OVERNIGHT ENERGY: National parks shutdown battle returns

ON TAP THURSDAY: A subpanel of the House Natural Resources Committee will revisit the debate over national park closures as it considers two bills tied to shutdown politics. 

National parks became the hot topic during the recent government shutdown and fodder for both parties as barricades went up around all 401 sites run by the National Park Service.

{mosads}Rep. Steve Daines’s (R-Mont.) bill, which will be discussed at Thursday’s hearing, would require the government to reimburse states for all funds spent on national park operations during the 16-day shutdown.

Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) also has a bill before the subcommittee. It would allow states to fund and keep operations running at parks and other federal facilities or programs that directly affect tourism, mining, timber or transportation.

The subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation will also consider three other unrelated bills.

Check E2-Wire for coverage of the hearing.

THE REST OF THURSDAY’S AGENDA:

Nuke regulators in the hot seat

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hear from all five members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at a hearing Thursday.

They will discuss the commission’s “Implementation of the Fukushima Near-Term Task Force Recommendations and other Actions to Enhance and Maintain Nuclear Safety.”

Pro sports and climate change in focus

Representatives of the big pro sports leagues will join Democratic climate hawks Thursday to talk about their efforts to address global warming.

In January the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change asked the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL for suggestions on federal policies to tackle climate change.

On Thursday the task force chairmen — Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) — will meet with representatives of the leagues and the U.S. Olympic Committee.

They will “discuss the effects of climate change on sporting activities and the work these organizations are doing to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,” an advisory states.

A press conference will follow. The lawmakers will also release the letters from the leagues.

NEWS AROUND THE WEB:

Bloomberg reports China and India are pressuring wealthy nations to move first on conbating global warming.

But at the climate talks in Poland, the European Union and U.S. have indicated they want all countries to make cuts on fossil fuel emissions.

“We think we are the weaker side,” said Xie Zhenhua, the head of China’s delegation at United Nations climate talks in Warsaw. “They need to fulfill these commitments. They have to provide a timetable and also the size of their contribution. They should have a very clear signal to society.”

AP reports hydrogen cars could push aside electric vehicles as the “transportation of the future.”

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Check out the stories that ran on E2-Wire on Wednesday …

– Rep. Welch optimistic energy efficiency bill will hit floor
– House votes to block federal fracking bill
– Report: World moving further away from climate protection goal
– EPA guild lines seek ‘environmentally preferable’ gov’t purchases
– Shaheen: Energy-efficiency bill could hit Senate floor soon
– House approves bill to speed up drilling
– House kills last Dem amendments to drilling permit bill
– House advances third energy bill
– More than 100 lawmakers push Obama on energy efficiency extension
– States press EPA for flexibility in power plant climate rules
– White House ‘delighted’ by UK coal move

Please send tips and comments to Ben Geman, ben.geman@digital-release.thehill.com, or Laura Barron-Lopez, laurab@digital-release.thehill.com.