Planning & Growth

Freedom of Information Sessions at SEJ's 2013 Annual Conference in Chattanooga

On Saturday, October 5: At 9:00 a.m. SEJ FOI Task Force Chair Tim Wheeler of the Baltimore Sun will moderate a session on overcoming obstacles put up by agency press offices to reporters who want to interview government officials. At 10:45 a.m. WatchDog Editor Joe Davis will present a hands-on session with tips for sleuthing dam and levee stories using federal databases like the National Inventory of Dams and the National Levee Database.

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October 22, 2013

ELI Annual Award Dinner

ELI (the Environmental Law Institute) will present the 2013 Environmental Achievement Award to former US Secretary of State George P. Shultz and "green" philanthropist Thomas F. Steyer to recognize their outstanding leadership to reduce climate change and advance clean energy. The Award will be presented to Shultz and Steyer at ELI’s annual dinner on Tuesday evening, October 22 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.

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October 22, 2013

U.S. Agriculture and the Global Environment

This year's Environmental Law Institute – Miriam Hamilton Keare Policy Forum, in Washington, DC, will focus on the environmental and human effects of modern agriculture through the lens of the Farm Bill. Open to the public; RSVP by Oct 14th.

Professional Meetings

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September 18, 2013

The Smart Grid: The Policy Challenges of a Connected Grid

In our final Smart Grid mini-series panel, legal and energy policy experts will help us understand those more personal implications of the Smart Grid, including active and passive demand management, smart meters, time-of-use pricing, as well as the consumer and privacy issues that they raise. Co-sponsored by the Environmental Law Institute at the UC Berkeley School of Law (and via teleconference).

Professional Meetings

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Planning & Growth

Laws & Regulations

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Energy & Fuel

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National (U.S.)

Chemical Safety: Right-To-Know? No — Not Exactly

The system for informing Americans about the threats to their health and safety posed by chemical plants is seriously broken, a Reuters investigation revealed August 10, 2013. Facilities often misidentify chemicals or their location, or fail to report the existence of the substances. But there are tools to help reporters.

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July 15, 2013

Wetlands, Wildlife Habitat, and Flood Hazards in the Rock River Basin Webinar Series: Wetland Restoration in the Rock River Basin

This Environmental Law Institute webinar series is designed to identify opportunities for emergency, floodplain, and wetland management agencies to work together to maximize the flood control and ecosystem service benefits of our wetlands, thereby saving financial and environmental resources and building community resilience to climate change.

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Why Is EPA Taking So Long To Write a Stormwater Rule? It's Complicated

"Grand Rapids, Mich., is placing a bet that restoring the white water that gave the city its name will make it a destination for kayakers and other outdoors enthusiasts."

Environmental Politics

Source: Greenwire, 07/08/2013

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"Massive Bat Cave Stirs Texas-Size Debate Over Development"

"The Bracken Bat Cave, just north of San Antonio, is as rural as it gets. You have to drive down a long, 2-mile rocky road to reach it. There's nothing nearby — no lights, no running water. The only thing you hear are the katydids."

Planning & Growth

Water & Oceans

Public

Southwest (AZ NM OK TX)

Source: NPR, 06/12/2013

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"Group Rates Minneapolis as Top U.S. City Park System"

"Minneapolis, where 94% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, has the U.S.' best park system, according to new rankings by a national non-profit conservation group."

Source: USA TODAY, 06/06/2013