Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–July 24, 2013. Gina McCarthy, a veteran environmental regulator and President Obama’s pick to run the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), finally had her appointment confirmed by the U.S. Senate after an almost five month delay imposed by Senate Republicans. Ms. McCarthy’s appointment got caught up with other cabinet[Read More…]
Science
Court Finds Bush Era Ozone Standards Fail to Meet Legal Requirements to Protect Forests; Upholds Health Standard
Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–July 23, 2013. A federal appeals court today held that smog standards adopted during the Bush administration do not assure protection of forests and vegetation from ozone damage as the law requires. The court’s judgment found that in 2008 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) violated the Clean Air[Read More…]
Clean Water Advocates Push EPA on Washington State’s Toxic Fish Consumption Rules
Seattle, WA–(ENEWSPF)–July 23, 2013. Today, Waterkeepers Washington, a coalition of statewide clean water advocates, put the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on notice it could be sued under the federal Clean Water Act for failing to protect Washingtonians from toxic pollution entering Puget Sound, the Columbia River, the Spokane River[Read More…]
New Hampshire Becomes 19th State to Allow Medical Marijuana
CONCORD–(ENEWSPF)–July 23, 2013. Gov. Maggie Hassan signed a bill into law Tuesday making New Hampshire the 19th state to allow residents with serious illnesses to access and use medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it. “This legislation is long overdue and comes as a relief to the many seriously ill patients[Read More…]
The Disabilities Treaty: Opening the World to Americans with Disabilities
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–July 23, 2013. As the United States celebrates the 23rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act this week, Secretary of State John Kerry met today with senior representatives of veterans, religious, business, and disability rights organizations, all of whom are advocates for the Disabilities Treaty. Secretary Kerry noted[Read More…]
Two Shipping Firms Sentenced to Pay $10.4 Million for Obstructing Justice and Environmental Crimes for Concealing Vessel Pollution
$2.6 Million to Benefit New Jersey and Delaware Coasts Hit by Hurricane Sandy Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–July 23, 2013. Two shipping firms based in Germany and Cyprus were sentenced today in federal court in Newark, N.J., to pay a $10.4 million penalty for felony obstruction of justice charges and violating the Act[Read More…]
Oldest European Fort in the Inland US Discovered in Appalachians
ANN ARBOR–(ENEWSPF)–July 23, 2013. The remains of the earliest European fort in the interior of what is now the United States have been discovered by a team of archaeologists, providing new insight into the start of the U.S. colonial era and the all-too-human reasons spoiling Spanish dreams of gold and[Read More…]
Sea Level Rise: New Iceberg Theory Points to Areas at Risk of Rapid Disintegration
ANN ARBOR–(ENEWSPF)–July 23, 2013. In events that could exacerbate sea level rise over the coming decades, stretches of ice on the coasts of Antarctica and Greenland are at risk of rapidly cracking apart and falling into the ocean, according to new iceberg calving simulations from the University of Michigan. “If[Read More…]
Major Report Shows Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline Would Worsen Climate Change and Fails President’s Climate Test
Rejecting Keystone XL would avoid carbon pollution comparable to key Obama Administration truck rule emissions savings WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–July 23, 2013 – The proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline would significantly boost the carbon pollution that drives climate change, failing the test set by President Obama, according to a detailed analysis by[Read More…]
Nanoparticles in Athletic Wear: Don’t Sweat It?
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–July 23, 2013. When shopping for sportswear nowadays, you might notice the stickers or tags on some clothing items touting the apparel as “antimicrobial.” What’s not mentioned on those tags, however, is the point that these antimicrobials, often titanium dioxide or silver nanoparticles (nanosilver), are largely untested, and recent[Read More…]
