Environment

Vermont's Congressional Delegation Calls For Resignation Of EPA's Scott Pruitt

By • Apr 20, 2018
Scott Pruitt stands in front of an American flag and an EPA sign at a press conference in Washington, D.C. on April 3, 2018.
Andrew Harnik / Associated Press

All three members of Vermont's congressional delegation are calling on the head of the Environmental Protection Agency to resign, because they say that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has failed to protect the nation's environment and they charge that Pruitt has engaged in unethical conduct while in office.

After The Governor's Veto, The Fate of Vermont's Toxic Substances Bill

By & • Apr 20, 2018
A bill proposing new regulations on toxic substances was vetoed by Gov. Phil Scott, but lawmakers are voting again and could override the veto.
Antoine2K / iStock

Live call-in discussion: New regulations for toxic substances—and a new agency to enforce them—passed both the House and Senate, but the bill was vetoed by Gov. Scott. Now lawmakers are working on a possible veto override. We're looking at what the bill could mean for Vermont, the reasons behind the governor's veto, and the prospect of a possible override. 

Mnookin: Big Night Out

By • Apr 18, 2018
Abby Mnookin

It was a wet, spring evening when my six-year-old and I set out to help salamanders and frogs cross the road a few miles from our Brattleboro home.

Outdoor Radio: The 'Rank Coward'

By • Apr 18, 2018
Bald eagle nests can be six to ten feet across and weight several hundred pounds.
Kent McFarland, courtesy / Vermont Center For Ecostudies

We are awed by the size, beauty and power of the bald eagle but Ben Franklin described it as a bird of "bad moral character. He doesn't get his living honestly and besides, he is a rank coward."

Archaeologists Find Eroding Coastlines Threaten Past as Much as Present

By • Apr 18, 2018

New Hampshire’s Seacoast is home to some of the earliest history of European settlers anywhere in the country. Believe it or not, much of that history is still being uncovered.

But now climate change and sea-level rise is adding new urgency to those efforts.

NHPR’s Jason Moon joined a UNH researcher for a hike to see a centuries-old archaeological site that is literally washing away.

Lizards And Malaria: Norwich Senior Recognized For Research

By , & • Apr 17, 2018
Norwich University senior Joshua Sassi's research on the Western Fence Lizard earned him an invitation to a national event for undergraduate researchers.
Sean Markey / Norwich University

Joshua Sassi is a senior biology major at Norwich University whose thesis work explores how the malaria parasite affects the Western Fence Lizard. His findings could shed light on how the parasite spreads in humans, which earn him a spot at Posters on the Hill, a Washington, D.C. event where the nation's top undergraduate researchers share their findings with Congress.

Study: Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Still Boosting Northeast Economies

By Annie Ropeik • Apr 17, 2018

A new report says the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative has put $4 billion into Northeast economies since 2009.

The three-year study by the Analysis Group says those benefits have continued even as the program known as RGGI grew more ambitious.

A Call To Reduce Catch Limits For Vermont's Native Trout

By • Apr 13, 2018
A male brook trout in his spawning colors. Trout Unlimited wants the state to reduce the catch limit to 12 a day to six.
file

As Vermont’s trout season opens, an environmental group is calling on the state to reduce the number of brook trout that can be taken.

NRC Wants More Financial Details Before Approving Vermont Yankee Sale

By • Apr 12, 2018
The spent nuclear fuel at Vermont Yankee is being moved from the cooling pools, shown in this photo, into dry cask storage.
Toby Talbot / AP/file

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the potential buyer of the closed Vermont Yankee nuclear plant has yet to show it will have the money available to clean up the site.

After 3 Years, Funding Plan To Improve Vermont's Water Quality Remains Elusive

By • Apr 9, 2018
Rep. David Deen, center, listens to testimony last week on a water quality bill. Deen, who chairs the House Committee on Natural Resources, Fish & Wildlife, says his committee may unveil a water quality funding plan this week.
Peter Hirschfeld / VPR

From the governor on down, just about every elected official in Montpelier says Vermont needs more money for water quality projects. And that’s where the agreement ends.

