CALIFORNIA IS SUING NUMEROUS CHEMICAL COMPANIES OVER WATER CONTAMINATION FROM ‘FOREVER CHEMICALS’

Phys.org

California is suing 18 chemical manufacturing companies including 3M Co. and DuPont de Nemours Inc. California Attorney General Rob Bonta alleges there is “staggering” water contamination from products made with “forever chemicals.”

The suit filed in Alameda County Superior Court against seeks damages and statewide treatment and destruction of PFAS and alleges that the companies knew or should have known the toxic impact of PFAS and concealed the dangerous effects on the environment and public health. Nearly 146 public water systems serving 16 million Californians and aquifers providing millions of residents with water have been found to have PFAS.

SEVERE STORMS CAUSE DAMAGE ACROSS ARKANSAS

KATV.com

Several tornados and thunderstorms caused damage across Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley Friday, Nov. 4. A total of 10 homes were damaged in Mansfield and surrounding areas as of Friday. There are also reports of some downed power lines and flash flooding in Sebastian County, and there were some water rescues within the City of Fort Smith.

About nine of the structures are considered minor damage but one home does have major damage. Sebastian County Office of Emergency Management Travis Cooper says they believe the house is unsuitable to stay in and possibly had part of the roof pulled off and a window busted out. Sebastian County Emergency Management plans to be out Saturday morning to assess the storm damage in the daylight.

HISTORIC WWII SHIPWRECK HAS LEAKED MANY POLLUTANTS INTO THE SEA

SciTechDaily.com

Scientists have discovered that an 80-year-old historic shipwreck from World War II is still influencing the microbiology and geochemistry of the ocean floor where it rests. The wreck is leaking pollutants, including explosives and heavy metals into the sediment of the North Sea. The seabed of the North Sea is covered in thousands of ship and aircraft wrecks, warfare agents, and millions of tons of conventional munition such as shells and bombs.

“The general public is often quite interested in shipwrecks because of their historical value, but the potential environmental impact of these wrecks is often overlooked,” said PhD candidate Josefien Van Landuyt, of Ghent University. “While wrecks can function as artificial reefs and have tremendous human story-telling value, we should not forget that they can be dangerous human-made objects which were unintentionally introduced into a natural environment,” Van Landuyt continued. “Today, new shipwrecks are removed for this exact reason.”

FEMA TAKES STEPS TO ACCELERATE DEBRIS REMOVAL IN FLORIDA; FEDERAL SUPPORT TOTALS $1.67 BILLION

www.CapeCoralBreeze.com

To accelerate the removal of debris from Hurricane Ian in Florida, FEMA is providing limited waivers to the application process for Public Assistance Private Property Debris Removal/Commercial Property Debris Removal.

More than $1.67 billion in federal grants, disaster loans and flood insurance payments has been provided to the State of Florida and to households after Hurricane Ian. If you or a member of your household uses adaptive or accessibility items that were damaged by Hurricane Ian, you may be eligible for FEMA assistance for those items.

For more information for homeowners and renters, visit Update to FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide.

UVIC HALLOWEEN PARTY VIDEOS SHOW HUNDREDS OF PARTYGOERS, PROPERTY DAMAGE

www.VictoriaBuzz.com

The University of Victoria campus was the scene of a huge Halloween party. A video of the party shows an estimated 400 people descending on UVic for a Halloween party. The partygoers describe the situation as complete mayhem. “Oh, it was crazy,” said Holly Carver, UVic student.

The party kept Saanich police officers busy until around 3 a.m. Videos show vandalism resulting in the destruction of a bathroom. The University, in anticipation of a Halloween disruption, had to put in place a “no guest policy” spanning from October 28 to November 1.The University did not say if any more changes will be implemented following with Halloween weekend party.

PG&E FIRE VICTIM TRUST ANNOUNCES SALE OF THE NEXT GROUP OF 35 MILLION SHARES OF PG&E STOCK

www.ActionNewsNow.com

In an effort to compensate victims from the fire in Northern California from 2015 to 2018 the PG&E Fire Victim Trust (FVT) sold 35 million shares of PG&E stock on October 28, 2022. Claims arising from the 2015 Butte Fire, 2017 North Bay Fires, and 2018 Camp Fire are evaluated by the Fire Victim Trust which administers, processes and resolves eligible claims.

Created in July of 2020, the Fire Victim Trust is funded with both cash and shares of stock pursuant to PG&E’s Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization. The Trust aims to compensate Fire Victims for both economic and noneconomic damages caused by the fires which includes destruction or damage to real estate and personal property, additional living expenses, lost wages, business losses, personal injury or death, and related medical expenses, and emotional distress.

The Trust as of October 28, 2022, has issued determination notices to 86% of all claimants and paid claimants over $5.36 billion.

THREE RESIDENTIAL UNITS DESTROYED IN SUNDAY AFTERNOON FIRE IN NORTHEAST ANCHORAGE

www.ADN.com

A fire was reported to the Anchorage Fire Department that involved a 12-plex apartment building. The Fire Department arrived around 12 pm and reported no injuries, however; at least three residential units were severely damaged by the fire and are currently not livable.

