Article#01

Port Metro Vancouver Okays

controversial coal shipping facility at Fraser Surrey docks
- The Vancouver Sun BY LARRY PYNN, VANCOUVER SUN AUGUST 21, 2014 2:44 PM

Port Metro Vancouver announced Thursday it has approved a controversial $15-million coal-
loading facility at Fraser Surrey Docks.
Peter Xotta, the port's vice-president of planning and operations, told a Vancouver news
conference the decision was not made lightly but that an extensive review "determined there are no
unacceptable risks and the project could be permitted."
He estimated the project would result in one 125-car train of thermal coal from the U.S. being
received at Fraser Surrey Docks daily, and two barges of coal being shipped out to Texada Island daily
for loading onto large cargo vessels.
The Fraser Surrey Docks facility could be operational by 2015, taking four million tonnes of coal
annually from the U.S. Midwest, with the potential for further expansion to eight million tonnes, with
another review.
Last March, the B.C. government issued Lafarge an amended permit for its Texada Island coal-
handling facility allowing the storage of 800,000 tonnes of coal, double the previous amount.
Among the conditions attached to the Fraser Surrey Docks permit:
- An operations management plan for coal loading operations, including for "stabilization of loaded rail
cars and barge loads to limit fugitive dust from wind erosion;" removal of remnant coal and wash-down of
empty cars; use of water spray and binding agents to limit coal dust; and shutting down of the loading and
towing of barges during periods of high winds.
- An air-quality management plan to ensure that dust and air emissions are managed to avoid adverse
health and safety effects and prevent impacts to regional and local air quality.
Calling the coal-loading facility a modest-sized project, Xotta added that the railway, BNSF, has agreed to
build a new facility just south of the border to treat the coal cards
- Water spray used to wet down coal loaded on barges for dust control shall be tested to confirm that
overspray entering the aquatic environment does not contain detectable residual chlorine.
- A spill prevention, containment and clean-up plan for hydrocarbon products, including fuel, oil and
hydraulic fluid.
With a binding agent to limit the spread of dust during transport.

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Article#02

Sydney harbours plastic pollution
at alarming levels, scientists find
Microplastics less than 5mm long pose threat to marine life, and come from clothing and toiletries
-The Guardian today UK edition by Oliver Milman, Monday 25 August 2014 03.50 BST

Thin plastic fibres found at the bottom of Sydney harbour have the potential to poison fish.
Photograph: Paul Miller/AAP Image
Researchers have found alarming level of plastic pollution in Sydney harbour, with fibres from clothing
and toiletries causing a widespread impact upon the marine ecosystem.
The first information from the ongoing Sydney Harbour Research Program shows that small pieces of
plastic measuring less than 5mm have been found in each of the 27 surveyed sites along the length of
the harbour.
Scientists from the Sydney Institute of Marine Science took sediment samples from the bed of the
harbour and used a high salinity concentration to separate out the plastic.
A map showing the distribution of microplastics in Sydney
harbour. Map: Vivian Sim/University of NSW
The researchers found that the samples had 60 to 100 plastic particles per 100ml of wet harbour
sediment. This is far higher than overseas sites a study of a busy harbour in Sweden, for example,
found 24 plastic particles per 100ml of sediment.
Thin plastic fibres, as opposed to shards of plastic bottles, were the most commonly found particles.
These fibres come from clothing, such as fleeces that lose material as they are washed, and facial
scrubs.
The focus has previously been on larger pieces of plastic which injure turtles and birds, but its possible
that microplastics are doing the most damage, Professor Emma Johnston, director of the research, told
Guardian Australia.
These plastics are small enough to be ingested by 96% of the worlds animals, invertebrates, which are
then transferred to fish and larger animals.
The tiny plastic fibres can block the gut within fish. Photograph:
Vivian Sim/University of NSW
The plastic fibres not only potentially block the gut within fish but also release toxins absorbed by the
plastic after it is released into the environment.
Johnston, who started on the research project 18 months ago, is seeking funding for a further four-year
analysis of the microplastics problem.
This is cutting-edge research, so much so that we arent sure of the full impact of these plastics, she
said. The lines of evidence all point to it being a major concern, but we dont have the numbers to do a
full risk assessment. We need to do a lot of targeted research quite quickly.
Last year, research conducted by the University of Western Australia and the CSIRO found that the
waters around Australia are riddled with more than 4,000 tiny pieces of plastic per square kilometer.
Its estimated that Australia produces 1.2m tonnes of plastic each year.
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Article#03

1,500 workers deplore closure of 4 mining
sites in Zambales
-Manila Bulletin by Jonas Reyes August 11, 2014

