latimes.com -- Oil buried in sediments in the shallow waters of the Gulf is triggering genetic reactions in the gills and livers of local populations of killifish, a ubiquitous prey for marine species vital to the region's economy, according to a study published this week in the review Environmental Science & Technology. Researchers linked those genetic changes to cardiovascular problems, reproductive failures and weakened and listless offspring.

“The animals are simply not hatching,” said Fernando Galvez, an environmental toxicologist from Louisiana State University, who led the study. “The ones that go on to hatch are smaller and have very little vigor.”

..“All of those fish we like to eat, eat the killifish,” said Andrew Whitehead, an environmental toxicologist from UC Davis, and a co-author of the  (read more)

time.com (AP) -- A natural gas tanker truck lost control, hit a center divider and exploded on a highway lined by homes in the Mexico City suburb of Ecatepec early Tuesday, killing at least 22 people and injuring nearly three dozen, authorities said.

Officials at the Citizen Safety Department of Mexico State, which surrounds the capital, did not rule out the possibility the death toll could rise. Fifteen people remained hospitalized late Tuesday, seven of them in critical condition.

The department’s spokesman, Cesar Diaz, said emergency workers would continue searching through the night in the charred remains of vehicles and homes built near the highway on the northern edge of the metropolis.

Residents pitched in to rescue people from the wreckage of the 5:30 a.m. explosion, crushed and burned cars and  (read more)

USA Today -- Motor vehicle crashes involving cellphones are "vastly underreported" in national statistics on fatal automobile crashes, according to a new study by the National Safety Council.

Researchers for the Itasca, Ill., -based non-profit organization reviewed 180 fatal crashes from 2009 to 2011 that resulted in one or more deaths. It independently confirmed that those crashes were cellphone-related through means such as the driver admitting it, a caller or texter on the other end during the crash reporting cellphone use, a passenger reporting the driver's cellphone use or police finding an unfinished message on the phone at the crash site.

..

The safety council estimates that 25% of all motor vehicle crashes involve cellphone use.  (read more)

GasBuddy Blog -- When it comes to your auto insurance, are you looking to change companies? Maybe find the same or better coverage at a lower rate?

J.D. Power and Associates says the number of us who are shopping is at a record low; just 23 percent of the 16,900 respondents in their U.S. Insurance Shopping Study say they're serious shoppers...

But of those who say they were looking for a better deal some time during the past 12 months, 45 percent of those ended up switching insurers.

Apparently a little bit of research, often online, is yielding positive results and savings for many consumers. This industry has witnessed fewer customers shopping, but those who are shopping are serious about switching insurers,” Jeremy Bowler...  (read more)

LA Times -- General Motors announced Monday it’s recalling more than 38,000 Chevrolet and Buick eAssist light hybrid cars for a potential fire issue.

The automaker said circuit boards in the trunk can potentially overheat, causing the cars’ 12-volt battery to drain and one of several indicator lights to turn on. If owners ignore the warning lights, the engine could stall and a fire could occur in the trunk, GM said.

The issue is not related to the cars’ rechargable lithium-ion battery that is part of the eAssist hybrid system.

The recall affects 38,197 Chevrolet Malibu Eco and Buick LaCrosse and Regal sedans from the 2012 and 2013 model year. Most of the incidents have occurred within the first 1,000 miles of operation, GM said.

The issue came to GM’s attention in October 2012, according to spokes  (read more)

CBC/Radio-Canada -- A workshop offered in Kent County over the weekend discussed how to peacefully oppose shale gas exploration and development in the province.

Philippe Duhamel, a member of a group called Our Environment, Our Choice, travelled from Quebec City to lead the workshop in St. Charles.

He said he was impressed with how proactive people in New Brunswick are when it comes to fighting the shale gas industry.

"New Brunswickers are ahead of Quebecers because it took us 31 shale gas wells before we woke up and got mobilized and got organized and here people are getting organized and getting ready even before exploration starts," Duhamel said.

He described New Brunswickers as "well-informed" and said that will serve the province well moving forward.

