Soil Manufacturers Find Rock Dust Really Rocks

By P.J. Heller Cascade Minerals message for soil manufacturers and compost producers is simple: “rock on.” And those who are following that advice — by incorporating rock dust into their products — are discovering new ways to market their goods, grow their business and attract a loyal customer following. “I do really feel like it’s a good selling point for …

Federal Government Imposes New Efficiency Regulations on Heavy Duty Trucks

By H. Sterling Burnett The Obama administration has imposed expensive new regulations on heavy duty trucks to fight climate change. On August 16, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finalized new fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles as called for by President Obama’s Climate Action Plan. The standards …

EPA Inspector General Says EPA Violating Renewable Fuel Reporting Requirements

By H. Sterling Burnett A new report by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Inspector General says EPA’s Office of Research and Development has failed to report to Congress on the environmental impacts of biofuels as required by law. According to a new report by the Inspector General (IG) of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), EPA’s Office of Research and Development has …

What Is It About This Soil That Protects Plants From Devastating Disease?

By Kayleigh O’Keeffe Figuring out why certain soils keep plant parasites at bay could be a boon for agriculture around the globe September 21, 2016 — Plants around the world are constantly under attack — often with big implications for humans. In the 1960s, millions of elm trees in Britain, France and the U.S. fell victim to Dutch elm disease, …

Spontaneous Combustion Not Possible in Mulched Beds, Industry Says

By Ken McEntee Dry hot weather combined with indoor smoking bans create the ideal conditions for fires in mulched landscape beds. Such fires are on the rise across the country. “There seems to be a recent blossoming of local news reports relative to mulch fires in the planting beds of homes and businesses,” noted Robert LaGasse, executive director of the …

Green Activists and State AGs Collude Against Climate Dissenters

By Bonner R. Cohen E-mails uncovered by the Energy and Environment Legal Institute (EELI) show several state attorneys general (AGs) who have threatened possible prosecution of climate skeptics had collaborated in previous months with anti-fossil-fuel lobbyists to shape their legal and public relations strategies. At a March 29 press conference hosted by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, with former …

Burning Issues Continue Over Wood As Energy Source

By P.J. Heller New battle lines are being drawn in both the United States and Europe over the contentious issue of whether emissions from power plants burning wood pellets to produce energy are carbon-neutral or if they are actually generating more carbon emissions than if the plants were burning only coal. The outcome could have major implications for the mulch …

Lawsuits Are Piling Up Against EPA

By Ann N. Purvis Lawsuits challenging various environmental regulations are piling up. On March 3, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts declined to halt an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule regulating mercury emissions from power plants. The rule is currently under review in the Washington, DC Court of Appeals. In February, the Supreme Court placed a temporary stay on …

Study Linking Contaminated Ground Water to Mulch, Compost Facilities Challenged

By P.J. Heller A study by Suffolk County (NY) health officials linking ground water contamination to nearby composting and mulch facilities — prompting New York State to consider new regulations on such operations — has generated numerous questions and widespread criticism and could have major implications nationwide for the industry. “I personally think it’s a croc . . . ” …