Greenwire

U.S. and Canadian officials unveiled regulations today that would effectively overhaul the entire fleet of U.S. crude oil tank cars in five years. The crude-by-rail safety rule -- jointly developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Transport Canada -- marks the most significant regulatory action since a runaway train hauling oil derailed and exploded killing 47 people two years ago in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec.

Is U.S. EPA's timeline to finalize 2014 and 2015 renewable fuel standard volume requirements by November 30 fast enough to ensure market stability among biofuels stakeholders? During today's OnPoint, Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs at the National Biodiesel Board, discusses the challenges facing the industry as it awaits EPA's decision and talks about why she believes the industry can meet increased volume requirements.

While the electric industry awaits the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's contribution on how to ensure against power outages under the Clean Power Plan, a U.S. EPA spokeswoman said Friday that the two agencies have already been in "ongoing discussions" following a series of FERC technical conferences.

More than a fifth of children tested in some of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods have high levels of lead in their bodies, records show.

Utility PG&E Corp. estimates that it will cost another $441 million to decommission an Arcata, Calif., nuclear power plant that was shut down in 1976, and it's not clear who will come up with the funds.

U.S. EPA is expected to finalize a rule this fall to regulate formaldehyde in wood products, after years of facing opposition from industry groups and lawmakers.

As drought continues to affect the West, perhaps no place is more crippled by the lack of water than Nevada's Lake Meade.

In Kern County, Calif., about 10 percent of farmland is watered using treated oil field wastewater from Chevron Corp., which presents a tempting option to reduce water waste but also raises questions about safety.

Airborne toxins and poverty combine to lower children's intelligence, according to a recent study of New York City children.

Several U.S. EPA employees are in the running for a distinguished civil service award.

Makers of vegetarian food are the latest group to weigh in on the contentious discussion on federal dietary guidelines.

The market for safer chemicals is likely to grow faster than for traditional compounds, as companies can save money by avoiding the environmental impacts and liability risks of legacy products, according to a new report.

The Chinese government has decided to scrap controversial export duties on the rare-earth elements tungsten and molybdenum, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman confirmed this morning.

The Obama administration's delays in setting annual renewable fuel targets are responsible for up to a $13.7 billion shortfall in investment for the advanced biofuels industry, according to a new industry report.

A legal dispute between the federal government, environmental groups and a Nevada county over who owns a road continues in its 16th year.

The Supreme Court today asked the Obama administration for its views on a challenge to Colorado's laws legalizing marijuana for adult use.

Winter was late coming, but it hit state transportation departments hard, according to a first-of-its-kind study conducted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation.

For the first time, scientists have been able to actively monitor an eruption at an undersea volcano about 300 miles off the Oregon coast.

Human activities could leave landscapes worldwide devoid of large herbivores, and the outlook is bleak without concerted international action, according to a new report.

Washington state's Department of Ecology has canceled a permit for oyster growers to use a pesticide on shellfish beds, as part of an agreement with the oyster farmers.

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