National briefs: Chesapeake Bay plan established
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WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency established an aggressive "pollution diet" for the Chesapeake Bay on Wednesday, dictating what steps Pennsylvania and five other states and the District of Columbia must take by 2025 to put the troubled estuary on the path to recovery.
Shawn Garvin, the agency's regional administrator for the mid-Atlantic, described the plan as "the largest water pollution strategy plan in the nation" and possibly "number one or number two" in the world. He noted that it will affect "basically every drop of water that gets to the bay" from as far north as upstate New York.
The legally enforceable road map, which runs roughly 200 pages along with 800 pages of appendices, will help determine everything from how pig farms in West Virginia dispose of waste to the way Pennsylvania copes with storm-water runoff.
HONOLULU -- President Barack Obama used his executive power to overcome what the White House called obstruction by Senate Republicans, announcing six recess appointments on Wednesday, including the first American ambassador to Syria in five years.
The appointments came amid deep White House frustration over the slow pace of Senate confirmations. A memo put out by the White House on Wednesday said that 79 of Mr. Obama's nominations were pending in the Senate when the lame-duck session ended.
The six nominees appointed have been waiting a total of 888 days to start their respective jobs, the White House said.
WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department is investigating whether former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell violated federal law by diverting campaign funds for personal use, sources said Wednesday.
The probe of the Delaware Republican arose in response to a complaint from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The watchdog group alleged in September that Ms. O'Donnell had used campaign funds for rent, meals and other personal expenses.
First Published December 30, 2010 12:00 am
