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.
"A Battle in Mining Country Pits Coal Against Wind"
NYTimes, 08/16/2010Residents of West Virginia's Raleigh County hope to save Coal River Mountain from being destroyed by mountaintop removal mining by building a wind energy project there.
"EPA Considers Expanding Fracturing Study To Air Quality"
Grand Junction Sentinel, 08/16/2010"Recently retired Environmental Protection Agency environmental engineer Weston Wilson is best known for criticizing his employer’s 2004 finding that hydraulic fracturing poses little or no risk to domestic groundwater. Now, the Denver EPA whistleblower is encouraged by the agency’s interest in studying the natural gas development procedure’s potential impacts on air quality as well."
"BP to Pay Record Fine for Refinery"
NYTimes, 08/13/2010"BP has agreed to pay a record $50.6 million fine to the federal government for safety violations found by regulators last year at its troubled refinery in Texas City, Tex., where 15 workers died in a 2005 explosion."
"Calif. Desert on Pace to Become World's Solar Capital"
Greenwire, 08/13/2010"Southern California is poised to become the world's solar power capital as the Obama administration continues to stamp its approval on large-scale renewable energy projects across the Mojave and Colorado deserts."
"Entering a Thicket, Engineers Quiz Oil Regulators"
Green (NYT), 08/13/2010"Delving into the gritty details of how offshore drilling is regulated, a National Academy of Engineering inquiry into the Deepwater Horizon well blowout found a big hole in oversight during a hearing on Thursday."
"8,000 People? E.P.A. Defers Hearing on Fracking"
Green (NYT), 08/11/2010EPA officials in New York had to postpone a planned hearing on the impact of the natural gas drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing. The reason: the large number of passionate people planning to attend or demonstrate.
Toxics Released by Canada's Oil Sands Operations Growing Rapidly
Toronto Globe & Mail, 08/10/2010"Canada’s oil sands mining operations produce vast and fast-growing quantities of deadly substances, including mercury, heavy metals and arsenic, new data released by Environment Canada shows."
"Minerals Service Had a Mandate to Produce Results"
NYTimes, 08/09/2010The Minerals Management Service -- now reorganized into three separate agencies -- began in 1997 nearly giving away public resources to oil companies as favors in a party that lasted until the BP gulf oil spill.
"Drilling Ban Goes To Court Again This Week"
New Orleans Times-Picayune, 08/09/2010"Marine services and shipbuilding companies that benefit from deepwater oil drilling will face off against the federal government in court again Wednesday over the government's ban on offshore drilling."
"Echoes of Gulf Spill Ripple in BP's Midwest Refinery Expansion"
Greenwire, 08/09/2010"Almost 1,000 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, BP PLC is pressing ahead with a $3.8 billion expansion of the largest refinery in the Midwest -- and facing off with environmental groups over controls aimed at preventing a gusher-style release of chemicals into the air."
"New York Senate Passes Gas Drilling Moratorium"
Reuters, 08/05/2010"The New York State Senate has approved at least a nine-month delay in issuing permits for a method of natural gas drilling, saying more study is needed to ensure it does not contaminate the state's water supply."
Fannie and Freddie Squash Solar Panel Program; CA Fights Back
Monterey Weekly, 08/05/2010Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac killed a solar panel and energy efficiency program Monterey County was launching with pride. Now California is fighting back.
BP, Chevron, Others Settle N.Y. MTBE Gasoline Additive Cases
Bloomberg, 08/05/2010"BP Plc, Chevron Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc units were among dozens of energy companies that agreed to pay $42 million to settle claims brought by communities on New York’s Long Island alleging contamination of water with a gasoline additive."
Oil Industry Funds Hired PR Guns to Attack BP, Elect GOPers
Wash Post, 08/04/2010An oil-industry-funded PR 'War Room' stands ready to kill or counter any public discourse unfavorable to the oil industry. The conservative non-profit group running it has been accused of shaking down BP. They are working hard to elect Republiicans to the Senate.
Fears of Air Pollution Stir Up Politics in Texas Shale Gas Country
ClimateWire, 08/03/2010"FORT WORTH, Texas -- For nearly a year Christine and Tim Ruggiero have battled the powerful Texas oil and gas industry and the inertia of regulators responsible for protecting air quality and public health."

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