Energy & Environment: Markey Wants Answers on Rare Earths
• Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., "is pressing the Obama administration for information about alleged Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals used in defense and energy technologies, warning of threats to U.S. interests," The Hill reports.
• "Three months after BP capped its runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico, the state of Louisiana is still building a chain of sand berms off its coast to block and capture oil even as federal officials and many scientists argue that the effort will prove pointless," the New York Times reports.
• An Idaho couple has "sued the state to stop the shipments by Imperial Oil and ConocoPhillips" to an oil sands site in Canada, "arguing that the" truck loads delivered there "would threaten the integrity of Idaho's historic portion of U.S. 12, as well as the safety of communities that depend on it as the main road in and out of the area," the Times also reports. "National environmental groups and climate change activists are supporting their efforts, seeing a broader opportunity to stall development of Canada's oil sands, which they denounce as a dirty source of energy. "
• "Combating climate change has long taken a back seat to coal production in West Virginia, but in the hard-fought House race in this state's 1st district, global warming hasn't even made it onto the bus," The Hill reports. "In interviews on Thursday, both the Democratic and Republican nominees for Congress voiced skepticism of the science behind global warming, and the Republican, David McKinley, flatly called concerns about climate change 'an attack on coal.'"
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Brigham McCown
Biography provided by participant
Brigham McCown is a Principal and Managing Director of United Transportation Advisors LLC, located in Dallas, Texas. In this role he advises private sector clients with international and national issues pertaining to the transportation, energy, homeland security and logistics industries.
From 2003-2007 Mr. McCown served in several leadership roles in Washington, DC during both terms of George W. Bush's Administration as a Senior Executive at the Department of Transportation. A direct report to both Republican and Democratic Transportation Secretaries, he served as the first Acting Administrator (CEO) and first Deputy Administrator (COO) of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. In this role, he was responsible for the safe and secure movement of one million daily shipments of hazardous goods throughout the United States by air, rail, sea, land and pipeline. He also served as the first General Counsel of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration where he was responsible for legal oversight of the Nation's trucking, motor coach, moving industry and NAFTA trucking issues for the USDOT.
Mr. McCown has also served on active duty as a United States Navy Officer and Naval Aviator and has previously practiced law as a member and partner of several prominent law firms.
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