The experts working on the project say they are simply making sure the plants don't shut down on New Year's Eve, and they claim confidence that there are no safety problems that might lead to a nuclear disaster. But the specter of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear explosion still looms over the region. Ukraine has a record of ignoring its own nuclear safety regulations and overriding safety systems in order to keep electricity flowing. The peregrine falcon, which was pushed to the brink of extinction by widespread use of DDT, is expected to be removed from the endangered species list tomorrow, the first species to be delisted since 1994. Ten percent of the pairs in the continental U.S. are urban dwellers, making their homes in New York City, Chicago, Detroit, and other cities.
Some environmentalists think that populations in the East are still too fragile to be delisted.
But federal officials and other enviros say the recovery of the peregrine, the world's fastest flying bird, is proof that the 1973 Endangered Species Act can save species from extinction. Canada, which is home to one-fifth of the world's fresh water, also suggested that it will enact laws this fall to become the first nation to outlaw bulk exports of water. Such a move could have long-term repercussions for the U.S., which has eyed Canadian supplies as a way to water its agricultural areas. All rights reserved.