U.S. rolls out tough rules on coal plant pollution

2011-12-21T13:30:09Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Wednesday unveiled the first-ever standards to slash mercury emissions from coal-fired plants, a move aimed at protecting public health that critics say will kill jobs as plants shut down.

Facing fierce opposition from industry groups and lawmakers from coal-intensive states, the Reuters) - Toxic contamination from coal ash, a waste product of coal-fired power plants, has been detected in ground water and soil at 20 sites in 10 U.S. states, an environmental watchdog group reported on Tuesday.

These sites are the latest to contribute to a total of 157 identified by the Reuters) - The U.S. environmental regulator said on Friday it slashed the cost of proposed pollution rules on industrial boilers by $1.5 billion year by allowing some plants to fine tune existing equipment or burn cleaner fuels.

The Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it will propose a long-delayed rule this week that aims to slash emissions of mercury, soot and lead from boilers and incinerators, a measure opposed by heavy industry and by Republicans in Congress.

EPA seen delaying CO2 rules on oil refineries

2011-11-21T09:30:30Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, struggling with an ambitious agenda on clean air regulations, will likely delay proposing the country's first ever greenhouse gas limits on oil refineries, sources on both sides of the issue said.

The EPA had bee...

EPA rules could shut 13,000 megawatts of Midwest coal plants

2011-11-18T06:00:39Z

(Reuters) - Proposed federal environmental regulations could shut about 13,000 megawatts of coal fired generation, boost power prices, threaten electric reliability and cost billions to retrofit or replace most of the region's existing coal fleet, according to U.S. power grid operator Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO).

Over the past few years, the Reuters) - The top U.S. environmental regulator will propose early next year twice-delayed rules on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, she told the energyNOW television show.

"I can't tell you what the regulations say right now, but what we are planning to do is release them early next calendar year,"

Companies cited by EPA for fake biofuel credits

2011-11-15T13:30:19Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Energy and financial companies caught up in a scheme involving fraudulent renewable energy credits could now face civil fines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA has issued 24 notices of violation to more than a dozen companies, includ...

Democrats ax bill to block US EPA clean air rule

2011-11-11T05:32:00Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democrats defeated a bill on Thursday that would have blocked federal environmental regulators from slashing power plant air pollution that blows downwind to other states and causes lung and heart problems.

The bill, s...

Democrats ax bill to block EPA clean air rule

2011-11-10T13:30:10Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democrats defeated a bill on Thursday that would have blocked federal environmental regulators from slashing power plant air pollution that blows downwind to other states and causes lung and heart problems.

The bill, sponsored by Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican and Tea Party favorite, n...

Democrats block bill to delay clean air rules

2011-11-03T15:30:29Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats on Thursday blocked the first major bill in the Senate that would have delayed the Environmental Protection Agency's clean air rules.

The bill, which needed 60 votes to pass, got only 47 votes. Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday it will postpone its final rule aimed at slashing air pollution from coal plants for a month, but made it clear it plans to move forward on the regulations.

The EPA said it needs the extra time to r...

EPA working on new wastewater rules for natgas

2011-10-20T14:00:18Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it will develop rules for disposing of wastewater produced from the country's booming shale gas industry after finding that pollutants were entering surface water due to inadequate waste treatment.

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Perry vows to unleash US energy boom

2011-10-14T18:30:45Z

Fading Republican 2012 candidate Rick Perry pledged Friday to unleash a new economic boom by throwing open land and seas to oil drilling and tapping America's status as the "Saudi Arabia of coal."

The Texas governor tried to revive his presidential campaign with the first of a series of policy speeches, in which he pledge...

House votes to delay pollution rules on boilers

2011-10-13T20:30:13Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday to delay Environmental Protection Agency limits on pollutants from industrial boilers, its latest move...

Texas says smog-rule changes ignore EPA errors

2011-10-13T15:30:11Z

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Small changes made to a federal smog pollution rule last week have not allayed fears of Texas regulators who worry the new rule could lead to increased rolling blackouts, Donna Nelson, chairman of the Texas Public Utility C...

Most Republican voters back clean air rules: poll

2011-10-12T14:00:11Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most Republican U.S. voters oppose congressional efforts to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency's air pollution rules, according to a survey conducted by two pollsters released on Wednesday.