It was reported that a unit on the ground floor where the fire began which then extended to two other units above. “One person on scene is being questioned in relation to the fire,” said, “but the origin and cause of fire are still under investigation and will be for some time.”

PFAS CONTAMINATION IN DRINKING WATER NEAR CORDOVA, IL FACILITY

www.WQAD.com

According to recent sampling results by 3M, there is widespread presence of a mixture of at least 19 different PFAS chemicals in drinking water within a 3-mile radius of the Cordova facility. As a result, the EPA has identified the situation as a substantial endangerment under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

CLEANUP OF THE LANE STREET GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION SUPERFUND SITE IN ELKHART, INDIANA

www.TheIndianaLawyer.com

A $9.8 million consent decree for the cleanup of contamination at the Lane Street Ground Water Contamination Superfund Site in Elkhart, Indiana, was agreed to by Flexsteel Industries Inc. In addition, Flexsteel Industries Inc. will reimburse the EPA for a portion of its past costs incurred at the Lane Street Site.

The Superfund Site is approximately 65 acres of residential and light industrial properties in Elkhart, Indiana, impacted by a groundwater plume. Contamination at the Superfund Site includes solvents and degreasers such as trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene. “This is an excellent settlement that funds necessary cleanup of a contaminated groundwater plume in Elkhart, Indiana,” said U.S. Attorney Clifford Johnson for the Northern District of Indiana.

AFTER 26-YEAR DELAY, ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP NEARS COMPLETION AT CONTAMINATED WEST VALLEY SITE

FlatheadBeacon.com

A $1.2 million emergency cleanup by the EPA has been underway at the “Valley Drive Abandoned Slurry Site”. Cleanup at the Site has included the disassembly and removal of 545 tons of contaminated soil, 80,000 gallons of tank waste and 180 cubic yards of steel waste.

A local firefighter notified the EPA after noticing that “a dark material leaking from the largest tank was pooling on the ground” in the public right of way, the tanks were barely intact. “We could have been mere weeks to months away from serious well and groundwater contamination,” the firefighter stated.

Sampling at the site confirmed the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs — specifically, the carcinogenic compounds xylene, ethylbenzene and naphthalene.

FLORIDA ‘CAT FUND’ EYES $10B IN IAN LOSSES

www.Law.com

The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (“Cat Fund”) is a state program that provides backup coverage to property insurers. The Cat Fund provides relatively inexpensive reinsurance to carriers as a way to help stabilize the property insurance market. Carriers also buy private reinsurance, which serves as backup coverage to help pay claims in situations such as hurricanes.

The maximum potential liability of the Cat Fund this year is $17 billion under Florida state law. “Pre-event” bonds provided the fund with $15.8 billion in cash and proceeds going into the hurricane season.

The fund’s chief operating officer, said that at least 82 companies expect to get Cat Fund reimbursements, with 28 drawing their maximum amounts. By comparison, nine carriers received maximum amounts after Hurricane Irma in 2017. It is estimated that the Cat Fund’s share of losses at $4 billion to $12 billion and projected a “conservative point estimate of $10 billion.”

While the Cat Fund expects to be able to handle Ian’s losses, it will go into the 2023 hurricane season with substantially less money than it otherwise would have expected.

LEAD CONTAMINATION IN INDIA NEEDS CORPORATE AND GOVERNMENT ACTION FOR SOLUTION

www.CircleOfBlue.org

A recent study with CSIR and another study with UNICEF found that half of the children in India are currently lead-poisoned with elevated blood lead levels. It is estimated that that almost 50 percent of car batterie recycling in the country is happening either in informal recycling or not in eco-friendly recycling.

2021 COLORADO WILDFIRE LOSSES SURPASS $2 BILLION

www.gjsentinel.com

A wildfire that destroyed nearly 1,100 homes and businesses in suburban Denver last winter is now the costliest in Colorado history as it has now caused more than $2 billion in losses.

Official estimates released days after the fire put the losses at more than $500 million; however, additional insurance claims and assessments of the scope of rebuilding from the wildfire prompted the new estimate.

A Colorado Division of Insurance analysis found that 67% of homeowners who lost their homes in Boulder County didn't have enough insurance to replace them. Lawmakers are passing bills aimed to boost firefighting resources and mitigation planning.

BOARD UPDATED ON CONTAMINATION AT ELK RIVER LANDFILLL

www.StarTribune.com

During a workshop meeting on October 4, Waste Management Groundwater Protection Program Senior Director Terry Johnson presented an overview of groundwater investigations that led to corrective actions at the Elk River Landfill. Groundwater has been monitored at the site three times a year for more than 35 years through a variety of methods, which includes borings and well samplings.

The contamination mainly consists of vinyl chloride, which federal law requires to be 2 parts per billion or lower. Minnesota law, however, requires vinyl chloride contamination to be 0.2 parts per billion or lower. Terry Johnson said the contamination at the Elk River Landfill doesn’t meet the federal limit for contamination but does meet Minnesota’s limit.

