skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 13, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

As shutdown deadline nears, Senate Democrats say they won't vote for GOP-led bill; After USDA funding freeze, Colorado farmers brace for tariffs; NM protests against Musk's Tesla dealerships expand to Sandoval County; Local economic partnership helps MT town embrace new work sectors.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Senate Democrats refuse to support GOP budget bill. The EU and Canada respond to steel and aluminum tariffs and some groups work to counter Christian Nationalism, which they call a threat to democracy.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Many fear the Trump administration's effort to raise money fast could include sale of public lands, thousands of farmers wait for payouts frozen by the USDA, and a shortage has rural America's doctors coming out of retirement.

Ohio stands to gain from EPA's new methane rules

play audio
Play

Tuesday, December 19, 2023   

The Environmental Protection Agency is clamping down on methane emissions, a harmful pollutant and driver of climate change Appalachian communities are exposed to at higher levels.

Methane is the single largest greenhouse gas source in the U.S., now generating more pollutants even than the nation's shrinking coal industry. The regulations address natural gas processing and transportation, where the vast bulk of methane is released into communities.

Sean O'Leary, senior researcher for the Ohio River Valley Institute, said Ohio communities are bearing the brunt of constant methane exposure.

"There are a ton of local health-related issues, having to do with emissions of local pollutants that have really deleterious effects on public health, for conditions ranging from respiratory conditions to cancer," O'Leary outlined.

The new rules come at a time when the state also faces increased risk of extreme weather events from climate change. In a statement, the American Petroleum Institute, said "to be truly effective, this rule must balance emissions reductions with the need to continue meeting rising energy demand."

O'Leary added concerns remain about how the regulations will be enforced, and what methodologies will be used to measure emissions.

"Where will they be measured? How frequently, how rigorously?" O'Leary asked. "And then, what measures will be taken then, to correct situations where those levels are exceeded?"

An expanded methane regulation market could potentially lead to new jobs in Ohio. According to the BlueGreen Alliance, made up of labor unions and environmental groups, more than 10,000 jobs could be created nationwide annually over the next decade with stronger efforts to curb methane emissions.

Disclosure: The Ohio River Valley Institute contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, Climate Change/Air Quality, Energy Policy, and Public Lands/Wilderness. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Many fusion startups have their sights set on being able to power the electrical grid by the 2030s and 2040s.(Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

By Eric Wesoff for Canary Media.Broadcast version by Judith Ruiz-Branch for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-P…


Social Issues

play sound

Nationwide, it is estimated about one-third of Americans either adhere to Christian Nationalist ideals or sympathize with them. Groups working for …

Social Issues

play sound

Dozens of local leaders from California are in the nation's capital this week, joining about 2,800 colleagues from around the country at the National …


In past deportation programs, for every half-million people the government deported, 44,000 U.S.-born workers lost their jobs. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A new report commissioned by faith leaders outlines the high moral stakes at play as the Trump administration pushes to cut federal programs to pay fo…

Social Issues

play sound

It is the North Dakota Senate's turn to ramp up debate on property tax reform, a key issue of this session and lawmakers are hearing from a range of …

Social Issues

play sound

Organizations working to fight food insecurity across Arkansas support two bills before state legislators. The Grocery Tax Relief Act would repeal …

Environment

play sound

Today, Oregon conservation groups are headed to the state Capitol for "Wildlife Lobby Day." The organizations, all part of the Oregon Wildlife …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021