Republicans in the Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday it was committed to finalizing a standard on mercury emissions by November 16 after 25 states urged a court to force the agency to delay the rule.

"EPA is committed to completing the Mercury and Ai...

Greens sue Obama administration over axed smog rule

2011-10-11T12:30:41Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Public health and environmental groups sued the Obama administration on Tuesday to overturn a decision that scrapped tougher standards on smog pollution which causes lung and heart problems.

Earthjustice, the Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it has proposed changes to a rule that aims to cut smog-forming chemicals from power plants in 27 states. The changes could result in slightly more pollution, but save the measure's health benefits.

The change...

EPA easing air quality rule for power plants: report

2011-10-05T14:30:12Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to ease a new air pollution rule that would require power plants in 27 states to slash emissions, The Wall Street Journal...

U.S. says air pollution rule change is minor tweak

2011-10-05T11:30:22Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. environmental regulators will not be buckling to political pressure in making the minor changes expected to an air pollution rule, an Obama administration official said on Wednesday in response to a newspaper report.

The rule would require...

House passes bill to block EPA clean air rules

2011-09-23T14:00:08Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives passed a bill on Friday to block regulations that force industry to reduce unhealthy air emissions, such as mercury from coal-fired power plants, but the White House has ...

Power plants can comply with green regulations: FERC

2011-09-14T14:00:12Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. power plants can comply with new environmental rules without disrupting the supply of electricity if providers and local authorities have time to plan for the changes, energy regulators told congressional Republicans seeking to unwind the rules.

"I believe this nati...

Ozone in smog damages health even at current level

2011-09-02T16:00:09Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Health experts lamented a move by U.S. President Barack Obama to halt rules on limiting smog pollution, saying the decision could endanger many people already susceptible to respiratory problems.

Under pressure from businesses and Republican lawmakers, the Reuters) - President Barack Obama put a stop on Friday to new rules that would limit smog pollution, unexpectedly reversing course on a key policy measure after businesses said it would kill jobs and cost them billions of dollars.

Obama said the decision to withdraw the draft Ozone National Ambient Air Quality S...

Obama to drop smog initiative

2011-09-02T10:30:10Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama unexpectedly asked the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday to withdraw a plan to limit smog pollution, handing a big win to business and Republicans ...

Obama asks EPA to withdraw draft ozone standard

2011-09-02T09:00:09Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama asked the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday to withdraw a plan that would tighten national air-quality standards.

Obama said the request was made a part o...

U.S. researchers find Roundup chemical in water, air

2011-08-31T13:30:10Z

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - Significant levels of the world's most-used herbicide have been detected in air and water samples from two U.S. farm states, government scientists said on Wednesday, in groundbreaking research on the active ingredient in Monsanto Co<...

Environmental assault

2011-08-24T02:31:22Z

GOP presidential candidates battle clean air, water by attacking EPA

Industrial growth and the popularity of automobiles transformed America from an agrarian society to a rapidly modernized country that became the envy of the world. But modernization came with a heavy price, as muscular factories and gas-fueled vehicles belched enough pollutants into the atmosphere. Allergy sufferers and those with asthma took notice. Reuters) - Fuel leaked from Enterprise Products Partners' natural gas liquids pipeline into the Missouri River in Iowa has dissipated or evaporated with little chance of recovery, the Reuters) - DuPont was ordered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop selling its Imprelis herbicide, following many complaints by customers that the treatment has killed thousands of trees.

The ...

EPA delays smog rule for fourth time

2011-07-26T13:30:17Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday it would again delay issuing a final limit on smog pollution opposed by manufacturers and many Republican lawmakers until the Obama administration...

U.S. regulators delay smog rule for fourth time

2011-07-26T12:00:45Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday it would again delay issuing a final limit on smog pollution opposed by manufacturers and many Republican lawmakers until the Obama administratio...

Ohio leads list of top 20 states with toxic air

2011-07-21T09:00:08Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People living in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida are most at risk in the United States from toxic emissions spewing from coal and oil-fired power plants, two leading American environmen...

No more oil to spill from Montana pipeline: EPA

2011-07-18T08:00:07Z

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The danger of more oil leaking from Exxon Mobil Corp's ruptured pipeline in Montana has been removed, the U.S. Environmental Protection A...

