Greenwire

The operator of a Montana coal-fired power plant that announced its closure yesterday is blaming the decision to shutter operations largely on U.S. EPA's mercury and air toxics standards.

One of the Senate's most powerful critics of U.S. EPA regulation today gave a preview of his strategy to go on offense against his chief oversight target for the new Congress -- the Clean Power Plan.

The natural gas consumers industry is crying foul over a proposed rule on residential gas furnaces the Energy Department released yesterday.

To ramp up the fight against wildlife trafficking, the Obama administration today rolled out a new defense plan mainly focused on increasing U.S. and global enforcement efforts.

There's $1 billion up for grabs at Grand Canyon National Park for running its historic lodges and mule rides. But the National Park Service can't get a single bidder.

What more can the federal government do to ensure the United States stays ahead of the energy technology innovation curve? During today's OnPoint, recorded at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Innovation Summit, Cheryl Martin, deputy director for commercialization at ARPA-E, discusses her agency's evolution and the most compelling innovations coming out of this year's summit. Martin, who recently announced she will be leaving ARPA-E, also talks about her next steps in the energy sector.

Thai authorities have cleared a Buddhist temple that is popular with tourists from suspicions that it mistreats more than 100 tigers.

The Australian government is considering lifting its ban on nuclear power amid growing concerns about climate change.

Indonesian authorities seized and sank a boat carrying 2 metric tons of shark fins and 80 critically endangered Hawksbill turtles.

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) has changed his mind about resigning over a scandal involving his fiancée's consulting business.

A California consumer health group is lobbying the state to require new warning labels on chocolate products.

U.S. EPA is considering listing New Jersey's Hackensack River as a Superfund site after receiving a petition from the Hackensack Riverkeeper.

Residents in five northeastern Spanish towns were ordered to stay indoors early today after a chemical explosion at a warehouse released an orange, toxic cloud in the area.

While crop growing overall has become much more water-efficient since 2008, corn growers are responsible for drawing more water as cornfields spread into arid areas, according to an analysis of an Agriculture Department report.

The United States is sending a heavy icebreaker to help free 27 Australians trapped on a fishing boat in the icy Antarctic seas, the U.S. Coast Guard said yesterday.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is again hitting the road to rally support for more road funding.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has decided to close three investigations as it grapples with management challenges and a report that could shed light on dysfunction at the agency.

Critics of the California Public Utilities Commission are outraged that the current corruption investigation into former President Michael Peevey has not stopped him from being honored at a lavish fundraiser.