German regulators OK emissions fix
German regulators have approved fixes to Volkswagen’s diesel vehicles in connection with the emission-cheating scandal, the company said Wednesday.
Vehicle owners will be informed about the next steps, according to the automaker. In order to ensure that the measures are completed quickly, Volkswagen said it will begin implementation at the start of 2016. The 1.2-liter and 2.0-liter engines will get a software update. The 1.6-liter engines will also get a software update. In addition, a “flow rectifier” will be fitted in front of the air mass sensor.
The remedy does not refer to any products of Volkswagen Group of America.
After the measures have been implemented, the vehicles will meet applicable emissions standards, with the aim of achieving the marks without impairing engine output, fuel consumption or performance, the automaker said.
Richard HoworthHoworth takes oath for second TVA term
Former Oxford, Miss., Mayor Richard Howorth was sworn in Wednesday to serve another five-year term on the TVA board of directors after his confirmation last week by the U.S. Senate.
Howorth’s brother, Circuit Court Judge Andrew K. Howorth, swore him in into his second term on the TVA board during a ceremony at the Lafayette County Courthouse in Oxford.
“I am honored to be able to continue my service to the people of the Tennessee Valley,” Howorth said in a statement. “As one who has had a lifelong interest and stake in the progress of the region, I know that TVA is a vitally important entity, and I look forward to working with the TVA board.”
Howorth, who served two terms as mayor of Oxford from 2001 to 2009, is the founder and owner of Square Books, an independent bookstore in Oxford. He is one of nine part-time directors that oversee the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Oak Ridge in line for record funding
The omnibus spending bill moving through Congress this week will provide record high funding for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science and the cleanup of Cold War facilities such as those in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
The U.S Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which supports basic energy research and is the nation’s largest supporter of research in the physical sciences, is funded at a record high $5.35 billion.
A total of $1.24 billion is provided for advanced computing, including both the Office of Science and the National Nuclear Security Administration. The Office of Science’s Advanced Scientific Computing Research Program, which supports the new Summit supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is funded at $621 million.
“Once again, the world’s fastest supercomputer will be at Oak Ridge National Laboratory,” U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said Wednesday.
Nuclear infrastructure at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, including hot cells and isotope production facilities, is funded in the bill, Alexander said. The bill also includes money for a new mercury treatment facility to help clean up nuclear facilities that are no longer in service in Oak Ridge as well as support for the Spallation Neutron Source, the High Flux Isotope Reactor, and the Leadership Computing Facilities, which annually host more than 24,000 scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.