The Associated Press reports that Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is suing Kenneth Feinberg, administrator of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF), BP Plc’s (BP) $20 billion oil spill fund to get access to claims filed by coastal residents.
Toxic Tort
Reinsurance Association of America’s Re Underwriting Conference – July 20, 2011 (New York)
By Troutman Pepper Locke on
Greg Hoffnagle and Rob DiUbaldo of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge’s New York office will be presenting “Hydrofracking Risks & Opportunities: What Underwriters Need to Know” at 11:15 a.m. on July 20, 2011: …
Deepwater Horizon: BP Asserts Gulf Has Recovered, Wants to Cut “Future Loss” Claims
By Troutman Pepper Locke on
BP Plc (BP) wants to significantly limit future claims related to its Deepwater Horizon disaster as the region’s economy recovers, the oil company said in a document made public on Friday and reported by Reuters. …
Deepwater Horizon: Transocean’s Insurers Seek Federal Court Opinion on Payment to BP
By Troutman Pepper Locke on
Transocean Ltd. said Friday that insurers of its sunken Deepwater Horizon drilling rig have asked a federal judge to decide if BP Plc and other owners of the Macondo well are entitled to any insurance coverage for the April 20, 2010 disaster. …
“The Risks of Hydrofracking” and “Insurance for Hydrofracking”
By Troutman Pepper Locke on
The process of high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or “hydrofracking,” was first used commercially by Halliburton in 1949. It involves injecting millions of gallons of water, mixed with sand and chemicals, deep into the ground at high pressure in order to break up dense shale rock formations and release trapped natural gas to the surface. The risks associated with hydrofracking, however, are numerous and diverse, affecting every stage of the process from transporting and drilling to waste storage and disposal. …
Hydrofracking: Recent Flurry of Class Actions in Arkansas
By Troutman Pepper Locke on
Business partners BHP Billiton Ltd. and Chesapeake Energy Corp. were recently hit with a series of proposed class actions in Arkansas alleging their hydraulic fracturing (“hydrofracking”) operations and compression stations are contaminating nearby groundwater, soil, water wells and air as well as causing dangerous seismic activity. …
Complimentary Webinar: Hydrofracking Risks and Opportunities: What Insurers and Reinsurers Need to Know
By Troutman Pepper Locke on
On May 25, 2011, EAPD Insurance Attorneys Gregory S. Hoffnagle and Robert W. DiUbaldo will be presenting a 60-minute webinar. …
UK: Scottish Inner House Finds Pleural Plaques Act Legal
By Troutman Pepper Locke on
As previously reported here, employers’ liability insurers have sought to challenge the legality of the Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Act 2009 (the Act) which permits those suffering with pleural plaques to claim compensation in Scotland. …
Breaking News: Hydrofracking-Related Spill in Pennsylvania
By Troutman Pepper Locke on
A hydrofracking well exploded near Leroy Township, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, spilling chemically treated water into a nearby creek that feeds the Susquehanna River and prompting the evacuation of certain residents. The incident occurred while a crew from Chesapeake Energy Corporation was in the midst of “fracking” the well, a method by which one injects a mixture of water, sand and chemicals into dense rock at high pressures in order to release oil and gas. The cause of the spill was reportedly due to equipment failure. …
U.S. Supreme Court Takes Up Climate Change Public Nuisance Suit
By Troutman Pepper Locke on
The U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday questioned whether a common law public nuisance suit against major greenhouse gas emitters was treading on territory usually, and perhaps more fittingly, handled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). …