The US Supreme Court has overturned a jury award for plaintiffs who successfully sued over cancer allegedly caused by Roundup, a popular weed killer. The Court ruled that the plaintiff’s lawsuit was preempted by federal law, meaning he could not seek a remedy in state court. As a result, not only was this particular case overturned, but now thousands of other lawsuits involving Roundup are potentially in peril.
(more…)The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that the money charged by a municipality to treat stormwater should be considered a “tax,” and not a “fee.” Thus far, the exact legal implications are not clear. While its possible the ruling could result in substantial shifts in who is responsible for the cost of cleaning up stormwater, the ruling also potentially offers relief to tax-exempt organizations.
(more…)The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed a new rule that, if adopted, would relax existing regulations that prevent coal-fired power plants from dumping toxic waste in American waterways. While this would save the coal industry an estimated $1.1 billion per year, it would also expose potentially millions of Americans to heavy metals and toxic substances. This could, as a result, have a significant negative impact on the health and safety anywhere that coal plants operate around the U.S.
(more…)The Clean Water Act, and other similar laws and regulations, are meant to prevent drinking water from being contaminated by dangerous pollutants. However, there are still some manufacturers and other companies who will, intentionally or not, allow their toxic waste to contaminate the water supply, resulting in serious potential harm. Here are seven types of water pollution that could impact you:
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