Publication Items

Group Sues Interior for Failure to Disclose Correspondence with Wind Industry [1]

The American Bird Conservancy has gone to court after the Interior Department stonewalled its Freedom-of-Information-Act requests for correspondence between feds and the wind industry on how potential wind projects in 10 states might affect birds and bats.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Wildlife [3]
Environmental Politics [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Biodiversity [6]
Region:
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [7]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [8]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [9]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [10]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [11]
California [12]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Group Sues Interior for Failure to Disclose Correspondence with Wind Industry [1]
New Arizona Law Limits Disclosure of Companies' Environmental Self-Audits [14]

The information would still have to be provided to the state. Companies would not gain immunity from enforcement merely by auditing themselves.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [15]
Economy & Business [16]
Region:
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [7]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about New Arizona Law Limits Disclosure of Companies' Environmental Self-Audits [14]
Obama Vows Disclosure of Toxic Fracking Secrets on Federal Land [17]

Most current fracking operations happen on non-federal lands. But on federal lands, things are different — Obama intends to require disclosure of fluids as a condition of new leases for fracking on federal lands. If it takes place, this could push the ingredient lists further into the open.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [18]
Pollution [19]
Health [20]
Environmental Politics [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Chemicals [21]
Region:
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [7]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [8]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [9]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [22]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Obama Vows Disclosure of Toxic Fracking Secrets on Federal Land [17]
States Partly Fill Federal Vacuum on Fracking Fluid Disclosure Law [23]

Colorado, which adopted its disclosure rules December 13, 2011, joins Texas, Pennsylvania, and several other states in requiring some disclosure by drillers of the chemicals they pump into shale formations under high pressures to release natural gas. Scores of chemicals, some very toxic, may be involved.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [18]
Pollution [19]
Laws & Regulations [15]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Chemicals [21]
Region:
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [7]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [9]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about States Partly Fill Federal Vacuum on Fracking Fluid Disclosure Law [23]
BLM Says 9 Western States Have Worthy Wilderness Areas [24]

Designating lands as wilderness or some other highly protected status always is contentious, but the BLM has identified 24 areas in 9 western states the agency says have significant local support for this idea: CA (9 areas), CO (3), ID (1), MT (1), NM (2), NV (2), OR (2), UT (3), and WA (1).
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Natural Resources [26]
Region:
California [12]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [9]
Northwest (OR WA) [27]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [7]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about BLM Says 9 Western States Have Worthy Wilderness Areas [24]
Feds Announce Offshore Oil and Gas Target Areas [28]

Offshore oil and gas drilling from 2012-2017 would be focused in the western and central Gulf of Mexico and off the shores of northern and southern Alaska, if the Dept. of Interior's proposed plan and draft programmatic environmental impact statement, released Nov. 8, 2011, are accepted as is. A 60-day public comment period ends Jan. 9, 2012.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [5]
Region:
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [7]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [8]
Alaska and Hawaii [29]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Feds Announce Offshore Oil and Gas Target Areas [28]
BLM Releases Supplement to Draft PEIS for Large-Scale Solar [30]

The agency says the remaining 17 sites covering ~285,000 acres in six states have the best solar gain and energy transmission traits, the fewest conflicts with environmental, cultural, and historic resources, and the best compatibility with each state's efforts. Public meetings commence Nov 30 and a 90-day public comment period ends Jan. 27, 2012. A variance process could be used to approve additional solar development elsewhere.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Planning & Growth [31]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Region:
California [12]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [9]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [7]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about BLM Releases Supplement to Draft PEIS for Large-Scale Solar [30]
Erionite, Like Asbestos, Can Cause Cancer [32]

The naturally-occurring erionite causes malignant mesothelioma and evidence suggests it is much more toxic than asbestos. Concern is rising as development that disturbs erionite deposits occurs in 12 western states.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Health [20]
Chemicals [21]
Natural Resources [26]
Region:
California [12]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [10]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [9]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [7]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Erionite, Like Asbestos, Can Cause Cancer [32]
Obama Administration Trying To Speed up Transmission Line Approvals [33]

As part of its push to improve the nation's power system, the Obama administration is trying to expedite construction of 7 transmission lines, in various stages of planning and design, spanning 3,100 miles in 12 states.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [15]
Environmental Politics [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Region:
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [22]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [11]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [9]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [34]
Northwest (OR WA) [27]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [7]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Obama Administration Trying To Speed up Transmission Line Approvals [33]
Texas Censors Climate Science; Sparks Scientists' Revolt [35]

After officials appointed by presidential candidate Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) deleted references to climate change from a report on Galveston Bay, other scientists asked that their names be disassociated from the report.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Science [36]
Climate Change [37]
Region:
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [7]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Texas Censors Climate Science; Sparks Scientists' Revolt [35]

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