Today’s Essential Reads
FRACKING:
US Politician Accidentally Legalises Fracking
Becky Carney, a Democratic member of the North Carolina general assembly, had been a vocal critic of plans to allow hydraulic fracking, a pollution-heavy method of extracting natural gas from the ground.
US Gov’t Issues Health Alert for Fracking Sands
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a health alert for oil and gas employees working with fine sands commonly used during the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing.
Oh Frack! Tired North Carolina Lawmaker Pushes Wrong Button, Accidentally OKs Fracking
Oh frack. A tired North Carolina lawmaker pushed the wrong button on a vote this week and accidentally approved the controversial mining process known as fracking.
Kingston Bans Fracking Fluid for Deicing
In an effort to protect environmental concerns the City of Kingston Common Council voted unanimously Tuesday evening to prohibit the treatment and storage of hydrofracking waste water in the City of Kingston as well as prohibiting the use of hydraulic fracturing brine as a deicing agent within the city limits.
BP OIL SPILL:
How Much Will the RESTORE Act Pay Out
In a rarely seen bipartisan move, Congress passed the RESTORE Act to distribute damages to be paid by British Petroleum as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
UWF Awarded BP Grant for Mental Health Project
The University of West Florida has been awarded a grant for more than $5 million to fund a mental health project.
Some Blaming Bad Shrimping Seasons on BP
Two years after the BP oil spill, shrimpers in the Gulf of Mexico say things have changed for the worse. Some say they’re hesitant to take settlement money from BP because the catch has been so bad the last two years, and they’re not sure when it will get better.
Bryant Taps 4 for Mississippi Oil Spill Recovery Ideas
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is appointing four agency directors to recommend state projects for recovery from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
RADIATION:
Inquiry Declares Fukushima Crisis a Man-Made Disaster
The nuclear accident at Fukushima was a preventable disaster rooted in government-industry collusion and the worst conformist conventions of Japanese culture, a parliamentary inquiry concluded on Thursday.
