U.S. agencies are calling for public input by Oct. 21 on the nation’s first fresh-water wind farm.
The project, 8 to 10 miles off the western end of Lake Erie north of Cleveland, consists of six wind turbines.
Its goal is to increase Great Lakes participation in the offshore wind industry, said Lorry Wagner, president of the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp.
More: WBFO
Canada to Create New Rules, Single Board for Offshore Energy Projects
Canada is working to establish a comprehensive set of rules for approving and monitoring offshore energy projects and a regulatory board to oversee them.
The new rules would address offshore wind, wave and tidal current technologies, according to Department of Natural Resources documents.
Several federal departments currently have authority to regulate offshore renewable energy activities, the department said.
More: CBC News
Pipeline Regulators Issue Rule Expanding Emergency Powers
Federal pipeline regulators issued a rule last week expanding their power to address pipelines that pose a threat to public safety or the environment.
If the rule is finalized, the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration will be able to issue emergency restrictions and safety measures on gas or liquid pipeline operators whose lines pose a public danger.
“Pipeline incidents can have devastating impacts on local communities and the environment,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement.
More: The Hill
Appeals Court Hears Tribe’s Argument to Stop ND Pipeline
Opponents of the $3.8 billion, four-state Dakota Access oil pipeline argued last week before a federal appeals court to keep a temporary work stoppage in place for a small area of North Dakota.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe argued before a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals that the pipeline impacts sites of historic, religious and cultural significance and threatens the area’s water supply.
The land at issue spans 20 miles on either side of the Missouri River at Lake Oahe.
More: The Associated Press
US Officials Approve Expansion Of Montana’s Largest Coal Mine
U.S. officials approved a 117 million-ton expansion of Montana’s largest coal mine after the Interior Department found the mine would generate about 160 million tons of carbon dioxide over the next five years, one-half of 1% of annual projected emissions in 2020.
The expansion of Spring Creek Mine was first approved in 2012 but then delayed when environmentalists filed legal action.
More: The Associated Press