"The surge that's scheduled to hit the American coastline Wednesday isn't coming from a hurricane, but it could still leave a feeling of helplessness in its wake. Flood insurance rates are set to skyrocket when a new bill goes into effect on April 1."

"The Obama administration reaffirmed a 2008 government auction of Arctic drilling rights on Tuesday, delivering a major victory to Shell Oil Co. as it aims to resume exploratory drilling in the Chukchi Sea this summer."

"Royal Dutch Shell will resume drilling off Alaska after suspending operations for two years in the wake of an accident, the special U.S. envoy to the Arctic said on Monday, but gave no details as to when.'

"Dolphins are dying in unusually high numbers. Sea turtle nests are declining. Tuna are developing abnormally. And pelicans and gulls are still suffering from the lasting effects of a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico five years ago, the National Wildlife Federation warned in a report released Monday."

"If a new rule takes effect, about 95 percent of all pipelines would be subject to stricter safety testing because of their age, location and other factors."

"A group of Democratic senators wants to improve the safety of transporting oil by rail in the United States, following a series of high-profile derailments that led to fires and explosions."

"The embattled chairman of the Chemical Safety Board resigned late Thursday after President Obama asked him to step down, a White House official said."

"More than a half-billion dollars of Japanese taxpayer money has been wasted in the struggle to contain and cleanup the ongoing Fukushima nuclear disaster, according to a government audit."

"What had been an unusually quiet storm season broke out with a vengeance Wednesday, slashing across Oklahoma and killing one person."

"Vanuatu's government has launched a flash appeal to help thousands of people in urgent need of humanitarian aid in the wake of Cyclone Pam."