There are several ways to attempt to limit groundwater contamination from the unlined portion of the landfill, including putting a liner over the top to prevent water going through the site and putting in gas collection to pull out contaminants, both of which Waste Management has already done according to Terry Johnson. Another option is for Waste Management could pump groundwater out, treat it and put it somewhere else.

INVESTORS EYE FLORIDA HOMES DAMAGED BY HURRICANE IAN

www.CNBC.com/

Investors and home buyers are hunting for deals on damaged homes and distressed commercial properties despite the destruction that Hurricane Ian brought to southwestern Florida less than a month ago. Home prices have skyrocketed in recent years so investors may take advantage of the Florida residents who want to leave the state.

The full extent of damage caused by the storm in southwestern Florida continues to be assessed. The total cost of flood and wind damage to Florida residential and commercial properties is expected to fall between $40-$64 billion.

While Americans may be uncertain about moving to a market that is prone to hurricanes, the median sales price for a single-family home in southwestern Florida increased by nearly 25 percent to $725,000 between August 2021 and August 2022.

TRUST’S PLEA SEEKING PROPERTY DAMAGES FROM AHMEDABAD MUNICIPAL CORPORATION DISMISSED

TimesOfIndia.IndiaTimes.com

A division bench of the Gujarat High Court recently dismissed an appeal by a public charitable trust, which ran a park in Juhapura, seeking damages and compensation for destruction of their property to the tune of crores ($10 million) by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).

The Society for Promoting Rationality (SPRAT), was running the Muskaan Park in Juhapura on a land owned by the AMC. According to SPRAT, the AMC evicted them on short notice during the Covid-19 pandemic. SPRAT moved the high court in 2021 where a single-judge court had ruled that the court cannot go into the jurisdiction of paying damages, as it requires a detailed inquiry. However, it granted SPRAT the liberty to move the appropriate court to seek damages.

RITZ CARLTON NAPLES TO REMAIN CLOSED

www.naplesnews.com

Florida’s West Coast could be without one of its’ luxury resorts through 2023 due to damage caused by Hurricane Ian.

The Ritz Carlton, Naples, has given notice to the state of Florida that it is forced to temporarily lay off 591 of its workforce while the hotel is closed, effective October 13. The hotel’s HR manager informed the state that the property is focusing on a reopening date in the early part of 2023, but “the reopening could be extended with the rebuilding of the power grid, infrastructure and supply chain delays.” The manager also stated that the layoffs could span six months or more.

Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida on Sept. 28 as a near Category 5 storm with sustained wind speeds just under 155 mph.

CORPS TO CONDUCT FURTHER TESTING AT CONTAMINATED SCHOOL

www.CNN.com

Radioactive contamination in a Missouri grade school has prompted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct new testing, according to U.S. Rep. Cori Bush. Bush was among several local, state and federal lawmakers that pushed for private testing after high levels of contamination were found at Jana Elementary School.

Jana Elementary is located next to Coldwater Creek, a 19-mile-long waterway contaminated decades ago with Manhattan Project waste. A federal report released in 2019 determined those exposed to the creek from the 1960s to the 1900s may have an increased rise of bone cancer, lung cancer and leukemia.

WAYS HURRICANE IAN’S FALLOUT COULD HAVE A LINGERING EFFECT ON ORLANDO REAL ESTATE DEALS

www.bizjournals.com

Hurricane Ian caused damage in Seminole County and Orange County in the Orlando metro, with data still being compiled for other counties.

The region’s commercial and residential real estate sectors are seeing the effects from Ian’s destruction. Greenberg Traurig’s Alan Sheppard told Orlando Business Journal “This may have an impact on pending transactions – things that haven’t closed yet that are in the pipeline.”

Peter C. Vilmos of Burr & Forman, specializes in construction litigation. “The first thing that we’re thinking of, and what we’re already hearing, is ‘what are we going to have to do to [building] codes?’” Vilmos said. Vilmos recalled the way codes were stiffened in the wake of Hurricane Andrew.

On the commercial side, Vilmos noted that commercial properties such as warehouses are often in low-lying or flood-prone areas, prompting both landlord and lessees to be proactive at the outset of agreements. “Depending on how the lease is written, and depending on what went wrong, if the inventory is flooded and therefore  unsellable – who’s going to pay for that cost?”

FAILED RETAINING WALL BRINGS DAMAGE TO MISSION HILLS HOME

A Mission Hills resident is suing Shawnee-based Arrow Foundation claiming that the retaining wall that they built failed, causing more than half a million dollars in damages to the residence.

Court records show that Arrow built upper and lower retaining walls in the backyard property at 5930 Mission Drive.  The home which is located next to the access road for Kansas City Country Club is owned by a senior VP of wealth management for UBS in Kansas City.

The lawsuit states that a May 2021 rainstorm caused Brush Creek to flood, resulting in failure of the upper retaining wall that Arrow finished building in the fall of 2020, causing extensive damage to the property. After the flood destroyed the retaining wall and caused damage to the Plaintiff’s home, he filed a claim with Nationwide. The insurer determined that the damage was not covered under the policy and denied the claim in June 2021, according to the lawsuit.