Disposal of drugs poses a dilemma. Pharmaceuticals and personal-care products are making their way through the pipes and accumulating in streams and rivers, according to mounting evidence from around the country. Portland Press Herald,

Extreme clean-up on tap in New Orleans. The Army Corps of Engineers is planning one of the biggest environmental cleanups ever attempted: scraping miles of sediment laced with cancer-causing chemicals from New Orleans' hurricane-flooded neighborhoods. Dallas Morning News, (reg.req)

Many wells may be hazards State officials believe hundreds of abandoned oil wells in southern Indiana pose a risk, and the cost may bankrupt the state fund for cleanup. Evansville Courier & Press,

Wilma Leaves Florida Elderly Vulnerable. In Florida's disaster-preparedness community, it's an axiom that each hurricane is different. When Wilma struck, the effect on Florida's elderly was especially harsh. Los Angeles Times

British to help China build 'eco-cities.' British engineers will this week sign a multi-billion contract with the Chinese authorities to design and build a string of 'eco-cities' - self-sustaining urban centres the size of a large western capital - in the booming country. London Observer,

Mercury rising? State and federal tests at Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir reveal mercury at levels 180 times greater than what is considered relatively normal. Twin Falls Times-News

Deal near on Lakes regulation. Michigan is on the verge of adopting the water regulations it promised two decades ago in a historic agreement with seven neighboring states and two Canadian provinces to protect the Great Lakes. Detroit News,

Citizens blame health problems, property damage on Soychlor emissions. Workers and residents blame their ailments on emissions from SoyChlor, a livestock feed supplement plant that opened nine months ago. Des Moines Register

Thousands sign up for C8 health screening. Ted Johnson worked 35 years at DuPont's Washington Works plant and believed the company about its safety. Now, he's not so sure, and wants to find out if a chemical used to make Teflon has affected his health. Associated Press.

*Momentum builds for renter safeguards. Efforts to create safeguards for renters unknowingly exposed to environmental hazards are gaining significant and growing support among state lawmakers, who expect to introduce legislation in January. Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin,

Pollution piles up at Susquehanna riverbed. Scientists worry that as the reservoir behind Conowingo Dam fills up with sediment, more and more muck polluted with manure, fertilizer, coal dust and toxic substances will wash over the dam into the upper Chesapeake Bay. Associated Press

New Orleans Grid 'Fragile'. The bankrupt utility that supplies power and gas to New Orleans has not set a timetable for restoring service to the city's storm-ravaged eastern neighborhoods and the Lower 9th Ward, the company's CEO told an angry crowd Saturday. Reuters.

Time for New England to get green. New England has historically been America's energy orphan, so now, in a century shadowed by threat of global energy emergencies, can New England survive and prosper? Westborough News,

Vermont may sue to stop tire burn. If New York environmental officials choose to disregard Vermont's opposition to plans by International Paper Co. to burn up to 72 tons of shredded tires at its Ticonderoga, N.Y., paper mill for a two-week test, Vermont will likely take the matter to court. Barre-Montpelier Times Argus,

Cameras monitor dumping. In ``hot spots'' around the city, officials have set up hidden cameras designed to combat the illegal dumping that has been a constant problem for Lawrence. Boston Globe,

The big rush to drill. There's a big push by the oil and gas industries and their political allies to reduce public oversight and roll back protections for wildlife in order to increase energy production in the West. Denver Post,

The melting mountains. Climate change is destroying the world's most spectacular landscapes. London Independent,