Contractors are a powerful force in many corners of the environment and energy beat, and their trade associations are often players in the regulatory and legislative dealmaking that can shape US policy.
In response to deep cuts in its budget, EIA announced that it would not be able to compile and publish products like its ongoing estimates of US oil reserves. In fact, EIA will not even be able to continue its investigation of whether speculators are driving up oil prices.
"The potential for public exposure to dangerous levels of asbestos in the contaminated mining town of Libby [Mont.] remains a concern to federal health officials, according to preliminary results of a risk-assessment study announced Tuesday, more than a decade after cleanup operations began."
As all-electric cars are just arriving in showrooms, there is a new movie out called "Revenge of the Electric Car." It's by Chris Paine, who directed the 2006 documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car?"
"A coalition of conservation groups has made good on its threat to take the owners of Chicago's sewage treatment plants to court over the foul stuff they have been discharging into the Chicago River for more than a century."
"The ice of Greenland and the rest of the Arctic is melting faster than expected and could help raise global sea levels by as much as 5 feet this century, dramatically higher than earlier projections, an authoritative international assessment says."
"Just months into his first term, Rep. Bob Gibbs admits he has much to learn. But the Ohio Republican holds strong reservations about environmental regulation in general."
"The oil giants — BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, and Shell—recently released their first quarter reports. Together, the big five's profits were 38 percent higher in the first quarter of 2011 than the same period last year."
"BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. has agreed to pay a $25 million civil fine to settle a federal lawsuit over the largest-ever oil spill on Alaska's North Slope, according to a proposal filed in U.S. District Court in Anchorage on Tuesday."
"Critics of Indian Point say the NYC suburbs are no place for a nuclear plant, while advocates insist the facility is safe, despite having some seismic risk."
Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/obama-mulls-ordering-federal-contractors-disclose-campaign-contributi
[2] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/energy-markets-partly-blinded-eia-budget-cuts
[3] https://www.sej.org/headlines/epa-after-330m-cleanup-libby-remains-contaminated-asbestos
[4] http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_56ea3b26-75f6-11e0-8cf7-001cc4c002e0.html
[5] https://www.sej.org/headlines/men-who-struggled-bring-you-electric-car-hit-screen
[6] http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2011/05/02/02climatewire-the-men-who-struggled-to-bring-you-the-elect-95435.html
[7] https://www.sej.org/headlines/conservation-groups-sue-chicago-water-district-over-river-pollution
[8] http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/121168478.html
[9] https://www.sej.org/headlines/report-sees-sharper-sea-rise-arctic-melt
[10] http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110503/ap_on_sc/eu_arctic_climate_change
[11] https://www.sej.org/headlines/anti-environmental-house-freshman-leads-charge-against-clean-water
[12] http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/05/03/03greenwire-anti-environmental-house-freshman-leads-charge-98149.html
[13] https://www.sej.org/headlines/big-oils-big-pay-day
[14] http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/05/big-oils-pay-day
[15] https://www.sej.org/headlines/bp-agrees-penalty-north-slope-spill-lawsuit-settlement
[16] http://www.adn.com/2011/05/03/1842799/bp-proposes-settling-suits-over.html
[17] https://www.sej.org/headlines/experts-divided-over-safety-indian-point-nuclear-power-plant-0
[18] http://solveclimate.com/news/20110502/experts-divided-over-safety-indian-point-nuclear-power-plant
[19] https://www.sej.org/search_results
[20] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4349
[21] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4346
[22] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4347
[23] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4348
[24] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4351
[25] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4352
[26] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4353
[27] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4354
[28] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=5058