Pollution

"There's one easy way to find out how bad the water quality is in the Rio Grande: get into a kayak."

"A federal court ruled yesterday that U.S. EPA cannot require a West Virginia poultry operation to obtain a Clean Water Act permit for its stormwater in what farm groups are calling a major victory."

"Tesoro Logistics and North Dakota didn't quickly tell the public about an oil pipeline spill, and the firm doesn't know when it started."

"WASHINGTON -- The Transportation Department office charged with overseeing the 2.6 million miles of pipelines in the United States is spending more time at oil and gas industry conferences than it is addressing spills and other incidents, a watchdog group contends in a new report."

"FORT CHIPEWYAN, Canada -- In the Cree language, the word 'athabasca' means 'a place where grass is everywhere.' Here in Alberta, the Athabasca River slices through forests of spruce and birch before spilling into a vast freshwater delta and Lake Athabasca."

"Dense, choking smog blanketed several northern cities yesterday, with visibility in some areas reduced to less than 10 metres. Drivers complained they were unable to see traffic lights."

"AUGUSTA — Delaware and New York are opposing Maine’s proposal to loosen its anti-smog regulations, claiming it violates federal law and undermines efforts to reduce ozone and other air pollution in eastern states."

"Tesoro Logistics LP said on Monday it still did not have a date to restart a North Dakota oil pipeline that ruptured in September and spilled 20,600 barrels of crude onto farmland."

"Residents in several lower-income Chicago neighborhoods say a dirty oil byproduct from a nearby BP refinery is creating environmental and health hazards -- and no one is doing enough to stop it."

"TOKYO — Two and a half years after a series of meltdowns, Japan’s effort to clean up what remains of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is turning into another kind of disaster."