A senior Washington correspondent for the Huffington Post reveals that NOAA has been giving BP all the raw data its research ships collect — but not releasing the data to the public 

After hearing for years about public concern over the adverse health and environmental effects of hydraulic fracturing used to increase production of natural gas, US EPA has begun a process (including 4 public meetings in July; CO, NY, PA, TX) to decide what the issues are and how to address them.

Counties, currently in 12 states with more likely to be added next year as a result of new lead monitors, must take steps within five years to meet the standard.

As drought blankets much of the western U.S. and Canada, so do grasshoppers, Mormon crickets, and other associated bugs. The cyclical insect infestations, which are occurring in pockets in every state west of the Mississippi and in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, range from light to very severe.

As the Gulf oil spill continues to spread and become a growing concern to more parts of the US, these key tools will help you tell and illustrate the story.

The National Trails system, already stretching more than 12,500 miles, expands with the addition of 31 more trails totalling 716 miles.

The changes affect only new drilling areas and may include greater consideration of environmental impacts, more public review, fewer "categorical exclusions" from environmental review, and more.