"Federal investigators are likely to file criminal charges against at least one of the companies involved in the Gulf of Mexico spill, raising the prospects of significantly higher penalties than a current $75 million cap on civil liability, legal experts say."
Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) released their draft Senate climate and energy bill Wednesday. It pairs a cap-and-trade scheme with major concessions to the fossil-fuel and nuclear industries. Weighing in close to 1,000 pages, it covers a cross section of the nation's top environmental and energy issues. Both business groups and environmental groups have mixed reactions. The big question now is whether the bill can garner enough votes to succeed on the Senate floor.
"A House energy panel investigation has found that the blowout preventer that failed to stop a huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico had a dead battery in its control pod, leaks in its hydraulic system, a "useless" test version of a key component and a cutting tool that wasn't strong enough to shear through steel joints in the well pipe and stop the flow of oil."
A new report by the US Geological Survey, Bureau of Reclamation, US Forest Service, other federal agencies, and university experts says the water-hogging reputation of the two species has little merit, but found that effects on wildlife are mixed.
The USFS Forest Legacy Program has awarded a total of $72 million to 36 property owners in 33 states and territories to apply conservation easements to their land, with the goal of preventing development or other uses of the land that would reduce its forest value.
The proposed air toxics standards cover emissions from three types of combustion sources and address emissions of mercury, cadmium, dioxin, furans, formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid, and other pollutants.
The 2010 update to the Federal Trade Commission's Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims is expected to feature new guidance for marketing carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates, green packaging, textiles, building products, and building.
A new Web tool summarizes by state the number of smaller dischargers whose actions have been reviewed, the number that had a serious violation of their permit, and the number against whom a state took enforcement action.
Senator Benjamin Cardin (MD) will deliver the keynote address at the 2010 National Wetlands Award ceremony to be held on May 19 on Capitol Hill. In addition U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson will be on hand to present one of the six awards.
Preceding this year’s National Wetlands Awards Ceremony, the Environmental Law Institute will host a panel discussion that will include a look at new wetland restoration efforts, collecting data to show economic benefits, developments on greenhouse gas offsets, and how to adapt and protect wetlands from future loss.
Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/headlines/criminal-charges-likely-gulf-oil-spill-legal-experts-say
[2] http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/12/94061/federal-laws-point-to-criminal.html
[3] https://www.sej.org/headlines/kerry-lieberman-end-suspense-climate-bill-rollout
[4] http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/05/12/12climatewire-kerry-lieberman-to-end-the-suspense-with-cli-19936.html
[5] https://www.sej.org/headlines/oil-spill-investigators-find-critical-problems-blowout-preventer
[6] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/12/AR2010051202190.html?hpid=topnews
[7] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/russian-olives-and-tamarisk-get-little-federal-love
[8] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/feds-have-sent-nearly-650-million-private-forest-owners
[9] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/air-pollution-epa-proposes-tougher-industrial-boiler-regs
[10] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/greenwashers-beware-ftc-updating-its-green-guides
[11] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/epa-makes-water-polluters-little-easier-track
[12] https://www.sej.org/calendar/2010-national-wetlands-awards
[13] https://www.sej.org/calendar/resilient-wetlands-prosperous-economies
[14] https://www.sej.org/search_results
[15] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4672
[16] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4669
[17] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4670
[18] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4671
[19] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4674
[20] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4675
[21] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4676
[22] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4677
[23] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=5086