Sta. Cruz, Zambales Around 1,500 mining workers deplored the closure of four mining sites in
the province and sought for the protection of their rights as workers.
The closure of the four mining firms, which was ordered by the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR), after waters off Sta. Cruz, Zambales, turned reddish-brown due to improper mining
waste disposal procedures.
MINING DILEMMA The richness in nickel of these hills in Sta. Cruz, Zambales, as shown in this July
25, 2014 photograph has split residents the thousands who favor mining it because of the jobs it
produces and thousands, too, whose livelihood in fishing have allegedly suffered as nickel laterite
polluted the sea. (Jonas Reyes)
The Coalition of Mine Workers, Families and Community (CMWFC), the harsh order from the Mines and
Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the DENR should not have been hastily approved and that further
investigation shouldve been conducted.
Orlan Mayor, a spokesman of the CMWFC, said that his employer, Zambales Diversified Metal. Corps-
DMCI has been one of the most responsible mining firms in the country. He added that the mining firm
strictly adheres to mining rules and regulations stipulated by the DENR.
Aside from Zambales Diversified Metals Corp. DMCI, the DENR also shut down the operations of
Eramen Minerals, Benguet Nickel Mines and LNL Archipelago Minerals for allegedly causing damage to
the environment.Mayor said that more than 3,000 workers were directly affected by the closure of the four
mining firms, adding that some workers were asking the agency where they would get their daily income
for food and payment for bills.
The agency should try and find out who is responsible for the reddening of the sea in Sta. Cruz, and not
just close all of the mining firms at once, he said.Earlier, the Concerned Citizens of Santa Cruz (CCOS)
complained that the river channels and coastal waters of this town have been polluted with nickel laterite,
a nickel oxide ore that turns the colors of the sea into red.
CCOS Chairman Benito Molino told the Manila Bulletin that fishermen have attested to witnessing
marine life destruction in biblical proportions and that the area it (nickel laterite pollution) covers is
growing larger.Nickel laterite, Molino alleged, came from the Zambales Diversified Metals Corp. (ZDMC),
DMCI, the Filipinas Mining Corp., the LnL Archipelago Minerals Inc. (LAMI), the Benguet Nickel Minerals
Inc., and Eramen Minerals Inc.
With nickel laterite killing the corals and driving the fish away, local fishermen catch less fish. With less
catch and more overhead cost, the fishers find it hard to make ends meet, Molino saidBut the workers
group belied allegations of the mining firms violations, saying all of that the DENR used as bases for
issuing its order were either conceived by wild imagination or bloated by the anti-mining group led by Dr.
Benito Molino.
A barangay official who refused to be identified bared that eight out of 25 barangays supported the mining
firms since most of the residents there are workers. He added that the mining firms corporate social
responsibility activities have helped the community progress in terms of economy and infrastructure.

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Article#04

Cordova sues shipping firms
-The Freeman by Mylen P. Manto, Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento, Jessa J. Agua | Updated August
15, 2014 - 12:00am

Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy (right) and lawyer Benjamin Cabrido (left) show a copy of the complaint they filed
yesterday against two shipping companies over the towns demand for compensation for environment damage,
especially to mangroves. JOY TORREJOS
CEBU, Philippines - The municipality of Cordova and fisherfolk organization Pundok sa mga Mananagat sa
Cordova, Inc. sought the courts intervention yesterday after 2GO Group Inc. and the Philippine Span Asia
Carrier Corporation (PSACC) did not heed their claim for environmental damage payment.
Representing the local government and his constituents, Mayor Adelino Sitoy lodged an environmental
complaint before the Regional Trial Court in Mandaue City against the two shipping companies for aquatic
pollution; cleanup, rehabilitation and restoration of the mangrove and coastal ecosystem of Cordova.
An oil spill resulted after the collision of 2GOs MV St. Thomas Aquinas and PSACCs cargo ship MV Sulpicio
Express Siete off Lawis Ledge, Talisay City August 16 last year, damaging Cordovas coastlines, including
several hectares of mangrove areas.
Due to the oil spill from MV St. Thomas Aquinas of 2GO, our marine ecosystem has been severely damaged
by the oil, depriving our fisher folks and vendors of their usual means of livelihood, hence the municipality has
to give financial assistance to the fisherfolks and to the first vendors even until now, Sitoy said.
The oil spills hit mostly our fishing grounds and has incapacitated our fisher folksas well as ripple our day-to-
day trading of marine products wherein a good number of my constituents depend for their daily meals, he
added.
Aside from the shipping companies, the petitioners included in the case the Department of Environment and
Natural Resour-ces, Maritime Industry Authority, and the Philippine Coast Guard.
Sitoy and lawyer Benjamin Cabrido, who assisted the fisher folks, told the media that the government agencies
were included in the case to compel them to take action based on their respective mandates and to devise a
comprehensive program for the complete rehabilitation of Cordovas marine ecosystem.
Cabrido said the petitioners are asking for the issuance of a temporary environmental protection order and/or
writ of continuing mandamus, and for the court to direct the release of protection and indemnity insurance of
both shipping companies.
According to the petition, 2GO and PSACC should immediately deposit US$3 million (P131 million) before the
court as special fund to cover future expenses for the clean-up, protection, restoration, and rehabilitation of the
marine areas of Cordova.
A commission composed of DENR, MARINA; PCG was also requested to formulate an action plan aimed to
prevent further degradation of the marine environment of Cordova, such as tracking of the volume of what is
left of stored oil inside the sunken MV St. Thomas Aquinas.
Sitoy also requested the immediate creation of an adequate nursery for mangrove propagates for replanting,
submission of a preliminary report on the extent of damage caused by the oil spill, and other studies to assist
the court in resolving the issue on how to proceed with the complete rehabilitation of the affected marine areas.
Furthermore, the petitioners asked the court to order PCG to submit within five days a report determining the
volume of bunker fuel and oil left inside the sunken ship that may still pose imminent threat to Cordova and its
neighboring areas.
We wanted the coast guard to dive again (to where MV St. Thomas Aquinas is resting at the bottom of the
sea) to determine if there is still oil, because oil spill may recur, Cabrido said.
Yolando Escabas, 73, head of the United Fisherfolks of Camolinas, one of 15 associations under Pundok sa
mga Mananagat sa Cordova, Inc., said the oil spill made it very difficult for them to proceed with their livelihood.
He said the two shipping companies must be held equally liable.
Several months back, Cordova sent a demand letter to 2GO and PSACC to compensate the fisherfolks (P78.6
million); 13 barangays and vendors (P5.1 million) and livelihood projects (P1.4 million).
DENR has also sent a demand letter for compensation amounting to P5.9 million for the planting of new
mangroves in Cordova covering 328 hectares, which were damaged by the oil spill, and P35.8 million for the
115 hectares of damaged productive mangroves or naturally grown mangroves in Cordova.
The case will be handled by environmental court Regional Trial Court Mercedita Dadole-Ygnacio of Branch 28.
The FREEMAN sought both PCG and DENR for their comments but their officials declined.
Commander Weniel Azcuna, Philippine Coast Guard Central Visayas District chief of staff and spokesperson,
said they were not aware that a case has been filed and cannot comment yet on the issue, particularly that they
have not received a copy of the complaint.
He said he knew about Sitoys damage claim and would be supporting the concerned LGU.
DENR likewise reserved its comment until it receives a copy of the complaint.
Well make our comments on the case against DENR in appropriate time or as soon as we get hold of the
order by the court, DENR-7 statement read, but declared in a statement that it has always supported
Cordovas effort.
It has been our stand to provide the necessary support and assistance on the case filed by Cordova Mayor
Adelino Sitoy against these shipping companies over damaged mangrove plantations as a result of the oil spill.
In fact, DENR-7 made a demand of 41.7 million pesos to these two shipping companies. We can help him
strengthen his case with our mangrove assessment, it said.
We even sent a demand recently to 2GO to furnish a copy of the sadaba report or else we will use the
computation of 41.7 million pesos as damage compensation, it added.

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Article#05

1,500 miles of sewage pipes in
Berkeley and neighboring East Bay cities must be replaced
BY SOPHIE MATTSON | STAFF


