COAL ASH: The storage in North Carolina of coal ash imported from India has been approved, as Duke Energy continues the cleanup of millions of tons of its own ash in the state. (Tribune News Service)
ALSO:
• A former West Virginia University researcher says published studies about the effects of mountaintop removal on public health provide adequate evidence to end the practice. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
• North Carolina’s DEQ sets new standards for drinking water filtration systems near coal ash sites. (WBTV)
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UTILITIES: Officials approved on Tuesday Dominion Energy’s switching station near Jamestown, Virginia, that will connect transmission lines to the rest of its grid, despite significant public opposition. (Virginia Gazette)
NUCLEAR: Florida Power & Light Company is moving forward in building two nuclear power reactors at Turkey Point as a review board signs off on a plan to pump wastewater underground. (Miami Herald)
PIPELINES: A Mountain Valley Pipeline survey crew surprised landowners in Virginia with an early-morning, unannounced visit a day after being asked to leave their properties. (Roanoke Times)
OIL & GAS:
• A Louisiana flood protection board asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive its lawsuit to make oil and gas companies pay for damage to coastal wetlands. (Associated Press)
• The U.S. Air Force would like to see an existing moratorium on offshore drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico extended another five years. (Tampa Bay Times)
NATURAL GAS: A Louisiana senator has introduced legislation to allow natural gas to be exported more quickly. (Global Trade Magazine)
SOLAR:
• Duke Energy Kentucky has received approval from state officials to build three new solar facilities. (Associated Press)
• The Navy and Mississippi Power held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday for the utility’s first-ever solar project. (Sun Herald)
• A brewery in North Carolina has added solar panels to generate half of its power. (Charlotte Business Journal)
COMMENTARY:
• Sierra Club officials say they will work to ensure the “dirty, expensive, unnecessary Kemper boondoggle” in Mississippi is not repeated elsewhere. (Huffington Post)
• Virginia’s renewable energy efforts show it is possible to create jobs and economic opportunities while still doing the right thing for the environment. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)