Politicians test positive for toxic pollutants.

A report released yesterday by a Toronto-based environmental group showed the presence of about 50 chemicals in four politicians, including the federal health and environment ministers and the bicycle-riding leader of the New Democratic Party, Jack Layton.

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Burn ban lifted in Lower Yakima County (Yakima Herald-Republic) Authorities have lifted a burn ban for the Lower Yakima Valley. The Yakima Regional Clean Air Authority has called off a Stage I burn ban for Lower Yakima Valley, White Pass, Nile Valley and Cliffdell areas after reports of decreasing air pollution levels, said officials from the federal agency. [News Source]

Politicians tested for pollution. High levels of harmful pollutants have been found in the bodies of four federal MPs who volunteered to have their blood and urine tested for toxins. [News Source]

Politicians found to carry toxic chemical soup. Four top Canadian politicians have a combined cocktail of toxic chemicals in their bodies that would make a smokestack shudder. [News Source]

MPs laced with dangerous chemicals. Four federal lawmakers who volunteered to have their bodies tested for toxins discovered they're laced with dozens of dangerous chemicals, including cancer-causing pesticides, air pollutants and PCBs. [News Source]

China’s coal future. Pollution is the leading cause of death in China, killing more than a million people a year. And the primary cause of pollution is coal. [News Source]

Green construction growing in stature. Minnesota, in many ways, is leading the green building movement. [News Source]

FutureGen or wind? The hope of ‘clean’ coal Coal gasification, a process that turns coal into synthetic gas, or “syngas” has existed for 50 years. [News Source]

Ground broken for ethanol plant. Farmers, bankers and politicians broke muddy South Georgia ground Wednesday on a $170 million ethanol factory pegged as the largest biofuel plant in the Southeast. [News Source]

Area firm saves money on diesel. Debra Johnson's business is thriving because of the high cost of diesel fuel and the increased attention by environmental regulators to emissions from machinery used in construction, mining, the rail industry, agriculture and oil drilling. [News Source]

Proposed Fresno power plant accepted for review. A proposal to build a 200-megawatt, natural-gas-fired power plant in northwest Fresno was accepted for review by the California Energy Commission on Wednesday. [News Source]