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• EPA gives free lead blood testing in Pueblo

  March 15, 2012 7:48 PM

  Do you know if your children have high levels of lead in their blood? Folks from the EPA out of Denver came to the Pueblo Health Department Thursday to offer free blood testing to children and adults. Once they drew blood, results came back in just three minutes. Testers tell... more »

• More asbestos found in superfund site

  July 5, 2011 6:51 AM

  LIBBY, MONT. (AP) - Libby residents have longed for the day when they will be rid of the asbestos that turned their town into the nation's deadliest Superfund site. Now they are being forced to live through the agony again, thanks to two piles of bark and wood chips... more »

• Court sides with EPA on greenhouse gas emissions

  June 20, 2011 12:29 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court has blocked a federal lawsuit by states and conservation groups trying to force cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The court said Monday that the authority to seek reductions in emissions rests with the Environmental Protection Agency, not the courts. The... more »

• EPA sues Wyoming trailer park owner over drinking water

  May 8, 2011 2:51 PM

  ALCOVA, Wyo. (AP) - The Environmental Protection Agency is suing and seeking fines against the owner of two Wyoming trailer parks over allegations that he's not conducting the proper required tests on the properties' drinking water. The lawsuit against Colorado resident Roy Stricklin alleges that the EPA has been... more »

• Feds: No significant impacts from Baca drilling

  January 7, 2011 2:04 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Federal officials are again saying they don't believe exploratory drilling at the Baca National Wildlife Refuge will cause significant impacts. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service originally made that conclusion in 2008 after it reviewed plans from Lexam Explorations to drill wells to look for oil... more »

• Cotter uranium mill on track to close

  August 18, 2010 7:51 PM

  A uranium mill that has operated in Canon City for decades is now on track to permanently close. The Cotter Corporation now says it plans to shut down containment ponds that store millions of tons of toxic waste. Without containment ponds, the mill can't operate. The Cotter Uranium Mill sits... more »

• EPA: 1 million gallons of oil may be in Mich. river

  July 29, 2010 8:33 AM

  Federal officials now estimate that more than 1 million gallons of oil may have spilled into a major river in southern Michigan. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the update Wednesday night, shortly after the governor sharply criticized efforts to contain oil flowing down the Kalamazoo River. Gov. Jennifer... more »

• EPA takes new look at gas drilling, water issues

  July 21, 2010 11:59 AM

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is preparing this week for a third round of hearings - this time in Canonsburg, Pa. - on the controversial natural gas drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." A wealth of natural gas is locked into the Marcellus Shale deep beneath Pennsylvania, New... more »

• Oil spill reaches Lake Pontchartrain

  July 7, 2010 8:34 AM

  Lake Pontchartrain north of New Orleans is the latest site where oil from the ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico is appeared. The lake was rescued from pollution in 1990s and had once again become a bountiful fishing ground and a popular spot for boating and swimming. ... more »

• Colorado senators back EPA in global warming

  June 10, 2010 8:23 AM

  Colorado's two Democratic senators have affirmed support for federal environmental regulators as the Senate prepared to take its first vote on a measure some see as a test of the Senate's stand on climate change. Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet both have vowed to vote against a Republican-led... more »

• Obama threatens veto over greenhouse gases

  June 8, 2010 4:11 PM

  The White House has issued a veto threat against a Republican-led effort to block Environmental Protection Agency regulations on the levels of greenhouse gases that power plants and factories can release into the air. The veto threat comes two days before the Senate votes on a measure that would... more »

• Obama to meet oil spill panel chairmen today

  June 1, 2010 8:07 AM

  President Barack Obama plans to hold his first meeting today with the co-chairmen of an independent commission investigating the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Obama was to meet with Bob Graham, who is a former Florida governor and U.S. senator, and William K. Reilly, a former head of... more »

• EPA ramps up air quality monitoring for oil spill

  May 2, 2010 11:28 AM

  The Environmental Protection Agency says it's stepping up air quality monitoring on the Gulf Coast. There are concerns that vapors from the oil and controlled fires might cause health problems for people living in the region. An oil smell could cause headaches or nausea, but EPA spokesman Dave Bary said... more »

• EPA regulations at heart of protest

  April 20, 2010 3:27 PM

  EPA regulations were at the heart of a protest rally in Colorado Springs Tuesday afternoon. The group American's for Prosperity brought their nationwide Regulation Reality Tour to America the Beautiful Park. The group is protesting possible global warming regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency. AFP Colorado State Director Jeff Crank... more »

