Environment Water

ALBANY, N.Y.— In a decision held up as an affirmation of the right of states to reject major oil and gas infrastructure, a federal court ruled Friday that New York acted properly when it blocked plans for a 124- mile natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania's shale fields. "We hope this sends a loud message that New York will not rubber stamp any project that fails to...

A lawsuit claims that Poland Spring Water is deceiving consumers with evergreen labels that say their bottle contains "100 percent natural spring water" that hails from Maine. The class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Connecticut claims that parent company Nestle Waters North America is bottling common groundwater that doesn't meet the...

HOUSTON, Aug 16- Major oil producers pushed up high bids at a Gulf of Mexico offshore auction to $121 million on Wednesday, a nearly seven-fold increase from a year ago, as their return to deep water exploration gained momentum. This compared with $18 million in high bids at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's Outer Continental Shelf auction last summer.

JAKARTA, Aug 16- Flash floods have left one worker missing and caused extensive damage to a power plant at U.S.-owned miner Freeport Indonesia's operations in the eastern-most province of Papua, company officials said on Wednesday. "One person remains unaccounted for after flash floods that occurred late Tuesday destroyed roads, bridges, water lines and most...

WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has signed a new executive order intended to make more efficient the federal permitting process for construction of transportation, water and other infrastructure projects without harming the environment. Trump's order includes revoking an earlier executive order signed by President Barack Obama...

WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency says it plans to scrap an Obama-era measure limiting water pollution from coal-fired power plants. "After carefully considering your petitions, I have decided that it is appropriate and in the public interest to conduct a rulemaking to potentially revise," Pruitt wrote in the letter addressed to the...

BISMARCK, N.D.— A federal judge has cleared the way for completion of a $244 million project to bring Missouri River water to residents of northwestern North Dakota, though the state of Missouri and the Canadian province of Manitoba can appeal. "This court's work is done because the Bureau of Reclamation has finally done its work," Collyer wrote.

BOISE, Idaho— A group that represents farmers says saving imperiled salmon in the largest river system in the Pacific Northwest is too costly and is turning to the Trump administration. The Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association wants the government to convene a Cabinet-level committee known as the "God Squad" with the power to allow exemptions to the...

Utah's $1.9 billion claim against the Environmental Protection Agency for a multi-state mine waste spill says Utah's water, soil and wildlife were damaged, but it offers no specifics. An EPA- led contractor crew inadvertently triggered the spill. The EPA said water quality quickly returned to pre-spill levels.

JERUSALEM, Aug 7- Mexican chemical firm Mexichem has agreed to buy an 80 percent stake in Israeli irrigation firm Netafim in a deal valuing the company at $1.895 billion, Netafim said on Monday. Mexichem will pay some $1.5 billion, acquiring a 61 percent stake owned by private equity firm Permira, which bought into Netafim in 2011, before it roughly doubled in...

Aug 4- Energy Transfer Partners LP said on Friday sabotage or an accident might have caused diesel to get into drilling fluid that spilled into an Ohio wetland during construction of its Rover natural gas pipeline, but opponents of the project disagreed with the sabotage theory. Once complete, the $4.2 billion Rover will carry gas from the Marcellus and Utica...

BENGALURU, Aug 2- Prices of silicon metal have risen to their highest in over a year because of a supply crunch created by production cuts by leading producers China and Russia. Major silicon producers in China and Russia have cutback their output due to higher costs for electricity and coal, traders said. Hydropower is a major source of electricity in China.

*But coal-reliant China raising aluminum output sharply. Operators of smelters powered by hydro-electricity in the likes of Norway, Russia and Canada are promoting their environmental credentials- and stealing a march on others that rely on coal or gas, notably in China and the Gulf. Nearly 200 countries have agreed to set targets for limiting CO2 emissions...

*But coal-reliant China raising aluminium output sharply. Operators of smelters powered by hydro-electricity in the likes of Norway, Russia and Canada are promoting their environmental credentials- and stealing a march on others that rely on coal or gas, notably in China and the Gulf. Nearly 200 countries have agreed to set targets for limiting CO2 emissions...

Aug 1- Activists on Tuesday attacked Wisconsin's plan to waive environmental reviews for Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn's proposed $10 billion LCD flat-screen factory, calling it a roadmap to destruction of precious state wetlands. Environmental groups, including Midwest Environmental Advocates and the Wisconsin League of Conservation...

DUBAI/ RIYADH, Aug 1- Several banks have submitted bids to Saudi Arabia's Saline Water Conversion Corporation to advise on the privatization of its $7.2 billion Ras Al Khair desalination and power plant, banking sources said, as the kingdom gears up for several state asset sales. Mizuho, BNP Paribas and GIB Capital were among banks to have submitted bids to act as...