Summary:  In response to the fatal hooking of a false killer whale in February, the National Marine Fisheries Service has warned that a second fatal hooking would trigger the shutdown of more than 100,000 square nautical miles of fishing water south of the Hawaiian Islands for the remainder of 2013. This is a condition of regulations established at the beginning of the year that also require the use of weaker hooks and thicker lines, which are less likely to endanger these animals, which are protected by the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Said Earthjustice attorney David Henkin, “The consequences for the false killer whale are severe. The consequences for the fishing industry could be likewise severe. If the agency hadn’t dragged its feet for years, these protections would have been in place in time.”

  Full Article:  http://www.kitv.com/news/hawaii/New-regulations-will-trigger-area-shutdown-after-second-fatal-hooking/-/8905354/19214496/-/i3iumg/-/index.html"

  Summary:  Colorado is considering making changes to its air pollution regulations that would include raising the allowable threshold from two to twenty-five tons of emissions per year, loosening requirements for pollution reporting.

"We need to get numbers as to what the impact of the permitting change would be," said Earthjustice attorney Mike Freeman. "If we're trying to get control of emissions from the oil and gas sector, we don't want to undercut that effort by removing a whole bunch of sources from air permitting requirements."

  Full Article:  http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22692101/colorado-rule-change-may-relax-air-pollution-reporting"

  Summary:  A New Mexico electrical utility will discontinue two highly polluting coal-burning units at its San Juan Generating Station and install modern pollution controls in an agreement with the EPA.

“While we are encouraged that the agreement will transition away from two units of dirty coal-burning power, until PNM and the State of New Mexico release the air quality modeling that explains the visibility and public health benefits of their alternative, we cannot assess the value of the agreement,” said Earthjustice attorney Suma Peesapati. “Any alternative approach to EPA’s federal plan must meet the minimum requirements of the Clean Air Act.”

  Full Article:  http://summitcountyvoice.com/2013/02/25/epa-moves-to-clear-the-air-in-four-corners-region/"

  Summary:  Citizens across the nation have filed more than two dozen lawsuits in the past year to demand the establishment of regulations on coal ash, which constitutes 136 million tons of waste per year. The lawsuits allege damaged water sources, property, and health as a direct result of energy companies’ negligence and pollution. Earthjustice is demanding that the EPA, which has offered no timeline for a long-delayed process of establishing rules for coal ash, review and make necessary revisions to regulations every three years.

“We’ve seen a real uptick in legal actions over coal ash in the vacuum left by EPA,” said Lisa Evans, the Earthjustice attorney suing the agency. “Despite inaction on the part of EPA, the damage keeps mounting.”

  Full Article:  http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/02/22/12223/epa-delays-new-coal-ash-rules-residents-turn-courts-relief"