Tuesday, August 26, 2014

UC Berkeley wins $1.5 million grant from the EPA Capturing the effects of environmental
hardship in Silent RiverDemonstrators demand ban on fracking in California
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday that 1,500 miles of sewage pipes in Berkeley
and neighboring East Bay cities must be replaced as part of efforts to completely halt wastewater
pollution into the San Francisco Bay.
The EPA estimates that the cost of repairs and replacements will total $1.5 billion. They will apply to the
East Bay Municipal Utility District which treats sewage in Berkeley, as well as the cities of Alameda,
Albany, Emeryville, Oakland and Piedmont and the Stege Sanitary District. The work is set to be
completed in 2035.
In 2009, the EPA filed a complaint against EBMUD for discharging pollutants into the bay without a
permit. The new requirements are part of a settlement reached Monday.
The EPA is fining the six cities, EBMUD and the Stege Sanitary District $1.5 million for violating the Clean
Water Act, a national regulation that protects against water pollution. This accounts for pollution that has
discharged into the bay since 2009. Berkeley must pay $133,500 of the $1.5 million.
Heavy metals and toxic metals can have an impact on marine organisms, said EPA spokesperson
Suzanne Skadowski. The nutrients in sewage can deplete the oxygen in the water.
EBMUD has a plant in West Oakland that discharges treated water into the bay. But the pipes that feed
into the treatment plant are not designed to hold storm water, so during storms, the treatment plant must
dump untreated sewage water into the bay.
According to EBMUD spokesperson Abby Figueroa, the sewage pipes are only intended to transport
wastewater, but storm water seeps into the pipes because they are composed of porous materials such
as clay and cement. The pipes also have seismic cracks and have been penetrated by tree roots.
During storms, it triples the amount of water in the system and we cannot treat it, Figueroa said. We are
overwhelmed, so during large storms, we discharge sewage water. By replacing the pipes, the storm
water will go through the storm water system, not the pipes.
According to city spokesperson Matthai Chakko, the settlement requires that Berkeley specifically clean
51 miles and inspect at least 15 miles of sewer lines annually and repair sewer mains.
In 2013, the city cleaned 64.1 miles and inspected 17.4 miles of sewer lines. In addition, the city has done
80 percent of the work needed to fix sewer mains.
The Citys own efforts in rehabilitation and proper maintenance of its sewer system have reduced
sanitary sewer overflows by over 80 percent from 2008 to 2013, Chakko said in an email.
Skadowski said $600 million of the $1.5 billion cost will be covered by homeowners. According to
Figueroa, homeowners are required to pay to have their sewer lines inspected and certified when they
buy or sell property, when doing home remodeling that costs more than $100,000 and when they change
the size of their water meters.

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Article# 06

Pullenvale explosives: Two Newcastle
homes raided in connection to explosives find
7 news
BY ALYSE EDWARDS August 21, 2014, 6:49 am


Officers from the New South Wales State Crime Command's gang squad have spent
several hours scouring two Newcastle homes in connection to the discovery of explosive material
in a home at Pullenvale.
Homes at Belmont in Lake Macquarie and Waratah, linked to the Brisbane property's former tenant
Daniel Fang, were targeted by Strike force Raptor officers.
The ABC understands heavily armed police rammed a fence to gain entry at the Belmont home. It
followed another morning of searching for hazardous materials at the Pullenvale home. The Army
supplied a dozen soldiers with sniffer dogs following a request for help from police. They packed up and
left the house around midday. The soldiers were put to work scouring bush land behind the house with
metal detectors.
Yesterday police removed bottles marked as chloroform, household cleaning products and computer
parts from the house. The property has been closely guarded by authorities since last Thursday when a
real estate agent accidentally discovered explosives during a routine inspection of the vacant rental
property. Police have also uncovered other evidence, including maps marking out several commercial
properties in Sydney and Newcastle.
Counter-terrorism police were not involved in the investigation but police said they were investigating
possible links to a criminal gang.Fing is being held by New South Wales Police but Queensland
authorities refuse to comment on any possible charges. A couple currently living in Italy are listed as the
homeowners of the Pullenvale house but were not believed to be involved. Lydia Reid, who lives next
door, watched in fascination as the investigation unfolded."[I'm] just intrigued as to what else they think
they're going to find," she said. Its getting more and more concerning as it goes on."
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Article # 07
Hazardous Materials Incident in Morris
County-Morris County Department of Law and Public Safety
Thursday, August 14, 2014 11:55pm

MONTVILLE, NJ- Press Release:

A delivery of diesel fuel was being transferred from the Finch Fuel Oil delivery truck of Kearny to the
Montville Township fuel stations underground storage tank.
A spill (diesel fuel) occurred during the transfer operation.
Montville Police and Fire Departments responded to the incident and placed a request for the Morris
County Hazardous Material Team and Parsippany Hazardous Material Team to respond to the incident.
On arrival of the Hazardous Material Teams, it was determined that the fuel spill had migrated from
the vehicle fuel station via the properties storm water system to the Rockaway River due to the heavy
rains that had just occurred at the time of the over fill.
It was determined by the Morris County Hazardous Material Team that the spill was in excess of 400
gallons of diesel fuel.

Members from both the Morris County Hazardous Material Team and the Parsippany Fire
Department District 5 - Hazardous Material Team placed absorbent materials at the spill site and
absorbent booms in the river at various locations, to contain the spreading oil. The absorbent booms
contain and absorb the oil.

