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The article provides information on a report released by the Investor Responsibility Research Center Inc. (IRRC) institute, which examines the impact of the cap and trade system on businesses in the U.S. The report notes that with such system, 203 of the listed companies would lose 1 percent of their income and 71 more companies would see more than a 10 percent cost increase. Moreover, comments and doubts of businesses over the impact of the systems on their concerns are also mentioned.

The article offers news briefs related to environmental policies in the U.S. The amendments for the Scrap Tire Program of Alabama were passed by the state's Environmental Management Commission. The revisions for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit program of Ohio were proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A draft 2010 Impaired Waters List was brought out by West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

The author reflects on the changes made to the environmental regulation in the U.S. He mentions that as carbon emission became the main issue in the Congress, sooner there will be requirements to monitor and tally all carbon emissions from a facility, new rules for mining companies and electric utilities and a discharge limit of water. He states that these changes to environmental regulation will soon lead affected industries to go after Congressional Committee or a federal agency.

The article reports on a delayed announcement of Steven Johnson, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator (EPA) on a new smog standard that lowered the acceptable ozone levels from 80 to 75 part per billion released by EPA in March 2008. It is stated that EPA wanted to make the standard tougher and that Office of the Management and Budget objected with regards to its cost that caused the standard to be weakened. Furthermore, setting new standards confused the agency. Johnson states that U.S. President George Bush let him made the final determination.

The article offers information on the Semiannual Regulatory Agenda of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The document is issued twice a year which contains EPA regulations, existing policy initiatives and policies completed/cancelled in the previous agenda. The author expresses that the agenda condense and organize the information into useful, accessible resource. She adds that the agenda are organized according to pre-rulemaking, proposed rulemaking, final rulemaking and long-term rulemaking so that people may be aware of the policies and actions developed by EPA.

The article presents information on the environmental policy in the United States. In 1990, Congress amended the Clean Air Act (CAA). Recently, a federal appeals court blocked Environmental Protection Agency (EPP) from going forward with new regulations that many claimed were more apparent to increase pollution. According to the court, EPA's changes violated the language of the CAA, and ruled that any such change can only be authorized by Congress. The court has given the Congress an opportunity to step up and clarify some of the legal language in the CAA.

Reports on the environmental policies of various states in the U.S. Arkansas; Florida; Indiana; Massachusetts; Maryland; New Hampshire; Oregon; Utah; Washington.