Earlier this week, EPA announced that it will allow the public until June 28th to comment on its proposed rules to reduce toxic mercury emissions from gold mining.

These rules are sorely needed because gold mining is one of the largest polluters of mercury to air -- which ultimately ends up in our rivers and lakes, and the fish we eat. The state of Nevada -- home to the nation's largest concentration of gold mines -- issued its own rules in 1996.  But there are no regulations that apply to mines in other states.  Under the new regulations, the proposed Donlin Mine in Alaska would be able release up to 3,000 pounds of mercury into the air -- an unacceptably high amount.

EARTHWORKS will soon submit our own comments on EPA's proposed rule. We'll also be sending an action alert asking everyone to comment -- and providing guidance on how best to make your voice heard (although you needn't wait for us).

With all the bad environmental news going on in the Gulf, this is good news. Gold mining mercury air pollution has been a big problem for years. At last EPA is taking concrete steps to do something about it.  But the new mercury regulations need to be much more stringent for new mines.

Last month, we told you about the release of Tarnished Gold: assessing the jewelry industry's progress on ethical sourcing of metals. In essence, Tarnished Gold is a report card that evaluates the progress jewelers have made in pursuit of cleaner sources of precious metals.

Some jewelers saw the first report and realized they needed to do more, and tell us more about what they were already doing. So they sent us additional information and assurance about their efforts.

Yesterday we issued an updated report, which notes further advances by four large jewelers and a dozen smaller companies. Eleven small jewelry companies now deserve an "A" rating for their efforts.

For more information:

GASLAND, the documentary, is getting the attention it deserves for revealing the risks involved with hydraulic fracturing.  Last week Josh Fox, GASLAND's creator, was on the PBS news show NOW.  View the show after the jump.

Yesterday, the U.S. EPA announced that they will spend more than $1.9 million to study the impacts of hydraulic fracturing on water quality and public health.  EPA did a similar study in 2004 which concluded not only that fracking constitutes no risk to drinking water, but that no further study of the issue should be conducted.  

So why is EPA conducting this new study anyway?  Let me count the ways (after the jump):

Yesterday, EARTHWORKS launched the Texas Oil and Gas Accountability Project  – a new watchdog to keep an eye on the drilling industry in the Barnett Shale of north central Texas.Texas OGAP also released DRILL RIGHT TEXAS, a guide to gas extraction best practices.

Like its cousin, the Marcellus Shale gas play that underlies most of the north central Appalachian Mountains including New York and Pennsylvania, the Barnett Shale contains vast reserves of natural gas that recently became economic to extract. 

The reason it's now economic: a relatively new drilling technique called horizontal hydraulic fracturing.

You may have heard that natural gas is better for the environment than other fossil fuels. When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, that is true – certainly when compared to coal. But – and it's a big but – when it comes to local impacts, natural gas extraction/processing/transport as currently practiced is not something you'd wish on your worst enemy, or their drinking water.

Because of his experience exposing the industry's malfeasance, and the public health impacts associated with it (and his success in moving state government to respond),  DISH, Texas Mayor Calvin Tillman was invited up to the Marcellus region in New York and Pennsylvania to share his wisdom -- and to get to know the experiences of other gas industry impacted communities.

After a week "up north" he wrote the following message:

Yesterday a bill that would allow citizens to stop polluters from polluting took a big step towards becoming law.

The New Mexico House Judiciary Committee passed Private Action to Enforce Environmental Statute - HOUSE BILL 259.

It goes to the House floor this afternoon; then it's on to the Senate.  If it passes the whole legislature, the Governor will certainly sign it into law.

More good news.  The New Mexico legislature also killed a ridiculous proposal by drilling industry champions.  Industry wanted to punish communities who regulated oil & gas drilling by prohibiting them from receiving taxes generated by drilling.  Only if a community let industry run wild would they get severance tax revenue.  Fortunately, that proposal died (was tabled) a well deserved death this week.

This is a big deal nationwide because New Mexico is a bellwether for the entire country.  Good drilling laws and regulations in New Mexico will influence other states wrestling with similar issues -- like New York and Pennsylvania.

Thanks to everyone that made calls and donated to help counter industry's initiatives.

Stay tuned for more updates. Things are looking good, but the fight is not over.

UPDATE (2/11): The scorecard and grade for Jostens has been corrected on 2/11/10, to reflect their signing of the Bristol Bay Protection Pledge.

When consumers buy jewelry, they don't want their purchase to underwrite environmental destruction; they don't want to support throwing people out of their homes; they don't want their wedding rings to cause the pollution of drinking water.

But consumers have little reliable assurance about the origins of their jewelry purchases. 

Although there have been several steps in the right direction in the six years since the No Dirty Gold campaign was launched.

Today we released Tarnished Gold? Assessing the jewelry industry's progress on the ethical sourcing of metals.  It evaluates the efforts made by jewelers towards responsible sourcing of precious metals.  It is based on responses to a survey sent to the jewelers that had signed on to No Dirty Gold's Golden Rules of Responsible Mining by mid-February 2009, and ot other large jewelry retailers who sold jewelry worth more than $100 million.

TXSharon over at Bluedaze just posted a series of aerial photos showing how one family, the Ruggieros, has been impacted by irresponsible gas drilling.

Since the day Aruba Petroleum invaded the Ruggieros, they have been subjected to overpowering diesel fumes, destruction of their property, a drilling waste spill, noise, another drilling waste spill, fugitive emission fumes, endless lies and much more.

Currently, the emissions from Aruba's wells are constantly pumping horrible smelling gas into the air. Christine suffers from headaches and blurry vision. Nine year-old Reilly sometimes feels as if she can't inhale fully. Tim has headaches, numbness in his extremities and sometimes looses his balance.