Latest Pollution Headlines
All the headlines from our Pollution Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Court Rebuffs EPA, Blocks U.S. Sale of Dicamba-Based Herbicide by Bayer, Rivals
Jun 4 2020 // A U.S. appeals court has blocked Bayer AG from selling an agricultural weed killer in the United States, the latest setback for a business already fighting an expensive legal battle over another product. A three-judge...
EPA Report: North Carolina Chemours Plant Chemical Release Went Unchecked for Years
Jun 3 2020 // Environmental regulators did not inspect a North Carolina chemical facility for eight years even though it was under a federal agreement to prevent the release of a potentially toxic substance known as PFAS. WRAL reports...
Federal Court Allows Counties’ Clean Air Claims Against VW for Diesel Scandal
Jun 2 2020 // A U.S. appeals court ruled on Monday that Volkswagen AG cannot escape potential financial penalties from two counties in Florida and Utah that may amount to a “staggering” additional liability arising from the...
Ecoroofs, Bioswales, Water Gardens: Cities Get Creative To Tame Stormwater Floods
Jun 1 2020 // For more than a century, New Orleans has depended on canals and pumps to get rid of stormwater in a city where about half the land is below sea level. Now the bustling Mississippi River port that expanded by filling in...
U.S. Court Says State Courts Are Proper Forum for Climate Suits Against Big Oil
May 29 2020 // Big Oil lost a pair of court battles Tuesday that could lead to trials in lawsuits by California cities and counties seeking damages for the impact of climate change. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected...
Agency Says Asbestos Cleanup Complete in Montana Superfund Site
May 29 2020 // The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the completion of all required cleanup activities within a unit of a Montana Superfund site. The federal agency removed a portion of an asbestos-contaminated mining...
OSHA Cites, Fines Texas Chemical Plant Owner $514.6K After Explosions, Fire
May 28 2020 // A chemical manufacturer has been cited by federal officials for workplace safety hazards and fined more than $500,000 after a fire and explosions at its Port Neches, Texas, plant in November 2019. The U.S. Department of...
After Big Oil Loses Appeal, Climate Suits Appear Headed to California Courts
May 28 2020 // Big Oil lost a pair of court battles this week that could lead to trials in lawsuits by California cities and counties seeking damages for the impact of climate change. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected...
Lawsuits Filed Against Michigan Dam Operator, Others over Flooding
May 26 2020 // Residents and businesses in Central Michigan communities that were submerged when two dams failed sued the operator of the dams and two state agencies charged with overseeing the structures on May 22. A second class-action...
Chemours Won’t Face Federal Charges Over North Carolina GenX Contamination
May 22 2020 // Federal prosecutors have declined to pursue criminal charges against a chemical company that for years discharged compounds with health risks that aren’t fully understood into a North Carolina river, the company...
Maryland, Virginia, D.C. Intend to Sue EPA on Bay Pollution
May 20 2020 // Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia filed a notice of intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to require two other states to implement plans to cut pollution in the Chesapeake Bay,...
U.S. Completes Overhaul of Biotech Farm Product Regulations
May 18 2020 // The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Thursday a rule that will simplify or waive agency reviews of certain biotech farm products, including plants and seeds that have been genetically modified or engineered. As...
Trump Safety Regulator Blocks Washington State’s Crude Oil Train Rules
May 13 2020 // The U.S. pipeline regulator late on Monday blocked an effort by Washington state to tighten vapor pressure restrictions on the transport of crude oil by rail, saying the measures would not lower the risk of explosions. The...
Illinois Sues Developer, Contractors Over Coal Plant Implosion
May 7 2020 // The Illinois attorney general’s office has filed a lawsuit against a developer and two contractors for the release of contaminants during the implosion of a smokestack at a defunct Chicago power station. The lawsuit...
Opinion: What If Public Employees Could Sue Government Over Covid-19?
May 7 2020 // Suppose you’re working in an essential industry and your employer hasn’t provided you with adequate personal protective equipment. Maybe you say to yourself, “Okay, there’s a shortage, they’re...
German Judge Casts Doubt on VW’s Defense in Landmark Diesel-Damages Case
May 5 2020 // A German federal court judge cast doubt on Volkswagen’s reasoning after the carmaker urged the court to dismiss a claim for damages brought by an owner of a diesel powered VW Sharan family van. Tuesday’s...
NYC Comptroller Urges Major Insurance Companies to Cut Ties with Coal Industry
Apr 30 2020 // New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer has called on three multi-national insurance companies to end business ties with the coal industry, a move he says will protect clients from the effects of climate change and...
Supreme Court Rejects Trump Administration’s View of Clean Water Act
Apr 27 2020 // The Supreme Court ruled last week that sewage plants and other industries cannot avoid environmental requirements under landmark clean-water protections when they send dirty water on an indirect route to rivers, oceans and...
Specialist MGA Lions Gate Expands Canada Offering with Environmental Insurance Cover
Apr 23 2020 // Lions Gate Underwriting, the Vancouver-based specialist managing general agent, has launched a new Environmental Insurance product as part of its coverage offering. The program is being underwritten by Great American...
Florida Dive Shop Alleges Insurer Breach of Contract, Bad Faith in BI Denial Suit
Apr 22 2020 // A dive shop in South Florida is one of the first businesses in the state to file suit against its insurer for the denial of a business interruption claim initiated because of the current coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit,...