• Price to paint your home rising for some

  April 17, 2010 7:57 PM

  Kevin Murdock is hearing surprise from customers calling for a quote to get their house painted. "Many people are like, oh come on, you're just trying to sell me a job. Well kind of, but not really," Murdock explains. "They hop online then they call back and say, hey,... more »

• EPA tightens rules on pesticide linked to deaths

  April 10, 2010 10:14 AM

  Federal officials have moved quickly to clamp down on the use of potent rodent-killing pesticides after one was linked to the deaths of two Utah girls earlier this year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said aluminum and magnesium fumigants can no longer be used near homes. The agency added... more »

• EPA to issue stricter drinking water standards

  March 22, 2010 11:29 AM

  The Environmental Protection Agency is tightening drinking water standards to impose stricter limits on four contaminants that can cause cancer. In a speech Monday, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said the agency is developing stricter regulations for four compounds: tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, acrylamide and epichlorohydrin. All four chemical compounds can cause cancer.... more »

• EPA investigating flea and tick products

  March 17, 2010 1:52 PM

  The Environmental Protection Agency is trying to improve the safety of flea and tick treatments after seeing a significant increase in pets harmed by the products. The EPA says it will develop stricter testing and evaluation requirements for topical flea and tick treatments. The agency also will begin reviewing... more »

• US to allow states address rising ocean acidity

  March 14, 2010 12:41 PM

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it will consider ways the states can address rising acidity levels in oceans, which pose a serious threat to shellfish and other marine life. The federal agency's decision was announced in a legal settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity. The environmental... more »

• Disposal of coal ash a long haul

  March 8, 2010 12:51 PM

  More than a year after a Tennessee coal ash spill created one of the worst environmental disasters of its kind in U.S. history, the problem is seeping into several other states. It began Dec. 22, 2008, when a retaining pond burst at a coal-burning power plant, spilling 5.4 million... more »

• EPA's greenhouse gas finding being challenged

  February 16, 2010 12:52 PM

  Texas is taking the federal government to court over a ruling that says greenhouse gases present a danger to human health. Gov. Rick Perry and other state officials announced Tuesday that Texas has filed an appeal in federal court and plans to formally ask the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider... more »

• California to probe birth defects spike

  February 2, 2010 2:00 PM

  Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has ordered two state agencies to investigate a rash of birth defects that have confounded impoverished Kettleman City for more than a year. Schwarzenegger's intervention into a bitter environmental battle came as a surprise and relief to both residents and the activists who have been demanding... more »

• Feds get low grades on treatment of prairie dogs

  February 2, 2010 11:19 AM

  An environmental group has flunked one federal agency and given another a "D" on its annual report card on conservation of prairie dogs. WildEarth Guardians releases the report on Groundhog Day to draw attention to the rodent found in the West. Prairie dogs have been eliminated from much of their... more »

• EPA tightening smog rules

  January 7, 2010 12:34 PM

  The Environmental Protection Agency is setting stricter health standards for smog. Hundreds more counties nationwide will likely be in violation. The EPA says it will cost tens of billions dollars annually to reduce pollution to meet the limits. Smog irritates the lungs, and can lead to asthma attacks and other... more »

• EPA to unveil new policies on water at schools

  December 8, 2009 9:35 AM

  A federal official says the Environmental Protection Agency will unveil new policies on Tuesday designed to improve the enforcement of safe drinking water laws in small water systems nationwide. The new policies will bring new attention to school systems that have repeatedly violated safe drinking water requirements. The changes... more »

• EPA: Greenhouse gases endanger human health

  December 7, 2009 10:26 AM

  Officials tell The Associated Press that the Environmental Protection Agency has concluded greenhouse gases are endangering people's health and must be regulated. The EPA will announced its findings at a news conference Monday. The announcement is timed to boost the Obama administration's arguments at an international climate conference -... more »

• EPA: More engine tests needed on ethanol blends

  December 1, 2009 12:00 PM

  The Environmental Protection Agency wants more tests to determine if car engines can handle higher concentrations of ethanol in gasoline before deciding whether to increase the blend requirement from 10 to 15 percent. The EPA said Tuesday that two tests indicate engine performance should not be harmed by the... more »

