Source: http://www.lexology.com, February 26, 2015 By: Amy B. Briggs, Donna M. Carlton, David B. Killalea , Stephen T. Raptis, Robert H. Shulman and Susan P. White, Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP strong>Why it matters: The Western District of Michigan court held that an insurer was required to indemnify its insured for cleanup costs at a Michigan […]

Source: http://www.insurancejournal.com, March 2, 2015 By: Andrew Harris BP Plc double dipped by taking a total of more than $33 million from an Ohio compensation fund and insurers to clean up leaks from underground storage tanks, according to the state’s attorney general. Attorney General Mike DeWine and Ohio’s Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Release Compensation Board […]

Source: http://www.jdsupra.com, March 2, 2015 By: Lorelie Masters & Koorosh Talieh, Perkins Coie Some people believe that “fracking” – the use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology – is a miracle, increasing the extraction of oil and gas from places deep under the ground where hydrocarbons were previously unrecoverable. It has led not only […]

Source: Los Angeles Times, February 28, 2015 By: http://envfpn.advisen.com The Los Angeles Fire Department has failed to properly inspect hundreds of hazardous sites scattered across the city, exposing the public to increased risks from potential spills and mishandling of toxic substances, according to a state report released Friday. The 24-page study, written by the California […]

Source: http://bismarcktribune.com, February 28, 2015 By: Amy Dalrymple The pipeline that ruptured and spilled nearly 3 million gallons of saltwater, contaminating a nearby creek and two rivers near Williston, could have been monitored remotely but the system wasn’t turned on, a regulator said last week. Meadowlark Midstream, a subsidiary of Summit Midstream, relied on checking […]

Source: http://www.northjersey.com, February 27, 2015 By: Scott Fallon and James O’Neill The Christie administration’s reported settlement of an $8.9 billion lawsuit against Exxon Mobil Corp. for just $250 million drew a wide range of criticism Friday against a governor who has leaned heavily on the fossil fuel industry for money to boost his national stature. […]

Source: http://www.pressherald.com, February 24, 2015 By: Peter McGuire Pan Am Railways is facing up to $375,000 in fines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for allegedly violating the federal Clean Water Act at the company’s Waterville railyard. In an administrative complaint filed against the company on Jan. 30, the EPA charged that Pan Am failed […]

Source: http://www.lexology.com, February 25, 2015 By: William C. Wagner, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP An environmental contamination case resulting in a $3.4 million award for emotional distress and punitive damages due to unfair claims settlement practices by the insurer was recently affirmed on appeal in Indiana Insurance Company v. Demetre, Case No. 2013-CA-338 (Ky. Ct. […]

Source: http://midwest.construction.com, February 19, 2015 By: John Gregerson An “engineering mistake” may have contributed to the January collapse of an overhead exit ramp in Cincinnati that killed a construction worker, according the CEO of Kokosing Construction Co. Inc., the Westerville, Ohio-based contractor charged with demolishing the ramp. In a statement issued Feb. 14, Kokosing CEO […]

Source: Daily Press (Newport News, VA), February 24, 2015 Posted on: http://envfpn.advisen.com Virginia’s environmental regulators want to fine CSX Transportation $361,000 for the April 2014 derailment in Lynchburg that spilled more than 29,000 gallons of oil into the James River. The fine is part of a proposed agreement between the railroad and the state calling […]

Source: http://lancasteronline.com, February 24, 2015 By: K. Scott Kreider The site of a former manufactured gas plant in Mount Joy is slated for cleanup this spring, after soil and groundwater tests revealed residual coal tar and other materials left from the plant. PPL Electric Utilities and UGI Utilities will partner to excavate and remove contaminated […]

Source: http://www.insurancejournal.com, February 23, 2015 By: Michael Biesecker and Mitch Weiss Federal prosecutors filed multiple criminal charges against Duke Energy on Friday over years of illegal pollution leaking from coal ash dumps at five North Carolina power plants. The three U.S. Attorney’s Offices covering the state charged Duke with nine misdemeanor counts involving violations of […]