1) High Court Shows Little Support for Courts to Regulate Emissions
A lawsuit by six states and New York City to force major power companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was met with seemingly unanimous skepticism from the justices during arguments at the Supreme Court. No one questioned the basic premise of the suit — that greenhouse gas emissions contribute to global warming, but there was essentially no support for the states’ position that courts are the proper forums in which to regulate the problem.
(Source: The New York Times)
2) 5 Gulf States to Receive $100M from BP for Environmental Cleanup
A day after the first anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster, rig operator BP agreed to give five gulf states $100 million each for environmental cleanup. The states — Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas — suffered environmental and economic damage as millions of gallons of oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico for 85 days last year until the spill was capped July 15.
(Source: Detroit Free Press)
3) Congress to Again Try Tackling Laws Restricting E-Waste
Congress will give another go at passing a law restricting how electronic devices get recycled in the coming months. Previous attempts at establishing a nationwide stance for preventing the transfer of the growing heap of TVs, cell phones, and computers from the United States to developing nations haven’t passed the committee stage.
(Source: CFO.com)
4) State Officials Offer 33 Concerns Over EPA Rules
If the administration is going to strip away some red tape, as President Obama said when he penned an executive order telling federal agencies to get rid of ineffective and outdated regulations, one group of top state officials has 33 good places for U.S. EPA to start. The executive order, which was signed in January, asked the members of the public to air their grievances.
(Source: The New York Times)
5) Senators Question EPA on Lead Paint Removal Rules
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, who battled a federal agency over lead paint removal rules last year, joined other senators in raising new concerns over the matter. As the ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the Oklahoma Republican also called for oversight hearings on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s approach.
(Source: Tulsa World)
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