EPA announces initiative to restore urban waterways

2011-06-24T12:00:46Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Renewing urban waterways will be the focus of a new environmental initiative by the government, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday.

The multi-agency program will start with a seven-city pilot program to revitalize urban waterways in under-served commu...

U.S. extends comment time on power plant toxics rule

2011-06-21T11:00:20Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday it has extended the comment timeline by 30 days on a draft rule on reducing mercury emissions and other toxic pollution from power plants but left the target for finalization of the rule unchanged.

The ...

Oregon panel approves tough new clean water rules

2011-06-16T21:00:17Z

PORTLAND, Ore (Reuters) - Oregon's environmental regulators on Thursday approved new health-based water quality standards, touted as the toughest in the nation, for curtailing toxic pollutants in rivers and streams.

The rules, subject to approval by the Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under pressure from Republicans and big utilities, said on Monday it had extended a deadline by two months on draft rules that would for the fir...

EPA worried about leaks on planned Keystone pipe

2011-06-07T09:00:09Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency raised new concerns to the State Department about TransCanada Corp's proposed Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Friday rejected a challenge to the government's decision to allow California to cut greenhouse gas emissions from new cars sold in the state.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Reuters) - Two cattle groups filed suit in Florida on Thursday to overturn U.S. water pollution rules that also are challenged by Florida state officials and businesses as ruinously expensive.

The Environmental Protec...

EPA chief says will decide in July on U.S. dust rule

2011-04-19T15:30:20Z

PRAIRIE CITY, Iowa (Reuters) - The head of the Environmental Protection Agency said she will decide in July whether to tighten U.S. controls on dust, an issue that has stirred fear in farm country of costly federal regulation...

U.S. utilities push to delay EPA pollution rules

2011-04-18T12:30:33Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's timeline for implementing new rules requiring utilities to reduce emissions of toxic chemicals is too aggressive and could put the reliability of the nation's electric grid at risk, company executives said on Friday.<...

TVA to invest $3-$5 billion to settle EPA claims

2011-04-14T11:30:49Z

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will invest as much as $5 billion to reduce coal-plant emissions to settle allegations of Clean Air Act violations at 11 coal-fired power pla...

2011 budget deal would slash EPA budget 16 percent

2011-04-12T16:00:13Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency budget for this year will be cut 16 percent under government-wide reductions unveiled on Tuesday.

EPA funds would get a $1.6 billion cut for the fiscal year ending September 30 under Friday's last minute deal betw...

Cancer cause or crop aid? Herbicide faces big test

2011-04-08T09:30:17Z

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - Critics say it's a chemical that could cause infertility or cancer, while others see it speeding the growth of super weeds and causing worrying changes to plants and soil. Backers say it is safe and has made a big contribution to food production.

It's glyphosate, the key - but controversial -...

House passes bill to stop EPA climate program

2011-04-07T13:00:15Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives passed legislation on Thursday that would stop the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating emissions of gases blamed for...

Senate rejects measure to stop EPA on climate

2011-04-06T16:00:08Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate rejected a measure on Wednesday to permanently stop the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions blamed for warming the planet.

The EPA's rules to fight emissions remain one of

Republicans in new push to drill in Alaska reserve

2011-03-31T10:00:13Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Not yet a year after the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, Republicans are renewing efforts to drill for oil and gas in a fiercely contested Alaskan wildlife refuge.

Moving one day after President Barack Obama's unveiled a plan to cut Reuters) - Voting has been temporarily postponed in the Senate on proposals to stop, delay or pare back the Environmental Protection Agency's regulation of greenhouse gases linked to climate change problems.

Republican and some Democratic lawmakers are jockeying to...

Senate showdown looms over EPA carbon rules

2011-03-29T10:30:17Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate is moving toward a showdown vote on Wednesday over legislation that would block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions, a key energy initia...

Gasoline with higher ethanol blend available in U.S. soon

2011-03-10T15:30:14Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Gasoline containing up to 15 percent ethanol should be available for the coming summer driving season as the government moves to finalize labeling and other issues for the new motor fuel.

The Environmental Protection Agency approved in January raising th...

EPA says big budget cut would hurt public health

2011-03-02T15:30:15Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ability to protect citizens from premature death and other health problems would be gutted if Congress slashes funding as threatened by Republican lawmakers, its chief said on Wednesday.