Hard booms were also utilized in two locations along the river; one at River Rd and Knolls Rd Bridge;
and a second at Stiles and Vail Rd in Parsippany to act as collection points.
Total distance of the spills impact to the river was approximately 2 miles.
A private cleanup contractor was hired by Finch Fuel Oil Co and they started remediation
Tuesday night, the night of the spill.

All absorbents are being bagged for proper disposal and Vacuum trucks are being used to collect
diesel fuel floating on top of the water.
The Morris County Hazardous Material Team remained on scene
until midnight (Wednesday morning) and is continuing to monitor the recovery operation along with
NJDEP-Bureau of Emergency Response Northern Region.
We anticipate that recovery operations will continue for the next few days.

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Article# 08
Truck wreck, hazardous materials spill
snarled Inner Loop traffic on Capital Beltway in Md.
By ABC 7 News

July 31, 2014 - 11:57 am
Updated: July 31, 2014 - 04:31 pm

WASHINGTON (WJLA) - A tractor-trailer wreck and hazardous materials spill shut down the Capital
Beltway in Maryland for several hours on Thursday, backing up mid-day traffic for nearly 10 miles at one
point.

The spill occurred when the tractor-trailer hit a sound wall along the Inner Loop near New Hampshire
Avenue around 10 a.m.
Police said two other vehicles were also involved in the crash.
As hazmat crews worked to clean up the spill, police had to divert Inner Loop traffic onto U.S.
29/Colesville Road in Montgomery County.
While three of four lanes were cleared and reopened by about 3 p.m., officials said traffic backups could
linger through the afternoon rush hour.

Reflection




Article #09

Radioactive Material Found
Inside Towed Car, Sparks Brief Haz-Mat Scare: FDNY
Monday, Aug 25, 2014 Updated at 5:25 PM EDT- NBC 4 New York
A case of radioactive material that was supposed to be used at a construction site briefly set off a
scare after it was found inside a car towed to a local pound, officials say.
Authorities began investigating a report of hazardous material inside a vehicle at the NYPD
Manhattan Tow Pound at West 38th Street and 12th Avenue Monday afternoon after someone noticed
a Pelican case with a radioactive label inside the car, the FDNY said.
Investigators determined the vehicle belonged to someone working at a construction site who had
transported the material, used for soil testing, in his own car because the marked vehicle normally
dedicated to transporting such materials was not available.
The worker parked his vehicle in a tow zone, and the car got towed to the pound, where someone
noticed the radioactive label and alerted authorities.
The FDNY, haz-mat teams and emergency service units responded, and tested the material and the
vehicle. The material was properly taken care of, officials said. The worker was not charged, but he will
have to pay the ticket for the tow, officials said.
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Article#10


Dispatch: Fuel hose bursts, spills 40 gallons of diesel
Fire, hazmat crews respond
UPDATED 6:48 AM EDT Aug 25, 2014 by Janice Limon
BELTON, S.C. Fire and hazardous materials crews responded to an Anderson County gas station after
a fuel spill early Monday morning.
Anderson County dispatchers say the call came in just before 3:30 a.m. about a spill at the Exxon station
off Highway 29 at Braezeale Road, north of the Anderson Jockey Lot.
Dispatchers said someone was pumping gas, when the hose broke and began dumping diesel fuel on the
area around the pumps.

The Whitefield Fire Department, as well as the Anderson County hazmat team responded to the
scene, dispatchers said.

Crews initially estimated about 100 gallons of fuel spilled. A hazmat official on scene confirmed
the spill was closer to just 40 gallons of fuel.
They remained at the gas station until officials from the South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control arrived, dispatchers said.
Dispatchers said crews contained the spill and cleared the scene by 6:30 a.m.
No one reported injuries.

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Article#11
Statoil closes North Sea platform for
repairs
Company says repairs should take about a week.
By Daniel J. Graeber | Aug. 21, 2014 at 8:40 AM | BUSINESS NEWS

Corroded pipe forces Statoil to shut down North Sea production platform. UP/I Casey J. Ranel/USCG
STAVANGER, Norway, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Norwegian energy company Statoil said it shut down its Troll
platform in the North Sea after encountering a corroded pipeline at an oil export system.
The company said it encountered a corroded pipe on the Troll C platform's export system following a
routine inspection. The Troll C platform pulls around 58,000 barrels of oil per day from the Farm field in
the North Sea, in addition to natural gas exports of around 280 million cubic feet per day. The company
said Wednesday it would take about a week to complete repairs and reopen the platform.

