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" State environmental officials say air sampling shows there’s been a drop in the chemical benzene since the closure of the Tonawanda Coke plant in western New York."

"A Belle Chasse marine contractor given the job of stopping a 14-year-old oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is defending itself against a lawsuit alleging it’s unqualified for the work and may cause more environmental damage."

"Cities and states would get more credit from the EPA for installing natural stormwater runoff systems under legislation that’s been cleared for President Donald Trump’s signature."

"The House passed a last-minute bill Dec. 21 to extend the National Flood Insurance Program through May."

"Rep. Lamar Smith's cattle brand is shaped like the number 2, with a check mark in the top right corner. It's supposed to be burned in the right hip of an animal."

"With a government shutdown looming, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday to boost logging and forest thinning on more than 4 million acres of federal lands to combat extreme wildfires."

"Norway said on Friday it would build a wind park in an area used for reindeer grazing despite U.N. calls to suspend the project to study the impact on the indigenous herders’ livelihoods."

"As the hours tick down toward a potential government shutdown, the National Park Service (NPS) is gearing up to clear out its staff across all national parks, but the parks will keep their gates open."

"The partial shutdown paralyzing large portions of the federal government may last into January when Democrats retake control of the House, the White House acknowledged Sunday, as negotiations over funding for President Trump’s border wall sputtered to a near-standstill and congressional leaders abandoned Washington for Christmas."