PIPELINES: A fine against Enbridge for the 2010 Kalamazoo River oil spill could be the largest ever imposed under the Clean Water Act; the EPA has until Saturday to act. (InsideClimate News)

ALSO:
• A former president of the Iowa Farm Bureau is leading a group that backs a proposed oil pipeline through the state. (Radio Iowa)
• South Dakota regulators lay down the ground rules for an upcoming hearing on Keystone XL. (Rapid City Journal)

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MINNESOTA: A new program helps farmers and other rural businesses navigate available funding for clean energy and efficiency upgrades. (Midwest Energy News)

WIND: Developers of a proposed Illinois wind farm say they’re still weighing options after the project was rejected by county officials. (Bloomington Pantagraph)

POLITICS:
• Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley defends extending tax breaks for renewable energy. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
• The Senate energy committee produces a bill that addresses priorities for both Republicans and Democrats. (The Hill)

COAL ASH: The U.S. House passes a bill to roll back federal coal ash rules. (The Hill)

OIL AND GAS:
• The EPA is seeking to prevent drillers from sending wastewater to municipal treatment facilities. (Houston Chronicle)
• A North Dakota county is placing tougher restrictions on temporary worker housing. (Williston Herald)

OIL BY RAIL:
• Federal regulators warn railroads to comply with a requirement that they notify states of large oil shipments. (McClatchy)
• Inspectors find 1 in 5 railroad bridges passing over Minnesota roadways are in need of repair. (Minnesota Public Radio)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: A lawsuit accuses the EPA of failing to investigate cases where pollution has disproportionately impacted communities of color in Michigan and four other states. (Courthouse News)

BIOFUELS: At an appearance in Iowa, three retired generals say maintaining the Renewable Fuel Standard is key to national security. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

COMMENTARY: How the Clean Power Plan can benefit Ohio’s economy. (NRDC Switchboard)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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