News Round-Up: March 6, 2012

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Today’s Essential Reads

FRACKING:

Nat Gas Boom Brings Environmental Concerns

The shale gas energy industry needs to put in place better practices and reporting about “fracking” before public concerns delay or even stop use of the technology that has created a boom in U.S. natural gas production, according to the MIT professor who led President Obama’s subcommittee on shale gas.

Cracks Emerge in GOP Over Hydraulic Fracturing

When it comes to the controversial gas drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing, the Republican Party itself appears fractured — especially in the critical swing state of Ohio.

Vote Bans Treatment of Fracking-Related Waste

Niagara Falls City Council Members unanimously passed two resolutions opposing hydraulic fracturing in the city and New York State Monday night, saying they wouldn’t make the same tragic environmental mistakes of the past.

Fracking Opponents Want Fee on Land Leased for Drilling; Bill Would Create $10-Per-Acre Charge

Maryland opponents of a controversial drilling technique want to asses a $10 per-acre fee on land leased for extracting gas.

BP OIL SPILL:

BP Claims Process to Change

A settlement agreement BP announced late last week could give the more than 6,000 Floridians with claims pending and those whose claims have been denied the chance to have them assessed under new criteria.

BP Settlement Raises Numerous Questions for Oil Spill Victims

The estimated $7.8 billion settlement between BP and the plaintiff steering committee is a significant development that could avoid a lengthy legal fight for thousands of people and businesses affected by the 2010 oil spill.

Gulf Fisheries in Decline After BP Oil Disaster

Hundreds of thousands of people living along the US Gulf Coast have hung their economic lives on lawsuits against BP.

BP Reaches $7.8B Partial Settlement for Oil Spill

Nearly two years after the worst oil spill in U.S. history, BP has reached a $7.8 billion partial settlement that it hopes will help put the incident behind them. But as Mark Strassmann reports, it’s not over yet.

RADIATION:

Children Wait for UN Radiation Study After Fukushima Crisis

As five-year-olds charge through the corridors of a kindergarten in northeast Japan at lunchtime, teacher Junko Kamada says she is still unsure if their food is safe a year after the Fukushima nuclear accident.

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Stuart H. Smith is an attorney based in New Orleans fighting major oil companies and other polluters.
Cooper Law Firm

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