EJToday is SEJ's selection of new and outstanding stories on environmental topics in print and on the air, updated every weekday. SEJ also offers a free e-mailed digest of the day's EJToday postings, called SEJ-beat. SEJ members are subscribed automatically, but may opt out here. Non-members may subscribe here. EJToday is also available via RSS feed. Please see Editorial Guidelines for EJToday content.
"Unfair Share: How Oil and Gas Drillers Avoid Paying Royalties"
ProPublica, 08/14/2013"Don Feusner ran dairy cattle on his 370-acre slice of northern Pennsylvania until he could no longer turn a profit by farming. Then, at age 60, he sold all but a few Angus and aimed for a comfortable retirement on money from drilling his land for natural gas instead."
"Interpol Targets Criminals Who Subvert Carbon Markets"
ENS, 08/13/2013"LYON, France -- Securities fraud, insider trading, embezzlement, money laundering and cybercrime – the intangible nature of the global carbon trading markets puts them at risk for exploitation by criminal networks, according to a new law enforcement guide produced by Interpol."
"North Dakota Oil Boom Seen Adding Costs for Rail Safety"
Bloomberg, 08/13/2013"Crude oil shipped by railroad from North Dakota is drawing fresh scrutiny from regulators concerned that the cargo is adding environmental and safety hazards, something that analysts say could raise costs."
"Biofuels: EPA Slashes This Year's Cellulosic Targets"
Greenwire, 08/07/2013"U.S. EPA has backed down from an ambitious target for cellulosic biofuel production, releasing a final rule today that requires refiners to blend 6 million gallons into the nation's supply of gasoline this year."
"During Domestic Drilling Boom, Why Are Gas Prices Still High?"
StateImpact Texas, 08/02/2013"The drilling processes of hydraulic fracturing – or 'fracking' — and horizontal drilling have made it possible to access previously unreachable deposits of fossil fuels, creating a surge in domestic oil and natural gas production. So why are prices at the gas pump still relatively high? (Last week, the average national gas price was $3.68 per gallon.)"
"JPMorgan Settles Energy Market-Rigging Probe for $410 Million"
LA Times, 07/31/2013"NEW YORK -- JPMorgan Chase & Co. has agreed to pay $410 million to settle allegations it manipulated energy markets in California and the Midwest."
"Europe and China Agree to Settle Solar Panel Fight"
NY Times, 07/29/2013"BRUSSELS — The European Union’s trade chief said on Saturday that a deal had been reached with China to settle a dispute over exports of low-cost solar panels that had threatened to set off a wider trade war between two of the world’s largest economies."
"European Investment Bank To Stop Financing Coal-Fired Power Plants"
Reuters, 07/25/2013"The European investment bank (EIB), the EU's main lending arm, said it would stop financing most coal-fired power stations to help the 28-nation bloc reduce pollution and meet its climate targets."
"Arctic Ice Melt Could Cost An Extra $60 Trillion, Say Researchers"
Christian Science Monitor, 07/25/2013"Methane gas released from the melting Arctic ice could accelerate global warming and tack on an extra $60 trillion to the cost the world is expected to incur from climate change."
"U.S. Program To Save Fragile Land Shrinks in Size To 25-Year Low"
Reuters, 07/24/2013"The U.S. program that pays farmers to idle fragile cropland soon will protect the smallest amount of land in a quarter-century, the government said on Monday, the result of several years of sky-high commodity prices that have encouraged farmers to plant as much as possible."
"Vancouver, Wash., Port Commissioners Approve Oil Train Terminal"
AP, 07/24/2013"VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Port of Vancouver commissioners voted Tuesday to approve a lease for a Columbia River terminal that would take in crude oil by train from North Dakota and ship it to West Coast refineries."
"Ex-Im Bank Won't Finance Vietnam Coal-Fired Power Plant"
Reuters, 07/19/2013"The U.S. Export-Import Bank board of directors voted on Thursday not to proceed with the financing of U.S. exports to help build a coal-fired power plant in Vietnam, following a plea from U.S. environmental groups to stop the project."
"Davis-Besse Among 12 Plants at Risk, Says Analyst"
Toledo Blade, 07/19/2013"OAK HARBOR, Ohio — Davis-Besse is identified in a new economic report as one of a dozen U.S. nuclear reactors most likely to be closed by their utilities before their licenses expire because of changing energy markets, including falling natural gas prices, rising costs of nuclear operations, repairs, and post-Fukushima retrofits."
"JPMorgan in Talks to Settle Energy Manipulation Case for $500 Million"
NY Times, 07/18/2013"JPMorgan Chase, the Wall Street giant whose reputation in Washington has eroded in a matter of months, is now moving to avert a showdown over accusations that it manipulated energy prices."
"World Bank To Limit Financing of Coal-Fired Plants"
Reuters, 07/17/2013"The World Bank's board on Tuesday agreed to a new energy strategy that will limit financing of coal-fired power plants to 'rare circumstances,' as the Washington-based global development powerhouse seeks to address the impact of climate change."

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