Materials Performance is the world's most widely circulated magazine dedicated to corrosion prevention and control. MP provides information about the latest corrosion control technologies and practical applications for every industry and environment.
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GOVERNMENT NEWS DECC Approves Development of U.K Wind Farm n A proposed onshore wind power development at Brechfa Forest West in Carmarthenshire, Wales was approved by the U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) (London, United Kingdom). The proposed development comprises the construction and operation of 28 wind turbine generators, as well as other infrastructure integral to the construction and/or operation of the wind farm, and will have an installed capacity of between 56 and 84 MW, which is expected to power the equivalent of up to 39,700 homes. The development will enhance energy security, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create up to 150 construction jobs. For more information, visit www.gov.uk. U.S. Research Centers Spent $17.8 Billion in 2011 n According to a National Science Foundation (Arlington, Virginia) report, the 40 privately operated U.S. research and development centers financed by the federal government, including national laboratories and observatories, spent Photo by Marcelo Terraza. $17.8 billion in fscal year 2011 with federal funding covering $17.4 billion of total expenditures. More than $850 million of the total was supplied by funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The remaining expenditures were funded by businesses, nonproft organizations, state and local governments, and other sources. For more information, visit www.nsf.gov. Civil Penalties Proposed for Yellowstone River Pipeline Failure n As a result of the July 2011 failure of the Silvertip crude oil pipeline in the Yellowstone River near Laurel, Montana that released 1,509 bbl (239,931 L) of crude oil, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) (Washington, DC) initiated an administrative enforcement action with a proposed fne of $1.7 million for ExxonMobil Pipeline Co. PHMSA alleges that ExxonMobil failed to properly address known seasonal fooding risks, including excessive river scour and erosion, and implement measures that would have mitigated a spill into a waterway. To learn more, visit www.phmsa.dot.gov. 8 MATERIALS PERFORMANCE May 2013 U.S. Gas Pipeline Capacity Investment Slowed in 2012 n The U.S. Energy Information Administration (Washington, DC) reports that U.S. natural gas pipeline capacity investment slowed in 2012 after several years of robust growth. Limited capacity additions were concentrated in the northeast United States, and mainly focused on removing bottlenecks for fastgrowing Marcellus shale gas production. More than half of new pipeline projects entering commercial service in 2012 were in the Northeast. Excluding gathering, storage, and distribution lines, project sponsors in the United States added 4.5 billion ft3/ day (127 million m3/day) of new pipeline capacity and 367 miles (590 km) of pipe totaling $1.8 billion in 2012. For more information, visit www.eia.gov. Independent Panel to Review Hydraulic Fracturing Research n To peer review the draft report of results for its national study on any potential health and environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Science Advisory Board (Washington, DC) formed a Hydraulic Fracturing Research Advisory panel of 31 independent experts. The draft report of results will synthesize fndings from the study's ongoing projects together with scientifc literature, and EPA will ask the panel to specifcally seek input from applied science practitioners in the feld to assure the most up-to-date information on emerging science and technology. To learn more, visit www.epa.gov. NRC Issues Assessments for Nation's Nuclear Plants n The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) (Washington, DC) issued annual performance assessments of the nation's 104 operating commercial nuclear power plants in 2012 and reports that 99 plants were in the two highest performance categories, with 81 fully meeting all safety and security performance objectives and 18 needing to resolve one or two items of low safety signifcance. Three nuclear reactors were in the third performance category with a degraded performance level; one reactor in the fourth performance category required increased oversight because of a highly signifcant safety fnding; and one plant was in an extended shutdown with significant performance issues. To learn more, visit www.nrc.gov. —K.R. Larsen NACE International, Vol. 52, No. 5