Law and the Environment

Nine Midwestern States and the Province of Manitoba Enter into Greenhouse Gas Accord

Governors of nine midwestern states, along with the Canadian province of Manitoba today signed the Midwestern Regional Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord to establish a regional multisector cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to promote the use of renewable energy.  With the Western States Climate Initiative and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in the northeast, the action by the Midwestern states brings the number of states to 22 that have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

The governors were Governor Jim Doyle of Wisconsin, Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois, Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana, Governor Chester J. Culver of Iowa, Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio, Governor M. Michael Rounds of South Dakota.  The Premier of Manitoba, Gary Doer, also signed the agreement.

Some of the key aspects of the Accord are as follows:

·     Establish greenhouse gas reduction targets and timeframes consistent with MGA member states’ targets;

·     Develop a market-based and multi-sector cap-and-trade mechanism to help achieve those reduction targets;

·     Establish a system to enable tracking, management, and crediting for entities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and

·     Develop and implement additional steps as needed to achieve the reduction targets, such as a low-carbon fuel standards and regional incentives and funding mechanisms.

These Midwestern states now must set firm emissions reductions targets and timetables for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The governors are also calling for greater use of non-petroleum energy sources such as wind power and grain-based ethanol.    Under the agreement, 15 percent of all gasoline stations in the region would be selling ethanol mixes by 2015, and one-in-four by 2025. 

These states combined are the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions behind the United States as a whole, Russia, China and India. 

This new accord puts even greater pressure on Congress, as almost half the states have already committed to restricting greenhouse gas emissions.

Governor of Texas Announces New Commissioner for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

The following is an announcement of the naming of a new commissioner on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry today appointed Dr. Bryan W. Shaw of Bryan to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for a term to expire Aug. 31, 2013. The commission establishes, oversees and implements clean air, clean water and other environmental policies for the State of Texas.

“Bryan Shaw is a nationally respected scientist with the experience and expertise to oversee our state’s environmental policies,” Perry said. “Under his leadership Texas will continue developing policies and making decisions based on solid science that protect our natural resources while helping to meet the challenges of a rapidly growing state.”

Shaw is an associate professor in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department of Texas A&M University (TAMU) with many of his courses focused on air pollution engineering. The majority of his research at TAMU concentrates on air pollution, air pollution abatement, dispersion model development and emission factor development. Shaw is associate director of the Center for Agricultural Air Quality Engineering and Science, and formerly served as Acting Lead Scientist for Air Quality and Special Assistant to the Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Shaw is a member of several committees for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board including the Environmental Engineering Committee, Committee on Integrated Nitrogen, and Ad Hoc Panel for review of EPA’s Risk and Technology Review Assessment Plan. Additionally, he is a member of the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Air Quality Task Force.

He received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in agricultural engineering from TAMU and a doctorate degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He replaces Kathleen White of Valentine whose term expired.