"Civil disobedience is something that requires...  (read more)

Los Angeles Times -- Utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric should pay a record $2.25-billion penalty for a 2010 natural gas explosion in San Bruno that killed eight people and devastated a neighborhood, regulators recommended Monday.

If approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, it would be by far the largest penalty ever levied by the agency. The PUC's largest fine up to now was $38 million, charged against PG&E for a 2008 natural gas explosion in Rancho Cordova.

A report released Monday by the Commission's Safety and Enforcement Division said its investigators found more than 100 violations by the company, some dating back decades.

"Imposing a fine for each violation ... would result in tens of billions of dollars of fines, which is more than PG&E's net worth," the report said.  (read more)

GasBuddy Blog -- With last week's news about the record-setting level of crude oil inventory coupled with weak employment data from the Dept. of Labor it was reasonable to expect those factors to help keep gas prices from rising...

But for consumers in the northeast there's more news that should be a positive influence where retail gas prices are concerned.

Back in March we reported on the crude from Western Canada reaching many new markets by rail, specifically, California, via the BNSF Railroad... Now we can tell you it's making its way east too, all the way up through the New England region!

How is it getting there? PBF Energy signed an agreement on April 10 with Continental Resources Inc. to supply PBF refineries with...  (read more)

Yahoo News / AP -- In less than a year, many of the towering cargo ships loading and unloading goods at California ports won't just tie up at dock — they'll also plug in.

In January, the state will become the first government body in the world to require container fleets docking at its major ports to shut off their diesel engines and use electricity for 50% of their visits — or face crippling fines.

The regulations by the CARB mark a sea change in the industry that has ports, shippers and terminal owners who do business in some of the busiest port complexes in the U.S. scrambling to meet the deadline and navigate new technological challenges.

The ports are not responsible, however, for retrofitting the ships or for the electricity used at dock — will cost between $500,000 and $1 million per vessel, said  (read more)

Design News -- Front-seat television technology is beginning to creep into the worldwide automotive market, but regulators, automakers, and suppliers say it’s unlikely to take hold in the US.

The growing trend -- said to be more popular in the Asian market than in North America or Europe -- involves the use of electronic kits that enable a vehicle’s navigation system to be converted for front-seat TV reception. Some Japanese suppliers sell the conversion kits into the automotive aftermarket, and service providers on three continents offer to install them. With such kits installed, drivers would potentially be able to view television shows while their cars are moving.

 (read more)

REUTERS -- Brent futures rose to the highest in nearly a month above $105 per barrel on Monday as an Israeli air strike on a Syrian military facility over the weekend stoked supply disruption worries from the Middle East.

Israeli officials said its second raid in days was aimed at stopping Lebanon's Hezbollah, an ally of Iran, from acquiring weapons that could be used to strike Tel Aviv if Israel follows through on threats to attack nuclear facilities. Iran denied its missiles were destined for Hezbollah called on the region to unite against Israel.

Brent crude touched $105.49 a barrel, the highest since April 11, and was up 84 cents at $105.03 at 0324 GMT. The contract extended Friday's gains that after better-than-expected job growth was reported in top oil consumer, the United States.  (read more)

GasBuddy Blog -- Gas stations are disappearing in Bethesda, MD. And there may be stations disappearing from many other suburbs too. The Washington Post says that in some suburbs of Washington DC, "gas stations are going the way of the drive-in movie."

Why would that be? There are more cars on the road than ever before.

But, experts say it's because of the economy, and specifically, commercial real estate and the value of vertical space. Are you seeing this where you live?

Increasing regulations and insurance requirements on gas stations have made it that much more difficult for small stations to make money, leaving owners more open to sell. According to the Washington Post, in one instance the owner of a BP station on Fairmont...  (read more)

GasBuddy Blog -- As Memorial Day quickly approaches, motorists may be noticing gasoline prices in much of the U.S. and Canada have started moving higher.

The national average is the last week is up "just" a penny per gallon, but some states have been harder hit than others: Wisconsin has seen average prices rise 4c/gal, Indiana is up 6c/gal, Illinois is up 3c/gal, Washington is up 5c/gal, Oregon is up 6c/gal. And the pain may get worse for motorists along the West Coast where gasoline supply remains very tight following an extensive period of refinery maintenance that has left gasoline inventories 11.2% below their year ago levels, according to the California Energy Commission.

