In The News / Dec 22

• Genetically altered salmon are safe, FDA says.

  The Food and Drug Administration released its findings Friday that salmon genetically modified to grow twice as fast as its natural counterpart do not pose a threat to the environment and are “as safe as food from conventional Atlantic salmon.” Washington Post

• EPA imposes new pollution limits on boilers, cement plants.

  The Environmental Protection Agency finalized rules late Thursday to curb pollution from industrial boilers and cement plants, agreeing to give industry additional time for compliance and easing some emissions limits from earlier proposals. Washington Post

• Japanese flee radiation in Fukushima to faraway Okinawa, plan class-action after nuke disaster.

  Okinawa is about as far away as one can get from Fukushima without leaving Japan, and that is why Minaho Kubota is here. Associated Press

• Pesticide revelations stir debate in Israel.

  The latest report on pesticide use on Israeli farms has caused a slew of reactions. After testing samples of fruits and vegetables, the Ministry of Health found that 56 percent of them contained pesticide residues and 11 percent had residues above the limits set by the government. Al Jazeera, Qatar

• Collaborative brings affordable green home to Deanwood.

  Located in the Deanwood neighborhood of Ward 7, a new home is not only the District’s first “passive house” — a dwelling built to use substantially less energy — but also one of the few houses constructed in the United States that is both sustainable and affordable. Washington Post

• On ravaged coastline, it's rebuild deliberately vs. rebuild now.

  The big thinkers have emerged in force since Hurricane Sandy. But the actual decisions that will shape these communities are already being made by individual homeowners, providing reason to be skeptical that any cohesive, unified vision of a rebuilt coastline will eventually emerge. New York Times

• Review of the environment in 2012: In the eye of the storm.

  Reviewing the year in Britain environmentally, nothing stands out so much as the topsy-turvy nature of British weather over the past 12 months, which not only caused irritation and real difficulties to people all over the country, but raised larger concerns about a changing climate. The Independent, United Kingdom

• As Markey ponders, enviros dream of their hero in the Senate.

  Now that Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's nomination for secretary of State is official, some environmentalists are daring to whisper the three words that they have long dreamed to say: Sen. Ed Markey. E&E Daily

• Forests, fruit and fish could save coastal communities.

  Scientists predict that in the coming years, Bangladesh will be battered by even more climate disasters than it has already endured. It is also estimated that by 2050 some 18.5 million inhabitants of coastal Bangladesh will face hunger, homelessness and poverty as a result of climate change. Inter Press Service

• Hurricane relief bill clears hurdle in the Senate.

  A $60.4 billion bill to pay for recovery efforts in states pummeled by Hurricane Sandy took a major step toward passage in the Senate on Friday. Voting 91 to 1, Democrats and Republicans came together on a crucially important motion to end debate on the bill and schedule a vote next week. New York Times

• NEMA: Flood disaster overwhelmed our capacity in Nigeria.

  The National Emergency Management Agency Thursday said the country's resources and response capacity were seriously over-stretched by the magnitude of the recent massive flooding that ravaged 19 states of the federation. Lagos This Day, Nigeria

• Study finds flaws in pipeline leak detection systems.

  A forthcoming federal report on pipeline safety has found that members of the general public are more likely to identify oil and gas spills than the pipeline companies’ own leak detection systems, which identified leaks in hazardous liquid and gas transmission lines only 17 percent and 16 percent of the time. New York Times

• In Barnett Shale, monitors make sure that the air we breathe is safe.

  The monitors, four of which were installed this year in Arlington, Mansfield and Rhome in Wise County, are part of a network of machines designed to reveal exactly what's in the air we breathe every day. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas

• Judge approves BP class action settlement.

  In a big win for British oil giant BP in its effort to resolve liability from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a federal judge has given final approval to a multibillion dollar class action settlement between the company and individuals and businesses affected by the spill. Houston Chronicle

• New York county first to ban BPA in receipts.

  Suffolk County, New York, on Long Island, has become the first county in the nation to ban the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in sales receipts. Research suggests sales receipts could expose people to as much, or more, BPA than plastic food packaging and containers. Daily Green