A compressor issue in the area shut down natural gas production for 24 hours in March. The Norwegian
Petroleum Directorate, the nation's energy regulator, said the Troll field contains 49 trillion cubic feet of
natural gas and production was around 1 trillion cubic feet last year.
Norway is one of the top oil and natural gas exporters to the European market


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Article# 12

Breakthrough anti-rust coating
could net startup Tesla Nano coatings $55 million
By CHUCK SODER
August 24, 2014 4:30 AM
The U.S. military believes that a Northeast Ohio company has discovered a cheap way to keep rust at
bay. And so does a huge South Korean conglomerate called SK Holdings, which plans to invest $55
million in Tesla Nano Coatings over several years.

Todd Hawkins obviously agrees with them. He founded the North Canton Company, which has created
what could be a significantly better way to protect structural steel from corrosion.

Tesla Nano Coatings used carbon nanotubes which are much stronger and lighter than steel to
develop a coating system that appears to be more durable and easier to apply than conventional coatings
that use more zinc. Those claims come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After testing the Teslan-
brand coating system for seven years, the agency gave the technology a ringing endorsement at the end
of 2011.

And late last year, SK Global Chemical gave Tesla Nano Coatings a different kind of endorsement: The
South Korean Company agreed to spend $55 million to buy a minority stake in Tesla Nano Coatings over
five to seven years, assuming it hits a series of milestones. Now Telsa Nano Coatings which received
$5 million for the first year of the deal is testing the Teslan coating system on petrochemical tanks and
vessels owned by SK Global Chemical.

And it's developing relationships with several other large oil and gas companies, too, Hawkins said.
For instance, the company has a verbal agreement to test its coatings on equipment at a Middle East
refinery that's vulnerable to rust because it's located in a splash zone next to a body of water, Hawkins
said. Telsa Nano Coatings, which is based at Stark State College, also plans to coat some gas storage
tanks that another company owns in the Gulf of Mexico.

And more deals are in the pipeline, Hawkins said.

We're probably engaged in the selling process to about half of the top 25 oil and gas exploration and
production companies in the world, he said.
Growth potential
Today, Akron Paint & Varnish makes the coatings for Tesla Nano Coatings. But that will change if the
company which has nine employees and five contractors keeps hitting its milestones and gets the
entire investment from SK Global Chemical, Hawkins said.

The goal is to build a manufacturing facility in Stark County, he said.
SK Global Chemical has no doubt that they will be successful, according to BK Kim, general manager
for the South Korean company's project with Tesla Nano Coatings.
Kim, who had been hunting for coatings technologies that SK Global Chemical could invest in, read about
Tesla Nano Coatings in an online newsletter back in 2012. He called Hawkins soon thereafter and was on
a plane to Ohio within a few months.
Kim said that, today, there is little difference between the coatings typically used to protect steel from
corrosion.
Tesla Nano Coatings could change that, Kim said.

Once the technology has undergone more testing, SK Global may end up helping the company expand
into the Asia-Pacific region, said Hawkins, who will remain the company's majority owner.
In addition to oil and gas, Tesla Nano Coatings also is going after the military market.
For instance, Hawkins said in early August that he just came back from Hawaii. There, he met with
members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to talk about how the Teslan system could be used to
protect steel structures on military bases in the Pacific Ocean a particularly harsh environment for
corrosion.
Now that we've been recommended for this type of work, people are starting to implement us, he said.

The agency stated that Teslan might cost less to install than conventional coatings that use more
zinc, because the new technology can be applied in two coats instead of three. But the big savings take
longer to accrue. Given Teslan's durability, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimated that, over the
course of 30 years, Teslan would only cost the military about $9.50 per square foot. That's 30% to 40%
less than the 30-year cost of conventional coatings that use more zinc, the agency stated in a document
recommending Teslan.

Although limited long-term exposure test results are available given their novel nature, CNT (carbon
nanotube) based coatings are expected to offer significantly improved durability versus traditional
systems, the agency stated.


Reflection:



Article#12

Condition sinking: Navy faces
shipbuilding crisis
August 1, 2014

By Steve Wilson | Mississippi Watchdog
Two words describe the Navys shipbuilding woes: Condition sinking.
Mismanagement and multi-billion dollar cost overruns are becoming bigger enemies for the Navy than the
Chinese ever could. Navy plans for a 306-ship fleet are taking on water, awash in a sea of cost overruns
and a huge block of older ships that will have to be replaced.

