Today’s Essential Reads
FRACKING:
Michigan Lawmakers Consider Pushing for Openness in Natural Gas Harvesting
Michigan legislators are considering tightening the state’s regulations on a controversial natural gas extraction technique.
NC General Assembly to Debate Fracking Bill
Along with tuition increases and UNC workers’ rights, yet another controversial topic will be discussed on the N.C. General Assembly floor in May — hydraulic fracturing.
‘Fracking’ Advocates, Critics Gearing Up in Mich.
The fight over hydraulic fracturing is coming to Michigan, along with a significant environmental test for the Great Lakes state’s Republican governor.
Residents Near Colleyville Drill Site Do Their Own Air Testing
Rather than take the city’s word for air quality at a fracking site, three homeowners who live near it have shelled out their own money to monitor air emissions.
BP OIL SPILL:
Shrimp Processors Accuse BP of Discrimination in Oil Spill Settlement
The American Shrimp Processors Association recently said BP Plc’s proposed settlement of private plaintiffs’ claims from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill discriminates against some in the shrimp industry.
BP Oil Spill: Ex-Engineer Accused of Deleting Texts
A former BP engineer deleted text messages about the amount of oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico after the Macondo well blew out in 2010, the federal government alleged Tuesday in the first criminal case arising from the deadly spill.
Judge to Hold Hearing on Gulf Oil Spill Settlement
A federal judge in New Orleans is set to preside over a hearing on a proposed class-action settlement that would resolve billions of dollars in claims against BP over the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Ex-BP Engineer Appears in Chains to Face Criminal Charges
A former BP engineer appeared in federal court Tuesday chained at the wrist and ankles to face criminal charges that he intentionally deleted hundreds of text messages about the amount of oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico from the company’s blown-out well in 2010.
RADIATION:
Nuclear Engineer Arnie Gundersen: Fukushima Meltdown Could Result in 1 Million Cases of Cancer
The Obama administration is backing an expansion of nuclear power plants, but have the lessons of Fukushima been learned? We speak to former nuclear industry executive Arne Gundersen on the fallout from Fukushima, the design failures of the Mark I nuclear reactor used at Fukushima and many U.S. power plants, the economics of nuclear energy and the battle over nuclear power in his home state of Vermont.
