"The Republican-led House has voted to 'stop,' 'block' or 'undermine' efforts to protect the environment 110 times since taking over the majority in January, two senior Democrats said last week."

The debt ceiling deal enacted by the House Monday contains provisions that will profoundly affect federal policy on the environment and energy. Environmentalists are crying foul. The Senate may vote on it Tuesday.

"New studies in California and Wisconsin reveal a dirty little secret: Out of sight, many urban sewer pipes are failing and germ-ridden filth is bleeding out."

"Across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, valuable goods are being transported daily. But the goods - crude oil, gasoline and other hazardous liquids, as well as natural gas - are shipped out of sight, through transmission pipelines under the land and waters of the region."

"A group of eight senators is asking the FDA to cease consideration of the fish as food, and is threatening to pull funding for the study if the agency does not comply."

"The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is approaching completion of an ambitious study that concludes that a meltdown at a typical American reactor would lead to far fewer deaths than previously assumed."

"The Securities and Exchange Commission sent subpoenas this week to energy companies asking them for documents about how they calculate and publicly disclose the performance of their shale gas wells, according to oil and gas industry lawyers."

"President Barack Obama drew parallels between the debt showdown in Congress and a landmark agreement his administration has reached to ramp up fuel economy standards."

"Adjusting and adapting to an inevitably warmer world, more far-sighted private companies are moving forward even in the absence of strong government leadership globally and nationally. Understanding, anticipating and managing their risks are becoming those companies’ new, and challenging, reality."

"By year’s end, the Obama administration will announce a new plan to manage the nation’s 155 national forests for the next 15 to 20 years."