Republicans in the

US issues cheaper boiler rules

2011-02-23T21:30:17Z

The US administration overhauled rules Wednesday to cut air pollution from industrial boilers and incinerators but at almost half the price of initial plans criticized by industrial groups.

US Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy said the final regulations would provide benefit...

U.S. air rules seen adding 1.5 mln jobs through 2015

2011-02-08T09:00:14Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Looming U.S. rules that power utilities face on air pollution could create nearly 1.5 million jobs over the next five years, according to a report.

Engineering, construction and pipefitting are some of the professions that could see a rise in jobs as Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it was disappointed with a federal court ruling giving the agency only 30 extra days to issue emission standards for boilers and solid waste and sewage sludge incinerators.

The EPA had sought one year ...

EPA sued over pesticides, endangered species

2011-01-20T16:00:09Z

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Environmental conservation groups sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday to force it to tighten regulation of pesticide use, arguing that the agency was not consulting wildlife off...

Coal industry fumes as US revokes mining permit

2011-01-14T18:30:28Z

The withdrawal of a permit for a controversial "mountaintop removal" coal mining operation has sparked outrage in the US industry, but was hailed as a victory for environmental protection and the health of nearby communities.

The move Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revoke licenses for a major open-pit mine in West Virginia, at ...

EPA "pollution diet" starves agriculture: farm group

2011-01-09T15:30:13Z

ATLANTA (Reuters) - The head of the largest U.S. farm group called on Congress to stop ruinous EPA "over-regulation" of agriculture and announced on Sunday a lawsuit against EPA rules to reduce Chesapeake Bay pollution.

EPA board stops Shell's Arctic clean air permits, possibly delaying ocean drilling

Alaska Native and conservation groups have succeeded in challenging clean air permits granted to Shell Oil to drill exploration wells in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas.

Numerous groups alleged that Shell's permits granted by the Oil refineries suing EPA over ruling for higher ethanol mix in gasoline

A trade group representing oil refineries is suing the Environmental Protection Agency over plans to allow the sale of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol.

The Obama administration said in October that...

Crocs no longer saying shoes are antimicrobial

2010-12-30T16:30:26Z

Crocs agrees to stop claiming its shoes are antimicrobial and to pay a $230,000 settlement

Regulators say Crocs Inc. has agreed to stop saying its brightly colored, lightweight clogs are antimicrobial and to pay $230,000 to resolve cases involving those claims.

Federal law considers products that kill or repel bacteria or germs to be pesticides, and those products have to be registered with the...

Texas, EPA fight over regulations grows fierce

2010-12-30T01:00:10Z

Texas, EPA fight over regulations grows fierce despite agreement that environment at risk

A longstanding tit-for-tat between Texas and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over how to regulate pollution has grown fierce in recent months, leaving industry frustrated and allowing some plants and refineries...

GE to go ahead with next phase of NY PCB dredging

2010-12-23T06:00:34Z

GE will go ahead with next phase of PCB dredging in NY's Hudson River, take $500M charge

General Electric Co. said Thursday it will go ahead with the next phase of PCB dredging in the Hudson River under terms laid out last week by federal environmental regulators.

The EPA chief: Agency likely to tighten drinking water standards amid concerns about carcinogen

The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday it would likely tighten drinking water standards to address potential health risks of a carcinogen recently detected in the tap water of 31 cities across the country.

EPA Administ...

Republicans plot death of EPA climate rules

2010-12-22T15:31:21Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans poised to take power in Congress are planning a rapid attack against a climate change initiative the Obama administration wants to launch on January 2, according to members of the Senate and ...

EPA announces cleanup plan for NM mine

2010-12-22T11:30:23Z

EPA proposes $500 million cleanup for Molycorp Superfund site near Questa

The operators of a molybdenum mine in northern New Mexico say there were no surprises in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announcement of a $500 mil...

Senators ask EPA to set chromium 6 standard

2010-12-21T17:00:25Z

Sens. Boxer, Feinstein call on EPA to set drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium

U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein have called on the Environmental Protection Agency to protect the p...

GE must do more to clean Hudson River: U.S. agency

2010-12-17T15:00:27Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday ordered General Electric Co to dredge deeper into the Hudson River...

