News & Articles

Earlier this week, Amazon was the first company to complete a fully autonomous drone delivery in the United Kingdom. While the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) currently prohibits such autonomous flights here in the United States, this development will help spur the conversation forward.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has issued an Advisory Bulletin (ADB-2016-07) to owners and operators of natural gas pipelines. The bulletin provides guidance on identifying and periodically verifying High Consequence Areas (HCAs).

On December 13, 2016 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its scientific report on the impacts from hydraulic fracturing activities on drinking water. The EPA’s report concludes that hydraulic fracturing activities can impact drinking water resources under some circumstances. As part of the report, EPA identified conditions under which impacts from hydraulic fracturing activities can be more frequent or severe. The report also identifies uncertainties and data gaps. These uncertainties and data gaps limited EPA’s ability to fully assess impacts to drinking water resources both locally and nationally.

In its annual publication listing potential candidates for placement on the Endangered or Threatened Species lists, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service identified the rattlesnake-master borer moth as one of several species that face threats to their survival.