Latest Pollution Headlines
All the headlines from our Pollution Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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Jan 23 2017 // Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has appointed Todd R. Johnson, senior vice president and property-casualty practice leader of the USI Insurance Services’ (USI) Massachusetts offices located in Woburn, Needham and...
Global Temperatures Hit Record High for 3rd Year in Row in 2016
Jan 19 2017 // World temperatures hit a record high for the third year in a row in 2016, creeping closer to a ceiling set by the Paris climate change deal, with extremes including unprecedented heat in India and ice melt in the Arctic,...
High Levels of Lead Discovered at Western New York School District
Jan 18 2017 // Testing at 13 buildings belonging to a western New York school district returned results that confirmed the presence of elevated levels of lead in water at some schools. The Democrat & Chronicle reports nearly 14...
Report: Coal Ash Stored at Virginia Power Plant Vulnerable to Risks
Jan 17 2017 // Millions of tons of ash stored at a former coal-fired power plant in the city will become increasingly vulnerable to flooding and other coastal risks, according to a report compiled for an environmental group that is...
U.S. Charges Chrysler with Diesel Emissions Cheating
Jan 13 2017 // Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV was accused of violating pollution laws with 104,000 diesel vehicles, sending the shares plunging on the prospect the automaker may follow Volkswagen AG in facing billions of dollars in...
Renault Is Investigated for Suspected Emissions Cheating: Source
Jan 13 2017 // French prosecutors are investigating Renault over suspected cheating on vehicle exhaust emissions, a source at the Paris prosecutor’s office told Reuters on Friday, sending shares in the automaker lower. The probe...
Reuters: Beyond Flint, Thousands of Areas in U.S. Struggle with Lead Poisoning
Jan 11 2017 // On a sunny November afternoon in St. Joseph, Missouri, birthplace of the Pony Express and death spot of Jesse James, Lauranda Mignery watched her son Kadin, 2, dig in their front yard. As he played, she scolded him for...
XL Catlin Launches Environmental Solution in Ireland
Jan 11 2017 // XL Catlin announced the launch of a new environmental insurance solution in Ireland, which is tailored to address the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Guidance on Financial Provision for Environmental...
Beazley, VALE Partner on Environmental Coverage for Small, Mid-Sized Firms
Jan 9 2017 // Beazley has partnered with managing general agency VALE Insurance Partners to offer its environmental cover to US-domiciled firms with revenues of up to $15 million. VALE will offer the full suite of Beazley environmental...
Central California City Wins $22M from Shell Oil in Toxic Drinking Water Case
Jan 9 2017 // The central California city of Clovis in late December won a $22 million civil case against Shell Oil over the cleanup of a toxic chemical found in drinking-water wells, officials said. The chemical 1,2,3-trichloropropane,...
Judge Rules VW Must Face U.S. Investor Lawsuit Over Diesel Scandal
Jan 6 2017 // Volkswagen AG and former Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn must defend an investor lawsuit in California over the company’s diesel emissions cheating scandal, a U.S. judge has ruled. The plaintiffs, mostly...
New Hurricane Research Looks Like Good News for Atlantic Coast
Jan 5 2017 // Active Atlantic hurricane periods, like the one now, are not necessarily a harbinger of more, rapidly intensifying hurricanes along the U.S. coast, according to new research performed at the University of...
New Jersey Based AXON Underwriting Services Hires McMillan
Jan 4 2017 // AXON Underwriting Services LLC, a program administrator and service provider based in Somerville, N.J., has hired David McMillan as an underwriting manager. He joins the firm in order to further develop its growing...
Florida Judge Finds Pollution Notification Rule is Invalid
Jan 4 2017 // A Florida judge says a rule requiring companies to notify the public of pollution events within 24 hours is invalid. The new rule was pushed by Gov. Rick Scott after it took weeks for the public to be notified about a...
The Hartford Signs $1.5 Billion Reinsurance Deal Covering Asbestos Liability
Jan 3 2017 // The Hartford has signed a reinsurance agreement effective Dec. 31, 2016 with National Indemnity Co. (NICO), a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., for a $1.5 billion aggregate excess of loss reinsurance agreement...
Why Free Market Believers Should Naturally Accept Climate Change Science
Dec 30 2016 // Are you someone who has faith in the power of free markets? Then you should naturally accept the evidence that human activity is bringing about climate change. Free and competitive markets work efficiently in large part...
Trump vs. California Climate Battle Brewing
Dec 29 2016 // California vs. Trump, so to speak, is shaping up to be a heavyweight match. On one side is the world’s sixth (or so) largest economy – home to Disneyland, Hollywood and Big Sur. On the other is the reality show...
Judge Upholds Ban on Guns in Delaware State Parks, Forests
Dec 28 2016 // A Delaware judge has sided with state environmental officials in a lawsuit challenging a ban on non-hunting firearms in state parks and forests. Members of the Bridgeville Rifle & Pistol Club and the Delaware State...
Central California City Wins $22M from Shell Oil in Toxic Drinking Water Case
Dec 27 2016 // The central California city of Clovis has won a $22 million civil case against Shell Oil over the cleanup of a toxic chemical found in drinking-water wells, officials said. The Fresno Bee reported that the chemical...
Pollution from New Hampshire’s Dartmouth College Lab Dump Worries Neighbors
Dec 27 2016 // Neighbors of Dartmouth College property where for years the Ivy League school disposed of mice and other small animals used in science experiments say they fear pollution from the site has contaminated their groundwater...
