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Author |
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Section |
Bush Whacked
President Bush interfered to weaken U.S. ozone standards |
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14 Mar 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:39 AM on 14 Mar 2008 President Bush interfered at the last minute to weaken the recently announced U.S. ozone standards, according to EPA documents. On Wednesday, the EPA set both the "public health" standard (how much ozone is in one place at one time) and the "public welfare" standard (consideration of the long-term effect of ozone) at the same level. Before Bush interfered, the agency planne ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, George Bush, health, jackassery, news, ozone, politics, regulation, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Gasp!
EPA lowers ozone limit, but ignores scientific advisers' calls to lower it more |
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12 Mar 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 3:34 PM on 12 Mar 2008 Photo: iStockphoto In an effort to clear up smog, the U.S. EPA on Wednesday lowered the permissible amount of ozone in the air, a move that will require 345 counties around the country to clamp down on pollution over the coming years. But the agency ignored the calls of its own scientific advisers for a steeper pollution cut. The EPA will lower the ozone standard to 75 parts ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, health, news, ozone, politics, regulation, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Pointed Defiance
Bill introduced in House to overturn EPA's California decision |
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07 Mar 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 11:43 AM on 07 Mar 2008 A bill introduced Thursday in the House of Representatives would grant California the right to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions from vehicles, and pave the way for 12 other states to do the same. The U.S. EPA's decision to keep California from regulating car GHG emissions "defied the science, defied the states, and defied common sense," said bill cosponsor Peter Welch (D-V ... |
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| Topics: California, cars, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, legislation, news, politics, regulation, US EPA, US House of Representatives (all these topics) |
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Not Everyone Can Be a Decider
Timing of EPA decision on vehicle greenhouse-gas regulation still a mystery |
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05 Mar 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:18 AM on 05 Mar 2008 When will the U.S. EPA decide whether to regulate vehicle greenhouse-gas emissions? EPA head Stephen Johnson testified in the Senate Tuesday that he just couldn't say, even though it's been nearly a year since the agency was directed by the Supreme Court to make that decision. When asked whether any EPA staffers were currently working on the issue, Johnson s ... |
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| Topics: climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, jackassery, news, politics, regulation, US EPA, US Senate (all these topics) |
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As States Would Have It
Multiple states will sue over EPA decision to not let California regulate vehicle emissions |
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21 Dec 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 5:10 PM on 21 Dec 2007 Riled up about the U.S. EPA's decision not to allow California to regulate vehicle greenhouse-gas emissions, Golden State Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared he will sue the agency "within the next three weeks." At least eight other states that would have adopted the stricter emissions standards had the EPA allowed it have said they'v ... |
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| Topics: California, cars, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, litigation, news, politics, regulation, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Udderly Ridiculous
U.S. EPA proposes easing reporting requirements for factory farms |
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21 Dec 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 3:28 PM on 21 Dec 2007 The U.S. EPA has proposed a "better approach" to making factory farms report their levels of air-polluting emissions -- don't make 'em report them at all! Under a proposal put forth today, commercial livestock operations would not have to report hazardous chemical pollution if the source was animal waste. The rule change, which would exempt Big Ag from three separate l ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, Big Ag, news, regulation, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Brine of the Times
Louisiana will crack down on oil industry waste-disposal practices |
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05 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 10:56 AM on 05 Nov 2007 Oil companies accustomed to a hodgepodge of regulation will soon see stricter oversight from a new initiative in Louisiana, which will pool the resources of 15 state and federal offices to crack down on Big Oil's waste-disposal practices. The program will train some 100 field officers to identify oil and brine-water spills in the Gulf of Mexico and collect evidence potentially ... |
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| Topics: Big Oil, Louisiana, news, politics, regulation, state politics (all these topics) |
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Loophole in the Ground
Activists ask Congress to close regulatory loopholes for oil and gas companies |
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01 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 5:17 PM on 01 Nov 2007 At a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing yesterday -- Wait! It's not as boring as it sounds! -- scientists and conservationists asked Congress to plug legislative loopholes that exempt oil and gas companies from some regulatory oversight. Particularly of interest to green and health advocates are exemptions from regulation of a natural-gas ... |
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| Topics: Big Oil, energy, news, oil and gas drilling, politics, regulation (all these topics) |
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Getting All Their Trucks in a Row
California air regulators adopt emissions-tackling rules |