GE must do more to clean Hudson River: EPA

2010-12-17T13:30:37Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday ordered General Electric Co to dredge deeper into the Hudson River ...

EPA issues new PCB dredging rules for GE in NY

2010-12-17T08:30:15Z

EPA sets new performance guides for next phase of GE's big Hudson River PCB dredging project

The federal government tells General Electric to dig deeper, take better samples and cap less of the Hudson River bottom when it starts the second phase of PCB cleanup in the waterway next year.

Capping means PCBs are le...

EPA says saccharin not a threat after all

2010-12-14T15:00:21Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has dropped the artificial sweetener saccharin from its list of hazardous substances, the agency said on Tuesday.

The white crystalline powder used in diet drinks, chewin...

Lead smelter's pending exodus tugs at Mo. town

2010-12-11T10:30:19Z

Planned shuttering of nation's biggest lead smelter tugs at conflicted Missouri town

The sprawling green space across from the Catholic church might be Herculaneum's prettiest asset, the kind of inviting place where people could flock to picnic or sling a Frisbee — if potential danger didn't lurk in the grass and ground.

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EPA postpones smog rule until July

2010-12-08T15:30:59Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday it was again delaying its final rule on smog limits, with the rule now expected by the end of July 2011.

This is the third time the agency has delayed the smog standards, originally slated to be final...

EPA delays stricter smog, mercury limits

2010-12-08T15:01:37Z

EPA delays plans for stricter air pollution limits; enviros say agency 'running scared' of GOP

The Environmental Protection Agency is delaying new rules that would impose stricter limits on several harmful air pollutants — smog, mercury and soot — drawing complaints from environmental groups who say the

EPA says gas driller contaminated Texas aquifer

2010-12-07T17:30:10Z

EPA: Gas driller contaminated Texas aquifer, 48 hours to give clean water to affected families

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued an emergency order accusing a Texas gas driller of contaminating an aquifer.

The EPA's letter Tuesday gave Range Resources of Forth Worth 48 hours to provid...

Florida sues EPA over new water pollution controls

2010-12-07T15:00:23Z

MIAMI (Reuters) - Florida filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday to block new water pollution controls in the recession-hit state.

The complaint, filed in fe...

Is Your House Making You Ill?

2010-11-30T12:39:27Z

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Green Dry Cleaning without Perc: Be Aware of Perchloroethylene Hazards

2010-11-29T14:33:35Z

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Federal Facilities Agreement

2010-11-30T12:38:06Z

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January 2011 RPM: Off-Road Truck News

2010-11-29T14:41:58Z

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EPA rates Volt 'all-electric' mpg at 93, range at 35 miles

2010-11-29T14:30:38Z

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Rated! 2011 Chevrolet Volt is EPA Certified f...

2010-11-29T14:30:31Z

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Nissan Leaf rated at 99 US mpg

2010-11-29T14:34:57Z

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Groups sue EPA over lead ammo, tackle

2010-11-23T13:00:46Z

Groups sue EPA in effort to prevent lead poisoning from hunting ammo, tackle

Three environmental groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday to force it to prevent lead poisoning of wildlife from spent ammunition and lost fishing tackle.

The lawsuit was filed in Houston ship channel. Texas and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are fighting over permitting and other bureaucratic issues, a battle that environmentalists, state regulators and the EPA ag...

Gulf Oil Spill Justice

2010-12-16T07:31:35Z

Attorney General Eric Holder, accompanied by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson, gestures during a news conference at the Justice Department in

Mountaintop Mining Protest

2010-09-27T16:15:44Z

Maggie Fry of Huntington W.Va., shouts with other protesters in front of the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, Monday, Sept. 27, 2010, during a demonstration calling for the end of mountaintop removal for mining. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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Pipeline Safety

2010-09-15T16:04:18Z

From left; National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Deborah Hersman, Transportation Deputy Secretary John Porcari, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Pipeline Leak

2010-09-13T12:30:43Z

A worker takes a break during cleanup from a oil spill caused by a leak in an Enbridge Energy Partners' underground pipe in Romeoville, Il., Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010. The leak from an oil pipeline near Chicago appeared to be slowing Saturday, and officials were hopeful they would be able to excavate the site soon t...

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