Free Republic

Wind energy companies will have the option of using decommissioned wind turbine blades as backfill material when reclaiming surface coal mine sites soon, thanks to a new bill signed into law earlier this year. But first, the state needs to set the rules. ... The blades.. are made of fiberglass. Fiberglass is a tricky material that can’t be recycled or easily repurposed. And as utility companies look to replace aging wind turbines, the machines’ blades are being buried in stacks at a handful of landfills around the country, ... old mine sites to suddenly become a landfills, which could affect...

CASPER, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) One wind farm in Glenrock and two from the Saratoga area have partnered with the Casper Regional Landfill to dispose of their old wind turbine blades. More than 900 blades will be brought to the landfill beginning now until the end of next spring. The Casper Solid Waste Manager, Cynthia Langston, said that though most turbine blades can be reused, there are some that are simply un-recyclable. "Ninety percent of the turbines are completely reclaimed, recycled, and reused, but there is ten percent that is fiberglass, so those are coming to us from three different...

And other unintended consequences of strict fuel-economy standards. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Such is the case with President Barack Obama's proposed national fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks and a new tailpipe standard for C02 emissions. The national press has uncritically reported that the new standards will make cars "cleaner." In fact, the rules could impose substantial costs in terms of urban air pollution and human life. The standards are designed to reduce C02 emissions from cars, with the twin goals of addressing climate change and reducing dependence on imported energy. Carbon...

BOSTON, MA - South End residents have sued in both state and federal courts to try to stop the construction of BU’s infectious disease lab, which will include a biosafety level 4 facility working with dangerous pathogens. So far, they haven’t been successful, although the state judge did order an additional environmental review. BU appealed that case. Yesterday, the Supreme Judicial Court, Massachusetts’s highest court, said it would hear the case, essentially expediting the matter in allowing the case to skip the appeals court. So hopefully, both sides will soon get some final answers in this four-year battle between BU...