Industry Trends


Attorney Says Cabot Oils Use of DEP Consent Order Improper

Plaintiffs' attorneys claim clients were contacted directly and asked to waive their rights to sue Cabot Oil, which used hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania, because they were getting compensation through a state consent order.

Wayne County, Occidental to Clean up Mercury-contaminated Bridges

Glenn Springs Holdings, an affiliate of Occidental Chemical Corp., will initially remediate three bridges in Wayne County, Tenn.

DuPont Fined for Failing to Properly Authorize Herbicide Repackaging

DuPont has agreed to pay a $15,600 civil penalty for failing to have proper written authorization for a Missouri agrichemical company to repackage and sell its Steadfast herbicide.

Laboratory technician

Public Now Has Access to Chemical Health and Safety Studies

The database will grow as more companies submit information electronically and as older documents are scanned into the system.

DuPont Fails to Report Toxic Chemicals in Studies, Settles for $3.3M

EPA says 57 of the research studies reviewed in 2006 contained information on chemicals that could provide a risk of injury.

EPA Awards $5M Grant to Retrofit Trucks for Clean Diesel

The EPA has awarded $5 million to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to help Southern truckers and businesses buy cleaner big rigs.

IMO Sets its Sights on Maritime Energy-Efficiency Standard

A legislative process has been set in motion at the International Maritime Organization which, if approved, could see obligatory energy-efficiency standards for new ships come into effect in 2013. A vote is expected at the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in July.

Marcellus Shale extraction well

Hydraulic Fracturing -- Is it all it's cracked up to be?

Is hydraulic fracturing the holy grail of energy independence or a groundwater nightmare in the making?



Workers recover oil-filled boom for decontamination as part of the response effort to the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster.

U.S. Names 9 Defendants in Deepwater Horizon Civil Suit

BP, Anadarko, MOEX, Triton, Transocean and QBE companies face Oil Pollution Act and Clean Water Act charges.

OSHA Issues $787,000 in Penalties Against Wisconsin Firm

The citation includes 14 alleged willful and one serious violation against WRR Environmental Services Co. of Eau Claire in connection with a June 29 explosion and fire at its plant, OSHA announced Tuesday.

Largest ThinFilm Solar Module Plant in the US to Open in Indiana

Abound Solar, a manufacturer of next-generation, cadmium telluride, thin-film photovoltaic solar modules, announced that it has leased a 781,750-square-foot facility in Tipton, Ind., where it will be establishing a solar module manufacturing plant.

Upcoming Summit Targets Bed Bugs

The summit is open to the public and will focus on ways the federal government and others can continue to work together on management and control of bed bugs.

Logan Aluminum Settles NESHAP Charges for $285K

The company also will install a baghouse for a furnace capture and collection system.

In Addition to $80,000 Penalty, Printing Company Will Pay $305,000 to Help Replace Homeowners’ Polluting Wood Stoves

A printing company in Pittsfield, Mass., has agreed to pay a penalty of $80,000 and to spend $305,000 to help homeowners replace old, polluting wood stoves with new, cleaner models in order to settle claims by the US Environmental Protection Agency that it violated the federal Clean Air Act.

Study Predicts Prevalence of Virtual Power Plant Within a Decade

Within five to 10 years, the virtual power plant will become mainstream in most electricity markets.

Agency Encourages Users to Take NPDES Tool for a Spin

The web-based tool that helps identify details on wastewater discharges is now available in a beta version.

Vessel General Permit Session Set for Dec. 15

EPA is beginning to develop requirements for the permit covering incidental discharges from vessels.

EPA Orders Natural Gas Driller to Stop Endangering Nearby Homeowners

Flammable and bubbling drinking water was coming out of taps at two residences near Fort Worth, Texas; EPA testing found methane and benzene.

OPIC Offers $300M in Financing to Spur Eco-Friendly Investment in Emerging Markets

The U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation will provide at least $300 million in financing for new private equity investment funds that could ultimately invest more than $1 billion in renewable resources projects in emerging markets.

More-Durable Sensor Technology Could Limit Toxic Runoff from Mining Operations

United Science, a Minnesota startup company, has licensed sensor technology developed at the University of Minnesota that could limit the amount of toxic byproducts from mining and other industries that end up in the environment and improve productivity at the same time.