Environment | WPN World People News

EPA Region 7 recently reached a settlement with Albaugh, LLC, concerning alleged Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) violations for misbranded pesticides. As part of the settlement, Albaugh has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $112,684 to the United States.

Environment MEPs advocate a full and immediate EU-wide ban on ivory and rhinoceros horn trade, and call for common sanctions at EU level against wildlife trafficking, in a resolution voted on Thursday. Wildlife trafficking is worth an estimated €20 billion annually. It has grown in recent years, becoming one of the biggest and most profitable forms of organised cross-border crime.

EPA Region 7 has reached an administrative settlement with Agri Star Meat & Poultry, LLC, of Postville, Iowa, to resolve industrial stormwater violations under the Clean Water Act. Under the settlement, Agri Star must comply with its industrial stormwater permit and pay a penalty of $43,000.

It has been 27 years since the United Nations General Assembly felt the urgency to call for an International Day for Disaster Reduction, established with the longterm objective of raising global awareness on how people are taking action to cope with disasters and tackle vulnerabilities.

New rules to curb the growing influx into the EU of plant pests, such as olive grove killer Xylella fastidiosa, and better equip member states to tackle their spread, were endorsed by the Agriculture Committee on Thursday.

People cross a flooded river in Haiti with the help of a rope and porters after the bridge was washed away by Hurricane Matthew.

New rules to curb the growing influx into the EU of plant pests, such as olive grove killer Xylella fastidiosa, and better equip member states to tackle their spread, were endorsed by the Agriculture Committee on Thursday. The draft rules, informally agreed by MEPs and member states last year, will introduce new preventive and rapid response mechanisms for suspect plant imports, step up pest surveillance efforts in the EU and require all member states to draw up outbreak contingency plans.

EPA Region 7 has reached a proposed administrative settlement with North Cascade Road Developers, LLC, to resolve violations of Section 402 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) at its Timber Hyrst Estates Residential Development in Dubuque, Iowa. As part of the settlement, the company has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $50,000.

Natural disasters – such as Hurricane Matthew – and climate change are having devastating effects on cities and the 4 billion people who live in them today. By 2030, without significant investment into making cities more resilient, natural disasters may cost cities worldwide $314 billion each year, up from around $250 billion today, and climate change may push up to 77 million more urban residents into poverty, according to a new report by the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR).

Ever heard of pangolins? Chances are you will never have a chance to see them up close. These mammals are the most trafficked worldwide and like rhinos and elephants are now on the brink of extinction. It's another example of wildlife trafficking poses a serious threat to the survival of our ecosystems. On Thursday 13 October, the environment committee votes on a report by Catherine Bearder on how EU and its members states should step up their efforts to combat wildlife trafficking.