"The ethanol industry must be wondering where the bottom is. Profits are slim or non-existent and about 20 percent of all U.S. plants are shut down. In addition, ethanol's main by-product, which is sold as livestock feed, has raised potential food safety concerns.

"A former W.R. Grace & Co. executive testified he warned his superiors more than 30 years ago about asbestos contamination in vermiculite from a Montana mine and feared it might lead to criminal prosecution.

"With Congress and President Obama championing green energy, the solar industry sees an opening to pursue a goal it long considered unattainable: European-style subsidies for sun-generated power. The national trade group for solar manufacturers is discussing whether it should push for a national feed-in tariff, a funding mechanism that forces utilities to buy green power at premium prices. Popular in Germany and Spain, feed-in tariffs have gained little traction in the United States. But that is changing.

EPA is awarding $800,000 in grants to organizations working with communities throughout the country that struggle with environmental justice issues. Under the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program, 40 grants, up to $20,000 each, are going to community organizations and local and tribal governments in 28 states for projects aimed at addressing environmental and public health issues." Environment News Service had the story March 24, 2009.