Individuals

A report issued by American Clean Skies Foundation Thursday projects that technology-driven changes in oil and gas production since 2007 will lead to annual employment gains of 835,000 to 1.6 million new jobs nationwide by 2017 (more than the entire U.S. auto manufacturing industry), and increase the country’s gross domestic product by $167 billion to $245 billion on a net basis.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said $18 million in grants is available to businesses, governmental entities, school districts and individuals that replace older medium- or heavy-duty gasoline or diesel vehicles with natural gas vehicles (NGV) or repower the older vehicles with natural gas engines. Applicants must apply for Texas Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program grants through a participating dealer. A list of participating dealers is available at www.terpgrants.org. The predetermined grant amounts are 60-90% of the incremental cost of the NGVs and engines, and are based on the fuel capacity, usage and weight class of the grant-funded vehicles. Grant applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Projects must result in at least a 25% reduction of emissions of nitrogen oxides, and grant recipients must commit to operate the grant-funded vehicles in eligible Texas counties for at least 75% of the annual mileage for four years, or 400,000 miles, whichever occurs earlier. Applications will be accepted until May 31, 2013 or until all funds are awarded. For information call (800) 919-TERP (8377).

BP plc executives are hopeful that they can complete “in a few days” the $7.8 billion settlement tentatively reached last month with thousands of individuals and businesses that were impacted by the April 2010 Macondo well blowout in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said Thursday at the company’s annual meeting.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has approved final regulations regarding whistleblower incentives and protection, including provisions to pay individuals who provide the Commission with information about Commodity Exchange Act violations as much as 30% of monetary sanctions subsequently collected. The rules, which the CFTC approved by a 4-1 vote, would allow the Commission to award whistleblowers 10-30% of the monetary sanctions collected in either a CFTC-covered judicial action, administrative action or related action. Actions covered by the regulations include only those resulting in successful resolution resulting in monetary sanctions exceeding $1 million, and the Commission would exercise discretion in granting awards based on several criteria, including the significance of the information provided by whistleblowers. The final regulations become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Thursday approved final regulations regarding whistleblower incentives and protection, including provisions to pay individuals who provide the Commission with information about Commodity Exchange Act violations as much as 30% of monetary sanctions subsequently collected.

Pennsylvania hunters will likely find a changed woods this hunting season and may be surprised by the level of disturbance and activity on public lands in the north-central, northeastern and southwestern regions of the state, according to a wildlife expert in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Responding to what it said is a rising tide of requests for information about climate change from “individuals and decision makers across widely diverse sectors,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is creating a climate service office dedicated to bringing together NOAA’s climate science and service delivery capabilities, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said Monday.

Responding to what it said is a rising tide of requests for information about climate change from “individuals and decision makers across widely diverse sectors,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is creating a climate service office dedicated to bringing together NOAA’s climate science and service delivery capabilities, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said Monday.

Dallas-based gas marketer ICC Energy Corp. is suing Chesapeake Energy Corp., several subsidiaries and individuals, claiming the company reneged on a commitment to partner with ICC on the marketing of gas produced from the Barnett Shale at Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport.