As of January 1, 2009, there were 150 operable refineries in the United States, not including facilities in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. From 2008 to 2009, total US crude distillation capacity increased from roughly 17.6 million barrels per calendar day (BPCD) to 17.7 million BPCD, a 0.44% expansion in capacity over the previous year’s level, according to the annual National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) Refining and Storage Capacity Report. MORE

Region 1 (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont) will accept proposals requesting up to $1,000,000 in grant funds. Virgin Islands) will accept proposals requesting up to $2,500,000 in grant funds. Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands) will accept proposals requesting up to $4,000,000 in grant funds. MORE

Croix, US Virgin Islands refinery. Hovensa LLC became the owner and operator of the former Hess Oil Virgin Islands Corp. HOVIC, a wholly owned Virgin Islands subsidiary of Hess Corporation, was established to construct and operate an oil refinery in coordination with the Virgin Islands Government’s efforts in the 1960’s to diversify the economy of the islands. million for projects to benefit the environment of the US Virgin Islands. MORE

Under this root-cause theory, NHTSA gave the highest priority for airbag inflator replacement to model year 2008 or older vehicles which have been registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. MORE

The ECAs established under MARPOL Annex VI for SO x are: the Baltic Sea area; the North Sea area; the North American area (covering designated coastal areas off the United States and Canada); and the United States Caribbean Sea area (around Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands). MORE

The top and bottom funding limits that will be considered for each proposal varies by region: Region 1 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont): EPA is requesting proposals between $100,000 and $800,000. Virgin Islands): EPA is requesting proposals between $500,000 and $1,800,000. Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands): EPA is requesting proposals between $500,000 and $4,400,000. MORE

This year for the first time, the following territories can now receive direct state allocation funds: Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $50 million for clean diesel projects. These efforts will replace, retrofit or repower more than 8,000 older school buses, trucks, locomotives, vessels, and other diesel-powered machines. MORE

Nationwide, 39 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Guam ban texting behind the wheel. Ten states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Guam prohibit all hand-held cell phone use while driving. US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood released a “Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving” that offers a strategy to address the growing and dangerous practice of driver’s use of handheld cell phones behind the wheel. MORE

Diana Mott, who we had the pleasure of meeting at the Maho Bay Eco Resort on the island of St. John in the US Virgin islands. Tags: carbon producers greenhouse gas emissions eco resort Maho Bay electric bill renewable energy fossil fuels environment green building energy efficiency The Takeaway climate change John Hockenberry energy savings conservation Sentilla Saving Energy NPR US Virgin Islands MORE

So far 39 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands ban text messaging for all drivers. Also 10 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving. MORE

The United States Caribbean Sea Emission Control Area (ECA) (SO x came into effect , under MARPOL Annex VI, on 1 January 2014, bringing in stricter controls on emissions of sulfur oxide (SO x ), nitrogen oxide (NO x ) and particulate matter (PM) for ships trading in certain waters adjacent to the coasts of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. MORE

Through this survey, several species and localities reported bleaching for the first time, including the first known bleaching of any kind in Saba, the first documented mass bleaching at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, and the first reported mass bleaching in Virgin Islands National Park of Acropora palmata , a species listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in 2006. MORE