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Hydraulic fracturing (known as “fracking”) is a method of causing fissures in underground shale rock formations to facilitate the extraction of otherwise inaccessible natural gas and oil. In a typical fracking operation, drillers inject a mixture of pressurized water and chemicals underground to fracture the rock and free up the gas and oil.
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The U.S. Supreme Court today refused requests to review a lower court decision upholding the Environmental Protection Agency’s finding that greenhouse gases endanger human health and welfare.
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Today is the deadline for pre-trial motions in former Governor’s Mansion chef Todd Schneider’s criminal trial. Republican gubernatorial nominee and sitting Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli recused himself and his office from this case as questions mounted about his ethics scandal with Star Scientific and CEO Jonnie Williams, who paid Schneider for $15,000 in catering for Gov. Bob McDonnell’s daughter’s wedding.
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Before trading in the warm days of summer for a toasty fall fire, be sure to have your chimney cleaned and inspected.
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U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine wrote a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy to urge the agency to adopt attainable New Source Performance Standard for coal-fired power plants.
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The Board of Directors of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters recently honored State Sen. Emmett Hanger (R-Mount Solon) for his stewardship of Virginia’s natural resources.
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The Richmond Flying Squirrels (40-41) cruised behind left-hander Chris Gloor to an efficient, 2-0, win over the Erie SeaWolves (41-39) at Jerry Uht Park on Sunday afternoon. The ninth shutout of the year for the Squirrels allowed them to split the four-game series.
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In what’s being billed as the greatest environmental initiative of his presidency, Barack Obama announced on June 25, 2013 that his administration is instituting stringent mandatory restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions by power plants, factories and other industrial sources. These sources combined account for roughly 40 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions across the U.S. The goal is to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions nationally by four percent below 1990 levels within the next seven years.
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U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) has introduced legislation to strengthen existing military whistleblower protection laws to ensure that victims of sexual assault and other misconduct are protected from retaliation after they report the alleged offenses.
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The sequester that went into effect March 1 is a budget measure that cuts federal spending across the board to the tune of $85 billion, meaning every federal agency is affected and must reduce discretionary spending. Indeed, the cuts are already having a negative impact on everything from air quality monitoring to extreme weather response capability to staffing at national parks.
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