Reuters is reporting that an Alaska environmentalist is returning to court to force the company responsible for the Exxon Valdez oil spill to pay for its long-term ecological consequences.

In a memo (.pdf) sent to the heads of each of Florida's five water management districts, a state Department of Environmental Protection special counsel writes that districts need to begin paring down or eliminating certain functions — an unsurprising request, given recent budget cuts. But environmental groups are worried about portions of the memo, which expressly indicate that the districts' responsibilities be limited in several areas — including land acquisition, wetlands mitigation, water conservation and the regulation of water supply and environmental resources.