Source: Cozen O’Connor’s Energy, Environmental and Utilities Group “News Concerning Recent Developments in Energy and Environmental Law” Newsletter, August 16, 2011 On March 8, 2011, Governor Corbett created the Governor’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission (the commission). Comprising 30 stakeholders including experts from the environmental community, the natural gas industry, local government representatives, and state government […]

Source: http://www.montereyherald.com, August 6, 2011 Two companies agreed to pay $110,000 in fines this week for asbestos violations stemming from a 2009 renovation project at Windsor Monterey Care Center. The work involved scraping an asbestos-laden acoustic ceiling. The facility’s parent company was faulted for failing to conduct a federally required asbestos survey or to notify […]

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com, August 3, 2011 By: Federico Negro Last week I had the pleasure of presenting our work on the construction of the Louisiana State Museum and Sports Hall of Fame by Trahan Architects at the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) BIM Forum in Chicago. The event is meant to “facilitate and accelerate the adoption of […]

Source: http://jg-tc.com, July 29, 2011 By: Rob Stroud The owner of a former neighborhood grocery store set for demolition has voiced concerns that a contractor hired by the city is improperly removing asbestos from there. The owner of contractor Triple A Asbestos has responded that his crews are meeting all state and federal guidelines. Their […]

Source: http://www.weitzlux.com A March 2003 article in the New York Daily News reported on a mesothelioma personal injury verdict/settlement regarding an ex-boilermaker who was awarded $47 million yesterday by a jury that blamed his lung cancer on years of working with asbestos. Robert Croteau, 53, of Pottstown, Pa., was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a fatal lung […]

Source: http://realasbestoslawsuits.blogspot.com, Mealey’s Litigation Report, 2/15/2002 In one of the largest compensatory verdicts for a single plaintiff in the history of Asbestos litigation, a New York jury on Feb. 8 awarded a Mesothelioma victim and his family a $53 million verdict for his Asbestos exposure as a brake mechanic (Patricia Brown, Individually and as Executrix […]

Source: http://www.businessinsurance.com, July 24, 2011 By: Judy Greenwald Challenges facing risk managers and insurers in developing errors and omissions coverage for “green” construction projects are similar to but also different than standard construction risks. The difference generally is found in new technology and materials, which are untested and often experimental, and can lead to unfounded […]

Source: http://www.insurancejournal.com, July 13, 2011 A western Pennsylvania couple has sued a natural gas driller claiming its activities contaminated their water well. The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat reports that Chester and Edith Slesinger are suing T&F Exploration LP and T&F Operating Inc. The couple claims leaks and discharges of drilling fluids and other substances have cost them […]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com, July 5, 2011 By: Jason Gallagher Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, for natural gas along the Marcellus Shale deposit in Pennsylvania is one of the most controversial topics in the state. One of the factors that influence the anti-fracking crowd is the waste water that is generated from the process. Earlier this year, due […]

Acknowledgement to Great American Environmental Division While installing new electrical lines in a historic building the contractor used a hole saw to cut through a ceiling. Unknown to the contractor, the saw had inadvertently disturbed and released asbestos-containing insulation material. The contractor had to pay for clean-up costs for the asbestos fibers released throughout the […]

Source: http://www.sanduskyregister.com, June 27, 2011 By: Jessica Cuffman While owners of the former Apex Manufacturing site moved forward to clean up the property, the Ohio EPA fined them for asbestos-related violations. Famous Realty of Cleveland will have to pay $20,700 in civil fees for improperly destroying buildings that still had asbestos inside them, according to […]

Source: http://www.kold.com, June 28, 2011 By: Bud Foster A few years ago, it was not unusual for people to use washes and arroyos as their own personal garbage dumps. It was not illegal, it was convenient and some thought it was a good way to help prevent flooding by shoring up the sides. Those days […]