ECA NEWS RELEASE The House Appropriations Committee (HR 4394) in June and Senate Appropriations Committee (S 2443) in July, completed their work on the Energy and Water Appropriation bills and the full Senate and House would need to take up the bills in September to pass them prior to the end of the fiscal year…
August 17, 2023,  https://www.gao.gov/blog/over-budget-and-delayed-whats-next-u.s.-nuclear-weapons-research-and-production-projects [Excellent diagrams] The United States’ nuclear weapon stockpile depends on facilities that are, on average, about 50 years old. In fact, the processing of enriched uranium used in nuclear weapons is still conducted in an Oppenheimer-era facility built in 1945. These aging facilities pose safety and operational risks and cost taxpayers…
In Western Pennsylvania, communities are continuing to reel from the Norfolk Southern derailment nearly six months ago, but the railroad recently has committed $1-million to aid ongoing recovery efforts. The community relief funds of $660,000 was distributed to the rural communities of Darlington Township and $340,000 went to Lawrence County. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw explained the additional funding brings the railroad s total financial commitment in Western Pennsylvania to approximately $8.6-million. .
More than 300 ranchers, tribal members, conservationists, researchers, federal and state agency officials gathered in Cheyenne last week to find ways to safeguard and restore the nation s grasslands. Aviva Glaser, senior director of agriculture policy for the National Wildlife Federation, said grasslands are critical for rural economies and wildlife. However, in just the past few decades, millions of acres have been severely degraded or lost altogether. .
Experts across the West have met to discuss the potential impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act as the one-year anniversary of the piece of legislation approaches. Michael Cravens, advocacy and conservation director for the Arizona Wildlife Federation, said the bill makes the largest investment in the nation s history to combat climate change, by incentivizing responsible clean-energy projects. In Arizona, he pointed out climate change has made lack of water the biggest concern, despite good rainfall this past winter and now during monsoon season. .