"John Bryson, a former Southern California utility executive, tries to ease concerns that his environmental views are too liberal at his Senate confirmation hearing."
"A new coalition of public health advocates is urging Maine's two U.S. senators to take a stand against what they describe as a full-scale assault on the Clean Air Act by powerful corporate interests."
"After a brief but rancorous debate, a House committee approved a fast-tracked bill that would shift regulatory powers over water, wetlands and mountaintop-mining regulation from U.S. EPA to the states."
"Motorcyclists and ATV riders are revved up by a Republican plan that would remove restrictions on motorized access to 43 million acres of public land nationwide, while environmentalists say it would be a big mistake."
"The House has approved a bill removing a barrier to companies seeking to drill for oil in some areas offshore."
"Canada told the world Wednesday it opposes placing limits on the export of chrysotile asbestos -- a 'bombshell' expected to derail international efforts to list the mineral as hazardous."
"The science behind a new report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal is complicated, but the evidence is more precise than it has ever been: Sea levels are now rising at a faster rate than they were at any time in the past 2,000 years."
"MINOT, ND -- Minot city officials, residents and the North Dakota National Guard today worked together to ensure a safe evacuation of some 12,000 people and 4,200 homes in Minot, as the Souris River overtopped its levees, flooding streets and washing away some homes."
Thirteen new members join the ranks; 8 others are reappointed. The shift in members provides an opportunity to explore what each Council has been doing, whether the new people will shift its direction (and NOAA's), and what the fishing industry, the public, and various interest groups think about past decisions and future directions.
There is local news in these USDA and USFWS grants. These on-the-ground projects involve specific groups and individuals, offering prime examples of programs you can investigate to see whether federal tax dollars are being effectively and efficiently spent.
