Latest news with #environmentalImpact
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Concern over Cheltenham ice rink damaging Imperial Gardens grass
Concerns have been raised over the environmental impact that a temporary ice rink could be having on a popular winter attraction at Imperial Gardens in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, provides a huge boost to the local economy throughout the Christmas period. Speaking at a planning committee meeting, Cheltenham borough councillor Glenn Andrews raised fears that with each passing year that the rink is installed, soil compaction and sunlight deprivation are slowly killing the grass the committee voted to allow the installation and operation of the rink for up to 75 days a year, from November to January, for the next three years. During the meeting on 22 May, Andrews said he was worried that after another three winters, the council may have to completely redo the gardens."Every time I go into Imperial Gardens... the re-turfing isn't taking as well. That is fairly obvious," he said."I do worry about soil compaction. We've got three whole years, and winter is the time when traditionally those gardens would regenerate."I think on ecological grounds I'm against this." According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, head of planning Chris Gomm said he was not aware that soil compaction was an issue assessed by the case officer."The condition that requires the land to be reinstated to its former condition would also apply to the flowerbeds and the grass, to make sure they are healthy post deconstruction," he Frank Allen added the economic benefit it brings to the town outweighed any potential ecological issues."The ice rink is one of our best features in the winter. We would do well to keep on preserving that," he said.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
US supreme court sides with Utah railway project challenged by environmentalists
The US supreme court bolstered on Thursday a Utah railway project intended to transport crude oil, ruling against environmental groups and a Colorado county that had challenged its federal approval. The 8-0 ruling overturned a lower court's decision that had halted the project and had faulted an environmental impact statement issued by a federal agency called the Surface Transportation Board in approving the railway as too limited in scope. A coalition of seven Utah counties and an infrastructure investment group are seeking to construct an 88-mile (142km) railway line in north-eastern Utah to connect the sparsely populated Uinta Basin region to an existing freight rail network that would be used primarily to transport waxy crude oil. The case tested the scope of environmental impact studies that federal agencies must conduct under a US law called the National Environmental Policy Act, enacted in 1970 to prevent environmental harms that might result from major projects. The law mandates that agencies examine the 'reasonably foreseeable' effects of a project. The supreme court heard arguments on 10 December in the case, which has been closely watched by companies and environmental groups for how the ruling might affect a wider range of infrastructure and energy projects. Environmental reviews that are too broad in scope can add years to the regulatory timeline, risking a project's viability and future infrastructure development, according to companies and business trade groups. The Surface Transportation Board, which has regulatory authority over new railroad lines, issued an environmental impact statement and approved the railway proposal in 2021. The Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups sued over approval, as did Colorado's Eagle county, which noted that the project would increase train traffic in its region and double traffic on an existing rail line along the Colorado River. The US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit ruled in favor of the challengers in 2023, concluding that the environmental review inadequately analyzed the effects of increased oil production in the basin as well as downstream, where the oil would be refined. Democratic former president Joe Biden's administration had backed the railway coalition in the case, as did the state of Utah. Fifteen other states supported the challengers. Colorado said its economy relies on outdoor recreation, and that the project raises the risk of leaks, spills or rail car accidents near the Colorado River's headwaters. Conservative justice Neil Gorsuch recused himself from the case after some Democratic lawmakers urged his withdrawal because businessman Philip Anschutz, his former legal client, has a financial interest in its outcome.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
US Supreme Court sides with Utah railway challenged by environmentalists
May 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court bolstered on Thursday a Utah railway project intended to transport crude oil, ruling against environmental groups and a Colorado county that had challenged its federal approval. The 8-0 ruling overturned a lower court's decision that had halted the project and had faulted an environmental impact statement issued by a federal agency called the Surface Transportation Board in approving the railway as too limited in scope. A coalition of seven Utah counties and an infrastructure investment group are seeking to construct an 88-mile (142-km) railway line in northeastern Utah to connect the sparsely populated Uinta Basin region to an existing freight rail network that would be used primarily to transport waxy crude oil. The case tested the scope of environmental impact studies that federal agencies must conduct under a U.S. law called the National Environmental Policy Act, enacted in 1970 to prevent environmental harms that might result from major projects. The law mandates that agencies examine the "reasonably foreseeable" effects of a project. The Supreme Court heard arguments on Dec. 10 in the case, which has been closely watched by companies and environmental groups for how the ruling might affect a wider range of infrastructure and energy projects. Environmental reviews that are too broad in scope can add years to the regulatory timeline, risking a project's viability and future infrastructure development, according to companies and business trade groups. The Surface Transportation Board, which has regulatory authority over new railroad lines, issued an environmental impact statement and approved the railway proposal in 2021. The Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups sued over approval, as did Colorado's Eagle County, which noted that the project would increase train traffic in its region and double traffic on an existing rail line along the Colorado River. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in favor of the challengers in 2023, concluding that the environmental review inadequately analyzed the effects of increased oil production in the basin as well as downstream, where the oil would be refined. Democratic former President Joe Biden's administration had backed the railway coalition in the case, as did the state of Utah. Fifteen other states supported the challengers. Colorado said its economy relies on outdoor recreation, and that the project raises the risk of leaks, spills or rail car accidents near the Colorado River's headwaters. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch recused himself from the case after some Democratic lawmakers urged his withdrawal because businessman Philip Anschutz, his former legal client, has a financial interest in its outcome.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Climate
- ABC News
A large avalanche has hit a small village in the Swiss Alps
A huge chunk of a glacier broke off, causing a deluge of ice, mud and rock that buried most of the Swiss village of Blatten.
Reuters
24-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Libya says oil leak occurs in pipeline south of Zawiya city
May 24 (Reuters) - An oil leak forced the shutdown of a pipeline south of Libya's city of Zawiya, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Saturday. Zawiya, 40 km (25 miles) west of the capital Tripoli, is home to Libya's biggest functioning refinery, with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day. The refinery is connected to the country's 300,000-barrels-per-day Sharara oilfield. The NOC posted a picture showing a stream of leaked oil in the desert. Flow from the Hamada oilfields through the affected pipeline was immediately halted, the company said in a statement. "In parallel with the maintenance work, a team of specialists is conducting an investigation to determine the causes of the leak. Arrangements and coordination are also underway to recover the leaked oil and address any resulting environmental pollution," the company added.
