Washington – The Bush administration wants to quit requiring coal operators to prove that their surface mining will not damage streams, fish and wildlife.
Under proposed new regulations that it will put out today for public comment, strip-mine operators would have to show only that they intend “to prevent, to the extent possible using the best technology currently available,” such damage.
“With this proposal, we can establish a consistent, nationwide means to reduce the impacts of surface coal mining and provide clear rules specifying what mining activities can and cannot be conducted near bodies of water,” said C. Stephen Allred, assistant secretary of Interior for Land and Minerals Management.
Policy from the Interior Department’s Office of Surface Mining says land within 100 feet of a stream cannot be disturbed by mining unless a company can prove it will not affect the water’s quality and quantity.
“The Bush administration just doesn’t give up in its quest to give away more and more legal protections to the mountaintop-removal polluters,” said Joan Mulhern, an attorney for the Earthjustice legal firm.
NEW YORK
Adelphia trust to get auditor’s settlement
Auditing firm Deloitte & Touche will pay $167.5 million to a trust set up to pursue litigation on behalf of Greenwood Village-based Adelphia Communications Corp. after a bankruptcy court approved a settlement between the auditor and the collapsed cable company.
Judge Robert Gerber of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan approved the settlement last week without a hearing, according to court papers.
COLORADO SPRINGS
Homeless, disabled, elderly get aid boost
The Daniels Fund board approved $11.6 million to fund programs serving the homeless, the elderly and the disabled, the nonprofit announced Thursday at its third-quarter meeting in Colorado Springs.
The Daniels Fund will award a projected $51 million – $38 million in grants and $13 million in college scholarships – in 2007.
DENVER
Tree disconnects Qwest fiber-optic line
A fallen tree in a remote area in western Colorado took out part of Qwest’s fiber-optic communications network Monday, causing an hours-long outage of Internet and cellphone service, company spokeswoman Carolyn Tyler said Thursday. The outage lasted from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday.
DETROIT
Ford subcompact idea to hit road overseas
Ford Motor Co. has taken the wraps off a new subcompact concept car that likely will be the basis of a new small vehicle to be sold around the world.
The Verve concept, designed in Europe, competes in what the industry calls the “B-Car” segment of the market, one that is popular overseas but is smaller than most compact cars sold in the U.S.
Ford officials said that while the rounded Verve is still a concept, elements of it probably will be built into the next generation of subcompact for distribution worldwide.
WASHINGTON
Jobless claims post first drop in a month
Fewer people signed up for jobless benefits last week, an encouraging sign that most businesses aren’t resorting to big layoffs amid a housing slump and the painful credit crunch.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that new applications filed for unemployment insurance dipped by 2,000 to 322,000 for the week ending Aug. 18. It marked the first drop in new claims in roughly a month.
CINCINNATI
Macy’s rolls out stars to sharpen its image
Scenes featuring tycoon Donald Trump blow-drying his hair and domestic entrepreneur Martha Stewart constantly rearranging her products are part of a celebrity-studded advertising campaign that Macy’s Inc. hopes will help build its image as a national brand.
The Cincinnati-based retailer, which this month reported a 77 percent drop in its second-quarter earnings, continues to struggle to create a strong national brand and integrate the stores gained in its $11 billion acquisition of former competitor May Department Stores Co. in 2005.
WASHINGTON
Music-royalty group to cap webcaster fees
A music-industry group Thursday said it has agreed to limit “per channel” fees for major Internet radio companies streaming music on multiple channels.
SoundExchange, which collects royalties from webcasters and distributes them to artists and record labels, said it would cap fees – at $50,000 a year – for online radio-station companies that offer more than 100 channels to customers.
WASHINGTON
Bankers borrowing more from the Fed
Banks have stepped up their borrowing from the Federal Reserve, encouraged by central- bank policymakers to help stem a credit crunch that has roiled Wall Street.
The Federal Reserve said the daily average borrowing for the week ending Wednesday was $1.2 billion. That was the highest since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Fed said Thursday.
BENTONVILLE, Ark.
Wal-Mart redoubles toy-safety efforts
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is stepping up testing and safety reviews of the toys it sells to reassure consumers ahead of the critical holiday season after a series of recalls of Chinese-made toys over hazards to children.
Wal-Mart’s top toy executive said Thursday the retailer will ask manufacturers to resubmit testing documentation for toys already on the shelves or in shipment, so that Wal-Mart can double-check the results.
SMITHFIELD, Va.
Illness may take 20% of China’s hog herd
China, the world’s biggest pork consumer, may lose 20 percent of its hog herd to blue-ear disease, forcing the country to import more meat, said Larry Pope, chief executive of Smithfield Foods Inc.
As many as 100 million hogs, more than the U.S. produces in a year, may be affected by the respiratory virus, said Pope, who runs the world’s largest hog- and pork-producing company.
NEW YORK
Monster job-seekers’ data taken by hackers
Monster Worldwide Inc., owner of the world’s largest employment website, said it found records for about 1.3 million job seekers stored on a “rogue” server controlled by hackers.
Most of the affected users are based in the U.S., New York-based Monster said Thursday.