• EPA, group look to settle suit over Utah rules

  November 25, 2009 7:40 AM

  An environmental group and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are seeking to settle a lawsuit aimed at getting Utah to change its air pollution regulations. WildEarth Guardians filed a lawsuit in September challenging Utah's rules, specifically a provision that the group says lets facilities exceed emissions limits when pollution-control... more »

• EPA cracks the whip on coal-fired power plants

  October 24, 2009 7:00 AM

  In a move praised by activists as a way to save lives but criticized by industry as potentially driving up electricity costs, the Obama administration has agreed to adopt rules reducing toxic emissions of mercury, soot and other chemicals from all coal-fired power plants in the U.S. Activists on... more »

• Feds order do-over on air permit for gas field

  October 16, 2009 11:00 AM

  Federal officials have ordered Colorado to redo an air permit for a natural gas compressor in Weld County. The Environmental Protection Agency issued an order this week, saying state regulators failed to adequately evaluate the overall impacts of pollution from the gas operations. The environmental group Rocky Mountain Clean Air... more »

• Airlines ordered to test, disinfect onboard water

  October 6, 2009 1:08 PM

  Federal regulators are issuing final rules requiring airlines to test and disinfect the water served to passengers and used in plane lavatories. The Environmental Protection Agency rules set out how frequently airlines must flush and disinfect the water systems on planes and test for coliform bacteria, which are associated with... more »

• DDT deposit off Southern California will be capped

  October 5, 2009 6:03 PM

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has chosen a $50 million strategy to place a cap of clean material on a vast deposit of DDT and PCBs on the ocean floor off Southern California. Keith Takata, EPA's Superfund director for the region, said Monday the cap will be placed over the... more »

• Government moves to curb greenhouse gas emissions

  October 1, 2009 12:02 PM

  Proposed regulations would require power plants, factories and refineries to reduce greenhouse gases by installing the best available technology and improving energy efficiency whenever a facility is significantly changed or built. The Environmental Protection Agency proposal announced Wednesday applies to any industrial plant that emits at least 25,000 tons... more »

• EPA: Limit plane deicing chemical runoff

  September 30, 2009 2:39 PM

  Every winter, airports across the country spray millions of gallons of deicing chemicals onto airliners and allow the runoff to trickle away. When the chemicals end up in nearby waterways, the deicing fluid can turn streams bright orange and create dead zones for aquatic life. The practice is legal,... more »

• Drinking water unsafe at thousands of schools

  September 25, 2009 12:20 PM

  Over the last decade, the drinking water at thousands of schools across the country has been found to contain unsafe levels of lead, pesticides and dozens of other toxins. An Associated Press investigation found that contaminants have surfaced at public and private schools in all 50 states - in... more »

• Mercury leaking at closed California mine sites

  September 18, 2009 12:09 PM

  Abandoned mercury mines throughout central California's rugged coastal mountains are polluting the state's major waterways, rendering fish unsafe to eat and risking the health of at least 100,000 impoverished people. But an Associated Press investigation found that the federal government has tried to clean up fewer than a dozen... more »

• EPA tightens limits on power plant water pollution

  September 15, 2009 1:09 PM

  For the first time in nearly 30 years, the Environmental Protection Agency plans to strengthen standards for water pollution from coal-fired power plants. The agency said Tuesday that equipment required to reduce air pollution has increased the harmful contaminants in water discharged by power plants. It also said that existing... more »

• Administration to unveil new fuel economy rules

  September 15, 2009 11:40 AM

  The Obama administration is unveiling plans to require higher efficiency standards for cars and trucks and tougher rules on vehicle greenhouse gas emissions. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson planned to release the proposed regulations Tuesday. They call for the auto industry's fleet of new vehicles to... more »

• BASF gets EPA approval for new herbicide

  September 15, 2009 11:11 AM

  German chemical company BASF SE says it has received U.S. approval to market a new herbicide to battle broadleaf weeds resistant to a chemical in commonly used herbicides like Roundup. BASF said Tuesday the Environmental Protection Agency has approved its Kixor herbicide for use in four products that will be... more »

• EPA identifies 79 coal mine permits for review

  September 11, 2009 12:46 PM

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified 79 coal mine permit applications in four Appalachian states for additional scrutiny. The agency said Friday it wants to make certain the proposed surface mines won't cause water pollution and violate the Clean Water Act. The mines are in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio... more »