Updates

At 54.5 mpg, a big step forward.

On July 29, President Obama announced the outline of new clean car standards covering cars and light trucks through 2025, which will amount to the single biggest step this country has ever taken to end our addiction to oil and tackle global warming.

News Release | Environment Rhode Island

Rhode Island's waterways among least toxic in U.S.; Clean Water Act loopholes could threaten progress

Rhode Island's waterways are ranked second cleanest in the nation by total volume of discharged toxics, according to a new report released today by Environment Rhode Island Research & Policy Center and co-authored by the Frontier Group. Although the report, entitled "Wasting Our Waterways", paints a grim picture for the nation overall — according to the study, 226 million pounds of toxic chemicals were discharged into 1,400 waterways across the country in 2010 — Rhode Island figures well, ranking second best only to Arizona with less than 1000 total pounds of toxic releases.

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Report | Environment Rhode Island

Wasting Our Waterways 2012

Industrial facilities continue to dump millions of pounds of toxic chemicals into America’s rivers, streams, lakes and ocean waters each year – threatening both the environment and human health. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pollution from industrial facilities is responsible for threatening or fouling water quality in more than 14,000 miles of rivers and more than 220,000 acres of lakes, ponds and estuaries nationwide. However, Rhode Island's waterways are ranked second cleanest in the nation by total volume of discharged toxics.

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News Release | Environment Rhode Island

Ordinance introduced in Warren, R.I. would ban plastic checkout bags in town

The Warren Town Council conducted a first reading of an ordinance to ban disposable plastic checkout bags in the town. The legislation could make Warren the first municipality in Rhode Island – and among the first in New England – to reduce litter and marine debris by enacting a bag ban.

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News Release | Environment Rhode Island

Legislation passed in R.I. House of Reps. would put Rhode Island on track for 50% less petroleum by 2050

The Rhode Island House of Representatives voted 65 to 3 to pass a bill (H7261) to set up a Petroleum Savings & Independence Advisory Commission to study and reduce Rhode Island’s reliance on petroleum, with petroleum use reduction targets set at 30% less by 2030 and 50% by 2050. The Senate version of the bill is moving through the committee process.

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Headline

RI bill would aim to cut oil use by half by 2050

Rhode Island would aim to cut its petroleum consumption by 30 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050 under legislation heading to a vote in the state House of Representatives.

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