Environment

Administration Announces Temporary Freeze On Federal Land Mining Leases

6:14am January 18, 2016

by Stephanie Joyce

Last week, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced a moratorium on new coal leases on federal land while the department considers a comprehensive overhaul to the U.S. coal program.

Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Ron Bergeron handles a snake as part of the Python Challenge in the Everglades.

Hunting Snakes In The Everglades To Protect Native Species

2:40pm January 17, 2016

by Greg Allen

Burmese pythons in the Everglades are taking a big toll on native wildlife. To combat their spread, the state is holding its second Python Challenge — a hunt expected to draw over 1,000 participants.

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Flint Combats Lead-Contaminated Water Effects On Child Development

3:55pm January 16, 2016

Pediatrician Mona Hanna-Attisha discovered alarming levels of lead in the drinking water of Flint, Mich. NPR's Scott Simon asks her about an initiative she's leading to help the children affected.

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More Bad News For Coal Mine-Reliant States

8:27am January 16, 2016

by Stephanie Joyce

On Friday, the Obama administration announced a halt to new coal leases on federal land. In Wyoming, most of the federally-owned coal mines and revenue from coal leases pays for school construction.

This photo taken Nov. 3, 2015, shows SoCalGas crews and technical experts attempting to safely stop the flow of natural gas leaking from a storage well at the utility's Aliso Canyon facility in Los Angeles. Efforts to plug the well appear to have destabil

Gas Company Understated Benzene Exposure From California Leak

3:23pm January 15, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

SoCalGas wrote about two air samples with high levels of the carcinogen — but not about 12 others, the AP reports. And the LA Times writes that efforts to cap the well appear to have destabilized it.

The federal government will stop issuing new coal leases on some 570 million acres of federal land, under a new plan being released Friday. In this photo from 2013, coal is loaded onto a truck at a mine built on federally controlled land in Montana.

U.S. Announces Moratorium On New Coal Leases On Federal Lands

11:05am January 15, 2016

by Bill Chappell

The change won't affect existing leases, which generated nearly $1.3 billion for the federal government's coal program last year.

A scientist holds a northern long-eared bat suffering from the white-nose syndrome in LaSalle County, Ill.

Environmentalists Say 'Threatened' Status For Bats Not Enough

7:14am January 15, 2016

by Brian Mann

Northern long-eared bats were listed as a "threatened" species this week after being ravaged by a disease that has killed millions of bats. Some environmentalists say the protection is not enough.

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Environment

Low Oil Prices Interfere With What Recyclers Are Paid For Plastic

2:21pm January 14, 2016

by Stacey Vanek Smith

The price of oil has been on a downward dive for a couple of years. This has been great for some businesses and not so for others. One industry hit especially hard is the recycling business.

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Environment

Solar Firms Stop Selling Panels In Nevada To Protest State Rule Change

6:25pm January 13, 2016

by Jeff Brady

The latest battle over state subsidies for the solar industry is in Nevada. Regulators ruled against solar companies and they are closing operations in the state and laying off hundreds of employees.

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Environment

Volkswagen CEO: 'We Didn't Lie' About Emissions

2:30pm January 13, 2016

by Sonari Glinton

Volkswagen CEO Mattias Mueller, who was in Detroit earlier this week for the auto show, told NPR that the emissions cheating scandal was a technical problem and not an ethical one.

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