Latest Pollution Headlines
All the headlines from our Pollution Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Asbestos Losses Continue to Haunt P/C Insurers: A.M. Best
Nov 29 2016 // Net ultimate asbestos losses for the U.S. property/casualty industry have risen once again. They’re now at $100 billion, and that’s $15 billion higher than the previous estimate, according to a new A.M. Best...
Study: Injection Wells, Agriculture Harming Bays in Maui
Nov 28 2016 // A team of University of Hawaii scientists has completed a study of nearshore ecosystems across Maui that shows the impact of discharged treated wastewater. The findings were published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE...
BNSF in Washington to Examine Covering Coal Trains Under Agreement
Nov 23 2016 // BNSF Railway will study the use of physical covers for coal and petroleum coke trains as part of a tentative agreement reached this week with environmental groups that sued alleging that coal spilled from trains pollutes...
People
Nov 21 2016 // Western Growers Insurance Services Inc. has named Ken Cooper director of risk strategy. Western Growers also named Matt Luis as a sales executive. Cooper will spearhead the development of solutions for Western...
West Virginia Regulator Sues Alpha Natural on Fraud Allegations
Nov 18 2016 // West Virginia’s environmental regulator sued Alpha Natural Resources Inc’s former management on allegations of fraud on Wednesday, saying top executives should be held accountable for an unusual $100 million...
Zurich’s Sustainable U.S. Campus Is One Part of Its Green Ambitions
Nov 17 2016 // The voice of Zurich North America Chief Legal Officer Dennis Kerrigan swelled with pride as he described the carrier’s new headquarters in Schaumburg, Ill., and its importance to Zurich’s overall philosophy...
Texas DOT: Hazardous Chemical Routes in Houston Unchanged in 20 Years
Nov 15 2016 // Texas Department of Transportation records show no highway routes designated for transport of hazardous chemicals in the Houston area have been updated over the past 20 years and government officials appear befuddled over...
Miami Explores Using Bacteria-Infected Mosquitoes to Fight Zika
Nov 14 2016 // Officials in Miami trying to stop the outbreak of Zika are exploring the use of mosquitoes infected with bacteria that inhibit the insects’ ability to transmit the virus. The Miami Herald reports that Florida’s...
University of Georgia Settles Hazardous Waste Violations with EPA for $400K
Nov 14 2016 // The University of Georgia will spend more than $400,000 after federal inspectors found dozens of safety violations in the way it handles hazardous waste. Under a “consent agreement and final order” with the...
Everest Insurance Expands Environmental Coverage
Nov 14 2016 // Everest Insurance has expanded its environmental offering with its new ESP policy form, a mono-line site pollution policy form that includes coverage available for both new and pre-existing pollution conditions for bodily...
Trump Could Rip Up Decades of Climate Deals in a Year
Nov 11 2016 // It took more than two decades for nations around the world to forge an agreement to save the planet from global warming. Within one year, Donald Trump could leave it in tatters. Trump, who has said climate change is a hoax...
Global Fight Against Climate Change to ‘Suffer a Blow’ from Trump Victory
Nov 10 2016 // The global fight against climate change will suffer a blow from Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election, threatening the industries working to clean up pollution from fossil fuel. The next president...
Gray Joins National E&S in California as Environmental Wholesale Broker
Nov 9 2016 // Jeff Gray has rejoined National E&S as an environmental wholesale broker. Gray specializes in hard to place risks, including construction risks, restoration contractors, environmental risks and hazmat trucking...
EPA Authorizes $1.8M to Remove Unsafe Liquids From 2 Connecticut Industrial Sites
Nov 9 2016 // Federal environmental regulators say they’re trying to contain and remove as much as 200,000 gallons of dangerous liquid chemicals and compounds found in storage tanks at two abandoned industrial properties in...
Oklahoma Agency to Limit More Disposal Wells After Oil Hub Earthquake
Nov 8 2016 // Oklahoma’s oil and gas regulator plans to shut some disposal wells and reduce the volume of others as its initial response to Sunday’s earthquake near the oil hub of Cushing. “Other plans are being...
Many Hands Await $151M West Virginia Chemical Spill Payout
Nov 7 2016 // After a $151 million settlement was reached in a West Virginia chemical spill that tainted a local water system, the real wait begins for residents and businesses hoping to cash in on the claims process. And for whoever is...
The Hartford Goes Green for Millennials
Nov 3 2016 // If Alexandra Zepp is typical of those in a millennial generation that’s beginning to account for a larger and more influential portion of the nation’s workforce, then what she has to say about her choice of...
Judge Allows Washington City’s Pollution Suit against Monsanto to Proceed
Nov 2 2016 // A federal judge says Spokane’s lawsuit against the agrochemical giant Monsanto regarding pollution in Washington’s Spokane River can move forward. The city sued Monsanto last year, alleging the company knew for...
House Republicans Question Volkswagen Penalties for Diesel Pollution
Nov 2 2016 // Two senior U.S. House Republicans on Tuesday asked environmental regulators to answer questions about Volkswagen AG’s diesel emissions settlements, including disclosing how the government calculated the penalties...
$151M Settlement Reached Over 2014 Chemical Spill in West Virginia
Nov 2 2016 // A federal judge on Monday tentatively approved a $151 million settlement involving two companies sued over a 2014 chemical spill that contaminated drinking water in southern West Virginia. U.S. District Judge John...
