Republicans to question EPA official on air-toxics rule for power plants
House Republicans will bring the Environmental Protection Agency’s No. 2 official before a committee today to question him on the economic impacts of a proposed air-toxics rule for power plants. The hearing comes as a coalition of states, including Texas, and utilities ask a federal court to delay the final rule’s issuance until late in 2012. More »
Environmental, health groups push for tighter car emission standards
Environmental and health groups pushed the Environmental Protection Agency to move forward with a rule expected later this year to tighten vehicle tailpipe standards for smog-forming emissions. The groups claim the proposal would add less than 1 cent to the per-gallon price of gasoline. More »
Democrats want hearing on study affirming global warming is real
Top Democrats requested a hearing on a study that was fronted by climate skeptic Richard Muller but still found that the Earth has been warming. More »
Texas takes its case against revised EPA rule to the agency
The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed revisions to its Cross-State Air Pollution Rule don’t satisfy Texas’ concerns about whether the state and its utilities can comply, a top state official told the agency today in Washington. More »
Exelon says EPA should finalize cross-state, toxics rules, citing costs
Chicago-based Exelon Corp. said Thursday the Environmental Protection Agency should finalize its upcoming Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and a separate power plant toxic emissions rule, saying that option would come at a much lower cost for electric utilities than subsidizing or mandating renewable energy. More »
Electric utilities, state official heading to D.C. to testify on air pollution rule
Susana N. Hildebrand, chief engineer for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, is among those who will speak at a hearing Friday on proposed revisions to the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule. The state of Texas has sued the EPA to block the rule. More »
Lawmakers push EPA on requiring fracturing fluid disclosure
Top House Democrats on environmental issues are suggesting the Environmental Protection Agency require oil and gas companies to report the ingredients of the fluids they use to hydraulically fracture wells after congressional investigators received inaccurate information on one ingredient. More »
Group says ‘farm dust’ rule ban would also block EPA fossil-fuel emissions regs
A Republican-fronted bill meant to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating coarse dust particles from farms and rural roads would inadvertently ban the agency from regulating dust emissions from industrial sources such as power plants, an environmental group said today. More »
Environmentalists challenge air permits for Shell’s Arctic drilling
Environmentalists on Monday mounted a legal challenge of the federal government’s decision to grant Shell Oil Co. air pollution permits it needs to drill exploratory wells in Arctic waters near Alaska. The challenge marks the second major attempt by environmentalists this year to block Shell’s plans for drilling in the region once ice clears next summer. More »
Embattled EPA air pollution rules “must continue,” top official says
The EPA will continue to push stronger rules on emissions by utilities despite industry and congressional opposition, the agency’s top air quality official says. More »
Niagara Falls envisions profit in ‘fracking’ waste
The city that put Love Canal and Superfund in the environmental lexicon may get back into the business of dealing with toxic waste — this time willingly. More »
Senate bill would block EPA regulation of coal ash
A bipartisan group of senators has introduced a bill similar to one in the House that would keep the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating disposal of ash from coal-burning power plants. More »
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