Authority to force environmental laws to be set up

September 30th, 2009 Conservationists sue EPA over prairie dog poisonKANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two conservation groups are suing the Environmental Protection Agency for its decision to register pesticides that curtail prairie dogs.

September 14th, 2009 Appeals court blocks BLM-Asarco land swapPHOENIX — A federal appeals court ruled Monday that a proposed land exchange between the federal Bureau of Land Management and copper miner Asarco LLC violates environmental laws. The ruling in the lawsuit filed by three environmental groups in 2001 overturns a lower court decision backing the exchange long sought by Asarco.

August 26th, 2009 Ceco Environmental gets $4.4M in ordersCINCINNATI — Air pollution control and industrial ventilation systems maker Ceco Environmental Corp. said Wednesday it received $4.4 million in new orders.

August 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A business with a green-oriented boss is more likely to "over-comply" with environmental regulations if it believes in protecting the environment and that it makes financial sense in the long term. The study examined why some firms violate environmental regulatory standards while others exceed them.

July 31st, 2009 China accepts 1st environment lawsuit against govtBEIJING — A court in southwest China has accepted the country's first lawsuit filed by an environmental group against a local government, a member of the group said Friday. The All-China Environmental Federation, a group backed by the government, filed the suit on behalf of residents against the local land resources bureau in Qingzhen city in Guizhou province, which sold land to a drink and ice cream processing plant they allege is a threat to a scenic lake area.

July 24th, 2009 Group claims the Wienermobile broke law in HawaiiHONOLULU — Not everyone would love to be an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile these days. The Outdoor Circle, an environmental group dedicated to protecting Hawaii's scenery, claims the beloved hot dog-shaped vehicle is in violation of the Hawaii's ban on vehicular advertising.

July 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Many projects will no longer need environmental impact assessment (EIA) and clearance from the government, according to amendments to EIA rules proposed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh informed parliament Monday that the proposals included: * Threshold limits of construction projects (that require clearance) would be raised from 20,000 to 50,000 square metres * Modernisation and expansion projects without increase in pollution load would be exempt from EIA provisions * Prospecting of minerals would be exempt * Biomass based power plans up to 50 MW would be exempt Ramesh informed the Rajya Sabha in response to a question that the amendments envisaged more involvement of civil society groups in environmental clearance.

July 13th, 2009 EPA writing rules for hardrock mine cleanupsDENVER — The Environmental Protection Agency, complying with a court order, will develop a rule to guarantee companies that mine everything from copper to uranium will pay for needed environmental cleanup, not taxpayers. The announcement on Monday comes in the wake of a federal judge's order in February requiring the EPA to close loopholes that allow some companies to get out of paying for such costly cleanups when they file bankruptcy.

July 1st, 2009 Judge overturns Bush administration logging ruleGRANTS PASS, Ore. — A federal judge has struck down the Bush administration's change to a rule designed to protect the northern spotted owl from logging in national forests.

June 26th, 2009 WTO: some trade limits OK to stop climate changeGENEVA — The World Trade Organization acknowledged Friday that some limits on free trade may be necessary to stop runaway climate change — provided the restrictions aren't a cover for protectionism. "WTO case law has confirmed that WTO rules do not trump environmental requirements," the global commerce body said.

June 20th, 2009 Calif regulators find pot smoke causes cancerSAN FRANCISCO — Marijuana smoke has joined tobacco smoke and hundreds of other chemicals on a list of substances California regulators say cause cancer. The ruling Friday by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment likely will force pot shops with 10 or more employees to post warnings.

June 18th, 2009 Gravel pit next to Glacier Park gets OK to expandHELENA, Mont. — Environmental regulators in Montana are allowing a gravel pit next to Glacier National Park to expand its operations, with restrictions to limit its noise and dust.

June 8th, 2009 Finland wants more details of Baltic gas pipelineHELSINKI — Finland says it needs more details of the environmental effects of a Baltic Sea gas pipeline planned between Russia and Germany before it can approve its construction. The Environment Ministry says it wants information about how the pipeline would affect fishing, toxic chemicals and unexploded ammunition on the seabed and nature reserves in Finnish territory.

June 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India will soon have an autonomous Environment Protection Authority (EPA) that will ensure industries comply with all the green laws of the country, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said here Friday, as his ministry had "no way to ensure strict compliance". "Not enough is being done to monitor environmental compliance," Ramesh said at the eighth corporate awards ceremony of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

May 29th, 2009 BHOPAL - The Madhya Pradesh government will soon set up a special force to protect the tiger reserves in the state, a forest department official said Friday. "The Special Tiger Protection Force will be set up in the state following the directives of the NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority)," the official quoted Minister of State for Forests Rajendra Shukla as saying.