There’s a new phrase that should be on the lips of all Minnesotans, and that phrase is … cellulosic biomass! A little more than a century ago our personal transportation in this country (horses) was fueled by the products of agriculture (hay and oats). When automobiles came along, we tried fueling them with corn ethanol, but gasoline has always been the cheaper alternative. [News Source]

Profitability should not trump air-quality protection. Every business enterprise generating pollution could reap a higher return on their investment if pollution controls were removed and they were allowed to conduct their business without regard for the detrimental health impacts on their community. [News Source]

Dust pollution could impact Tucson area, too. Air quality in the Phoenix area has deteriorated so much that the EPA determined last week that unhealthy levels of dust violate clean-air standards. [News Source]

State agencies need to step up on warming law. California must hold itself to the same emissions standards that now apply to industries. [News Source]

Don’t let up. While the TXU buyout has brought encouraging developments and promises of clean energy, this bolt from the blue also has left some leaders at loose ends, wondering: What next? [News Source]

How Highwood Station stacks up. The coal-fired Highwood Generating Station, if built east of Great Falls, MT, would produce up to 2,800 tons of pollutants each year. [News Source]

Refinery promises jobs, prosperity for tiny Utah town, but some residents have this response: Been down that road before. Soon, both a new refinery and the old one could bring the stink back to Green River, Utah. [News Source]

Alliance native directing Ohio EPA. No one at the moment has a clear idea of what direction the agency will go under its new director, Alliance native Chris Korleski. But after six weeks, there are signs. [News Source]

A spot of trouble. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are all the rage, but each one of the twirly lamps contains a tiny drop of liquid mercury, a toxic metal. [News Source]

Rural pitted against industrial. A proposed asphalt plant in Powhatan, Virginia brings up familiar land-use issues and pollution concerns. [News Source]

Pathologist doubts cancer cluster. Chief pathologist Dr. Arthur McTighe's determination four years ago that there was no connection between a series of cancer cases among Susquehanna University students and staff members has been thrust back into the spotlight. [News Source]