Latest Pollution Headlines
All the headlines from our Pollution Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Safety Laws Still Lacking a Year After Texas Plant Blast
Apr 23 2014 // It has been a year since a fire caused a huge explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant that killed 15 people, yet companies in the state can still store hazardous chemicals in flammable wooden containers in buildings without...
Lawsuits Over West Virginia Chemical Spill Moved to District Court
Apr 22 2014 // Lawsuits against Freedom Industries Inc., whose leaky chemical tank polluted drinking water in West Virginia, were transferred from bankruptcy court to federal district court in Charleston last week to “assure...
Heavy Asbestos Fines for Hanford Contractors in Washington
Apr 8 2014 // Two contractors at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington will pay more than $175,000 in fines after an investigation found alleged asbestos violations. The Environmental Protection Agency says CH2M Hill Plateau...
Declarations
Apr 7 2014 // Consumer Recoveries “We are constantly working to streamline regulations, cut red tape and expand the banking and insurance markets, but when our licensees violate our laws and regulations, we take action and hold...
Environmental Exposure: Flood Risk in the Oil & Gas Industry
Apr 7 2014 // There has been much discussion regarding the increasing frequency and intensity of storms around the world. While both underwriters and insurance buyers are concerned with exposure to potential catastrophic losses from...
Ten things to know about environmental liability
Apr 7 2014 // The market for environmental insurance products remains fluid and highly competitive. Although some carriers raised rates, aggressive pricing and terms are still prevalent. Pricing expectations are flat to 10 percent lower...
Georgia Beauty Salons Seek to Reduce Hazardous Chemical Exposure
Apr 2 2014 // Federal officials and Georgia beauty professionals have formed an alliance to reduce exposure to hazardous chemicals. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced the...
Chubb Appoints Barr as European Environmental Manager
Apr 1 2014 // Chubb Insurance Company of Europe SE announced the appointment of David Barr to the role of European Environmental Manager. Fred Shurbaji, Chubb European Commercial Manager, explained that Barr “will be responsible...
Oversight Chair Questions Safety At New Mexico Nuke Dump
Mar 28 2014 // The recent truck fire and radiation release from the government’s troubled nuclear waste dump in southeastern New Mexico were “near misses” at a facility whose workers proved unprepared to respond to the...
North Carolina Joins EPA Action, Scuttles Coal Ash Deal with Duke Energy
Mar 27 2014 // North Carolina regulators have asked a judge to withdraw a proposed settlement that would have allowed Duke Energy to resolve environmental violations by paying a $99,000 fine with no requirement that the $50 billion...
China Regulators Order Insurers to End Smog Coverage
Mar 27 2014 // Chinese regulators have told the country’s two largest insurers to stop selling coverage against smog, a week after such policies were launched, the China Daily reported on Thursday. The newspaper did not say why the...
Mass. Biz Owner Charged in Connection With Workers’ Comp Fraud
Mar 20 2014 // Massachusetts Attorney General’s office announced a Lowell, Mass., businessman has been indicted on charges he failed to accurately report his total payroll and number of employees and understated the number of jobs...
China’s Ping An Teams up with Travel Site to Sell Smog Insurance
Mar 19 2014 // Ping An Insurance Group Co., China’s second-biggest insurer, is collaborating with Ctrip.com International Ltd. to sell smog insurance to tourists traveling to Beijing and six other Chinese cities. Travelers in...
ACE Adds Crisis Management Services to European Environmental Risks Coverage
Mar 19 2014 // ACE announced from London that it has “expanded its environmental risk insurance proposition to add crisis management cover, as part of its strategy to support the evolving environmental cover needs of companies in...
West Virginia Lawmakers OK Chemical Spill Bill As Session Ends
Mar 11 2014 // Leading up to a midnight deadline, West Virginia lawmakers scrambled Saturday to give teachers raises and hike the minimum wage. A Jan. 9 chemical spill into the water supply loomed over the session, which began three days...
Florida Joins Multistate Environmental Suit Against BP
Mar 10 2014 // Florida has joined a multistate lawsuit stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, seeking to hold British oil company BP accountable for damage to the state’s natural resources. The complaint was filed last...
Report: Texas Accounts 40% of U.S. Oil Field Deaths
Mar 10 2014 // Texas accounted for about 40 percent of the 663 workers the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said were killed nationwide in oil field-related industries between 2007 and 2012, according to a Houston Chronicle investigation...
Only 2 Inspectors For Asbestos Projects in Iowa
Mar 7 2014 // Two inspectors are responsible for making sure thousands of asbestos-removal projects are being properly handled in Iowa each year. The Des Moines Register reported that the lack of inspections at asbestos removal projects...
Judge OKs Settlement in Deadly 2010 West Virginia Plant Explosion
Mar 7 2014 // A judge has approved a settlement that resolves federal workplace and environmental civil charges at a plant in Hancock County where an explosion killed three workers in 2010. Under the settlement, metal recycler AL...
Connecticut Bill to Require Study of Road Treatments
Mar 6 2014 // Connecticut Transportation Commissioner James Redeker said on Feb.28 he’s willing to review whether it makes sense to add rust inhibitors to chemical road treatments used to clear ice and snow on state roads and...
