U.S. Government News

TVA Issues RFP for Renewable, Clean Energy Power Supply

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:58:28 PST

The Tennessee Valley Authority is requesting proposals to supply up to 2,000 megawatts of power generation from renewable and clean energy sources to TVA by June 1, 2011.

Call for speakers for Environmental Partnership Summit

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:23:27 PST

The National Environmental Partnership Summit has a call for speakers for its annual summit that will be held at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco on May 4-8. The summit will focus on pollution prevention and environmental assistance, including greening your business, research and new clean technologies, regulatory updates, resource efficiency, and community engagement success stories, with sustainability as an underlying common thread in all tracks.

What's Lurking in the Drinking Water?

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:16:08 PST

The USGS targeted pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, detergents, flame retardants, naturally occurring sterols, and other organic contaminants in a study of untreated sources of drinking water in the United States.

Don't be Left Out! Two Weeks to ShakeOut--Thousands Join Each Day, You Can Too

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:13:57 PST

At 10 a.m. on November 13, millions of southern Californians will drop to the ground, take cover under a table or desk, and hold on. An earthquake prediction? No. But it is certain that the Great Southern California ShakeOut is on track to being the largest earthquake drill in United States history.

2008 Sees Fifth Largest Ozone Hole

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:17:12 PST

The ozone hole over Antarctica, which fluctuates in response to temperature and sunlight, grew to the size of North America in a one-day maximum in September that was the fifth largest on record, since NOAA satellite records began in 1979.

Lead Paint Violations: Two Real Estate Corporations Charged With Failing to Warn about Lead

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:07:42 PST

The corporate owners of numerous Coldwell Banker real estate brokerage offices in southern Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island face civil penalties for over 100 violations of lead paint disclosure rules.

Chrysler Launches New Hybrids, then Cancels Production

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:05:45 PST

In a sign of these strange economic times, Chrysler LLC is simultaneously preparing to launch its first hybrid vehicles and to shut down their production.

Earthquakes? Don't be Scared; Be Prepared

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:19:58 PST

What if you knew that a magnitude 7.8 earthquake would happen in less than three weeks? In a new video interview, USGS earthquake scientist Dr. Lucy Jones explains that millions of Southern Californians will be preparing as if they do know, thanks to the Great Southern California ShakeOut.

Car Shoppers Can Save Money and Time with 2009 Fuel Economy Guide

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:08:30 PST

To help consumers make well-informed choices when purchasing new vehicles, EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) have unveiled the 2009 Fuel Economy Guide.

More Schools Make Air Traffic Controller Training Available

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:17:48 PST

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected eight additional colleges or universities to participate in the Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) program. Approved colleges and universities in the program prepare and train students interested in a career as an air traffic controller.

Ozone Pollution: Wildfires can boost ozone pollution

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:37:36 PST

Wildfires can boost ozone pollution to levels that violate U.S. health standards, a new study concludes.

Magnitude-5.4 Earthquake Rattles Los Angeles Area

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:03:11 PST

A magnitude-5.4 earthquake rattled Los Angeles today, causing strong shaking, minor damage and was felt from Arizona to Nevada..

90 Billion Barrels of Oil and 1,670 Trillion Cubic Feet of Natural Gas Assessed in the Arctic

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 19:55:53 PST

Tche area north of the Arctic Circle has an estimated 90 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil, 1,670 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable natural gas, and 44 billion barrels of technically recoverable natural gas liquids in 25 geologically defined areas thought to have potential for petroleum.

Postal Service Explores Options for Green Delivery Fleet

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:38:36 PST

The U.S. Postal Service plans to identify new, more environmentally friendly vehicle technologies that are less dependent on petroleum-based fuel sources to replace the 195,000 neighborhood delivery vehicles of its total 220,000 vehicles, the world’s largest civilian fleet. Today’s announcement came during a ceremony in which General Motors presented a Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicle to the Postal Service for testing in a mail-delivery environment.

FDA Launches Fellowship Program to Develop Pipeline of Scientists, Other Professionals

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:19:11 PST

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced it is launching a two-year fellowship program aimed at attracting scientists, engineers and health professionals to the agency. The FDA Commissioner’s Fellowship Program will provide participants with advanced training in the scientific analysis involved in the safety and regulatory decisions unique to the agency’s mission.

Biorefineries: DOE to Provide $40 Million to Two Small-Scale Biorefineries

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:04:28 PST

DOE announced on July 14 that it had selected two small-scale cellulosic biorefinery projects to receive up to $40 million over the next 5 years.

Lab Seeks Ideas for Venture Acceleration Fund

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:20:10 PST

Los Alamos National Laboratory is soliciting ideas for projects that facilitate the creation and growth of regional businesses based on Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) technology or expertise. The Laboratory’s Venture Acceleration Fund (VAF) will provide investments of up to $100,000 to facilitate projects with regional entrepreneurs, companies, investors, or strategic partners.

July 2008 Short-Term Energy Outlook

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:07:10 PST

The oil market remains tight, evidenced by rising prices, low surplus production capacity, and the concern that global supply growth may not keep pace with demand growth over the near term. Preliminary estimates indicate that higher oil consumption in the second quarter and a modest increase in production left Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) commercial inventories below the 5-year average at the end of June.

What Makes the Colors in Fireworks?

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:41:34 PST

Every Independence Day, Americans all around the country are drawn to spectacular fireworks displays. But what makes the colors so vivid?

USGS Accelerates Access to Satellite Data

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:59:01 PST

Federal and state agencies that need satellite imagery from commercial sources will find it much easier to acquire the data through a streamlined process managed by the U.S. Geological Survey.