environmental pollution liability News

Toxic Spills at Alberta’s Oil Sands Spur Canada to Boost Regulatory Oversight

Canada’s federal government is stepping up environmental oversight in Alberta’s oil sands after Imperial Oil Ltd. and the provincial regulator were slow to report toxic spills. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has proposed a joint federal-provincial-Indigenous working group with the involvement …

Dangers of Disposable Vapes: Lithium Battery Fires, Plastic Waste and Health

Three fires broke out at the Grundon waste disposal plant near London’s Heathrow Airport in the past six months. In each case, the chief suspects were disposable vaping devices containing lithium batteries. Owen George, who leads recycling for Grundon, said …

Shell Wins Bid to Limit British Suit Over Nigeria Delta Oil Spill

Shell Plc won a bid to limit a British lawsuit over an oil spill off the coast of Nigeria after a judge ruled that a group of thousands of Nigerians couldn’t prove that the disaster continued to wreak devastation on …

Thousands of Nigerians Join Landmark Lawsuit Against Shell in UK

More than 13,500 Nigerians joined their communities in a lawsuit against Shell Plc before a landmark UK trial that could have far-reaching implications for parent-company responsibility over the actions of foreign subsidiaries. The residents of the crude-rich Niger Delta are …

Surfers Accuse UK Water Companies of Illegally Dumping Raw Sewage

Water companies illegally dumped raw sewage into the UK’s rivers at least 146 times this year, a campaign group called Surfers Against Sewage said. A report by the group argued that most of these discharges, known as “dry spills” because …

Cocktail of Chemicals Contributed to Massive Fish Die-off on Oder River: German Official

Several substances seem to have contributed to the massive fish die-off in the Oder River that forms much of Germany’s border with Poland, a German official said Monday. Numerous theories have been floated about the cause of the environmental disaster, …

Paris Resident Seeks $22M for Health Damage Caused by Air Pollution

A Paris resident seeking 21 million euros ($22 million) for health damage caused by the city’s pollution got a boost from an adviser to the European Union’s top court who said the French state may be liable. The non-binding opinion …

Chilean State Sues Mining Companies, Alleging Environmental Damage

Chile is suing mines operated by BHP, Antofagasta and Albemarle over alleged environmental damage caused by their operations in the northern Salar de Atacama salt flats, a court said late on Thursday. The State Defense Council (CDE) launched its legal …

Aging Oil-Storage Ships Pose Safety, Environmental Risks Around the World

The decades-old, oil-storage ship that blew up off the coast of Nigeria recently — killing some of its crew and spewing its contents into the Atlantic Ocean — is one of many vessels of similar vintage dotted across the globe. …

Oil Production Vessel Explodes Off Coast of Nigeria

An oil production ship exploded off the coast of Nigeria in what may prove to be the nation’s second major environmental setback in three months. The Trinity Spirit, able to store about 2 million barrels of oil, blew up early …