Federal court
denies bid to halt $10 billion transmission line
A federal judge
rejected a request by Native American tribes and environmentalists to stop work
on a $10 billion transmission line being built through a remote southeastern
Arizona valley that will carry wind-generated electricity from New Mexico to
customers as far away as California.
The project – approved
in 2015 following a lengthy review – has been touted as the biggest U.S.
electricity infrastructure undertaking since the Hoover Dam was built in the
1930s.
Two tribes joined
with archaeologists and environmentalists in filing a lawsuit in January,
accusing the U.S. Interior Department and Bureau of Land Management of refusing
for nearly 15 years to recognize “overwhelming evidence of the cultural
significance” of the remote San Pedro Valley to Native American tribes
including the Tohono O’odham, Hopi, Zuni and San Carlos Apache Tribe.
The suit was filed
after Pattern Energy received approval to transmit electricity generated by its
SunZia wind farm in central New Mexico through the San Pedro Valley, east of
Tucson.
The lawsuit called
the valley “one of the most intact, prehistoric and historical ... landscapes
in southern Arizona,” and asked the court to issue restraining orders or
permanent injunctions to halt construction.
In denying the
motions, Judge Jennifer Zipps said the plaintiffs were years too late in
bringing their claims and that the Bureau of Land Management had fulfilled its
obligations to identify historic sites and prepare an inventory of cultural
resources.
Tohono O’odham
Attorney General Howard Shanker argued during a hearing in March that claims by
federal land managers that they could not find any evidence of the valley’s
significance to area tribes was disingenuous at best.
Government
representatives told the judge that the SunZia project is a key renewable
energy initiative and that the tribes waited too long to bring their claims.
They also argued that tribal representatives accompanied government officials
in surveying the area in 2018 to identify and inventory any potential cultural
resources.
Chinese hackers
infiltrating U.S. infrastructure for a decade
In February 2024,
U.S. establishments let by the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
Security Agency, warned that a Chinese-linked cyber threat group known as Volt
Typhoon had been hiding in critical infrastructure networks for at least five
years.
On Thursday, April
18, FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed that China-sponsored hackers had
been infiltrating critical U.S. infrastructure, including water, sewer systems,
and oil and gas operations, since at least 2011, according to VOANews.com
Wray's statements
highlight a long-standing strategy by China to exploit vulnerabilities in U.S.
systems and weaken civilian infrastructure. Despite Chinese officials denying
involvement with hacker groups like Volt Typhoon, Wray and other U.S. cyber officials
maintain that China poses a significant cybersecurity threat, especially
regarding critical infrastructure.
General Timothy
Haugh criticized China's actions, emphasizing the potential risks to national
infrastructure. A recent U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report echoed these
concerns, warning that China uses its cyberspace capabilities "to lay the
groundwork for malicious cyber activities and cyberattacks."
Additionally, the
report warns that China "has called for using space, cyber operations and
electronic warfare as weapons to paralyze adversary information systems during
a conflict."
80% of New Jersey
residents support natural gas pipelines
An analysis of New
Jersey energy demand and requirements shows that three out of four New Jersey
households currently rely on natural gas for heating and 80 percent of New
Jersey residents support the construction of natural gas pipelines that would
significantly reduce overall emissions.
The analysis
completed for Affordable Energy for New Jersey (AENJ) by Dr. Ellen Wald,
co-founder of Washington Ivy Advisors, reviewed New Jersey's energy needs,
sources, public opinion and future consequences.
"It is clear
from the information obtained that without more natural gas, the demands due to
population and economic growth, and increased electrification will strain New
Jersey's electrical grid to the breaking point," Dr. Wald concluded. "Natural
gas pipelines represent the safest, most dependable, and most environmentally
friendly method of transporting natural gas to prevent that scenario. All demographics of New Jersey residents also
support the construction of natural gas pipelines when faced with cost
savings."
The analysis shows
that nuclear, coal, oil and renewable energy cannot meet New Jersey's future
energy demand in the same reliable, flexible, inexpensive and clean ways that
natural gas can.
Failure to build
adequate pipeline infrastructure will result in higher energy costs for
residents and more pollution.
Charleston Water
System settles lawsuit over non-flushable wipes
In March 2024,
Charleston Water System (CWS), S.C., announced it settled its class action
lawsuit against defendant wipe manufacturers and retailers, ensuring that
nearly all flushable wipes available to consumers across the country will truly
be flushable and that packaging for all non-flushable wipes will clearly
indicate they should not be flushed.
CWS brought suit
in January 2021 against major U.S. companies seeking injunctive relief to
remedy costly and ongoing damage to sewer systems and treatment facilities due
in significant part to the inability of allegedly “flushable” wipes to break
down, often clogging wastewater infrastructure and causing sewer overflows that
damage the environment.
U.S. District
Judge Richard M. Gergel of the U.S. District Court for the District of South
Carolina approved four settlements on March 8, 2024, with the final six
defendants in the CWS suit including Costco, CVS, Target, Walmart, Walgreens
and Procter & Gamble.
The settlements
require the defendants to meet an international flushability standard supported
by the wastewater industry, with two years of confirmatory performance testing,
and significant non-flushable wipes labeling enhancements.
These settlements
cover products representing an outsized share of the flushable wipes market and
will help reduce the accumulation of wipes in sewage systems, the expenses
incurred to address wipes-related clogs, and the time-consuming and costly
preventive measures necessary to mitigate future clogging.
FERC approves TC
Energy's Northwest Xpress gas pipeline expansion
TC Energy's plan
to expand the capacity of its Gas Transmission Northwest Express pipeline
system by 150 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) received the green light from
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on April 16.
