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From a blustery perch over a Cape Cod beach, Chuckie Green gestures toward a stretch of horizon where he says construction of the nation's first offshore wind farm would destroy his Indian tribe's religion. The Wampanoag — the tribe that welcomed the Pilgrims in the 17th century and known as "The People of the First Light" — practice sacred rituals requiring an unblocked view of the sunrise. That view won't exist once 130 turbines, each over 400 feet tall, are built in Nantucket Sound, visible to Wampanoag in Mashpee and on Martha's Vineyard. Tribal rituals, including dancing and chanting, take place at secret sacred ... Read Full Story

From a blustery perch over a Cape Cod beach, Chuckie Green gestures toward a stretch of horizon where he says construction of the nation's first offshore wind farm would destroy his Indian tribe's religion. The Wampanoag — the tribe that welcomed the Pilgrims in the 17th century and known as "The People of the First Light" — practice sacred rituals requiring an unblocked view of the sunrise. That view won't exist once 130 turbines, each over 400 feet tall, are built several miles from shore in Nantucket Sound, visible to Wampanoag in Mashpee and on Martha's Vineyard. Tribal rituals, including dancing and chanting, take ... Read Full Story

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it is requiring American Electric Power to conduct safety tests on waste impoundments at a West Virginia coal-burning plant to ensure their structural stability. Although the impoundments at the Philip Sporn plant aren't considered an immediate failure risk, EPA said it was requiring the tests because the structures have similar designs to one that failed last December in Tennessee. The agency said it wants AEP to conduct two tests to determine the stability of the impoundments' foundations and walls. AEP operates a 12.2-acre bottom-ash pond and a 60.5-acre fly-ash pond to hold wastes created by burning coal ... Read Full Story

By Tom Gordon — The Birmingham News November 20, 2009, 1:10PM This aerial view shows the scale of the Arrowhead landfill in Perry County where TVA coal ash is being disposed. (Arrowhead Landfill photo) An environmental attorney has asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to order a massive landfill in Alabama’s Perry County to stop receiving coal ash from Tennessee until it has a state permit to discharge liquid waste into the treatment plant in the county seat of Marion. David Ludder filed documents this week on behalf of a Marion ... Read Full Story

The government launched a mass vaccination programme to prevent the further spread of swine flu Wednesday, with officials urging healthcare workers and at-risk patients to be first in line. The jab will be available to more than 11 million people deemed at highest risk from catching swine flu, who will be contacted by their doctors. As well as health workers, those who it is suggested should take up the vaccination include all pregnant women, some over 65s and people who live with those who have weakened immune systems due to, for example, cancer treatment. Patients will be vaccinated with Pandemrix, made by drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline, ... Read Full Story