Director: EPA has eyes on drilling. Federal environmental officials are scrutinizing oil and gas operations in Texas and around the country, with new rules for the industry coming in about 18 to 24 months, according to the new EPA Region 6 director. [News Source]

Traffic’s the biggest contributor to the region’s air pollution. Downtown Chicago has the highest peak levels of nitrogen dioxide in the country, and is the only site in violation of new stricter guidelines against the irritant, which inflames asthma and other lung conditions. [News Source]

The fight against a big, polluting coal-fired plant has many fronts, at the local and the state level. While opponents have been focusing on one site, centered on Dendron in Surry County, it's been all quiet on the Western Front — out a little farther, in Sussex County. [News Source]

Tories to hire green adviser. The Conservative government seeks to hire a high-level adviser to make sure Canada isn't side-swiped by Washington's global-warming debate. [News Source]

Malta resists proposed EU bid to charge trucks for pollution. Malta is resisting a proposed revision of the current EU’s Eurovignette Directive on tolls for trucks that would allow national governments to offset pollution costs caused by heavy vehicles. [News Source]

Delhi air pollution forces detour for athletes. New Zealand teams are planning a hit-and-run mission at October's Commonwealth Games in India, not because of security fears, but because of Delhi's horrendous levels of pollution. [News Source]

Mid-Hudson would fail new ozone standards. New, tougher standards for ozone levels could throw nearly the entire state, including the Hudson River Valley, into noncompliance with the federal Clean Air Act. [News Source]

Air monitors installed at school. Residents' fears of airborne chemicals from Franklin's Superior Essex plant have spurred the state to monitor the air at Moore Elementary School. [News Source]

Inquiry on tank farm touches middle school. The regulatory agency overseeing an investigation of a former Carson oil tank farm has widened the probe to include Wilmington Middle School, where contractors have checked the soil and indoor air in search of possible contaminants. [News Source]

Piecemeal reports on Titan’s impact are inadequate. It might reduce anxiety if residents had a comprehensive picture of the environmental impact of this plant – and of any potential polluter – before permits are issued and construction begins. [News Source]

Biofuel production for beetle-killed trees? Because we want our political leaders to fix public problems, we may be heartened to hear that our county commissioners are considering a local biofuel production facility — which would turn dead trees into burnable wood chips. [News Source]