The issue of how to pay for water funding has turned into one of the most intractable policy debates of the 2018 legislative session.

Settlement Reached In Deerfield Wind Blasting Complaint

By • Apr 6, 2018
courtesy, Avangrid Renewables

A landowner who said his property was damaged by blasting at a nearby wind power facility has reached a settlement with developers.

Clarendon, Vt., Businesses React To Contaminated Water Notice From State

By • Apr 5, 2018
A chrome kitchen sink that is turned off.
rodho / iStock

The state of Vermont issued a "Do Not Drink" order to tenants of the Rutland Airport Business Park in Clarendon, following the detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the water.

Vermont Officials Vow To Fight Trump's Rollback Of Fuel Efficiency Standards

By • Apr 4, 2018
Secretary of Natural Resources Julie Moore, left, says a federal rollback of fuel efficiency standards for vehicles sold in Vermont could thwart the state's push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
John Dillon / VPR file

Vermont state officials say they'll vigorously oppose a move by the Environmental Protection Agency to roll back fuel efficiency standards. 

UVM Research Shows 'Legacy' Phosphorus Plagues Lake Champlain

By • Apr 3, 2018
Blue-green algae blooms, like this one photographed in the summer of 2014 in Lake Champlain, have many in the state concerned. A new draft plan proposes funding sources for water cleanup efforts.
Taylor Dobbs / VPR FILE

Vermont’s phosphorus pollution problem is almost a century in the making and persists today, as the nutrient contained in fertilizer and animal feed continues to accumulate in watersheds.

Decades Of Acid Rain Data Could Help Address Vermont's Current Water Quality Issues

By • Mar 30, 2018
Rebecca Harvey, a scientist with Vermont's Acid Lakes Monitoring Program, caps a water sample taken by a solar-powered automatic sampler at an outlet flowing from Hardwood Pond, in Elmore.
Amy Kolb Noyes / VPR

Vermont's water quality issues can seem like an insurmountable problem, but state scientists have a treasure-trove of acid rain data that could prove useful in tackling those concerns.

The Emerald Ash Borer Is Here. So What Should You Do With Your Ash Trees?

By & • Mar 29, 2018
Mike Groll / AP

Earlier this week, two more Vermont counties confirmed the presence of the emerald ash borer. The invasive species is known for causing devastation to millions of ash trees around the country.

Homeyer: Confronting The Emerald Ash Borer

By • Mar 20, 2018

The dreaded Emerald Ash Borer has been found in Orange County – an invasive pest that has the potential to kill most or all of the estimated 32 million ash trees in Vermont.

Plan To Save Endangered Whales Faces Pushback From Lobster Industry

By • Mar 20, 2018

The endangered North Atlantic right whale population took a big hit last year, with a record number killed by fishing gear entanglements and ship strikes. Now, an ongoing debate over threats posed by Maine's lobster industry is gaining new urgency.

How UVM's Stolen Rhino Horn Fits Into Global Wildlife Trafficking

By & • Mar 19, 2018
Elephant tusks wait in a container before being destroyed by authorities in Vietnam.
Tran Van Minh / AP

In the past few weeks, we've seen the surprising recovery of UVM's stolen black rhinoceros horn, and a big decision out of the Trump administration allowing trophy hunters to bring some elephant and lion body parts into the country. We're talking with Laurel Neme, a local expert on wildlife and global wildlife trafficking about these new developments.

Activist Investigates Farm Expansion, Uncovers Potential Lax State Oversight

By • Mar 14, 2018
Michael Colby, right, of Regeneration Vermont, testifies about what he says is lax state oversight of large dairy farms.
John Dillon / VPR

One of the largest farm businesses in the state expanded its operation and constructed a manure pit in Franklin County last summer — without a permit or state oversight.

Pages