The news isn't so grand for the next week either, as oil prices...  (read more)

TwinCities -- MORON, Venezuela—Only the filthy water from broken sewer pipes keeps the dust down in front of Ramon Boet's shop, which sells statues of saints and other religious objects.

In the distance, massive tankers pull up to a half-century-old refinery that processes much of the oil that earns Venezuela more than $100 billion a year.

"It doesn't help us at all," Boet, 58, says as a blackout snuffs the lights in his shop in this Caribbean coastal town. He closes before dusk. Too many robbers.

The oil flowing from the El Palito refinery sells for more than five times what it cost when President Hugo Chavez took office in 1999. Yet when Chavez died in March he left Venezuela's cash cow, its state-run oil company, in such dire straits that analysts say $100-a-barrel oil may no longer be enough t  (read more)

The Plain Dealer -- Previous attempts to ban traffic-enforcement cameras in Ohio were vetoed by the governor and nixed by two courts, but outrage over a speed trap in a tiny Southwest Ohio village has provided fresh fuel for an anti-camera law.

A bipartisan team headed by Cincinnati-area legislators is pushing a bill that would outlaw speed and red-light cameras in Ohio, trumping ordinances that allow the cameras in more than a dozen cities, including Cleveland, Akron, East Cleveland, Parma and Parma Heights. Last year alone, the cameras netted a total of more than $16 million for the communities that are the top camera revenue generators.
 (read more)

Dallas Business Journal -- A compressed natural gas vehicle pulls into the home garage after a long commute in freezing rain, the fuel gauge nearly empty. The driver passed several gas stations on the way home, avoiding the miserable weather.

Instead, the car owner hooks the CNG vehicle up to an in-home fueling station right in the garage. Overnight, the vehicles’ eight-gallon tank fills up using the same natural gas that fuels the home’s stove, furnace and fireplace.

But cost is the biggest inhibitor right now as the in-home fueling appliance costs more than $5,000 and CNG vehicles themselves cost about $4,000 more than their gasoline counterparts.

"If you’ve got a $10,000 premium you better drive a heck of a lot and be willing to keep the car for a long time," Rehm said.

Fleets that have gone CNG include UPS,  (read more)

NBC News -- As the head of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Ray LaHood repeatedly stated his goal to reduce distracted driving, such as talking while driving. A new study adds one more to his list of driving no-nos: Pets, particularly for senior drivers.

Researchers at the University of Alabama-Birmingham say that both overall and at-fault crash rates for drivers 70 years of age or older were higher for those whose pet often rode with them.

“This is the first study to evaluate the presence of pets in a vehicle as a potential internal distraction for elderly drivers,” said Gerald McGwin, the study’s co-author and a professor in the Department of Epidemiology.

The crash risk for drivers who always drove with their pets was...  (read more)

GasBuddy Blog -- On May 3, 2013, Texting Awareness Foundation commented on a new study confirming that voice text messaging is just as dangerous as hands-on texting.

According to Business Insider, the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A & M University, compared voice-to-text messaging and conventional texting in a driving situation. Christine Yager, who conducted the study, said, "In each case, drivers took about twice as long to react as they did when they weren't texting. Eye contact to the roadway also decreased, no matter which texting method was used."

The study indicated that drivers felt safer using voice text messaging and did not believe their driving skills were impaired. Contrary to common wisdom, voice-to-text messaging...  (read more)

Seattle Times -- Elliott Roosevelt Jr., a grandson of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, grins and leans toward visitors in his Dallas office to describe his biggest discovery in 53 years as an oilman.

After nursing a single 10-bbl-a-day well in a desolate stretch of west Texas for two decades, Roosevelt, 76, is embracing a technique he says can liberate a third of the 1.8 billion barrels of petroleum stuck a mile below.

He plans to inject carbon dioxide into limestone, potentially freeing oil and reaping the bounty from a 38-sq-mile area drillers abandoned long ago.

