EPA won a decision at the D.C. Circuit in June 2012 allowing it to use its authority under the Clean Air Act to address climate change. With EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson leaving, how quickly will it act?
- By Christopher Ahlers, John David Baumgarten, Jared E. Schroder
"I would expect some action on ozone, some forward progress to happen on ozone, in the coming year," says Christopher Ahlers, a fellow at the Vermont Law School's Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic who is teaching an elective course on air pollution law and policy this semester.
Section 126 of the Clean Air Act authorizes individual states to file petitions with EPA to stop interstate air pollution, and it may be the most effective legal tool available. The question is how aggressively EPA will pursue it.
- By Christopher Ahlers, Will Bittinger
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Sackett v. EPA recognized that property owners have the right to immediately go to court to challenge the validity of administrative compliance orders issued by EPA under the Clean Water Act.
- By John Echeverria, Andrew Fowler
Federal judges ruled EPA exceeded its authority under the Clean Water Act in regulating the impacts of coal mining in Appalachia. EPA has appealed both cases, which could have major implications for its ability to control one of the most environmentally destructive practices in the country.
- By Patrick Parenteau, Rob Glover
After Tennessee Valley Authority was found liable for a massive coal ash spill, landowners this year will have to hire their own attorneys to press their individual claims. The larger question is whether facilities like the Kingston plant, with their inherent dangers to climate, waterways, and communities, are part of our continuing energy future.
- By Rebecca Purdom, Emily Remmel
With new water recycling technology powered by GE, two Texas power plants will be able to recycle more than 98 percent of wastewater and eliminate wastewater discharge to drought-ridden areas.
The Ohio EPA has awarded a $48,460 grant to help improve wetlands education opportunities associated with the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Association.
Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA), a non-profit humanitarian organization, and MWH Global, a strategic consulting, technical engineering and construction services firm leading the wet infrastructure sector, launched a new partnership to improve the lives of people around the world.
FreeWave’s reliable, long range and easily deployed radios gather and transmit critical data for water and wastewater facilities.
According to the EPA’s annual Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), air pollutants continue to decrease while toxic chemicals seem to be on the rise.
By researching the diet of lady beetles, USDA scientists have learned more about the movement of these insects and how they may be beneficial in farm fields by eating crop pests.
According to a new study, there are now five times as many record-breaking hot months worldwide than could be expected without long-term global warming.
As part of the new contract with GE and the world’s largest wastewater treatment plant, eight vertical variable-speed power conversion drive trains will power the STEP Feed Pipeline Project, GE solutions will increase energy efficiency, lower maintenance, and control plant water flow, and will help strengthen the presence of GE’s power conversion business in the Middle East Water Industry.
The NREL and Stanford are teaming up to develop peel-and-stick solar cells, which could become devices to charge battery operated products, such as cell phones, in the future.
NEBOSH has made changes to its popular National Certificate in Environmental Management to suit its growing international audience.
The completion of the new, clean rapid-response boilers and pipeline expansion will contribute to Philadelphia’s environmental and economic goals.
The annual Transportation Research Board Meeting, held Jan. 13-17, will highlight how using transportation research can lead to doing things smarter, better, and faster.
Environmental sustainability is being increasingly linked to initiatives in “lean manufacturing”, an area in which U.S. manufacturers have excelled for years. The focus of lean manufacturing is to reduce waste—wasted materials, motion, time, effort, inventory, transportation expense, and other expenses involved in the manufacturing process.
On Jan. 14, there will be a program relating to bioretention areas, also known as rain gardens, help at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center. The program will begin at 9 a.m. and last until 4 p.m.