Republican Robert Hurt — who is trying to knock off Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) — has sued environmental groups for running TV ads claiming that Hurt has a conflict of interest over state uranium-mining proposals, the Charlottesville Daily Progress reported.



Hurt, a state senator, filed a $1.09 million defamation lawsuit in a county court against the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), the Sierra Club and the parent companies of local TV stations that ran the groups’ ad.
 
The spot, which hit the airwaves last month, claimed Hurt’s vote to study the feasibility of uranium mining presented a "shocking conflict of interest." The lawsuit was filed Oct. 15, but was not reported by the paper and other local media until Monday, the day before voters go to the polls.

Enviros sharpen post-election message as they brace for tougher climate.

Kathleen Frangione is joining the prominent lobbying and communications shop McBee Strategic as an executive vice president.

Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) Monday asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to prepare an additional environmental analysis of a proposed TransCanada oil sands pipeline project because of concerns over how it would affect water quality in his state.



In a letter to Clinton, Johanns formally requested a supplemental environmental impact analysis of the project that would analyze alternative routes for the pipeline and “associated environmental concerns.”



He wants the new analysis to include “additional pipeline entry points into the United States and consider a route that would run parallel to the existing Keystone pipeline route.” He also wants another look at “any potential environmental benefit to a route that avoids the Sandhills region” of Nebraska and “any environmental 
significance of soil composition.”

Oil giant BP will provide $48 million for seafood marketing and testing and $140 million for coastal restoration work under a deal with Louisiana officials unveiled Monday.

The funding announced in New Orleans includes, according to Gov. Bobby Jindal’s (R) office, $18 million over three years for gauging the effects of oil, dispersants and “other spill-related impacts" on seafood.

Meanwhile, $30 million over three years will be provided to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation for the marketing of Louisiana’s seafood, his office said. The commitments also include $140 million for sand berm and barrier-island restoration, Jindal’s office said, alongside $30 million to market Louisiana as a tourist destination.

Former White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Jim Nussle has begun work as president and chief operating officer of Growth Energy, the upstart ethanol trade group that has become an aggressive presence in Washington, D.C.

His lobbying and consulting shop, the Nussle Group, had already begun representing Growth Energy last year. The Iowa Republican served eight terms in the House and chaired the Budget Committee before heading OMB under President George W. Bush.

Nussle will not be lobbying for Growth Energy, a spokeswoman for the trade group said. He will be “responsible for Growth Energy’s day-to-day operations, including revenue growth, budget, expenses, communications, and other non-lobbying associated activity,” the group said in a statement.

Ever since the 193-nation Copenhagen climate talks melted down last year, several experts have suggested that progress toward emissions cuts is possible in other, less sprawling multilateral forums.

This month’s G-20 summit in South Korea might provide a test case.

A White House official said Monday the administration wants to bolster G-20 efforts launched at its Pittsburgh summit last year to phase out fossil-fuel subsidies.

“This is good fiscal policy. It's good health policy. It's good energy policy. It's good climate policy. And, in fact, it may be the most important thing the G-20 does in addressing climate change. We've made some progress in this area, and we'll continue to work along those lines,” said Mike Froman, the deputy National Security Adviser for International Economic Affairs.

With voters headed to the ballot box Tuesday, here is a quick snapshot of a few races E2 is watching.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is a favorite among unmarried women voters by a whopping 32 points.