Environment & Agriculture
Experts: Predicting CO2 pipeline rupture threats can be extremely costly
DES MOINES — A carbon dioxide plume modeling software did not anticipate the threat a pipeline break in 2020 posed to a small Mississippi town, largely because it did not take land topography into account. That break near Satartia, Mississippi, resulted in emergency responders scrambling to save people from a “green gas” and “rotten egg […]
Feds: Carbon dioxide pipelines are necessary to reduce emissions
Up to 60,000 miles of carbon dioxide pipeline must be installed in the United States to help eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, according to a federal engineer. Part of that mileage might come from proposed pipelines that would cross Iowa, Nebraska and other states and transport captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants for […]
Decarbonization ambitions ignite debate over mining, permitting
The decarbonized, electrified future envisioned by the Biden administration, state governments, automakers, utility companies and corporate sustainability goals depends to a huge degree on minerals and metals. Lots more lithium will be needed for car and truck batteries, as well as the big banks of batteries that are increasingly popping onto the electric grid to […]
Western lands fight erupts over Bureau of Land Management’s conservation proposal
One thing opponents and proponents of a recently proposed U.S. Bureau of Land Management rule agree on: It would be a major shift in how the agency manages nearly 250 million acres of federal lands. The rule would allow for conservation leases, similar to how the agency auctions off parcels of land for mining, livestock […]
Environmental groups seek Biden moratorium on carbon dioxide pipelines
President Joe Biden should prevent the construction of new carbon dioxide pipelines until changes to federal rules are adopted to increase their safety, opponents of the projects said Thursday. The call for an executive order to stall the projects comes as federal regulators consider changes to pipeline requirements and are set to hold a two-day […]
Cleanup of AltEn site enters new phase, waste could be headed to Omaha landfill
LINCOLN — Cleaning up a mountain of contaminated waste corn at the former AltEn ethanol plant has entered a new phase — one that might send another controversial cargo to an Omaha-area landfill. Officials with NewFields, the company hired to lead the cleanup, announced plans this week for a pilot project to discover the best, […]
U.S. Supreme Court rejects Biden wetlands regulation, ruling for Idaho couple
The U.S. Supreme Court in a major environmental decision on Thursday overturned the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of wetlands that fall under the agency’s jurisdiction, siding with an Idaho couple who said they should not be required to obtain federal permits to build on their property that lacked any navigable water. All nine justices agreed […]
Western states agree to Colorado River water-sharing agreement
The governors of Arizona, California and Nevada have announced a historic water-sharing agreement for the Colorado River in an attempt to salvage one of the West’s major sources of drinking water that has dwindled in severe drought. The agreement this week marks the culmination of months of tumultuous negotiations among seven Western states, whose 40 […]
Keystone pipeline owners knew of defect years before Kansas spill
Owners of the Keystone pipeline knew a defect had formed years before the strain finally caused the pipeline to burst and flood a Kansas creek with oil last year. The Keystone pipeline, owned by TC Energy, burst near the Kansas-Nebraska border late last year, spilling almost 13,000 barrels of oil onto adjacent farmland and into […]
Plans rev up for resurrection of iconic Pershing center mural
LINCOLN — Fans of the $4 million effort to resurrect the Pershing Center mural are celebrating a key financial contribution and are preparing to show off the iconic artwork’s future home to visitors during the Memorial Day holiday. The $250,000 donation from Lincoln’s Harbor of Dreams Foundation kicks off the next fundraising phase, said Liz […]
Major criminal justice reform bill limps past initial debate amid disagreements
LINCOLN — A major criminal justice proposal limped forward Monday night at the Nebraska Legislature amid lingering disagreements over sentencing policies. Legislative Bill 50 — which was the subject of sidebar negotiations throughout the day and into the evening — was advanced from first-round debate on a 28-8 vote. But the vote came only after […]
Photographs of endangered species by Nebraska’s Joel Sartore featured on new stamps
LINCOLN — Nebraska-based photographer Joel Sartore has spent much of his career documenting endangered species across the globe, starting with a naked mole rat at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo. Now his work, featured on National Geographic Explorer, will also be displayed in a new series of stamps. A series of 20 stamps, showcasing endangered animals […]