State of the Air 2014: 19 Texas Counties Continue to Struggle with Ozone Pollution
By Elena Craft, PhD Last week, the American Lung Association (ALA) released its annual State of the Air report, which reviews air pollution data compiled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for two of the most hazardous types of air pollution: ozone and particulate matter. Overall findings…
Spreading Good News About the Compost Protocol
By Robert Parkhurst There’s a growing excitement around spreading compost on rangelands to help fight climate change. Over the past four years we have learned that grazed rangelands are really good at pulling carbon out of the air and sequestering it in the soil below. And if you add compost just…
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: May 6, 2014
Still Counting Gulf Spill’s Dead Birds By Mark Schrope, The New York Times. May 5, 2014. “Melanie Driscoll, an ornithologist with the Audubon Society in Baton Rouge, La., said the work has “tremendous value” for restoration planning. But, she said, “this is a really big number, and…
Bill to Protect Louisiana’s Coastal Fund Passes House
May 5, 2014
Congress Take Note: New Reports Show Progress for US Fisheries
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) last week released two reports pointing to continued improvements in US fish stocks. Taken together, they send a clear message: that fisheries nationally are turning the corner as sustainable and more innovative management approaches take…
Climate change is already affecting the American people – National Climate Assessment
May 6, 2014
EDF Energy Innovation Series Feature: Green Charge Networks Provides 21st Century Technology for a 21st Century Grid
By Jim Marston EDF's Energy Innovation Series highlights innovations across a broad range of energy categories, including smart grid and renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency financing and progressive utilities, to name a few. This Series helps illustrate that cost-effective, clean…
Compelling Journeys, New Opportunities: 15 Years of Superfund Redevelopment
By Jim Woolford In 1996, Jonathon Harr wrote A Civil Action, a book highlighting two hundred years of poor industrial practices that led to contamination at the Wells G & H Superfund site in Woburn, MA. Three years after Harr’s publication, our Superfund program – the federal program…
Fertilizer and Feeding the Planet’s Growing Population
By Jenny Ahlen Last week, Walmart hosted its first Sustainable Product Expo , an event that brought together CEOs and sustainability leaders from some of the retail chain’s biggest supplier companies. Leaders from General Mills, Cargill, Dairy Farmers of America and PepsiCo, among others, joined…
Bill to Protect Louisiana’s Coastal Fund Passes House
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, eskree@edf.org Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, schatzele@nwf.org Erin Greeson, National Audubon Society, 503.913.8978, egreeson@audubon.org Bill to protect…
EPA Inspection Results in $2 Million Upgrade to Conway, Kan., Natural Gas Liquids Storage Facility to Reduce Harmful Emissions
Environmental News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Lenexa, Kan., May 5, 2014) – Environmental Protection Agency personnel conducted an inspection of the Mid-Continent Fractionation and Storage facility in Conway, Kan., in April, 2012. As a result of the inspection, Mid-Continent has agreed to spend…
Free Resources Help Protect Health as Summer Smog Season Begins
BOSTON – Early May traditionally marks the beginning of the summer smog season. Free resources available from EPA and state environmental agencies can help people easily find out about local air quality to protect health for themselves and their families. With warmer weather, New England will…
Dredging of Toxics Resumes in Upper Hudson River for Fifth Season; PCB Cleanup Designed to Restore Hudson River; Created Hundreds of New Jobs
(Fort Edward, NY) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that dredging operations are expected to resume on Wednesday in the Upper Hudson River. In 2014, dredging will begin south of Schuylerville, New York and proceed south towards Troy. Dredging will also occur in a two-mile…
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: May 5, 2014
A sign of things to come Editorial by The Daily Comet (Lafourche Parish, La.). May 3, 2014. “The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act is a long name for a federal law that has done a tremendous amount…” ( read more ) Parishes, states await decisions on BP fines By Xerxes…
EPA Announces Funding Availability to Clean Up Diesel Engines Nationwide
Environmental News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Lenexa, Kan., May 2, 2014) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today the availability of $9 million in grant funding for clean diesel projects to reduce diesel pollution and emissions exposure from the nation's existing fleet of…
Can Texas Keep the Lights On? Clean Energy Holds the Answer.
By Marita Mirzatuny On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of participating on a panel hosted by the Texas Tribune that centered on the future of Texas’ power grid and electric reliability. Joining me was John Fainter, president and CEO of Association of Electric Companies of Texas, Inc; Trip Doggett,…
Business is the New Environmentalist
By Elizabeth Sturcken I just returned from Walmart’s first Sustainable Products Expo , where thousands of suppliers gathered to talk about sustainability, show off their products and make commitments for action. There’s a new energy behind sustainability thanks to Walmart’s increasing efforts…
Can Texas Keep the Lights On? Clean Energy Holds the Answer.
By Marita Mirzatuny On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of participating on a panel hosted by the Texas Tribune that centered on the future of Texas’ power grid and electric reliability. Joining me was John Fainter, president and CEO of Association of Electric Companies of Texas, Inc; Trip Doggett,…
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: May 2, 2014
Louisiana to receive money from 2010 oil spill disaster (+video) By Tyana Williams, WAFB (Baton Rouge, La.). May 1, 2014. “But she says lawmakers have a bad habit of using one-time money to fill gaps in the budget. For example, she says this week, lawmakers took 51 million dollars from the Coastal…
EPA, Schools and Communities Work Together to Reduce Asthma
By Dr. Teresa Lipsett-Ruiz Visitors to Puerto Rico often come to bask in the island’s warmth and waves. But, our tropical environment also contributes to the asthma problem that affects about 1 in 10 people here. In close partnership with EPA, our university-based indoor air quality program builds…