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Environment

Government Roundup

September 30, 2013 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 91, Issue 39

Basic and applied research should get priority over prototype development at the Department of Defense, according to the Stimson Center, a public policy institute. Its report recommends shifting $1 billion to research to ensure that the agency maintains its technological superiority. The report was done to help DOD update its defense strategy while cutting costs.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy will invest $66 million in 33 new energy projects, the Department of Energy says. The projects will focus on cost-effective and energy-efficient manufacturing techniques to process and recycle metals for lightweight vehicles, as well as on advanced biocatalyst technologies to convert natural gas to liquid fuel for transportation.

Total Petrochemicals USA has agreed to pay an $8.75 million penalty for failing to comply with the requirements of a 2007 settlement with the federal government that resolved alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at the company’s refinery in Port Arthur, Texas.

The Department of Homeland Security says it has approved 253 site-security plans for high-risk chemical facilities, continuing an accelerated pace of reviewing and approving plans under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards program. One year ago, DHS officials told Congress they had approved only two site-security plans.

So far this year, 51 bills that could directly or indirectly affect climate change have been introduced in Congress, says a report by the Congressional Research Service. Of these, 17 pertain to planning for and adapting to climate change, 13 would block climate-change-related federal activities or consideration of them by Congress, and one bill would put a price on greenhouse gas emissions.

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