LANSING - Environmental groups applauded Governor Rick Snyder's decision to veto a bill that would have largely barred state departments and agencies from issuing rules more restrictive than the federal government, but the Republican sponsor of the bill fumed at Snyder's action. Snyder's move was not a surprise. Gongwer News Service reported November 10 that
LANSING - A proposed general vessel permit for ships operating on the Great Lakes would allow international freighters to operate their ballast waters on international standards, and environmental groups on Thursday criticized that proposal as too weak to protect the lakes from additional invasive species. The proposed rule was issued by the federal Environmental Protection
DETROIT - Sino Ambassadors signed a deal to set up two venture capital funds with the Hanson Group, a major Chinese conglomerate, to invest in Cleantech companies with ready-to-market products. Hanson will then produce and sell the products in China while also providing capital to scale up operations here. Hanson is a massive real estate
LANSING ? Michigan House Republicans say they have found a way to avert a potential major crisis this winter for low-income residents facing utility shutoff notices. Rep. Ken Horn (R-Frankenmuth) chair of the House Energy and Technology Committee, said two bills will be introduced Wednesday that should ensure people have access to those emergency funds.
WASHINGTON DC - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday opened a formal investigation into the safety of the battery packs in the Chevy Volt following a series of collision tests. In three tests since May, the NHTSA has found that damage to the Volt's battery resulted in a fire after a side collision
DEARBORN - The Plug-In Ready Michigan Project Kickoff ? which supports the Clean Energy Coalition ? will be held at the SME building on the main campus of Henry Ford Community College Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to noon. The purpose of this meeting is to establish a community-based electric vehicle infrastructure readiness plan for
LANSING - In what environmentalists view as a threat to efforts by Michigan and other Great Lake states to control the introduction of new invasive species to those waters, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a U.S. Coast Guard funding bill Tuesday that sets a lesser ballast water standard than Michigan and other states now
LANSING - After weeks of reviewing the state's 2008 energy reform laws, the chair of the Senate Energy and Technology Committee said he isn't convinced the 10 percent cap on customer choice should be augmented. Sen. Mike Nofs (R-Battle Creek) said after hearing testimony from about 60 people, there are some minor changes with the
LANSING - The Michigan League of Conservation Voters is asking its supporters to contact Governor Rick Snyder and urge that he veto legislation barring state departments in most cases from issuing rules that go beyond federal regulations. Last week, Snyder's communications staff indicated the governor might veto HB 4326 , which would only allow emergency
OAK PARK ? Hybrid bus maker Azure Dynamics Corporation closed the previously announced equity investment by a strategic investor, a wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary of Johnson Controls. In return, Johnson Controls acquired, on a private placement basis, 30,796,969 common shares of Azure, at a price of CDN$0.165 per common share, for gross proceeds to Azure of