Furlough Friday: EPA, OMB, Interior, OSHA, IRS Closed for Business
"If four federal agencies closed their doors, would anyone notice?"
Source: Politico, 05/24/2013
Environmental Politics
"Grassroots Greens Challenge Environmental Defense Fund on Fracking"
"A coalition of grassroots environmental groups—plus a few professors and celebrities—issued a public message to the Environmental Defense Fund on Wednesday: You don't speak for us on fracking."
Source: Mother Jones, 05/23/2013
"Public Employees Sue Over ‘Political Deals’ Behind Wolf Delisting"
"WASHINGTON, DC -- The Obama Administration’s plan to remove the gray wolf from the protections of the Endangered Species Act, as detailed in a draft Federal Register notice released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, PEER, is temporarily on hold."
Source: ENS, 05/23/2013
"Bipartisan Senate Bill Would Give EPA Power To Ban Dangerous Chemicals"
"In a rare display of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill, a group of key senators unveiled legislation Wednesday that would require chemical companies to provide more health and safety information about their products and give regulators more power to force harmful compounds off the market."
Source: Chicago Tribune, 05/23/2013
"House Votes To Force Approval of Keystone Pipeline"
"The House of Representatives approved a bill as expected on Wednesday declaring that a presidential permit was not needed to approve the Canada-to-Nebraska leg of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, a move that would take a decision on the project away from the Obama administration."
Source: Reuters, 05/23/2013
Secret White House Review Paralyzes Chemical Safety
An EPA initiative to protect American consumers from toxic chemicals, especially endocrine disruptors, has run into a brick wall put up by the Obama White House three years ago due to secret urging of the chemical industry — even though the law requires information and arguments on which federal regulations are based to be open and on the record.
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Obama Admin Says It Won't Charge Reporters with Conspiracy to Commit Journalism
In the wake of the Justice Department's chilling seizure of AP phone records, the Department asserted that a Fox reporter violated the law by reporting the news. The unprecedented assertion was made by FBI agent Reginald B. Reyes in a search warrant application that was ultimately approved by a judge, allowing Reyes to snoop through the phone records of Fox News correspondent James Rosen.
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"House Farm Bill Offers NEPA Exclusions To Combat Beetle Infestations"
"The Forest Service would be allowed to forgo environmental reviews for forest thinning projects smaller than 10,000 acres under a provision in the House farm bill."
Source: E&E Daily, 05/22/2013
"KXL: White House Issues Veto Threat for House Pipeline Legislation"
"The White House [Tuesday] threatened to veto the latest version of House legislation designed to fast-track the controversial Keystone XL pipeline between Canada's oil sands and Gulf Coast refineries."
Source: E&E News PM, 05/22/2013
"For the Fourth Time Since 1956, Portland Voters Reject Fluoridation"
"For the fourth time since 1956, Portlanders on Tuesday night rejected a plan to fluoridate city water, 60 percent to 40 percent."
Source: Portland Oregonian, 05/22/2013
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