Bill would ban phosphates in dish soap
Under a bill given an initial green light in the Vermont Senate last week, all dishwashing detergent sold in Vermont would have to be made without phosphorous within about four years. (VPR)
Kerr supports stronger rules for Vermont product labels
Vermont’s agriculture secretary says he would like to see some changes in proposed rules on how Vermont’s name is used in product labeling. Steve Kerr says he wants to make sure labeling requirements are broad enough to protect Vermont farms now and in the future. (listen to the story online or read the transcript.) (VPR)
Dean praises Kerry
Once a bitter critic of John Kerry, Howard Dean is now praising his former rival for Democratic presidential nomination. Dean says the Massachusetts senator will “make a far better president” than George W. Bush. (AP)
Vermont Yankee uprate
The Public Service Board could decide as early as Monday whether to grant the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant’s request to boost its power output by 20 percent. If the board approves the request, it still would have to get an okay from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (AP)
Wind energy hearings
Vermonters will have a say this month about whether commercial wind power projects should be built on state-owned lands. The Agency of Natural Resources starts a series of eight public meetings tonight in Springfield. (AP)
Tax plan changes
The Douglas administration has begun to discuss ways to reduce Vermont’s income tax rates. The governor’s original tax proposal has encountered strong resistance in the Republican-controlled House. An administration official says the governor has not given up on his original tax plan but is considering an alternative. (AP)
Stormwater runoff
Two legislative committees will start taking testimony this week on reforming the state’s stormwater permitting process. The testimony will be the first extensive legislative discussion of stormwater since the Water Resources Board issued its recommendations last week. (AP)
Radio Free Brattleboro
Officials from a community radio station in Brattleboro are due in court on Monday to hear a complaint brought by the Federal Communications Commission. But lawyers for Radio Free Brattleboro are going to ask a federal judge at the same time to prevent the FCC from seizing its equipment. (AP)
Chinese firm opens in Barre
A China-based monument manufacturer has opened a business in Barre in the wake of the closing of the International Stone Products a month ago. Representatives of the Wanli Stone Company plan to take over International Stone’s former import branch. (AP)
Successful commuter bus
A commuter bus between Burlington and Montpelier so far has been a success. The six-month old bus service is an experiment to measure the demand for public transportation between the state’s largest city and the capital. It was created to cut down on traffic on Interstate 89 and to reduce pollution from cars. (AP)
Deer testing delayed
A contract dispute has delayed testing of 300 samples of whitetail deer brains for chronic wasting disease. The samples, taken from last year’s hunting season, are supposed to be tested at a University of Connecticut lab but lawyers for the state of Connecticut have objected to language in Vermont’s contract. (AP)
Eagle restoration
A program will start this spring to encourage bald eagles to breed in Vermont. U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords is expected to announce on Monday $200,000 in federal money for the eagle restoration program. (AP)
Fish and Wildlife summer camps
The price of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department summer camps may not go up until next year. Lawmaker last month raised the tuition from $100 to $175 for camps this year. But many applications for the youth camps have already been filed. (AP)
Catamounts make NCAA tournament
The University of Vermont’s men’s basketball team will travel to Buffalo to face the University of Connecticut on Thursday in the opening round of the NCAA Men’s National Basketball Championship. Seeded fifteenth, the Catamounts will take on the number two Huskies in the 16-team bracket. (AP)