"In N.M., 3,600 Violations, 1 Court Case, 0 Fines"
"New Mexico oil and gas regulators haven't fined a single driller for violations this year. They didn't last year, either. Or the year before that."
"New Mexico oil and gas regulators haven't fined a single driller for violations this year. They didn't last year, either. Or the year before that."
"MIAMI -- A day before federal wildlife officials are set to send a message to poachers by destroying 6 tons of ivory, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced a $1 million reward program to combat the illegal wildlife trafficking trade."
"Just about the only local voice for protecting Baikal is facing possible shutdown at the hands of the Russian government. ...
"RENO, Nev. -- Rural neighbors of an abandoned World War II-era copper mine that has leaked toxic chemicals in northern Nevada for decades have won up to a $19.5 million settlement from companies they accused of covering up the contamination."
"The Transportation Department hit oil giant Exxon Mobil on Wednesday with a proposed $2.6 million fine for a pipeline rupture in Arkansas earlier this year."
For a decade now, the WatchDog has been telling the story of how the Office of Management and Budget sandbags public health regs, at the behest of business groups who stand to profit, by short-circuiting open legal procedures meant to ensure government integrity. The next chapter was told October 25, 2013, before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, Federal Rights and Agency Action.
On October 31, 2013, the White House issued a preview of its "Second Open Government National Action Plan," outlining some steps it hopes to take toward more transparent government. Is it a new direction for an administration whose words on openness have often not been matched by deeds — or a misdirection?
"President Barack Obama will use his executive powers to protect more mountains, rivers and forests from development if Congress does not act to preserve such wild spaces, the U.S. Interior Secretary said on Thursday."
"The White House is expected to take new steps on Friday to help society adapt to global warming, an acknowledgment that worldwide efforts to control emissions will be inadequate to head off big climatic shifts."
"BECKLEY, W.Va. -- The stately, wood-paneled chamber in the federal building here unsettled Gary Fox and his wife, Mary. Fox was used to the dusty caverns of the mines in the southern part of the state, where he'd spent more than 25 years working underground in the heart of Appalachian coal country. They had never been in a courtroom before."