Congress has ordered the EPA to restore its libraries

Victory for Librarians, EPA Library Funding

After considerable pressure by librarians, researchers and the public,

American Library Association
Washington Office Newsline
ALAWON
Volume 16, Number 075
June 29, 2007



Victory for Librarians, EPA Library Funding

After considerable pressure by librarians, researchers and the public, Congress has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restore its library network. In the fiscal year (FY) 2008 Interior Appropriations bill, the Senate Appropriations Committee orders EPA to reopen the closed libraries. Last year, EPA closed its Headquarters Library in Washington, DC, to visitors and walk-in patrons. EPA also closed several regional libraries, the toxics and pesticides library and the Ft. Meade Environmental Science Center Library.
The language reads

“$2,000,000 shall be used to restore the network of EPA libraries recently closed or consolidated by the administration. While the Committee approves of efforts to make environmental data collections available electronically, the Committee does not agree to further library closures or consolidations without evidence of how the public would be served by these changes. Therefore, the Committee expects the EPA to restore publicly available library facilities in each region. EPA is directed to submit a plan on how it will use this funding increase to reopen facilities and maintain a robust collection of environmental data and resources in each region by December 31, 2007.”

The bill is now headed to the full Senate for consideration. The House-passed FY 2008 Interior Appropriations bill doesn’t contain the EPA library language.
In the fiscal year (FY) 2008 Interior Appropriations bill, the Senate Appropriations Committee orders EPA to reopen the closed libraries. Last year, EPA closed its Headquarters Library in Washington, DC, to visitors and walk-in patrons. EPA also closed several regional libraries, the toxics and pesticides library and the Ft. Meade Environmental Science Center Library.
The language reads

“$2,000,000 shall be used to restore the network of EPA libraries recently closed or consolidated by the administration. While the Committee approves of efforts to make environmental data collections available electronically, the Committee does not agree to further library closures or consolidations without evidence of how the public would be served by these changes. Therefore, the Committee expects the EPA to restore publicly available library facilities in each region. EPA is directed to submit a plan on how it will use this funding increase to reopen facilities and maintain a robust collection of environmental data and resources in each region by December 31, 2007.”

The bill is now headed to the full Senate for consideration. The House-passed FY 2008 Interior Appropriations bill doesn’t contain the EPA library language.

May 1999 BHP smelter in AZ idled

BHP Billiton have altered the status of their copper smelting and refining plant at San Manuel,[AZ] USA from care and maintenance to permanent closure. [Used Pierce converters and flash furnace]

The plant has been idle since May 1999 when it entered into care an maintenance mode. Since then they have looked at numerous strategies to bring the plant back online, but none proved economically viable.

The remaining staff will be focus on safety and environmental issues, while the decommissioning and reclamation of the site will be completed over the next 5 to 7 years.

The closure brings to an end 50 years of operation for the San Manuel smelter....

Posted October 27th, 2003
http://www.azom.com/details.asp?newsID=864

"1997: After next year's major rebuild, the San Manuel [BHP] smelter will operate for another 10 years on mini-shutdowns. This strategy will save BHP roughly $200 million over the next 10 years before the next major rebuild, resulting in more cash flow and value for BHPstakeholders.

Craig Steinke is Group General Manager and Senior Vice President of Metals in San Francisco and Pj Cannon, an Assistant Editor for On Cu.
This article is reprinted with permission from the publication,
On CU, April – June, 1997,Vol. 1, No. 3."