Wednesday, 22 Aug 2007

Who's in Barge Here?

Barge spills diesel near Vancouver Island orca habitat

A barge has tipped over off the coast of Canada's Vancouver Island, creating a diesel slick over a mile long that is threatening orca habitat. The barge, which was carrying logging equipment, including a fuel truck, was just outside the boundary of an ecological reserve when it flipped. Diesel fuel dissipates and evaporates in the sun, so poses less of a threat than crude oil à la Exxon Valdez -- but it still doesn't make a very good orca dinner.

Rey Snarls

Top Forest Service official may be held in contempt of court

The top official at the U.S. Forest Service has some 'splainin' to do. Mark Rey may be held in contempt of court and possibly jailed unless the USFS follows through on a court-ordered analysis of the environmental impact of a toxic flame retardant, U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy has ruled. In 2003, ammonium phosphate that was dropped on a wildfire killed 20,000 fish in an Oregon creek. As a result of a lawsuit brought by Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, Molloy ordered the USFS to provide an environmental analysis of the chemical; on the day the review was due, the agency filed for an extension. Unamused, Molloy has ordered Rey to appear in his court in October unless the USFS completes the analysis beforehand, which is unlikely. "The Forest Service cannot disregard the orders regarding the Endangered Species Act," Molloy wrote. According to Andy Stahl of FSEEE, a little time in the slammer would "coerce future good behavior." Hey, it worked for Paris Hilton.


When shopping for a new boiler, which is the better option, gas or electric? Advice maven Umbra Fisk cranks up an answer for a South Dakotan reader who's totally in tune with where his power comes from -- and says summer is the perfect time to be pondering such a decision.

Do They Just Not Caribou?

BLM offers yet another plan for drilling on Alaska's sensitive North Slope

In 1923, U.S. President Warren G. Harding designated 23 million acres on Alaska's North Slope as a national petroleum reserve. The ecologically sensitive northeast corner of the reserve -- which includes pristine Lake Teshekpuk and is vital habitat for breeding caribou and migrating birds, and hunting grounds for Inupiat Eskimos -- was closed to energy development by the Reagan, Bush Elder, and Clinton administrations. But damned if the current administration won't pull out all the stops trying to access it! Dubyah and crew tried in 2005. Then they tried in 2006 -- twice. Last fall, a judge blocked the administration, saying it had failed to consider environmental impacts of drilling in the area, and ordered the Bureau of Land Management to develop a new plan. Yesterday, the agency obliged, offering a vague proposal which suggests various options for development. The BLM will offer final recommendations after a two-month public-input period, which starts Friday. So get thee to inputting!

Teddy Would Be Proud

Conservation organization sues feds over energy development

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership has sued the U.S. Department of the Interior over the authorization of thousands of new oil and gas wells, roads, and miles of pipeline in a wildlife-rich area of Wyoming. News that an organization has sued the federal government over environmental travesties is, well, not really news -- unless it's TRCP, a non-litigious group with a largely Republican membership. The move is indicative that even the Bush administration's usual allies are fed up with a one-track-mind approach to energy development. Case in point: The Bureau of Land Management stated that development in the Wyoming area would "have adverse impact to suitable habitat for many wildlife species" and turn hunting grounds into "an industrial setting" -- but recommended the DOI go ahead anyway.

Lovely Nissan, Meter Made

Nissan to install fuel-efficiency gauge in all its models

Automaker Nissan announced plans yesterday to install a gauge in all its vehicles that estimates fuel-efficiency to let drivers know how their driving habits affect gas mileage. The gauge already appears in some of Nissan's newest luxury cars, but its plan to eventually showcase the efficiency meter in every model has drawn praise from greens. "It shouldn't be just wealthy people with luxury cars that have this information," says Tim Carmichael of the Coalition for Clean Air. "I hope the rest of the industry follows them." It's been estimated that the new information could influence drivers to be an average of 10 percent more fuel-efficient. Now if only they'd put an indicator in every vehicle to show drivers how much fuel they'd save by not driving.

Toying With Our Emotions

Bush administration may be complicit in lead-painted-toy debacle

While China has endured a lot of criticism from the lead-painted-toy debacle, the Bush administration is not off the hook. Consumer advocates say the anti-regulation administration has hindered attempts to crack down on inspection of imported Chinese playthings; in addition, critics accuse the feds of encouraging the Consumer Product Safety Commission to be less oriented to consumer safety and more focused on pleasing manufacturers. "We've been complaining about this issue, warning it is going to happen, and it is disappointing that it has happened," says Tom Neltner of the Sierra Club, which sued the U.S. EPA in December after the agency chose not to require safety studies for companies using lead in children's products. China is, of course, far from guilt-free: It's currently fighting a CPSC proposal that would reduce allowable lead levels in children's jewelry.