In Thursday's environmental law news, the Russian cabinet has approved the Kyoto Protocol [PDF], paving the way for its passage into international law, as expected earlier in JURIST's Paper Chase. The agreement will take effect if it passes through the Duma, the Russian Parliament. The treaty was first drafted in 1997 and has been awaiting enough nations to ratify it to become effective. AP has more.

In other environmental law news...

• The states of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin are allegedly unable to inspect a fraction of their storm water permits and thus the EPA is failing to provide the states with the regulatory guidance needed to curb pollution, an NGO reports. The report, released by the Environmental Integrity Project, details pollution to the Great Lakes region. The press release is here. The report is here [PDF].