Source: http://www.ibtimes.com, December 17, 2011 By: Ashley Portero While hydraulic fracturing has been employed in Western states for years by oil and gas companies seeking to extract valuable natural gas from deep within the ground, the controversial process has remained largely unregulated while simultaneously coming under scrutiny due to concerns about its potentially harmful effects […]

Source: New York Times Online, December 14, 2011 Posted on: http://envfpn.advisen.com As energy companies move to drill in densely populated areas from Pennsylvania to Texas, battles are breaking out over who will have the final say in managing the shale gas boom. The fight, which pits towns and cities against energy companies and states eager […]

Source: http://www.buffalonews.com, December 10, 2011 By: Patrick LaKamp A jury this week awarded $2 million to a Niagara Falls man who filed an asbestos lawsuit a year ago in State Supreme Court. Gerald Failing, 66, was diagnosed in December 2010 with peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Under state […]

Read here about an announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that fracking may lead to groundwater pollution.

Source: Los Angeles Times, December 8, 2011 Posted on: http://fpn.advisen.com The Environmental Protection Agency said that hydraulic fracturing, a controversial natural gas drilling process, probably contaminated well water in Wyoming, a finding sure to roil the debate about expanding natural gas drilling around the country. The EPA’s new draft report found dangerous amounts of benzene […]

Read here about a lawsuit that has been filed in California to restrict oil and gas development.

Source:  http://www.rmmag.com By:  Jeff Slivka, New Day Underwriting Managers Sustainable construction is rapidly expanding with the continued development of green codes and eco-friendly building materials. Championing the movement is the United States Green Building Council, whose Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system has become the benchmark for energy efficiency and environmentally safe […]

Source: http://www.natlawreview.com, November 21, 2011 Bed bugs may be making fewer headlines these days, but that does not mean the critters — or the problems they present for companies — have been eradicated. Discovering an infestation is only the beginning; the legal fallout can last for years. Courts have recognized that state and local governments […]

Biofuels, green design, and alternative energy. XL Group’s Christian Muller on the insurer’s role in building a sustainable future. Read more.

Source: The New York Times, November 12, 2011 Posted on: http://envfpn.advisen.com For those who have ever stalked deer, turkey and bear here in “God’s Country” in north central Pennsylvania, this hunting season is like no other. For one thing, it is louder. The soundtrack of birds chirping, thorns scraping against a hunter’s brush pants and […]

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com, November 6, 2011 By: Joun Murawski To appreciate the promise and betrayal of the nation’s natural gas rush, look no further than this rural community in southwestern Pennsylvania where the 957 residents barely outnumber the dairy cows. Like dozens of farming communities in the state, the countryside here is dotted with drill pads, derricks, […]

Source: Thomson Reuters News & Insight, November 4, 2011 As New York inches closer to approving the controversial gas-drilling method known as hydro-fracking, environmental groups and some state lawmakers are pushing for legislative changes to traditional tort litigation to assist property owners seeking damages if their water or soil is contaminated. State lawmakers are mulling […]