Environment | WPN World People News

Continuing the Obama Administration’s commitment to take action on climate change and protect public health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing commonsense proposed standards Tuesday that would reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) from the oil and natural gas industry. The proposal is a part of the Administration’s strategy under President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 to 45 percent from 2012 levels by 2025.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Monday announced a settlement with the Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority (DELCORA) resolving alleged Clean Water Act violations involving combined sewer overflows (CSOs) to the Delaware River and its tributaries. In a proposed consent decree, DELCORA has agreed to develop and implement a plan to control and significantly reduce overflows from its sewer system, which will improve the water quality of the Delaware River, Chester Creek and Ridley Creek near Philadelphia, Pa.

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts concluded a 12-day mission to review Indonesia’s regulatory framework for nuclear and radiation safety on 14 August.

Teck Metals Limited and Teck American Incorporated have reached a legally binding cleanup agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to begin removing lead and other contaminants from 15 properties in northeast Washington state.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded $503,071 to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to administer the state’s pollution prevention and control program. The program includes ambient monitoring, planning, permitting and compliance activities.

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday announced that Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, has received a $6.5 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant to monitor pollutants in Great Lakes fish over the next five years. This EPA grant continues funding for the university’s surveillance program to monitor Great Lakes fish for contamination from legacy pollutants such as PCBs, banned pesticides, mercury and from emerging chemicals of concern like flame retardants and personal care products.

Kiribati President Anote Tong Wednesday called for a global and immediate moratorium on all new coal mines and coal mine expansions, and has called on all State leaders to back his call to action in the lead up to the Paris climate talks in December.

The Government of India, the Governments of Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, and West Bengal and the World Bank Board Tuesday signed a US$ 308.40 million credit agreement in support of the second phase of the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Program (NCRMP). During this phase, the Project will help India reduce vulnerability to cyclone and other hydro-meteorological hazards of coastal communities in the states of Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. It will also work closely with the states to build their capacity to effectively plan for and respond to disasters.

“Even though one nuclear reactor has restarted, the nuclear industry is still fighting for its very survival in Japan. The lengths to which safety issues have been ignored in the Nuclear Regulation Authority’s (NRA) review process for the Sendai plant restart shows just how desperate the nuclear industry and their government allies are,” said Mamoru Sekiguchi, energy campaigner at Greenpeace Japan.