Fly ash may be on its way to Clarkdale. Proponents for fly ash find the material to be an integral part of producing concrete. Others believe it is a health hazard. [News Source]

St. John to remove, dispose of asbestos A New Orleans parish will dig up debris that contractors buried on site from the demolition earlier this month of the old Lucy Elementary School because it contains asbestos. [News Source]

Power plant challenge can proceed. The Sierra Club won the first round in its legal battle over whether a local utility should be allowed to build a coal-fired power plant near Weston, MO. [News Source]

Cut mercury at coal plants, Doyle orders. Calling it a step to improve the health of Wisconsin residents, Gov. Jim Doyle today directed the state Department of Natural Resources to reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants by 90 percent. [News Source]

Two leaks at Dow Corning injure no one. Dow Corning Corp. in Midland said an early morning discharge seeped minor amounts of hydrochloric acid for about five minutes Friday when a process tank malfunctioned. [News Source]

Environmental issues bring out differences in governor’s race. Both Michigan's Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Republican challenger Dick DeVos say the state must help companies by streamlining environmental requirements and finding ways to promote jobs while still protecting the environment. [News Source]

Neighbors concerned over effect of car lot. Maryland residents are concerned that light, noise, and runoff from a proposed CarMax lot will destroy the tranquillity and will damage Bird River, a tributary of Gunpowder Falls that the county has spent about $10 million restoring. [News Source]

Chemical spill near Cheswold forces many to evacuate. A chemical spill prompted the voluntary evacuation Friday night of some homes and businesses near Reichhold Chemical, a latex manufacturing plant on the outskirts of Cheswold. [News Source]

Corzine calls for stricter safety rules to shield children at day care centers. New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine said yesterday he wants to toughen safety standards for day care centers, following recent revelations about a child care center that opened in a still-polluted former thermometer factory. [News Source]

Núñez’s wife has air-district pact. The wife of Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez won a $125,000 consulting contract earlier this year with the South Coast Air Quality Management District at the same time the smog-fighting agency was pushing legislation to cut emissions on train engines. [News Source]

DEQ: Federal rule won’t curb field burning. A proposed new federal standard to further limit the amount of air pollution allowed will have a big impact on Oregon, but not directly on field burning. [News Source]