Across the East, fracking for natural gas is advancing in starts and stops — as some states embrace the practice, another bans it, and still more consider the risks and potential rewards of entering the fracking fray.
Blog Archives
Supreme Court Hears Challenges to Mercury Air Toxics Standards
In March, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation of air pollutants from power plants.
Revisions Expected for Surface Mine Blasting Rules
The federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement announced that it will revise current rules to prevent toxic gas emissions from surface coal mine blasting operations.
Mountaintop removal promotes lung cancer
The body of research linking mountaintop removal mining to lung cancer just got a whole lot stronger. Using dust samples collected in communities near mountaintop removal mines, a new study conducted by West Virginia University researchers found a direct link between air pollution and tumor growth.
Obama pulls the plug on mountaintop removal study
When President Obama first took office, he made a commitment that his agencies would always act on what the science dictated. I guess the way around taking actions, then, is to stop the science from ever being completed.
Get Ready: Confronting Carbon Pollution
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to reduce climate-changing carbon dioxide emissions from the nation’s existing power plants are expected to be unveiled on Monday, June 2. For environmental news junkies like us, this is the equivalent of the Super Bowl pre-game show. See what the buzz is about, and read our coverage of the rules in The Appalachian Voice.
High Courts Support Air Pollution Standards
By Brian Sewell A series of recent court rulings have supported air pollution standards proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, adding to the challenges facing utilities that rely heavily on coal. In April, a federal appeals court upheld the…
Like a “good neighbor,” the Supreme Court is there
The U.S. Supreme Court handed a significant win to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency when it revived a federal rule aimed at reducing air pollution that travels across state lines and harms the health of those downwind, and the ability of certain states to meet Clean Air Act requirements.
50th Anniversary of the Clean Air Act of 1963
Although the Clean Air Act was first enacted Dec. 17, 1963, it wasn’t until the 1970 Clean Air Act amendments that the law was substantial enough to make a memorable mark on history. Perhaps embarrassed by memories of the more clumsy and inept act of 1963, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency itself gave the 50th anniversary the cold shoulder — instead celebrating the of the amendments Dec. 31, 2010.
TAGS: Air Pollution Clean Air Act Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Environmental Protection Agency Greenhouse Gases
