Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Farmer Data Concerns, Honeywell Uranium Plant

The American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Pork Producers Council are suing the Obama administration over concerns that the agency, responding to environmental groups’ information request on water pollution, may release thousands of farmers and ranchers’ personal information. In April the EPA released data on about 80,000 farmers and ranchers, including names, home addresses and contact information, the Hill reports.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has determined that Honeywell may resume all NRC-licensed activities at its uranium conversion plant in Metropolis, Ill. The plant has been shut down and the company modifying equipment since May 2012, after the NRC inspections said the plant could release uranium hexafluoride if struck by an earthquake or tornado.

The General Services Administration’s Governmentwide Travel Advisory Committee, which will advise on measures to increase travel efficiency while reducing costs and promoting sustainability, will hold its first meeting July 30. Members hail from the travel industry, travel and convention bureaus and other companies, as well as from federal, state and local governments.

The energy and power subcommittee of the House Energy & Commerce Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow on H.R. 1900, the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act, which seeks to expedite pipeline approvals. Witnesses will include representatives from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, construction firms and utilities.

On Wednesday, the subcommittee will hold a markup on H.R. 1900, as well as H.R. 1582, the Energy Consumers Relief Act, which would prohibit the EPA from finalizing rules that the energy secretary determines would have an adverse effect on the economy; and H.R. 83, a bill that would require the secretary of the interior to develop action plans to address the energy needs of insular areas of the country.

On Thursday, the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s subpanel on environment and the economy will hold a hearing on “Regulation of New Chemicals, Protection of Confidential Business Information, and Innovation.” The session will focus on the role of the Toxic Substances Control Act in the manufacture and processing of new chemicals, and follows a June 13 hearing on the topic.