2011 November Environment & Climate News

The November issue of Environment & Climate News reports that Kansas and Texas are leading a group of eight states suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its planned implementation of a new rule on “cross-state” air pollution.

Also in this issue:

• Solyndra, the most visible and lauded recipient of “green stimulus” money under the Obama administration, has gone bankrupt, leaving taxpayers on the hook for $535 million in loan guarantees.

• The cost of building transmission lines for expensive wind power in Texas is coming in nearly 40 percent higher than initially promised. Instead of $4.9 billion, as estimated in 2008, the transmission lines are now expected to cost $6.8 billion.

• The Board of Supervisors of Albemarle County in rural central Virginia has voted to remove the community from a national agreement aimed at getting local governments to encourage or mandate reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in their jurisdictions.

• Twelve Southern California water agencies are suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for expanding critical habitat areas for the Santa Ana sucker fish.

• Florida Gov. Rick Scott has slashed more than $700 million from the five water management districts in the state, with most of the cuts trimming back plans to purchase private property for land conservation purposes.

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is overestimating the amount of methane emissions from hydraulic fracturing production of natural gas, concludes a new study from an independent energy analysis firm.