The New Hampshire State Senate voted 18-6 to amend the state's cap and trade program, witch is part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), to allow utility companies more control over the use of auction proceeds for energy efficiency. The bill also changes a consumer rebate formula that would slightly decrease monthly rates for consumers. The bill now goes to the House, where leaders are unsure of its prospects as their body passed legislation requiring a repeal of the entire cap and trade program rather than just changing administrative functions.

Legislation was unanimously approved by the Connecticut General Assembly to direct the State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to create a website with an interactive map and alert system to notify the public of expected sewage overflows. Representative Gerald Fox III introduced the measure after constituents raised concerns when a local sewage treatment plant received a violation from state regulators for releasing 43 million gallons of partially treated wastewater into Long Island Sound.  The bill is expected to be signed into law soon by Governor Dannel Malloy.

The Wall Street Journal features a front page story highlighting that four states and three Native American tribes have received $180 million in federal funding with few strings attached to clean up abandoned mines when their reclamation worries have been largely fixed. At issue is a change made in 2006 to the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program and a fund made up of fees imposed on coal companies meant to help clean up old sites and for reclamation efforts. The legislative change  made disbursements to states "mandatory" instead of "discretionary" through the Congressional appropriations process, and consequently there is little funding left for other states with long-term clean up projects that may take decades. 

As the diminished snowpack feeding the Rio Grande River basin begins to flow downstream, the state of Texas and the Mexican government are now locked in a contentious dispute over early releases of irrigation water as drought conditions are expected to again hamper harvests. At issue is a decision by an international body, called the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), to release water from reservoirs in New Mexico and Texas into canals that irrigate fields in Mexico. The decision sparked strong reaction in a joint letter from the Texas Commissioner of Agriculture and Commissioner on Environmental Quality objecting to the decision as a breach of international treaties governing water flow at the expense of drought-stricken farmers in their state.

How walkable is the area where you work or live? Walkability, the term used to evaluate the ease of walking in a location, is an important item to be considered in deciding where you live. Communities with inadequate walkable structures such as sidewalks, proper lighting, and bicycle paths have higher rates of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

Today the EPA announced proposed standards to limit greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants. The move was hailed by environmental groups and it is expected to largely impact the construction of new coal-fired power plants by essentially requiring their emissions output to mirror those of efficient natural gas units - either through capture or storage of CO2 emissions. Industry advocates opposed the new rule because of cost impacts to states heavily reliant on coal for electricity production and that the Administration is essentially mandating new technology which is not yet commercially feasible. 

On February 10, several states filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court in New York to require the EPA to issue more stringent air quality requirements for soot emissions. The states filed their suit in response to the agency missing an October 2011 deadline to update its standards for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) or soot, which is produced by diesel vehicle emissions and power plants. Many health problems are linked to particulate matter emissions such as respiratory illness, heart disease, and asthma. 

Water Smart Homes, water-conserving appliances, and changing landscaping practices can help people to conserve water and save on their water bills.