Weekly News Roundup – March 1, 2013

Want to know what National Wildlife Federation was up to this week? Here is a recap of the week’s NWF news:

NWF: State Dept. Keystone XL Analysis Fatally Flawed

March 1 – The U.S. State Department, which is overseeing the permit application for TransCanada’s Keystone XL tar sands pipeline issued a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) today. The SEIS release wraps up another stage of the highly controversial environmental review and kicks off a round of public comment that will eventually lead to a final decision from President Obama within several months. National Wildlife Federation has several major concerns with the analysis, but most objectionable is the claim that “approval or denial of the proposed Project is unlikely to have a substantial impact on the rate of development in the oil sands.”

“This analysis fails in its review of climate impacts, threats to endangered wildlife like whooping cranes and woodland caribou, and the concerns of tribal communities,” said Jim Lyon, vice president for conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation.

• For more, read our latest blog post on this issue: “Will Obama Go Back to 1984 on Keystone XL?“

Oil Spill Case: BP Needs to Be Held Accountable

February 25 - BP is facing tens of billions of dollars in penalties as the U.S. Department of Justice and the British oil giant get ready to start trial Monday over civil charges stemming from the 2010 Gulf oil disaster. However, a report in the Wall Street Journal today suggests that the Department of Justice may be considering proposing a settlement.

“The Gulf of Mexico is more than just a place where oil companies make enormous profits—it’s a public jewel where our children swim, where wildlife live, and where we get the food we eat,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.

• For more check out the latest BP blog:  ”BP’s Gulf Oil Spill Trial 101: A Primer“

New NWF Report Raises Questions on Need for Lake Michigan Diversion

February 25 – A new National Wildlife Federation report raises questions on whether a Wisconsin community needs to divert water from the Great Lakes to meet its water needs. The City of Waukesha is applying to divert Lake Michigan water. The application is the first since the passage of the Great Lakes Compact which bans diversions of Great Lakes water and promotes wise water use within the eight states and two Canadian provinces bordering the lakes. Many conservation groups view Waukesha’s application as precedent-setting.

“Our analysis finds that Waukesha might not need to divert Great Lakes water to meet its water needs,” said Marc Smith, Senior Policy Manger with National Wildlife Federation. “The city has options on the table that may satisfy their water needs. In short, they have not justified their need for a Lake Michigan diversion.”

• Download the full report: An Analysis of the City of Waukesha Diversion Application (pdf)

And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• The Washington Post: Blocking Keystone XL won’t save the climate, State Department analysis says
• Wall Street Journal: Accusations Fly as Trial Over Gulf Oil Spill Begins (subscription required)
• NPR: Witnesses To Take The Stand In BP Trial
• UPI: Green groups want BP held accountable
• Times-Picayune: Environmental leaders weigh in on the start of BP oil spill trial
• Mother Jones: Top 4 Reasons the US Still Doesn’t Have a Single Offshore Wind Turbine
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: National Wildlife Federation questions Waukesha water request
• Detroit Free Press: Warmer winters bedevil moose in Minnesota
• CBC News: Warming Lake Superior stresses wildlife, observers say

For more visit www.nwf.org/news