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Today’s news includes a possible rise of gas prices this spring, new EPA requirements regarding reporting a carcinogenic substance, and the latest from a Navy fuel leaking near a water source in Hawaii.
Rachel Frazin was the editor of The Hill. Zack Budryk was the vice-president. Send us your tips: [email protected]And [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter: @RachelFrazinAnd @BudrykZack.
Lets jump in.
Gas prices could rise this spring
AnalystsexpectU.S. AnalystsexpectU.S. gasoline pricesto rise in 2020. They could reach around $4 per g in late spring. This would create a major political problem. President Biden
Joe BidenFauci: CDC has reduced isolation time so people get back to work faster. Overnight Health Care CDC has cut isolation time for the asymptomatic Energy & Environment 2021 weather disasters cost 0B more.
The Hill was told by Tom Kloza, global head for energy analysis at theOil Prices Information Service, that prices are likely to be close to 2008 highs. In 2008, prices were over $4 per gallon.
Kloza said that prices for another variant will be high in 2022, despite this. It will go up between Cinco de Mayo and Presidents Day, I’d say.
He said that the potential increase could be due to lower refining capacities leading to lower gasoline supply.
Patrick De Haan (head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy), predicted a similar rise.Tell CNNIt’s possible that the average price of gasoline in the country could be higher than $4 per gallon.
GasBuddy also provided an analysis that predicted prices would peak at $3.79 in April, but eventually fall below this level.
But the U.S. government disagreesThe Energy Information Administration, a statistics agency of the Energy Department, predicts that gasoline prices will remain relatively low next year.
The agency’s most recent short-term energy outlook, published Dec. 7, predicts that U.S. prices will average 2.94 in the next year’s first quarter, 2.95 in Q2, and $2.89 in Quarter 3.
Chris Higginbotham, agency spokesperson, told The Hill via email that the agency expects a higher crude oil production next year and that this will reduce gasoline prices. He also stated that the omicron version could cause a decrease in demand.
However, he noted that the new variant created uncertainty in the projection.
There is always politics. Democrats could be affected by a price rise, since Republicans have used gas prices to criticize them repeatedly, even though they have limited power over them.
EPA will require carcinogen reportsReleases
Monday’s announcement by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stated that it will require more facilities for reporting the release of a carcinogenic chemical called ethylene oxide (EtO) from facilities, after previously not requiring them.
Monday’s statement by the agency stated that it believes that the 29 facilities subject to the new requirement will likely exceed the emission reporting threshold of 10,000 pounds per annum of EtO.
It argued that the move would help communities deal the substance, which is mainly used in the manufacture of other chemicals and for sterilization.
Many communities in this nation, especially those who are concerned about environmental justice, have been exposed to EtO for too many years without knowing it. Michal Freedhoff, Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, made the statement.
This will inform future actions by EPAs and empower communities, Freedhoff explained. According to the agency, evidence suggests that ethylene oxide exposure can increase breast and white blood cell cancer risk.
Find out more about this new requirement here.
Official calls for Navy fuel storage facility
Official from Hawaii says the underground fuel storage facility at Navy’s Red Hill is a ticking bomb as both sides deal with the consequences of a leak that has contaminated a vital source of drinking water.
David Day, who was overseeing hearings about operations at Red Hill made the comment in a proposed Order upholding a prior state mandate to defuel it, among other demands.
The evidence shows that the Red Hill Facility is a metaphorical ticking clock located 100 feet above Hawaii’s most important aquifer, Day wrote.
The Navy has until Wednesday, March 31, to file any exceptions or modifications to the proposed order. A Navy spokesperson stated that the Navy was aware of the proposed decision, but had not made any further statements.
Some background information: Red Hill, an underground storage system built in Oahu during World War II is located approximately 2.5 miles northeast of Pearl Harbor. The facility is directly above the groundwater aquifer which is the main source of drinking water on the island.
The Navy reported in November that 14,000 gallons of fuel mixture had been released at the Red Hill facility. This fuel contamination resulted in the contamination of one military’s drinking water sources.
Learn more about the situation.
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Let’s not forget something fun and off-beat. 2021 sure was fascinating!
This is it for today. Thanks for reading. Check out The Hills Energy & Environment pageStay up-to-date with the latest news and coverage We look forward to seeing you Wednesday.