In its decision,
FERC addressed arguments raised during rehearing and dismissed a stay request
concerning Gas Transmission Northwest's (GTN) proposed natural gas compression
facilities project.
The project
involves modifications to existing compression facilities at various locations
along GTN's pipeline system. These modifications aim to increase the capacity
of the system to provide additional firm transportation service from the
Kingsgate Meter Station in Idaho to the Malin Meter Station in Oregon. The cost
of the expansion project is approximately $75 million.
The expansion
plans involve boosting the capacity of three existing GTN compressor stations.
Water utility
cyberattack in Texas linked to Russian group
A hack that caused
a small Texas town’s water system to overflow in January has been linked to a
shadowy Russian hacktivist group, the latest case of a U.S. public utility
becoming a target of foreign cyberattacks.
The attack was one
of three on small towns in the rural Texas Panhandle. Local officials said the
public was not put in any danger and the attempts were reported to federal
authorities.
“There were 37,000
attempts in four days to log into our firewall,” said Mike Cypert, city manager
of Hale Center, which is home to about 2,000 residents. The attempted hack
failed as the city “unplugged” the system and operated it manually, he added.
In Muleshoe, about
60 miles to the west and with a population of about 5,000, hackers caused the
water system to overflow before it was shut down and taken over manually by
officials, city manager Ramon Sanchez told CNN.
At least one of
the attacks was linked this week by Mandiant, a U.S. cybersecurity firm, to a
shadowy Russian hacktivist group that it said could be working with or part of
a Russian military hacking unit.
The group, calling
itself CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn, claimed responsibility for January attacks on
water facilities in the United States and Poland that got little attention at
the time.
Cybersecurity
researchers say CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn was among groups suspected of Russian
government ties that engaged last year in low-complexity attacks against
Ukraine and its allies, including denial-of-service data barrages that
temporarily knock websites offline.
Sometimes such
groups claim responsibility for attacks that were actually carried out by
Kremlin military intelligence hackers, Microsoft reported in December.
In Lockney, about
25 miles east of Hale Center and home to around 1,500 people, cyberattackers
were thwarted before they could access that town’s water system, city manager
Buster Poling said.
“It didn’t cause
any problems except being a nuisance,” Poling said.
Second Global
Buried Asset Management Congress to be held in Indianapolis
Building on the
achievements of the inaugural The Global Buried Asset Management Congress
(GBAMC), BAMI-I, in partnership with Purdue Construction Engineering and
Management (CEM) and Southwest Environmental Financial Center (SWEFC),
announced the second GBAMC, scheduled for Nov.14-16, 2024, in Indianapolis.
This upcoming event aims to foster collaboration and advancement within the
global asset management community.
At the 2023 GBAMC,
a plethora of insights emerged from expert presentations, panel discussions,
and think-tank interactions. Figures like Heather Himmelberger and George
Hawkins underscored the need for hands-on, data-oriented strategies in managing
water assets. Ross Waugh, John Norton, and others delved into community
engagement, technological innovation, and sustainable practices across various
sectors. The topics covered by other speakers encompass various aspects of
water asset management, with an emphasis on buried asset management.
Feedback from the
inaugural congress has shaped a three-day agenda brimming with keynotes, panel
discussions, exhibitions, and various learning and networking opportunities in
the 2nd GBAMC. This year, GBAMC continues to delve into the expansive field of
buried asset management, specifically honing in on asset management within the
water and wastewater industry under the theme "New Horizon in Buried Asset
Management." The congress will introduce significant initiatives like the
Braindrip & IQ4H2 Scholarship Program for selected submissions and awards
to honor major contributions in the buried asset management industry.
GBAMC's thought
leaders will offer detailed insights into the development and implementation of
a comprehensive water and wastewater asset management program. They will
emphasize the legislative trends across the United States, reflecting the
impact of the evolving legal environment on the water asset management
industry.
Early bird
registration incentives and group discounts are available to facilitate broader
participation. Additionally, the congress offers unique sponsorship
opportunities, ranging from general to special event sponsorships, providing a
platform for sponsors to enhance their visibility and engagement with industry
professionals.
Fire in Mexico
City's storm drain highlights water shortage
Amid a severe
drought in central Mexico, water authorities grapple with mounting challenges,
including a recent fire in one of Mexico City's storm drains, highlighting the
strain on underground infrastructure. Struggling to address the water scarcity,
authorities have decided to halt water extraction from the Valle de Bravo
reservoir, home to an upscale lakeside community.
The water shortage
has caused fires to break out in some strange places. One of Mexico City’s two
massive storm drains actually caught fire. Officials said that waste gases had
accumulated inside the underground conduit and ignited, causing flames to shoot
out of ventilation shafts dozens of yards (meters) into the air.
Apparently, so
little water has been moving through the drainage system that sewage has
stagnated, allowing gases to accumulate.
In March, one of
the capital’s rainwater catchment basins caught fire, scorching 75 acres of
dried up vegetation.
EPA finalizes PFAS
contamination rule
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking another step to protect people
from the health risks posed by exposure to “forever chemicals” in communities
across the country. Exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has
been linked to cancers, impacts to the liver and heart, and immune and
developmental damage to infants and children.
This final rule
will designate two widely used PFAS chemicals, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), as hazardous substances under the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA),
also known as Superfund, and will help ensure that polluters pay to clean up
their contamination.
This final action
will address PFOA and PFOS contamination by enabling investigation and cleanup
of these harmful chemicals and ensuring that leaks, spills, and other releases
are reported. This action builds on the recently finalized standards to protect
people and communities from PFAS contamination in drinking water.
PFOA and PFOS can
accumulate and persist in the human body for long periods of time, and evidence
from scientific studies demonstrate that exposure to PFOA and PFOS is linked to
adverse health effects. UI