[JURIST] In Tuesday's environmental law news, the US Environmental Protection Agency [official website] has announced [press release] that is will be awarding over $40 million to over 140 American Indian tribes for environmental protection projects. The tribes [EPA backgrounder], mainly in the Pacific Southwest, will use the money to build water and sewage treatment systems, implement air pollution controls, solid waste management, and watershed monitoring and restoration projects. The grants are authorized under the 1984 American Indian Policy [text], which grants the EPA power to coordinate with American Indian Tribes to implement environmental programs.

In other environmental law news...

• Energy and environmental ministers from 20 countries are meeting today in London to discuss how to best approach climate change issues. The meeting, proposed at the G8 Summit [summit website] last July, is in advance of the next international meeting to formally discuss the Kyoto Protocol [text]. The Financial Times has more.
  
  
• US District Judge John Steele [official website] ruled [PDF text] Monday that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [official website] went too far with a regulation that outlawed all grouper fishing to protect one species, the red grouper. There are 17 different grouper species in the area, including the red. The regulations were set to enact today (Nov. 1) a closed season for recreational grouper fishing in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico. The closed season for red grouper will remain in effect. The New York Times has more.