• Fueled by Oil Boom, North Dakota Surplus to Hit $2 Billion
• BY: Stateline   |   North Dakota   |   June 21, 2012
• Thanks in large part to a boom in oil production, the state’s budget reserves are expected to top $2 billion by the end of June 30, 2013, the end of the two-year budget cycle, according to new figures.
• 2 Comments

• Philadelphia Trumps District of Columbia as Green Energy Leader
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Philadelphia   |   June 21, 2012
• Philadelphia became the largest U.S. city to join an Environmental Protection Agency program aimed at getting more people, businesses, institutions -- and more towns -- to purchase electricity generated by solar panels, wind turbines, and other "green" sources.
• 1 Comments

• Jerry Brown Scraps Environmental Exception for High-speed Rail
• Source: Los Angeles Times   |   California   |   June 21, 2012
• Environmental groups and others had criticized Gov. Brown's plans to protect the construction of California's high-speed rail network from injunctions.

• Boise Cuts Park Services -- to See If Anyone Notices
• Source: Idaho Statesman   |   Idaho   |   June 21, 2012
• City officials wanted to see the effects of cutting back on maintenance in the parks and the untainted response from users.

• Pollution Enforcement Drops in Florida Under Gov. Scott
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Florida   |   June 20, 2012
• Florida's enforcement of pollution laws has dropped significantly during the administration of Gov. Rick Scott, according to a report released Wednesday by an environmental group.

• Natural Gas Boom Strains State Regulators
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   June 20, 2012
• To keep pace with a surge of natural gas drilling, Ohio is looking to triple its staff of well inspectors. In many other states, though, inspection teams remain small while wells go unchecked, Stateline reports.

• Proposed Illinois Wind Farm Creates Environmental Controversy
• BY: Eli Richman   |   Whiteside County, Ill.   |   June 19, 2012
• A proposed Illinois wind farm created controversy when it became clear that the location interfered with the natural habitat of three endangered species.
• 1 Comments

• Senate Reaches Deal on Farm Bill
• Source: Roll Call   |   Nation   |   June 19, 2012
• Although final Senate approval is far from guaranteed, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced a 73-amendment agreement, which was agreed to by unanimous consent and includes measures both germane and nongermane to the bill. But it wasn’t secured easily.

• Boston's Recycling Rate Lags Behind Other Big Cities
• Source: Boston Globe   |   Boston   |   June 19, 2012
• Boston has nearly doubled its residential recycling rate over the past five years, yet fewer than 1 in 5 pieces of household waste gets recycled, significantly less than in other large cities around the country.

• California Nuclear Plant Problems Caused by Design Flaw, Feds Report
• Source: AP/Las Vegas Sun   |   California   |   June 19, 2012
• A botched computer analysis resulted in design flaws that are largely to blame for unprecedented wear in steam tubes at the San Onofre nuclear power plant, but it isn't clear how the problems can be fixed, federal regulators said.

• Vermont Implements Universal Recycling
• BY: Brian Peteritas   |   June 18, 2012
• A new law bans the disposal of any recyclable or compostable materials into landfills.

• Tsunami Debris Warrants Federal Help, Says Washington State Congresswoman
• BY: Leigh Ann Renzulli   |   Washington state   |   June 18, 2012
• U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell says West Coast states and communities cannot deal with tsunami debris on their own.

• EPA to Strengthen National Soot Standards
• Source: Washington Post   |   Nation   |   June 15, 2012
• The Environmental Protection Agency plans to announce a proposal to tighten the nation’s soot standards, a move that could help deliver major health benefits by the end of the decade but force some oil refiners, manufacturers and other operations to invest in pollution-abatement upgrades.

• Wyoming Oil and Gas Supervisor Resigns Following 'Greed' Comments
• Source: Casper Star-Tribune   |   Wyoming   |   June 15, 2012
• Tom Doll, who oversees the regulation of all oil and natural gas operations in the state, said those in the Pavillion area with water concerns possibly tied to natural gas drilling were motivated by greed, and he strongly criticized a federal investigation of the water complaints.

• Parklets Coming to Boston's Streets
• Source: Boston Globe   |   Boston   |   June 15, 2012
• City planners are refining a pilot program to turn parking spaces here and in three other neighborhoods into “parklets’’ - petite, three-season patios, with benches and planters atop platforms built flush with the sidewalk.