Environmental Politics

The Niagara Falls City Council, recalling the Love Canal disaster, has blocked a plan to raise revenue by using the city's sewage plant to treat the toxic waste from natural-gas drilling.

"Two states with large amounts of military and civilian nuclear waste told a federal court panel on Wednesday that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission was flouting the law by declining to decide whether the Nevada desert is a suitable burial spot — even if the Obama administration says the storage plan is dead."

"Earth-observing systems operated by the United States have entered a steep decline, imperiling the nation’s monitoring of weather, natural disasters and climate change, a report from the National Research Council warned on Wednesday."

The resignation of EPA Region 6 Administrator Al Armendariz has not resolved much. Conflicts over oil-industry pollution and whether laws against it should be enforced remain intense in parts of Texas where people are making money from the pollution while others fear they are being made sick by it.

Gabriel Nelson reports for Greenwire May 1, 2012.

"You wouldn't know it from campaign rhetoric, but gasoline prices have been trending down."

"A Fox TV commentator, midgame, links global warming to home runs, and fans on all sides of the climate debate call foul."

"A regional Environmental Protection Agency chief based in Dallas resigned on Monday, days after Republican lawmakers uncovered comments in which he compared his enforcement of energy companies with crucifixion."

"An Arizona Tea Party-backed bill that would gut government-run green programs in the state may have the support it needs to go before Gov. Jan Brewer (R)."

"OTTAWA - The Conservative government is using its massive budget bill to update Canada's food regulations so new health claims, food additives and chemical contamination caps can be approved much more quickly."