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26 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 11:41 AM on 26 Oct 2007 As part of its groundbreaking plan to tackle air-polluting, climate-warming emissions, the California Air Resources Board has adopted six new rules for manufacturers, shippers, and truckers. Starting in 2010, vehicles that go in for a tune up or oil change will be required to fully inflate their tires; trucks and trailers must be fitted with fuel-saving devices; cargo ship ... |
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| Topics: business, California, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, news, regulation (all these topics) |
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They're Busy Not Enforcing the Clean Air Act
EPA not enforcing Clean Water Act, says report |
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12 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 1:35 PM on 12 Oct 2007 The U.S. EPA is not so much enforcing the Clean Water Act, says a new report from green group U.S. PIRG. According to EPA data, 57 percent of the country's industrial plants and municipal wastewater facilities dumped more than the allowable level of pollutants and sewage into waterways at least once in 2005, the most recent year that records are available. The average vio ... |
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| Topics: Indiana, news, politics, regulation, US EPA, water pollution (all these topics) |
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Rule 1: Do Not Drink CO2
EPA will develop industry regulations for carbon sequestration |
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12 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 11:21 AM on 12 Oct 2007 Setting aside questions of technical challenges and commercial viability, the U.S. EPA has announced that it will develop industry regulations for carbon sequestration by power plants. By next summer, expect exciting new regulations to "ensure there is a consistent and effective permit system under the Safe Drinking Water Act" for injecting captured carbon dioxide d ... |
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| Topics: carbon sequestration, energy, news, regulation, US EPA (all these topics) |
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One Tin Solder
Electronics makers lament E.U. phaseout of lead |
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09 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 12:49 PM on 09 Oct 2007 Electronics makers are lamenting the European Union's phaseout of lead from electronics, claiming that the heavy metal is the best-known defense against "whiskers," splinters that sprout off of tin solder. Tin whiskers can cause short circuits, which some estimate have caused as much as $10 billion in damage since they were first noticed in the 1940s. Lead exposure has been linked to learni ... |
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| Topics: news, regulation, toxics (all these topics) |
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What Can Brown Do for You?
California A.G. petitions feds to regulate shipping emissions |
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03 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 10:07 AM on 03 Oct 2007 California Attorney General Jerry Brown will join with environmental groups today to petition the Bush administration to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions from ocean-going vessels. Shipping accounts for up to 5 percent of global GHG emissions, a number expected to grow 75 percent in the next 20 years. Ocean-going vessels make 11,000 calls at California's ports each year, but ... |
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| Topics: business, California, greenhouse-gas emissions, news, politics, regulation (all these topics) |
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But They Make a Mean Martini
U.S. EPA is bad at environmental protection |
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01 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 5:52 PM on 01 Oct 2007 Shocking, shocking news can be discerned from U.S. EPA and Justice Department data: the EPA is totally slacking on cracking down on polluters. From the Archives Tough Ship. U.S. food aid low, getting lower. Roll On, Columbia. British Columbia premier announces climate plan. Into the Breach. DOE hasn't opened Yucca nuclear-waste dump, must pay millions for breach of ... |
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| Topics: news, politics, regulation, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Liar, Liar, Purifier
California bans in-home ozone air purifiers |
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28 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 4:20 PM on 28 Sep 2007 In-home air purifiers that emit more than a tiny amount of ozone will be banned under a new California regulation. While manufacturers of ozone air purifiers claim that their products can relieve asthma and other respiratory symptoms, thousands of studies have shown that ozone exposure can actually worsen such conditions. "There are reports of ozone being generated in someone's living room ... ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, California, green living, news, ozone, regulation (all these topics) |
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Into the Drink
California may require labels on bottled water, EPA strengthens lead-in-water regulations |
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27 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 5:08 PM on 27 Sep 2007 Bottled-water companies would have to disclose the source of their H2O under a bill that has passed through the California legislature and awaits the pen of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill would require companies to list the minerals, chemicals, and bacteria present in bottled water, as well as whether it came originally from a well, aquifer, spring, or ... |
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| Topics: California, food, green living, health, news, regulation, toxics, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Fear to Tread
Alt-fuel industry recycles rubber tires, contributes to air pollution |
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18 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 12:12 PM on 18 Sep 2007 A decade-old industry that recycles old rubber tires into fuel is chipping away at the stockpile of 1 billion retired tires in the U.S. But the laudable recycling effort is balanced by a negative impact on air pollution, as the U.S. EPA's clean-air regulations for burning solid waste include a loophole loosening requirements for facilities that "recover energy." Now a r ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, litigation, news, politics, recycling, regulation, US EPA (all these topics) |
