RSS Feed
Archive for March, 2015
Derailed Oil Train Continues To Burn In Illinois
Posted by National Public Radio: David Shaper on March 7th, 2015
National Public Radio: A derailed oil train continues to burn in northwestern Illinois near the Mississippi River town of Galena more than 24 hours after it crashed.
It is the third fiery derailment of trains carrying crude from the Bakken area of North Dakota in the past three weeks, raising more questions about the volatility of the oil and the safety of the tank cars used to transport crude.
No one was hurt when the BNSF Railway freight train derailed at about 1:20 p.m. Thursday in a hilly and heavily wooded area...
Infrastructure boom threatens world’s last wildernesses
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 7th, 2015
Guardian: As developing countries continue to grow their populations and economies, new dams, mines, oil wells and cities will be built to support the expansion. But in a study published on Thursday, researchers said the localised impacts of these projects was “almost trivial” compared to the litany of woe caused by the roads that service them.
“When you’re talking about things like hydroelectric projects, mining projects, logging projects, what these things are doing is creating an economic impetus for...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Infrastructure boom threatens world’s last wildernessesOperators: Open Pit Mine in N Wisconsin Not Feasible
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 7th, 2015
Public News Service: After five years of trying to get permits and approval for a huge open pit taconite mine in Wisconsin's Northwoods at the southern shore of Lake Superior, Gogebic Taconite Corporation has announced it is closing up shop in Wisconsin. The company says further attempts to develop the mine are not feasible. The proposed mine would have been four-and-a-half-miles long and a mile deep, and environmentalists said all along it would create massive and irreversible environmental damage. Amber Meyer Smith,...
State of Tribes address draws one-sided cheers over mine company pullout
Posted by Wisconsin State Journal: Steven Verburg on March 7th, 2015
Wisconsin State Journal: The mention of the pullout of a mining company drew applause during the annual State of the Tribes address to Wisconsin legislators. "When it comes to the Penokee Hills mine, we are not going to see that mine happen," said Chris McGeshick, chairman of the Sokaogon Chippewa Community, who delivered the address. Minority Democrats in the Assembly chamber broke into loud applause while Republicans generally remained quiet. Gogebic Taconite, a company formed to dig a huge open-pit iron mine in Iron...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on State of Tribes address draws one-sided cheers over mine company pulloutEPA disputes Gogebic’s fears of agency blocking mine
Posted by Journal Sentinel: Lee Bergquist on March 7th, 2015
Journal Sentinel: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has disputed concerns raised by Gogebic Taconite that the agency might have tried blocking construction of its iron ore mine, as the EPA did last year with a large gold and copper mine in Alaska.
After nearly two years of planning, Gogebic said on Feb. 27 it was suspending plans for the $1.5 billion iron ore mine in the Bad River watershed, a tributary to Lake Superior.
Gogebic, also known as GTAC, said it was worried the EPA would draw on rarely used...
Leave action on climate policy to provinces, B.C. tells Ottawa
Posted by Globe and Mail: Shawn Mccarthy on March 7th, 2015
Globe and Mail: British Columbia Premier Christy Clark is telling Ottawa to refrain from imposing any carbon emissions regulations that would hinder growth in the energy sector, and to leave leadership on climate policy to the provinces.
In a speech to a conservative gathering in Ottawa, the Premier said on Friday that resource development is crucial to Canada's economic success, but must be accompanied by credible environmental protection to win public support.
Ms. Clark told reporters that Ottawa's role...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Leave action on climate policy to provinces, B.C. tells OttawaBP drops bid to oust Gulf spill claims administrator
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 6th, 2015
Reuters: BP Plc on Friday ended its bid to oust the administrator overseeing payouts to businesses and individuals claiming damages arising from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, citing steps the administrator has taken to reduce the threat of fraud.
The British oil company withdrew its appeal of a federal judge's decision not to remove the administrator, Patrick Juneau, who is reviewing claims under a 2012 settlement tied to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.
BP had long complained...
Once Again, A Record-Hot Winter for California
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 6th, 2015
Climate Central: As Yogi Berra famously said, "it's déjà vu all over again.' While much of the eastern U.S. digs out from yet another snow and ice storm, the West has capped off a decidedly toasty winter.
Rankings for average winter temperatures for each state in the Lower 48 for the winter of 2014-2015.
In fact, California, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and Washington each saw their hottest winter on record, according to data released Friday by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).
For California, this...
U.S. Constricts Snake Trade, But Boa Wriggles Free
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 6th, 2015
New York Times: The Fish and Wildlife Service is extending trade restrictions to four non-native constricting snakes, including reticulated and green anacondas, here seen in a pet owner's YouTube video. Only interstate trade or imports are banned. The Fish and Wildlife Service is extending trade restrictions to four non-native constricting snakes, including reticulated and green anacondas, here seen in a pet owner's YouTube video. Only interstate trade or...
Obama notes concerns over ‘extraordinarily dirty’ Canada oil extraction
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 6th, 2015
Reuters: U.S. President Barack Obama amplified the concerns of environmentalists about the Keystone XL oil pipeline on Friday and repeated his own reservations the project would have few benefits, but said he has not made a decision on the project.
Obama, explaining the debate over the pipeline to a group of students, described concerns about the "extraordinarily dirty" extraction methods for Canadian oilsands - a description the Canadian government has long argued is unfair.
"The reason that a lot...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Obama notes concerns over ‘extraordinarily dirty’ Canada oil extraction