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   The St. Louis Cardinals make it a habit to honor others before many of the team's home games.  But Monday night, it was the baseball franchise that was honored.  

   The Environmental Protection Agency recognized the team with a plaque for their leadership in food recovery and recycling.  

   By composting leftovers, like old hot dogs, and donating unused, uncooked food to food pantries, the team has kept 2000 tons of waste out of landfills.  According to the EPA, that’s far and away the best of any pro sports franchise.

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, of Missouri, is threatening to block President Barack Obama's choice for Environmental Protection Agency administrator until plans are resolved for a long-stalled levee project in southeast Missouri.

Blunt and Democratic Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill expressed disappointment on Monday that the EPA and two other agencies missed a self-imposed March 15 deadline to establish a plan to move forward with the St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway project.

Construction to close a 1,500-foot gap in the levee was halted in 2007 due to technical problems with the project's Environmental Impact Statement.

Obama announced his choice of Gina McCarthy as EPA chief earlier this month. Blunt says he'll use a parliamentary procedure known as a hold to block the nomination until the levee issue is resolved.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A St. Louis business has agreed to pay a $23,000 civil penalty to settle claims of failing to take precautions with lead-based paint.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says Groeller Painting Inc. also failed to notify residents about lead-based paint risks before the renovation of a multifamily property built before 1978.

Lead paint was banned in the U.S. in 1978, but can be found in some older homes.

When young children breathe in or swallow lead, it can lead to physical and mental delays, lower intelligence, shorter attention spans and behavioral problems. In adults, it can cause high blood pressure and damage to the nervous system and stomach.

An EPA rule that took effect in 2010 increased the requirements for contractors on projects that disturb lead-based paint.