Government

The Obama administration releases high-resolution photos, taken by US spy satellites over the years, documenting the extent and quality of arctic sea ice.

In response to lawsuits, EPA was scheduled to release its proposed rule for a new primary health-based standard by July 30, 2009. That has been postponed once again, and the new court-ordered date for release of the proposed rule is Nov. 16, 2009, with a final rule due by June 2, 2010.

"Crown copyright" may be emerging in British Columbia as a way for a government claiming openness to subvert freedom-of-information law.

Jackson ordered staff to make existing information more accessible and understandable to the public, including posting on the Web state performance reports under the Clean Water Act.

If you report for a coastal region where fisheries are important, it's a good time to investigate the membership makeup of your regional Fishery Management Council.

Good solar potential, relative proximity to existing or potential energy transmission corridors, and the perception of the fewest conflicts with existing land uses and the natural environment were factors in site selection.

The fiscal year 2009 allocation of Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) is up about 4% from last year, and is being distributed to about 60% of the nation's counties and other local jurisdictions.