Environmental impact assessments

President Donald Trump listens as Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt speaks on proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act, at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

Trump proposes sweeping rollback of environmental oversight

Jan. 9, 2020 5:13 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a dramatic rollback of environmental oversight, President Donald Trump took action Thursday to clear the way and speed up development of a wide range of commercial projects by cutting back federal review of their impact on the environment. “The United States can’t compete...

FILE - This May 13, 2006 file photo shows a desert tortoise at its new home in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve east of Leeds, Utah. More than 16,000 public comments have been submitted for a proposal on whether to allow a highway to be built through a protected Mojave desert tortoise habitat in southern Utah. The four-lane road has drawn criticism from conservationists. The Spectrum newspaper reported the road would pass through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. Bureau of Land Management officials opened the public comment period in December 2019 and say they will now go through all of the comments before releasing a draft environmental impact statement. (Brain Passey/The Spectrum via AP, File)

Over 16K comment on highway set for desert tortoise habitat

Jan. 9, 2020 2:40 PM EST

ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) — More than 16,000 public comments have been submitted for a proposal on whether to allow a highway to be built through a protected Mojave desert tortoise habitat in southern Utah, federal officials said. The proposed four-lane road has drawn criticism from conservationists, because...

In this Oct. 20, 2019, photo an unsold 2019 Model X sits under a sign at a Tesla dealership in Littleton, Colo. Tesla says its global deliveries rose more than 50% last year meaning the company surpassed the low end of its sales goals for 2019. The electric car maker said Friday, Jan. 3, 2020, that it delivered a record of about 112,000 vehicles in the fourth quarter and about 367,500 for the full year. Tesla previously announced that it expected to deliver 360,000 to 400,000 units worldwide last year. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Tesla aims to build 500,000 vehicles per year near Berlin

Jan. 4, 2020 7:34 AM EST

BERLIN (AP) — Tesla plans to build half a million electric vehicles a year at its future factory outside Berlin. Planning documents posted online Friday reveal that the U.S. automaker wants to construct Model 3 and Model Y vehicles at the site in Gruenheide, as well as "future models.". The so-called...

FILE - This June 29, 2018 photo shows tanks at the Enbridge Energy terminal in Superior, Wis. An updated environmental review released by a state agency Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, found no serious threat to Lake Superior if crude oil ever leaked from a new pipeline to replace Enbridge Energy's aging Line 3 across northern Minnesota. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)

No major impacts on Lake Superior found from Line 3 pipeline

Dec. 9, 2019 5:51 PM EST

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — An updated environmental review released by a state agency Monday found no serious threat to Lake Superior if crude oil ever leaked from a new pipeline to replace Enbridge Energy's aging Line 3 across northern Minnesota. State regulators ordered the update after the Minnesota Court of...

FILE - In this 2017 file photo, Mark Keely, of Kalama, Wash., stands with other protesters outside the Washington Department of Ecology's Vancouver field office in 2017. Keely and others were demonstrating against the proposed methanol refinery that could be built in Kalama. The department dealt the project a setback on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, saying it could not proceed without further environmental review of its greenhouse gas emissions. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian via AP, File)

Washington state deals setback to massive methanol plant

Nov. 22, 2019 5:45 PM EST

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington state dealt a setback Friday to efforts to build one of the world’s biggest methanol plants on the Columbia River, saying that five years in, its backers had failed to provide enough information about its greenhouse gas emissions and how they would be offset. The $2 billion...

FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2011, file photo, a core sample drilled from underground rock near Ely, Minn., shows a band of shiny minerals containing copper, nickel and precious metals, center, that Twin Metals Minnesota LLC, hopes to mine near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota. Minnesota officials say they will do a state environmental impact statement for a proposed copper-nickel mine upstream of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski, File)

Minnesota to do state review of proposed copper-nickel mine

Nov. 22, 2019 4:43 PM EST

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota officials announced Friday that the state will conduct its own environmental review of a proposed copper-nickel mine, rather than join the federal government’s environmental assessment of the project that some say will pollute a pristine wilderness area. The Department...