• Dooley: Energy, chemical exports and TSCA are 2013 priorities
  Energy security, chemical exports and the modernization of the Toxic Substances Control Act will be key issues for the chemical industry in 2013, writes American Chemistry Council President and CEO Cal Dooley. "While the prospects for 2013 and beyond are bright, steps can and should be taken to ensure that America will remain a great place in which to invest, innovate and operate. ACC's priority over the next year will be advancing policies and creating a regulatory environment that will support the ability of our member companies to do just that," Dooley writes. ICIS News (U.K.)/(subscription required) (12/28)     

• ACC expects shale to boost industry in 2013
  The U.S. chemical sector could grow in 2013 despite wider economic uncertainty because of the cost advantages provided by shale natural gas, according to the American Chemistry Council's year-end report. "Favorable oil-to-gas price ratios driven by the production of natural gas from shale will drive a renewed U.S. competitiveness that will boost exports and fuel greater domestic involvement, economic growth and job creation with the business of chemistry," ACC said. ICIS News (U.K.) (12/28)     

• ACC looks to work with new EPA chief
  The American Chemistry Council is looking ahead to working with the as-yet-unnamed successor to Lisa Jackson, outgoing administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. "We look forward to working with her successor and the EPA staff on the critical environmental challenges facing our nation, including the coming congressional debate on modifications to the Toxic Substances Control Act," ACC said. Chemical Week (subscription required) (1/2), Bloomberg BNA (free content) (12/28)     

• PET, PVC on opposite sides of analyst forecasts
  The North American market for polyethylene terephthalate is saturated, while polyvinyl chloride resins are boosted by the availability of cheap ethylene feedstock, according to analysts. "The housing market is slowly beginning to rebound. There's a tremendous amount of pent-up demand to replace aging infrastructure such as sewer and water pipe. That bodes well for the [PVC] resin side," IHS analyst Steve Brien said. PlasticsNews.com (12/28)     

• Other News

• ExxonMobil begins operating ethylene cracker in Singapore
  FuelFix.com (12/28)     

• Ford benefits from plastics-recycling program
  Ford's program for recycling automotive parts has reused 120 million pounds of parts since 2003, the company said. "Most parts that come back to us through the [recycling] program still have a lot of life left," said Kim Goering, who heads Ford's recycling program. "We are always considering the business case for different products, which is quite a task when you think about the sheer quantity and complexity of parts going into today's vehicles," Goering added. PlasticsNews.com (12/28)     

• Leadership lessons from "Stormin' Norman"
  Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, the commander of Operation Desert Storm, died Thursday at age 78. The four-star general's philosophy of leadership stressed the importance of humility, hard work and moral fortitude. "Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without strategy," he once said. Forbes (12/27)     

• Want innovation? Fake it until you make it
  You can't force innovation, but you can create situations that put you under artificial pressure to be more creative, writes Jeff Haden. Setting fake time limits or budget constraints, pretending there are no rules holding you back or intentionally producing lousy ideas can all lead to meaningful breakthroughs, he argues. Inc. online (free registration) (12/27)     

Top five news stories selected by ACC SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Shell to take 6 months more to decide on Pa. land for possible cracker (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

• Natural gas enables U.S. to recapture manufacturing advantage (The Washington Times)

• 5 things workers hate about their bosses (Harvard Business Review online)

• EPA chief Jackson to resign (The New York Times (tiered subscription model))

• Clariant agrees to sell textiles, paper and emulsions units (Bloomberg)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

• SmartBrief will not publish Tuesday
  In observance of New Year's Day, SmartBrief will not publish Tuesday. Publication will resume Wednesday. Enjoy the holiday!     

Never tell your resolution beforehand, or it's twice as onerous a duty." --John Selden, English jurist and scholar