Recent Updates
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Justices Reject Exxon's Appeal In Cleanup Case
Environmental 04/22/2008The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a $112 million punitive damage award against Exxon Mobil over radioactive contamination at an industrial site in Louisiana. The world's largest oil company had unsuccessfully argued that the award exceeded constitutio...
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Erin Brockovich leads class action against Alcoa
Environmental 03/01/2008American anti-pollution campaigner Erin Brockovich has announced that at least two American law firms are prepared to pursue Alcoa in the United States on behalf of residents who live near its alumina refineries south of Perth, at Wagerup, Pinjarra a...
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Court rejects California limits on ship emissions
Environmental 02/29/2008[##_1L|1396189939.jpg|width="120" height="88" alt=""|_##]A federal appeals court Wednesday rejected a state regulation that reduced emissions from ships, dealing a blow to California's attempt to combat one of the major sources of smog-forming pollut...
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Top court debates Exxon Valdez damages
Environmental 02/28/2008Nearly 19 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill fouled Alaska's Prince William Sound, the Supreme Court debated Wednesday how much money the company responsible for the disaster should pay in punitive damages.A jury in Alaska said $5 billion. An app...
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High court to hear Exxon Valdez damages case
Environmental 02/26/2008For many in this coastal town, the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster was an event so crushing that hard-bitten fishermen still get teary-eyed recalling ruined livelihoods, broken marriages and suicides.But mostly, people in Cordova talk about the discouragi...
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Court Ruling May Delay Power Plant Mercury Clean-Up
Environmental 02/14/2008Clean-up of power plant mercury emissions may be slowed in the short run by a Feb. 8 federal appeals court ruling, but the market clearly believes the clean-up will be increased in the long run. Investors showed immediate enthusiasm for Pittsburgh-ba...
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Court: EPA must rewrite utility mercury rule
Environmental 02/11/2008In a victory for environmentalists and a setback for big U.S. coal-burning utilities, a federal court ruled on Friday that the Environmental Protection Agency must fundamentally rework its mercury rules for utilities.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the...
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Judge rejects Bush decision over Navy sonar use
Environmental 02/06/2008A Los Angeles judge has rejected a decision by President George W. Bush allowing the Navy to use sonar equipment accused of endangering marine life, stating there was no emergency to justify over-riding existing environmental laws, court documents sh...
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EPA looking at a full plate this year
Environmental 01/28/2008The Environmental Protection Agency has a busy calendar in 2008 with possible rulemakings and proposed regulations on airborne lead, underground carbon dioxide storage and fuel standards in the works. But as the agency deals with these and other envi...
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Climate change conference aims for pact by 2009
Environmental 12/15/2007World leaders overcame bitter divisions on Saturday over how to fight global warming and agreed to reach a new deal by 2009.The contentious, two-week U.N. climate conference on the resort island of Bali ended with the United States, facing angry crit...
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Fed Judge Says California Can Regulate Auto Emissions
Environmental 12/14/2007California can set its own standards on greenhouse-gas emissions from vehicles, a federal judge in Fresno has ruled, The San Jose Mercury News reports. The state still needs permission from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement the ru...
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California Wins Emissions Battle with Automakers
Environmental 12/12/2007California won a major legal battle Wednesday in its fight to implement a global-warming law that would lead to steep increases in motor vehicle fuel economy. A federal judge in Fresno tossed out a lawsuit filed by the world's major automakers that t...