Dockworkers and their employers appear to have made little progress in discussions over a new contract as the strike that started Monday at East and Gulf Coast ports continues to snarl supply chains for containerized agricultural products.
The U.S. Maritime Alliance, a group representing container carriers, marine terminal operators and port associations, has moved from its previous negotiating positions to offer a 50% wage increase. But there are still fundamental disagreements between the alliance and the International Longshoremen’s Association over automation and container royalties.
By the way: The strike has made its way into election rhetoric, with GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump criticizing President Joe Biden during a Wisconsin campaign trip for not having already “worked out a deal” to settle the strike.
Vice President Kamala Harris released a statement expressing support for the union’s positions and criticizing Trump, who she claimed "wants to pull us back to a time before workers had the freedom to organize."
CARB sticking with biofuel cap, adding sunflower oil
The California Air Resources Board is out with new proposed revisions of regulations for its low carbon fuel standard. The board’s staff is sticking with a plan released in August to cap the amount of renewable diesel made from soybean or canola oil that can qualify for LCFS credits. And now, a revised version of that plan extends the 20% cap to sunflower oil.
Sunflower oil isn’t used for biofuel production in the U.S. But the CARB proposal says extending the 20% cap to sunflower oil is “responsive to public feedback that limiting this provision to soy and canola could lead to incentives to increase use of other oilseeds for biofuel production.”
SAF industry unlikely to hit 2030 grand challenge targets
Sustainable aviation fuel representatives agreed Wednesday the industry is not on track to meet the grand challenge set by the Biden administration three years ago to reach 3 billion gallons of domestically produced SAF by 2030.
“I would humbly suggest you stop talking about 3 billion by 2030,” said Bruce Fleming, CEO of Montana Renewables. “It's not going to happen, let’s stop talking about it.”
During a keynote panel at the Sustainable Aviation Futures North American Congress in Houston, speakers from Airlines for America, Montana Renewables, Shell Aviation and others cited permitting and unpredictable regulations as key factors in delaying SAF production.
There was also consensus, however, that while the target may not be achievable, setting the goal has created more interagency collaboration and allowed investments and innovations to take off.
“While it may not hit 3 billion gallons, the reality is, it is moving this industry forward in ways that we couldn't have done without such a focus on it,” said Valerie Reed, director of the bioenergy technologies office at the Department of Energy, and one of the authors of the grand challenge.
CFTC files fraud complaint against former CEO of carbon project developer
The Commodity Futures Trading commission is accusing the former CEO and majority shareholder of a Washington D.C.-based carbon project development company of reporting false and misleading information to at least one carbon credit registry and third-party reviewers.
The agency on Wednesday filed a complaint against Kenneth Newcombe, former CEO of CQC Impact Investors, in federal court in New York accusing him of being involved in a scheme to paint a false picture of the emissions impacts of the company’s projects so it could receive more carbon credits than it was entitled to.
The company also issued orders filing and settling charges against both the company and its former chief operating officer, Jason Steele. CQC must pay a $1 million penalty.
Take note: These are the agency’s first actions relating to fraud in the voluntary carbon credit market.
Environmental groups seek intervention in Swampbuster case
Environmental groups are seeking to take part in a lawsuit challenging the existence of Swampbuster, the law that bars farmers from getting federal subsidies if they drain wetlands.
Iowa Farmers Union, Iowa Environmental Council, Dakota Rural Action, and Food & Water Watch moved to intervene in the case in federal court in Iowa. CTM Holdings, represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation and Liberty Justice Center, said in a complaint filed in April that the law is unconstitutional. The landowner contends the nine acres of land at issue aren’t wetlands.
“Without the intervention of sustainable agriculture groups, a future Trump administration could choose not to defend these important programs,” the groups said, referring also to Sodbuster protections for highly erodible land.
Supporting their motion, the groups said the complaint inaccurately described Swampbuster as “compulsory.."
“Instead, the programs ‘simply deny the benefits of [federally subsidized] farm programs to those who engage in [the] unwise practices’ of filling wetlands and/or farming highly erodible land,” the groups said, quoting a 1999 congressional report.
Dairy farmers call for DGA to protect dairy
The National Milk Producers Federation is collecting comments from dairy farmers for agencies to consider in drafting the next Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The DGA Committee’s meeting last week showed “encouraging signs” for dairy, NMPF said in a release. Still, the group is encouraging producers to submit comments to the DGAC supporting dairy as it finalized its recommendation report.
USDA and HHS, which craft the final guidelines with the committee’s recommendations in mind, are requesting public comments on the DGA updates through Oct. 7.
Three agencies create tool to help companies better navigate biotech requirements
USDA, EPA and FDA are rolling out a new web tool to help biotech companies better navigate regulations for genetically modified organisms.
Users are offered a series of choices to select under the new tool, which then helps them determine which of the three agencies has jurisdiction over their product and what regulations they must follow.
The tool is an attempt by the agencies to better coordinate on biotech regulation efforts while making it easier for companies to understand the rules, according to an EPA release.
