Environment | WPN World People News

Following industry requests that EPA revive an ill-fated partnership to “promote” the reuse of toxic coal ash, 13 public health and environmental groups sent a letter urging EPA not to revive that controversial program and to complete a long-delayed study of historical coal ash fill sites as well as evaluate the risks of coal ash reuses, on December 18.

FMC Corporation has agreed to pay a $1 million penalty to settle alleged violations of federal pesticide regulations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on December 19.

On December 19, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached a settlement with Encore Oils, LLC and Ottone-Salinas, Inc., to take steps to reduce the risk of oil spills from their biodiesel processing facility in Salinas, CA to the Monterey Bay watershed. The agreement, which includes a $31,893 penalty, resolves several federal Clean Water Act violations.

The tax bill passed by both chambers of Congress includes language allowing oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, marking the end of long-standing statutory prohibitions against oil development in this cherished Alaskan wilderness, on December 19.

Plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions and boost absorption from forests as a way to tackle climate change were informally agreed by Parliament and Council on Thursday(December 14).

On 14 December, the Estonian presidency and the European Parliament reached an informal agreement on the land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) regulation. This will help reduce overall EU greenhouse gas emissions over the 2021-2030 period through the better protection and management of land and forests across the Union. EU ambassadors will assess this provisional deal with a view to endorsing it on 20 December 2017.

A New Bedford, Mass., industrial laundry company will take steps to significantly reduce air pollution from its operations under a settlement agreement recently finalized in federal district court. Under the settlement, which was filed concurrently with the complaint, Clean Uniforms and More also paid a penalty of $200,000 for its violations of the Clean Air Act.

To fight overconsumption and wasteful shopping during the holiday season, thousands of makers around the world have joined Greenpeace and its partners Fashion Revolution and Shareable for the MAKE SMTHNG week of action.