Latest Pollution Headlines

All the headlines from our Pollution Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Montana Residents Suing Over Petroleum Pollution

Oct 7 2013 // Nearly 50 Cut Bank residents have filed a lawsuit alleging their properties have been polluted by petroleum from a crude oil transportation and storage facility on the eastern edge of the city. The Great Falls Tribune...

Energy Industry Liability May Cover Contamination Claims from Colorado Flooding

Oct 7 2013 // Colorado residents and businesses face devastating water inundation that many are dubbing a one-in-500-years weather event. Nearly 2,400 square miles were saturated with water causing massive dislocation and loss of life....

Is There Coverage for Losses Stemming From Government Shutdown or Default?

Oct 4 2013 // At the time of this writing, the federal government is in a partial shutdown. Essential functions are operating, but certain areas such as national parks are completely closed.While this partial shutdown does not threaten...

Industry Pioneer Catlin on Insurance and Environmental Concerns

Sep 27 2013 // Stephen J.O. Catlin has led the company/group that bears his name since 1984. He’s seen it grow into the biggest syndicate at Lloyd’s with gross premiums written of $5.5 billion. He was the first to move the...

Billions at Stake as BP Oil Spill Trial Enters Next Phase

Sep 27 2013 // BP will battle to hold down fines that could hit $18 billion in a new phase of the Gulf of Mexico trial that will rule on how much oil it spilled in 2010 and judge its efforts to plug its well.Starting on Monday in New...

Global Warming Slows as Fossil Fuel Emissions Rise to Record

Sep 27 2013 // Global warming has slowed since 1998 even though humans are spewing ever more greenhouse gases and are almost certainly to blame for damaging the atmosphere.That’s according to a 36-page summary of a report from a...

Lawsuit: Pollution from Louisiana Fire Making Residents Sick

Sep 26 2013 // About a dozen Slaughter, La., residents allege respiratory problems and diminished property values in a lawsuit filed in the wake of the Nov. 19 blaze that destroyed the Monolyte Laboratories Inc. chemical facility.The...

Lagarde Says IMF Work Can Contribute to Environmental Change

Sep 26 2013 // The International Monetary Fund can play a role in protecting the planet from environmental damage, IMF head Christine Lagarde said on Tuesday, as she highlighted how an analysis of the harmful effects of energy subsidies...

Opinion: Energy Industry Liability May Cover Contamination Claims From Colorado Flooding

Sep 24 2013 // Colorado residents and businesses face devastating water inundation that many are dubbing a one-in-500-years weather event. Early reports confirm nearly 2,400 square miles saturated with water causing massive dislocation...

Catlin Establishes ‘Global Reef Record’ Database for Coral Ecosystems

Sep 24 2013 // International specialty property/casualty insurer and reinsurer Bermuda-based Catlin Group Limited announced the establishment of the Catlin Global Reef RecordCatlin has sponsored the group’s Seaview Survey for the...

Montana Residents Suing Over Petroleum Pollution

Sep 23 2013 // Nearly 50 Cut Bank residents have filed a lawsuit alleging their properties have been polluted by petroleum from a crude oil transportation and storage facility on the eastern edge of the city. The Great Falls Tribune...

In Flood-Struck Colorado, Concerns About Fracking Spills

Sep 19 2013 // Contaminated water spilling from flooded oil and gas drilling sites in Colorado is refocusing attention on the environmental risks surrounding America’s fracking boom.Floods that have devastated north-central...

Seven Straight Years of Reserve Releases: Fitch

Sep 17 2013 // Property/casualty industry prior-year loss reserves have developed favorably for seven straight calendar years, according to a report from Fitch Ratings, which also said the industry’s reserve position remains...

Flooding Another ‘Unprecedented’ Event for Colorado

Sep 16 2013 // Another disaster plaguing the state, widespread flooding in Colorado is being viewed as an “unprecedented” event in which losses will take quite some time to calculate – although there are more immediate...

Honore Backs Louisiana Lawsuit Against Oil Companies

Sep 11 2013 // The Army general who won acclaim for helping restore order in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina is backing a flood control board’s lawsuit against oil and gas companies.Retired Lt. Gen. Russell Honore...

Tulsa Oral Surgeon Accused in Health Scare Sued

Sep 11 2013 // A Tulsa, Okla., oral surgeon accused of exposing thousands of his patients to hepatitis and HIV because of unsanitary clinics is now facing a class action lawsuit.The lawsuit, filed by seven people in Tulsa County District...

Crop Insurance: A Growing Problem in Time of Record Farm Profits

Sep 9 2013 // A Depression-era program intended to save the nation’s farmers from ruin has grown into a 21st- century crutch enabling affluent growers and financial institutions to thrive at U.S. taxpayer expense.Federal crop...

Top 10 States for Extreme Weather Crop Insurance Payouts

Sep 9 2013 // Extreme weather forced the federal crop insurance program to pay out a record-breaking $17.3 billion in crop losses last year, much of which could have been prevented using water-smart strategies, according to the Natural...

Employee Sues Montana Hospital for Whistleblower Firing on Nuclear Waste

Sep 3 2013 // A fired Montana employee from Bozeman Deaconess Hospital has filed a lawsuit contending he was dismissed after reporting to federal authorities safety concerns involving radiation treatment and nuclear waste storage.The...

High Radiation Spreads at Ruined Fukushima Plant

Sep 3 2013 // High radiation levels are spreading at the ruined Fukushima nuclear plant, its operator said on Monday, and the Japanese government prepared to offer more funding and oversight to try to contain the crisis.Japanese...