Misc

A new oil rig explosion off the Louisiana coast on Thursday led House Republicans and Democrats to trade accusations about oil drilling. The Mariner Energy production rig caught fire Thursday morning. Thirteen workers were rescued, one with injuries. There were reports of an oil sheen on the Gulf surface but it was unclear whether the […]

Members of a state oil spill task force on Wednesday sharply criticized independent claims administrator Kenneth R. Feinberg for his new claims review process while Attorney General Bill McCollum said he plans to meet with Feinberg to discuss their differences. The BP oil spill that began April 20 sent waves of oil ashore at Pensacola

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Wednesday approved a new process for identifying threatened species that would replace the controversial state listing process. The agency faced a firestorm of opposition in 2007 when it considered moving the manatee from endangered to the less protective “threatened” category on the state list. The commission delayed

The Florida Public Service Commission on Tuesday agreed to delay action until September on energy conservation plans proposed by six utilities. The PSC adopted conservation goals in January for the state’s five largest electric utilities and two city-owned utilities. They are subject to the Florida Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act (FEECA), adopted by the Legislature

State wildlife officials say they will get out of the business of determining whether species should be listed as endangered under a proposed new classification process. Environmental and some recreational groups say they support the proposed changes. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been wrangling for the past decade with the contentious issue

A Leon County circuit judge on Thursday struck down a controversial measure that dropped a requirement in state law that developers pay for new roads and schools in many areas. SB 360 was one of the most controversial bills of the 2009 legislative session. The measure lifted transportation “concurrency” requirements for new roads in designated

Conceptual rendering of American Renewables proposed plant in Gainesville Former Sen. Rod Smith of Gainesville and the Florida Wildlife Federation are among the individuals and groups voicing their support for a proposed biomass energy plant in Alachua County in advance of a hearing this week. CFO Alex Sink, who is running for governor with Smith

Florida is moving ahead with adopting its own rules to measure the health of estuaries despite its opposition to a federal proposal to do the same for lakes and rivers, Department of Environmental Protection officials said Tuesday. Department officials on Tuesday held a hearing in Tallahassee on proposed numeric nutrient criteria, which are specific limits

Bay County could claim that its recycling rate has more than doubled, from 19 to 44 percent, because it burns its waste to produce electricity. Six Florida counties could claim that they’re currently recycling more than 100 percent of their waste under a bill signed into law by Gov. Charlie Crist in May. But the

Gov. Charlie Crist says he would be pleased to meet again with the governors of Alabama and Georgia to discuss a water dispute — after negotiators from the states meet to work on finalizing proposals. The three states have been battling over water from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River since 1990. Alabama and Georgia want water for