Hard budgetary choices are needed, and the consequences to U.S. foreign policy could be
serious. Without sufficient ships, the Obama administrations Pacific Pivot a foreign policy to contain
Chinas rising military power by shifting naval and air assets to the Pacific would be in jeopardy.
Its pretty simple, said Christopher Preble, vice president for defense and foreign policy studies at the
Cato Institute. The Navy faces a choice: spend the same amount of money on shipbuilding and get less
ships or spend more to get the amount of ships it says it needs.

During a hearing July 10 before the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-
Va., asked a simple question of Sean J. Stackley, assistant secretary of the Navy for research,
development and acquisition: Can we meet the Navys 30-year shipbuilding plan with about the same
money allocated over the past 20 years?
Simple answer: No.

The funding requirements over the period of 2020-2034 exceed the budget weve had over the
last 30 years, Stackley said. We will have to prioritize the modernization of those ships (a service life
extension program for Ticonderoga class cruisers) and construction over the rest of our budget.
One of the biggest reasons for the coming fiscal trainwreck or shipwreck involves the replacement
of the Ohio class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). The most survivable part of the nations nuclear
triad that includes the Ohio class, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and manned bombers, the
replacement ship class of 12 submarines will likely cost more than $100 billion. Preble said the Navy is
trying to spin the cost of the SSBNs out of the shipbuilding budget, a plan he doesnt think will work.
The problems dont end there.

The new Gerald Ford class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers of which the Navy plans to
procure 10 to replace its older carriers is meeting serious technological and budgetary headwinds. Like
their namesake, the ships are tripping over their budget thanks to problems with their new technological
features such as a new arresting gear and electromagnetic catapult designed, ironically, to save
money.

The USS Gerald Ford (CVN-78) is costing more than $1 billion than expected. Three of the
carriers will cost the Navy $43 billion to procure, according to a General Accounting Office report released
in 2013, and that doesnt include the cost of the air wing or the surface ships that protect the carrier from
surface, air and submarine threats.

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Article#13

The largest accidental marine oil
spill in history
UD scientists co-author 9:57 a.m., Aug. 22, 2014


Scientists in UD's College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment collaborated with global partners to use ocean drifters to
predict pollutant movement on a small-scale basis in the wake of the Deep-water Horizon oil spill.
Predicting pollution
9:57 a.m., Aug. 22, 2014--Considered the largest accidental marine oil spill in history, April 2010s Deep-
water Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico challenged scientists to think about the way in which oil and
other pollutants move in the ocean.
Scientists in the University of Delawares College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE), in
partnership with other researchers, conducted the largest deployment of ocean drifting instruments to
date and found that small-scale ocean currents play a major role in the spread of pollutants at the ocean
surface.


Composites

A new consortium will study long-term industrial research challenges in an effort to advance U.S.
manufacturing of composite materials. Their findings will help better predict the path of pollutants from
future oil spills or nuclear disasters. They provide new information about significant dispersion patterns
currently un-accounted for in ocean models.


Observing currents
The scientific community is very skilled at observing large-scale ocean features, using satellites
and other instruments, and forecasting them with ocean models. In this study, we emphasized scales of
100 meters to 10 kilometers. Ocean flow at these scales, which are very small given the vastness of the
ocean surface, are poorly understood. That is what we were able to quantify, said Bruce Lipphardt,
research associate professor in CEOEs School of Marine Science and Policy.
The study, titled Submesoscale Dispersion in the Vicinity of the Deep-water Horizon Spill, was
published in the Aug. 18 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Lipphardt, along with fellow CEOE faculty members, Helga Huntley and Denny Kirwan, were co-authors.
They are also members of the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the
Environment (CARTHE), based at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and
Atmospheric Science, which planned and conducted the drifter deployment.
Our results conclusively show that ocean flows at small scales, below 10 kilometers, contain significant
energy fluctuations that control the initial spread of pollutant clouds, said Tamay zgkmen, UM
Rosenstiel School professor and CARTHE director. Now that we have quantified this missing piece of
the puzzle, we can improve our real-time predictive capabilities in the event of a future oil spill."
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Article#14

Ships to slow down off California
to save whales and cut pollution- Los Angeles times
By TONY BARBOZA Aug 5, 2014