Unlike fracking, in which drillers blast water, sand and chemicals into wells to shatter shale and release oil and gas, CO2-enhanced drilling induces a chemical reaction that makes oil less sticky and helps it flow from microscopic pores  (read more)

MLIVE -- More than 5,000 crashes in Michigan last year involved drivers on cellphones or distracted by something else, a new MLive Media Group analysis shows.

But the analysis also shows something else: Traffic crashes involving cellphones were at the lowest point in a decade last year, while other forms of distracted driving were at their highest.

The contradicting trends surprised some traffic safety experts and police officials, but many had the same conclusion.

More drivers are unwilling to admit they were using cellphones just before a crash, especially as such crashes become more stigmatized.  (read more)

Spearfish SD Black Hills Pioneer -- WILLISTON, N.D. — Two Williston Basin oilmen say they expect Frac Daddy — the horse they have running in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday — to be a favorite of oil field workers everywhere.

Billings, Mont., residents Carter Stewart and Ken Schlenker own the 3-year-old thoroughbred whose name is a take on the oil drilling technique known as fracking.

"We've got a huge fan base because we've made him a tribute to all the oil field workers in America and especially the Williston Basin," Stewart told The Forum newspaper. The Williston Basin spans the Dakotas and Montana, with about two-thirds of the acreage in western N.D.

Frac Daddy's odds of winning were posted at 50-1 on Friday, but Stewart said he is optimistic his horse can run for the roses.

Bender said he and his wife follow the Derby  (read more)

Times Leader -- Even though fuel prices are about 12 percent lower than a year ago, Oscar Cabrera of Scranton said it’s been a long time since he could afford to fill his SUV’s tank.“I just put $20 in every day,” Cabrera said while at the pump next to his Chevrolet Trailblazer. “It’ll take (nearly) $100 to fill the tank.”

Although gas prices usually rise as Memorial Day approaches, this year is bucking the trend. Pump prices have been hovering around $3.40 during the past few weeks in the Wilkes-Barre area, according to AAA statistics, although some stations are offering it for a couple of pennies less.

Renaldo Nunc, an attendant for seven years at the Sunoco station along North Keyser Avenue in Scranton, rolled his eyes and said this spring fuel prices are inconsistent and crazy.“Here it’s $3.39.  (read more)

DesMoinesRegister.com -- The contentious battle between ethanol and Big Oil took its latest twist on Thursday when an event hosted by the renewable fuels industry drew an unexpected guest.

The surprise visit occurred during an ethanol industry briefing for congressional staffers in Washington. Ethanol supporters at the event aggressively spoke out against a push by the oil industry that is looking to rollback or end the federal Renewable Fuel Standard — an 8-year-old law that requires refiners to use alternative fuels from corn, soybeans and other products in the country’s gasoline supply.

 (read more)

Bloomburg -- Ford Motor Co. (F), seeking to challenge Toyota Motor Corp. (7203)’s dominance in gasoline-electric vehicles, said it will pass its full-year record for U.S. hybrid sales this month on demand for its Fusion and C-Max models.

Hybrid deliveries for Ford reached a monthly record 8,481 in April, bringing the total this year to 29,561, said Erich Merkle, U.S. sales analyst for the Dearborn, Michigan-based company. Ford’s annual record for such sales was 35,496 in 2010.

Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally has rolled out the new C-Max hybrids and electric versions of its redesigned Fusion sedan in the past year to take on Toyota, which has dominated with its Prius hybrids since the early 2000s. The new models build on Ford’s effort to add more fuel-efficient smaller cars that complement its st  (read more)

newswatch.nationalgeographic.com -- In drought-plagued New Mexico, water is gold.

And this week, Mora County in the northern part of the state took a firm stand to protect its precious liquid: it banned all oil and gas extraction from county lands. It is believed to be the first county in the nation to take such action.

..But the county’s new ordinance calls for a state constitutional amendment that puts community rights above corporate property rights.

Of concern in Mora, and increasingly throughout the country, is the potential harm to water sources from oil and gas drilling..or fracking.

Because many wells cut through water-bearing formations called aquifers, fracking risks contaminating drinking water supplies with hazardous chemicals. Yet fracking is exempt from compliance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act  (read more)