da1303ec5b3923f92c315ce9c6c6363bc3f5792a04> *AROUND NEW YORK:* *— The latest release of nearly 3 million gallons of sewage *into the Niagara River <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c6214181551afd402a87d15812e6b8d8ccaf1a802c84148e7aefd0827dd6108ec44827020f96f3cb2dfac4218491bf86b6f4611a8> happened just days after the state directed the municipal authority to hire an outside consultant to investigate the board's discharge of smelly black water into the river below the American Falls. *— The people of Medford are rejoicing today *as two sisters have been given the go-ahead to fulfill their dream of opening a local Dairy Queen <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c6214181532f1d647dd4172fc38ccdc55aee3775061fecbe5f4aed40c60e8c4959d58ec53e5a3e9b9b2f174f415db571e55cb27ac> and bringing great joy to the community. *— PSEG Long Island is on track* to start work in less than a month <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c6214181569e69d46f02d7f1b369c8ba38cfcd90305bed90110e59d22769a9bc4ac4cd85cdc5203c7b4fd517057aa7088315cc9b9> on a closely watched $30 million project that will bring a needed third power line to Shelter Island. *— Land near the Gowanus Canal *that was home to a 19th Century baseball stadium used by the Dodgers has been declared officially toxic <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815b23db0b9b41b96e14c48385b196954605a305579beb36b2962d23625c79f82d15dd082f242886a93b657f3946db969df> and is slated for environmental cleanup, DEC announced. *— Democratic mayoral candidate Sal Albanese *joined neighborhood activists to demand that the city withdraw a plan <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815c4d499e6d077c483bf44669b32d2fca0cd6c66baac0b73db146e2c92f58fc94a15c037e866d59461ec8438e8d12f8946> to build a $1 billion residential tower on a children's playground in Manhattan. *— An electric vehicle station in Saugerties *is expected to be a tourism draw <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c621418159b3ceae80ed39bc3fea2538c7e9a09e95d17fe734c40cccae0d96ad9f1c2d5d55b034ad0b60e6133136eb53f72211df0>, one local official said. *— A joint federal and state training exercise* in Long Island was dubbed "Operation Blue Trident." <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c621418150af622691bc6920d5d8f416e578649f943f375b981d3f7edffe4f63d068301b016771af19eacf99a7af489f6cea89a62> *— NYSERDA has created a $10 million *rebate program <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815db69c1b7e453ec9ea2ef99b8ca28101bfa4a6ce6f48c5aa7dbaf85a9df9598d81330928794e5c8d105b4360a6571ddc7> for air source heat pumps as part of the Clean Energy Fund. This is separate from the $15 million for geothermal heating and cooling systems announced in February. *— PSEG, the New Jersey power plant operator* that had a large steam generator made at the Port of Coeymans and floated down the Hudson River <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c621418156951a7895d6e3e2101bee9705487d249dbe3d67eee8be256e467be8d5280809a725a78dd34361dc8906d7881f1b10469> to a power plant it is building in Sewaren, N.J., says previous reports on its cost were exaggerated. *— A coyote that attacked a woman* in Kingston was killed Thursday by an environmental conservation officer and sent to a laboratory <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815f56b00a20d2494ca89b20b2dfb7048e34f5126e969e633b4f01b8b88c9aff2c167ba3609be7c1e419cce0ffd50af9cc3> for testing. *— A water sample containing a previously undiscovered* non-native species of zooplankton <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815ef75ad3b51c7cf81798c4a0aa03907972bcd1dce3a1ba9c9fe51b60dbfb57eed4ec32211654c9217b8838cd3b2c7e0bb> was found in western Lake Erie. *— Amherst says the Erie County Water Authority* missed by 12 months the deadline to renegotiate <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c6214181514e3222f99b6c52cf47617fab03e813c5699673f321de8015c3e291535721f6683ac5921abfe586f9cd3ee9e2df47063> the agreement for the water district that covers much of the town. *— The EPA awarded