Using BP criminal penalties for restoration a step forward to unprecedented civil fines Leading conservation groups praised DOJ for reaching a historic $4.5 billion settlement on the criminal charges stemming from the 2010 BP oil disaster …
CONTACTS: Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, eskree@edf.org Erin Greeson, National Audubon Society, 503.913.8978, egreeson@audubon.org Lacey McCormick, National Wildlife Federation, 512.203.3016, mccormick@nwf.org Scott Madere, Coalition to Restore Coastal…
Eyes now turn to an equally robust civil case Today, BP and the U.S. Department of Justice reached a $4 billion settlement pertaining to criminal charges stemming from the 2010 Gulf oil disaster. …
By Jim Marston Throughout 2012, EDF's Energy Innovation Series will highlight around 20 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 will…
By Colin Meehan Last week, the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUC) voted to approve a staged increase of wholesale offer price caps in the Texas electric market for the Electric Reliability Commission of Texas (ERCOT) in order to prop up lackluster investment interest in new power…
By Greg Gush I grew up in Northeastern Pennsylvania where there wasn’t much talk about protecting or preserving the environment. I was born a few years before the EPA and really don’t remember much of a celebration on the EPA’s birth. Living in an old farm house in the middle of nowhere –…
By Paula Flores I never imagined myself leading binational programs – much less championing an effort to introduce a serious message…and yet, here I am. My parents’ first job in the USA was migrant farm work. During my childhood, my parents traveled throughout the states picking different…
The multinational oil company, British Petroleum, has admitted to criminal activities related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. PRESS RELEASE BP confirms that it is in advanced discussions with the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding…
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- New Identification Resources: Antkey - ID Guide for Introduced Ants (Beta) Antkey is a community resource for the identification of invasive, introduced and commonly intercepted ant species from across the globe. Developed through…
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- Baiting Mosquitoes with Knowledge and Proven Insecticides (Nov 13, 2012) While one team of USDA scientists is testing the effectiveness of pesticides against mosquitoes, another group is learning how repellents work. An ARS…
BP Says in Talks to Settle Gulf Oil Spill Criminal Claims By Brian Swint and Margaret Cronin Fisk, Bloomberg News. November 15, 2012. "BP Plc (BP/), the owner of the Macondo well that in 2010 caused the worst U.S. oil spill, said it’s in talks with the government on resolutions to all…
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- Spraying Insecticide? There's an App for That (Nov 8, 2012) USDA scientists have released two mobile phone applications, or "apps," to make things easier for anyone who needs to adjust insecticide spray equipment. The…
By Namrita Kapur Affecting more than half the country, this summer’s drought has put water issues front of mind. As the risk to supply chains and communities where they operate increase, not surprisingly, companies are paying more attention to their water impact. Notably, this summer Facebook…
Restore Act would create jobs By Nikki Buskey, Houma Courier (Houma, La.). Nov. 13, 2012. "With billions of dollars in oil spill fines set to pay for restoration projects in the coming decade, local environmental and industry officials say the money could have a big impact on south…
Following the hottest summer ever on record, the Atlantic coast was rocked recently by super storm Sandy, both stark reminders that climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. This year had already seen effects of climate change take on a more prominent place…
NOAA and the Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) at the University of New Hampshire today announced research funding for three projects aimed at better understanding the impact of dispersed oil and chemical dispersants used during oil spills.
Groups call on Congress to pass five-year Farm Bill Wed, 2012-11-14 Contact: Sara Hopper, 202-572-3379, shopper@edf.org Chandler Clay, 202-572-3312, cclay@edf.org (Washington, D.C. — Nov. 13, 2012) With Congress returning to…
Two of the nation’s largest producers of wind-generated electric power will share privately-collected weather data with NOAA, providing agency scientists with additional observations from wind farms across the nation for research and operations.
By Richard Denison Richard Denison, Ph.D. , is a Senior Scientist. I provide in this post the comments I delivered as a panelist at the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) November 13, 2012 Public Stakeholder Meeting on its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program. EPA…
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- Coffee Production in Hot Water- The Impacts of Climate Change on the Future of Coffee Crops (Nov 13, 2012) The productivity of Arabica coffee and the distribution of many coffee pests and diseases are strongly linked to climate and…