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Gee Biz
Industry to Bush administration: |
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17 Sep 2007 |
News |
| "Please regulate me" Posted at 10:41 AM on 17 Sep 2007 Long-standing shared love for voluntary standards aside, businesses and manufacturers have begun asking the Bush administration to begin regulating industry's health- and planet-ruining ways. A variety of factors have contributed to the turnaround, including tougher regulations enacted by states, a Congress unafraid to crack down, publicly apparent failures of voluntary standards, and a floo ... |
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| Topics: business, news, politics, regulation (all these topics) |
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Sass Is in Sessions
Judge rules against Big Auto, says states can regulate emissions from cars |
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12 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 11:11 AM on 12 Sep 2007 States should be allowed to restrict greenhouse-gas emissions from cars, and Big Auto should just deal, a federal judge ruled today. Right now, the only real way to curb the emissions is to improve gas mileage; when Vermont decided to adopt California's strict emissions rules, automakers sued, claiming that the state was illegally regulating fuel economy -- and that ma ... |
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| Topics: Big Auto, cars, climate, energy, fuel efficiency, greenhouse-gas emissions, litigation, news, politics, regulation, state politics, Vermont (all these topics) |
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The End Is Nigh
Bush administration begins plotting its legacy |
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10 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 4:53 PM on 10 Sep 2007 Presidents traditionally wind up their tenure by pushing through as many executive regulations as possible. Bill Clinton was no exception: he instituted the famous roadless rule in the last days of his presidency, as well as other enviro-friendly measures. "Starting in early 1999 we had people down in the White House basement with word processors and legal pads making lists of things we wanted t ... |
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| Topics: George Bush, news, politics, regulation (all these topics) |
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He Who Smelt It Delta'd It
Judge issues ruling protecting delta smelt, restricting California water access |
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04 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 3:13 PM on 04 Sep 2007 For years, environmentalists have blamed the rapidly dwindling smelt population in the San Joaquin-Sacramento River delta on huge pumps that dispense water throughout southern California, but also suck in and kill huge numbers of the endangered fish. To protect the smelt, a species unique to the delta, a federal judge issued a far-reaching ruling Friday imp ... |
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| Topics: California, endangered species, news, politics, regulation, water conflicts (all these topics) |
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Can't Hit the Broad Side of a Barnacle
Barnacle-killing chemical will be banned |
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31 Aug 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 11:50 AM on 31 Aug 2007 Nasty chemical tributyltin, used to rid ship hulls of barnacles and algae, will be banned under an international treaty expected to be ratified within the next few days. TBT is cheap, effective, used on nearly all of the world's 30,000 commercial vessels -- and deemed by the U.S. EPA to be the most toxic chemical ever deliberately released into the world's waters. And that's saying s ... |
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| Topics: news, oceans, regulation, toxics (all these topics) |
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Emission Accomplished
Indiana regulators give BP a pass on meeting federal soot regulations |
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29 Aug 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Emission Accomplished Indiana regulators give BP a pass on meeting federal soot regulations Last week, oil company BP backed off of a plan to dump lots more ammonia and sludge into Lake Michigan; this week, Indiana regulators granted the same refinery an exemption to a federal rule that would have required it to halve its soot emissions. Because we certainly wouldn't want it polluting too litt ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, Big Oil, Indiana, news, politics, regulation (all these topics) |
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Damn Environment, It's Always Getting in the Way
Partisan eco-impasse stalls budget vote in California |
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09 Aug 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Damn Environment, It's Always Getting in the Way Partisan eco-impasse stalls budget vote in California California's massive state budget is nearly six weeks overdue, and a partisan eco-impasse is a major factor. The state Assembly passed a spending plan in late July, but it's stalled out in the state Senate. The current sticking point: the 37-year-old California Environmental Quality A ... |
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| Topics: California, news, placemaking, politics, regulation, state politics (all these topics) |
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Change the Rules, Change the Future
New energy rules could unleash an economic boom and help quash climate change |
Timothy E. Wirth, Vinod Khosla, John D. Podesta |
22 May 2007 |
Soapbox |
| By Timothy E. Wirth, Vinod Khosla and John D. Podesta 22 May 2007 In 1997, as the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change was being negotiated, the U.S. Senate voted, 95-0, to reject any agreement that "would result in serious harm to the economy of the United States." The senators were acting on the widespread fear that the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy would hurt ... |
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| Topics: climate, green jobs, regulation, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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