nearly $186 million* to New York state to help finance water infrastructure <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c621418158cff8a60615624a5ea1cb7271871e915b9159bd3142dc89b9d07a878795ca55ec7d0daa477bd8b4b46513dc36afa9614> projects. *— The DEC says it caught a Kenmore woman* trying to sell a fox pup <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815914df39f4806c2dff0b0c75657bcd1d95302e99c1adb8011a6c7c90a22b56f11df1da664724e10296036fb2685b7169d> on Craigslist for $800. *— Don't forget you'll have to start dialing* the area code in the 518 starting this weekend <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c6214181517f8858c843e08e49b2fa47a098e2684422d1d5e8aa1fe53099cac606dd3d48d18783c440b27c5c2abe1cc4507903067> . *BLACKSTONE'S NEW PIPELINE — Bloomberg's Naureen S Malik and Catherine Traywick: *"In the energy business, it's one of the biggest projects going today: construction of a 710-mile pipeline to transport natural gas from America's most prolific shale deposit in the eastern U.S. to consumers in the Midwest and Canada. Even Blackstone Group LP has agreed to take a sizable stake. But it holds another, more dubious, distinction. The Energy Transfer Partners LP pipeline has racked up more environmental violations than other major interstate natural gas pipelines built in the last two years, according to a Bloomberg analysis of regulatory filings during that period." Read more here. <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815d265541e8ae485a2fcce9f55bf993052d18e93421a0b3e3e398ed8089373d4de362117e0a8deb7f124b181ffd46b1b1b> *RENEWABLES IMPACT — Quartz' Akshat Rathi: *"One of the biggest criticisms of the renewable-energy industry is that it has been propped up by government subsidies. There is no doubt that without government help, it would have been much harder for the nascent technology to mature. But what's more important is whether there has been a decent return on taxpayers' investment. ... The researchers found that the U.S. saved between $35 billion and $220 billion in that period because of avoided deaths, fewer sick days, and climate-change mitigation." Read more here. <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815c78c31f06cd1903bf26311eb7b7865da5938aab117a050b8f38d53b26a760c6be9abde09b6f6cbcc7d3c708a42ffdba1> *CARBON TAX REFORM? — New York Times' Lisa Friedman: *"With a sweeping overhaul of the tax code on the horizon, two Senate Democrats believe this is the moment to broach the third rail of climate change policy: a carbon tax." Read more here. <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c621418157df2d4fb005e8a0b799e24dfa225939bba759ee02138ffa862a6a28c4f4db6ee332c1e427c48ea32a85ca841dfd602e5> *EPA TO REVISIT EMISSIONS RULE — POLITICO's Alex Guillén:* EPA will revisit certain parts of the Obama administration's 2016 Phase 2 emissions rule for heavy-duty trucks, the agency announced Thursday. Read more here <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815a93441dba3ba69e95962a51aeca111be1076285634653635e75bfb39ef7dcde5c8c2017f7ac0bd21c98ef1851bbde3b7>. *PENN. CONSIDERS PFOA REGS — StateImpact's Jon Hurdle: *"Pennsylvania's Environmental Quality Board accepted a request to look at whether to set a health limit for the toxic chemical PFOA in drinking water, the board's first such decision in its more than 40-year history." Read more here. <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815e60b60068d02d0e3bf718c91f6723ae573d78852f29dca781161262a995f68573d3c7eb6cabed487902b862b888a9010> *NEW BATTERY COST PREDICTIONS — Greentech Media's Julian Spector: *"Batteries have been beating expectations in recent years as costs continue to fall. That's good news for the storage industry, but reveals a shortcoming in the scientific understanding of the trend. That discrepancy prompted UC Berkeley professor Daniel Kammen to devise a new model, recently published in Nature Energy — and it ended up predicting that future cost declines will occur at a pace faster than identified in previous analyses." Read more