Shippers to be paid to slow down off California coast to avoid hitting whales, cut air pollution
Firms will receive $2,500 incentives for each low-speed trip they complete through the Santa Barbara Channel
A program being launched off the California coast this summer will tackle two environmental
problems posed by thousands of cargo ships that ferry goods to and from the ports of Los Angeles and
Long Beach each year: Not only are the hulking vessels major sources of air pollution, their shipping
lanes overlap with a prime feeding area for migrating blue whales off Santa Barbara.
The voluntary initiative, developed by federal wildlife officials, environmentalists and air quality
regulators, will pay shipping companies to slow down ocean vessels as they travel through the Santa
Barbara Channel to reduce emissions and avoid colliding with blue whales.
It's a very simple but clever solution: When you slow ships down you provide whale conservation and
cleaner air for us to breathe here on shore.- Kristi Birney, marine conservation analyst
The speed reduction incentive program is the latest effort to address long-standing concerns over ship
strikes that have killed dozens of endangered blue, humpback and fin whales over the last 10 to 15 years
and threaten their recovery.
Shippers will be paid $2,500 for each trip completed at 12 knots or slower through a 130-mile stretch from
Point Conception to the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex. Normal cruising speed is between 14 and
18 knots.
Lower speeds are expected to reduce the risk of ship strikes that are fatal to whales and could
give the giant marine mammals more time to swim away from approaching ships. When ships travel more
slowly, theres an added benefit: Their enormous engines emit less air pollution.

"It's a very simple but clever solution: When you slow ships down you provide whale conservation
and cleaner air for us to breathe here on shore, said Kristi Birney, marine conservation analyst for the
Santa Barbara-based Environmental Defense Center, one of the backers of the initiative.
Six global shipping companies are participating in the trial program, which will pay for 16 low-speed trips
through the Santa Barbara Channel from July through the end of October.
The season coincides with the peak of blue whale feeding in the channel and the time of year when
Southern California sees its highest concentrations of ozone, the lung-damaging ingredient of smog.


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Article#15
Expedition to study plastic pollution in coastal waters



Aug. 07, 2014 | 12:16 AM Sarah Weather bee| The Daily Star

BEIRUT: Plenty of pollution floats on the surface of Lebanons coastal waters, visible to all who
stop for a seaside stroll.


But the scientists aboard the Tara Mditerrane, a boat newly arrived in Beiruts Marina, are
focused on the invisible pollution, in the form of microplastics that may be harming Lebanons marine
ecology and human health. The expedition seeks to assess the quantity of microplastics in the
Mediterranean and to study their effect on marine ecology.
Right now, it is impossible to say, but we think with a long time there will be some consequences. The
microplastics are totally digestible, but the pollutants on them and the bacteria on it stay in the
organisms, said scientist and engineer Amanda Elineau, aboard the boat.
Microplastics are what is left when plastic bottles, grocery bags, laundry detergent and skin-exfoliating
cosmetics have broken down. A 2009 study showed that the Eastern Mediterranean is particularly
vulnerable to their accumulation due to the combination of a densely populated coastline and shipping in
coastal waters and a lack of dispersion of plastics because of limited tidal flow or water circulation.
The tiny particles, a magnet for bacteria and organic pollutants, are consumed by plankton and work their
way up through the food chain. Marine animals eat the microplastics, mistaking them for food.
Consequently, they accumulate in the flesh of fish that end up on grocery store shelves and restaurant
tables for human consumption.

The Tara Mditerrane venture is a project of Tara Expeditions, a French non-profit organization
that has studied the environmental impact of pollution since 2003. The 60-meter schooner arrived
Tuesday as part of an eastern Mediterranean tour to test the waters for microplastics. Scientific partners
include the Oceanography Laboratory of Villefranche-sur-Mer, the French for Scientific research and the
University of Michigan.
The boat has nets that are designed to collect plastic debris from the waters surface.
Anthony Ouba, a Lebanese Ph.D. student, is among the scientists aboard the ship who will prepare water
samples for analysis.

The first step is to understand their spatial distribution, Ouba said of microplastics, Also, the
quality, which organisms live on it, and how [plastic] fragmentation was made.
Tara scientists say that micro plastic impact hasnt been fully explored in Lebanon, or in the rest of the
Eastern Mediterranean. During this mission, they will divide their time between data collection at sea and
information-sharing on shore.

There is little that we know about the sea. Given the importance of the sea for us for our lifestyle,
this is very important, to get more information about what is in our ecosystem, said Roman Trouble,
secretary-general of Tara Expeditions.

Turning this around with kids is very important because people can do something; it takes little
time, energy and investment to explain to them. They understand very fast, way faster than adults, he
said.
Tara Mditerranes weeklong stop in Lebanon includes an informative exhibit on ocean
ecosystems at Beirut Marina and tours of the boat for children. Trouble emphasized that educating the
young generation was essential for reversing human environmental impact.
The team of scientists plans to meet with representatives from Lebanons coastal communities, and from
government ministries, to inform them of micro plastic presence along the coast. At the end of the Eastern
Mediterranean tour, Tara Expeditions research team will compile and distribute their findings to the
countries where their studies have taken place.

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