Environment

BP Products North America to Improve Spill Response Preparedness at Oil Terminals Nationwide / Company also agrees to pay $210,000 penalty for oil spill response violations at Maryland facility

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced that BP Products North America, Inc. will pay a $210,000 penalty and implement an enhanced oil spill response program at its oil terminals nationwide, as well as a comprehensive compliance audit to resolve alleged violations of oil spill response regulations at its Curtis Bay Terminal in Md.

Agreement Secures $25 Million Cleanup for the Rio Tinto Mine in Nevada / State of Nevada, U.S. EPA and Shoshone Paiute Tribes to oversee cleanup, creek improvement

The Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection announced a $25 million agreement for the cleanup of the Rio Tinto Mine, an abandoned copper mine in Elko County, Nev. Four companies have agreed to pay for the environmental project.

Refineries emit cancer-causing pollution including benzene

petrochemical_nasa_300_jpg_24341.jpg
An oil refinery in Corpus Christi, TX. The petrochemical industry annually releases large amounts of VOCs that contribute to smog, and include cancer-causing pollutants.

Destruction of Indonesia’s peatland forests and orangutan habitat continues despite moratorium on deforestation

Environmental activists have proof that Indonesia’s peatland forests, habitat for endangered orangutans, continue to be destroyed after the discovery this morning of fresh forest clearing by a plantation company who supply wood to Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), in Kuala Labai, West Kalimantan.

Greenpeace Indonesia and WALHI (Indonesian Environmental Forum) activists, along with Robi, lead singer of famous Balinese grunge band, Navicula, came across the fresh clearing in the middle of a plantation run by PT Asia Tani Persada.

Laos’ last chance to save last 6 river dolphins

a_dolphin_dead__entangled_in_a_gillnet___wwf_cambodia_429994_0.jpg
A dolphin is found dead, entangled in a gillnet.

WA Court of Appeals Rules County’s Plan to Manage Polluted Runoff Illegal

Taxpayer subsidy, fish-killing loopholes, scrapped by judges as violations to clean water laws

discharge_300_jpg_21216.jpg
Polluted runoff, or stormwater, is a toxic stew of metals, oil, grease, pesticide, herbicides, bacteria and nutrients. When it rains, the toxic runoff drains off roofs and streets in amounts that seriously degrade water quality and kill marine life.

Nearly 2 Million Displaced After India Floods

Flooding has killed at least 18 people and displaced nearly two million others in India's northeastern Assam state.

Greenpeace demands Japan end commercial whaling as new financial woes emerge

Greenpeace Japan and the Dolphin & Whale Action Network, a Japanese NGO, today demanded that the Japanese government end taxpayer subsidies for its unprofitable whaling industry as reports revealed that ongoing financial strain may keep Japan’s Southern Ocean whaling fleet in port this year.

The industry is reportedly seeking money from Japan’s 'Profitable Fisheries Support Fund' to prop up its 'scientific' whaling programme, despite separate reports earlier this year that indicated three quarters of the whales caught by the fleet near Japan went unsold at auction.

Coalition of U.S. Senators Say No to Arctic Oil & Gas Leases

Led by Senator Merkley, senators urge Secretary Salazar: Take Arctic drilling off the table

arctic_kitti_300_jpg_15617.jpg
From the letter: "In the event of an oil spill the response may be too slow and irreversible damage to ecosystems and species could result."

Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior ends two weeks of joint fisheries surveillance with Mozambique government

The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior ended on Monday its two week cooperation with the Mozambican Ministry of Fisheries. The organisation had been patrolling the country’s waters and facilitating inspections of foreign fishing vessels that mainly target high-value tuna and endangered sharks in Mozambique’s waters.

Due to limited resources, vast areas of Mozambique’s waters are not closely monitored, creating an opportunity for illegal and unreported fishing.