These two reports seem relevant… I find it interesting that environmental impact assessments have not been voluntarily completed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Seems to me an ethical requirement in this millenium when we are so environmentally conscious. As for the second report, I am curious how this will turn out: will North Carolina support fracking once again? Something I’m interested to follow…  Both are from the ASEE aggregator:

Environmental Groups Sue Army Corps Of Engineers Over Mississippi River Changes.

The AP  (5/23, Suhr) reports that on Thursday, environmental groups “sued” the Army Corps of Engineers “over the agency’s use of man-made structures meant to keep the Mississippi River navigable.” The Federal lawsuit claims “the techniques provoke flooding as seen during historic inundations four times in the last two decades” and asks the Army Corps “to resist building more ‘river training structures’ such as wing dikes, arch-shaped dikes known as chevrons, and rock dikes” until the Corps “comprehensively evaluates their environmental impacts along the vital commerce corridor.”

Bill Ending Fracking Ban Advances In North Carolina State Legislature.

The Washington Post  (5/22, Wilson) reported in its “Govbeat” blog that the North Carolina state Senate on Thursday cleared legislation that “would end the state’s moratorium on shale gas drilling, opening the door for new energy development that supporters say could bring thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars to the state.” The measure “would lift the moratorium on drilling by July 1, 2015, and would allow the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources to issue permits to energy companies that want to explore the state for oil and gas.” The state House is expected to pass the legislation in the coming weeks.