here. <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c621418158c5d7313c57e932beeb20c206396b70360f2c36b18d5e880c20a597b2ecc427bd06891aa0a3ae9fbd3e6743845f43318> *NUKE SUBSIDY DEBATE CONTINUES — CNBC's Tom DiChristopher: *"Three Mile Island is at the center of a new conversation about the future of nuclear energy in the United States nearly 40 years after a partial meltdown at the Central Pennsylvania plant sparked a national debate about the safety of nuclear power." Read more here. <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c621418150005f1d5a349ab41a9aa179e9ea099618fc627eed99642fc58bd28d65187c74aa57a017291a0846b84483c478d252738> *LNG HELPS HENRY HUB ASCEND — Wall Street Journal's Alison Sider and Chris Matthews: *"An unassuming confluence of pipelines here in the heart of Cajun Country (in Erath, La.) is becoming the most important place in the world for natural gas prices. The Henry Hub has for years been a benchmark for U.S. contracts. Now it is helping to set prices from Mozambique to Japan, as a wave of U.S. natural gas being unlocked by shale drillers reaches Europe, South America and Asia. ... Henry Hub's growing prominence underscores how the burgeoning trade in liquefied natural gas is weaving disparate regions together into an increasingly unified global marketplace, more like that for crude oil. That could transform what has been a niche market that swings on slight shifts in the weather forecast into a reflection of the global economy." Read more here. <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c621418157c7967a5c3e39efe4e309d4c53e7af9f83a5b4b07fb22351d0d5ee0b351895bc8291cf7f6a32f1834c719ee471fb6707> *— "Once a regional commodity, natural gas is becoming global. *As new LNG export plants pop up from the U.S. to Australia, a glut has emerged and ships are becoming more than just transporters. They allow fuel to be stored until demand rises or a scheduled delivery window arrives. Oil markets have operated that way for decades, but it's new for natural gas, which was historically dominated by long-term contracts to specific destinations." Read more here. <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c621418151ad1309b50946de2f402f57a9575a18e286e22dabbcc7e980617931c6bef31dc6145e0ba5ef4178987655090b0ac794c> *FUTURES:* *— Oil broke a three-day losing streak *as supply figures fell slightly, The Wall Street Journal reports <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815a620597135869b19b6af8953337de9d09412c2f0214955c6498e4b027fef108c5ccbf7f676f408afe41cc03af29a93e6>. "U.S. crude future rose 31 cents, or 0.66%, to $47.09 a barrel. Brent, the global benchmark, rose 76 cents, or 1.51%, to $51.03 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe." *To view online*: http://www.politico.com/states/new-york/tipsheets/ politico-new-york-energy/2017/08/18/li-dumping-suit-filed-008372 <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815dbd4d971367533f90762665cf52dc312b880af5ac9d5a8ef6bb3bc7d10a8fb8f5778f6c70cb8db711155b9c5b4b77dff> *You received this POLITICO content because your customized settings include: POLITICO New York Energy. To change your alert settings, please go to https://www.politicopro.com/settings <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c621418151103eeae6c570a9827227ba7513600a627ffd29adeffadd90c0a1172095a0a4b626385ade4c4a54fbc0680899673adaa> <http://click.politicoemail.com/profile_center.aspx?qs=dda6de4afc0f6efcdb71d5769987701bd7c7faa1048d17edd213c3e523cee10d15e6b82e0bea8b92bfed4f7970a1dd96dd5ac4976252be2d>------------------------------------------------------------This email was sent to irene32...@gmail.com <irene32...@gmail.com> by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA Please click here <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d3cc940c62141815b6d379f616c7079ba0773d15840de9f5931b7a7da8ddb7d055975330b5b6d3b2209f483e448d184e677a3592cbb11944> and follow the steps to unsubscribe.------------------------------* For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ If you have questions about this list please contact the list manager, Tom Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.
