LIFE AFTER 'SNOWMAGGEDON'

GritDaily.com

Residents in the areas hit hardest by ‘Snowmaggedon’ are still struggling after the event due to costly property damage. Within the San Bernardino communities facing the aftermath, storms produced over 12 feet of snow contributing to public and private losses of nearly $380 million. This not only impacted the physical properties but the spring tourism season as well.

Many residents are dealing with rebuilding such as Tricia Dufour, owner of Pine Rose Cabins who has to make sure the cabins are fixed before wedding season.  Others such as Michaelk Irion are trying to get repairs done on their home.

HURRICANE IAN VICTIMS SUING THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY FOR UNDERPAYING DAMAGE CLAIM

www.ABCActionNews.com

Eight months after Hurrican Ian some homeowners say that their insurance company is not paying for the full cost of repairs. Sherry McBride and her husband Jim had their home drenched with the back wall separated and roof ripped up in several places.  “It blew in with such a powerful suction that everything got wet… anything that was in here was damaged. They had to totally gut it,” said  McBride.

According to McBride most contracters gave estimates around $220,000 to repair the damages. However, the insurance adjuster estimated about $40,000 in damages. Additionally they have been paying rent to live elsewhere for the past seven months. According to the state’s reporting data, the McBride’s claim is one of nearly 110,000 Ian claims still open as of March. “We're gonna have to take our claim to court because they leave us no choice.”

EVICTIONS ADD TWIST FOR LITTLE ROCK TORNADO VICTIMS

www.KETK.com

Renters in Little Rock are dealing with eviction as their buildings are repaired due to the tornado that took place on March 31, 2023. One tenant, Jared Holt, received and eviction notice on April 26 stating that he would need to leave his apartment within two weeks. "My main complaint is with the amount of time, because two weeks is not nearly enough time for one or two people to find housing in Little Rock, let alone dozens," of people, he said. "They've just been really vague; they didn't give us any kind of time frame or estimate on when things would be better, talking about moving back in or anything."

While some landlords have been moving residents into other units, other landlords  say that the demand for housing has increased since the tornado hit. Manager Vicki Brumett of Foxglen Apartments stated that the tornado damaged a lot of local “reasonably priced apartments.” Jill Judy who runs Downtown Dwellings said about 50 people called looking for housing after she posted about vacancies on Facebook.

GEORGIA COUPLE AWARDED $135.5M OVER DAMAGES BY SOLAR COMPANY, CONTRACTOR

InsuranceJournal.com

A Georgia couple was awarded $135.5 million for damages to their property by a Tennessee-based solar company and its contractor. According to the lawsuit 1,000 acres of timberland, farmland, and land were mass graded by IEA near the Harris couple. The land was previously used for recreational hunting and fishing and the grading was done without adequate measures for erosion and sediment control.

According to James E. Butler, the attorney for Shaun and Amie Harris, “when it rained, pollution poured downhill and downstream onto the neighbors’ property, inundating wetlands with silt and sediment, and turning a 21-acre trophy fishing lake into a mud hole.”

The Jury returned a verdict of $10.5 million for compensatory damages. The punitive phase, where jurors consider an amount that would punish the companies for their actions, the panel found that SRC, IEA and and an IEA subsidiary — IEA Constructors, LLC — acted with specific intent to cause harm. The jury imposed $25 million in punitive damages against SRC, $50 million against IEA Inc., and $50 million against IEA Constructors

LANDSLIDE: COLLAPSE AT CASA ROMANTICA DAMAGES HISTORIC PROPERTY, FORCING TEMPORARY CLOSURE

www.SanClementeTimes.com

On April 27, 2023 a landslide caused Casa Romantica’s backyard terrace, landscaping, and other debris to fall about 25 feet down the hillside. As of May 2, city engineer and Public Works Director told the City Council that the main landslide area still shows signs of movement. The estimated cost to fix the slope and secure the rear of the building would be about $7 million to $8 million.

The city has closed and red-tagged the property and evacuated between 6 to 8 units of Reef Gate’s Building A which sits at the lowest elevation of the complex’s three structure. Additionally, the landslide impacts railroad tracks running along San Clemente’s coastline. Due to the debris from the landslide Metrolink and Amtrak announced an indefinite suspension of commuter service through San Clemente.

BUSTED BEAVER DAM CAUSES FLASH FLOOD, PROPERTY DAMAGE NEAR CALABOGIE, ONTARIO

Toronto.CTVNews.ca

An Ontario resident has suffered over $100,000 in property damage after a beaver dam burst, causing a flash flood event. The flood waters engulfed the whole street in water, blocking cars and surrounding both sides of his house.

This incident is not the first time a beaver dam has burst, resulting in flooding; however, previous times did more damage to the road. The property owner is now seeking some level of government to be held accountable to prevent future incidents.

ROSENBLUM SUES 3M, DUPONT, OTHERS OVER ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION

EASTMAN CHEMICAL RESINS TO PAY $2.4M FOR ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATIONS IN PENNSYLVANIA

www.alleghenyfront.org

The Environmental Protection Agency announced that Eastman Chemical Resins, Inc. will pay $2.4 million in penalties for environmental violations at the 56-acre manufacturing facility in West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania.

The company will review stormwater discharges and groundwater contamination and ensure compliance with environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and parallel Pennsylvania laws. The chemical producing facility is bordered on the southeast by the Monongahela River and bisected by a tributary to that river.

CRYSTAL PIER RE-OPENED AFTER CITY ASSESSES STORM DAMAGE

SDNews.com

After a season of winter storms in San Diego, California, the Crystal Pier was temporarily closed as a safety precaution until any damage could be assessed. The Crystal Pier Hotel owns the access portion of the pier, while the City owns the remainder. According to the Hotel, the damage was believed to have happened to the City portion of the pier.

After the winter storms, the City hired consultant Moffatt & Nichol to assess the pier's condition. As of May 15th, the City announced that the pier is safe for public use.

The City of San Diego says the end of a Pacific Beach pier will be reopened weeks after it was improperly closed off by the owners of the Crystal Pier cottages, which sit atop a large stretch of the pier. The closure was initiated by the owners of the Crystal Pier cottages, who had concerns about safety due to winter storm damage. However, the city now deems their action premature, as formal permission was required.

The consultant’s report evaluated the safety of the pier and concluded that it is suitable for public use. While urgent repairs are still needed, the report confirms that the pier can be reopened with proper precautions in place to ensure visitor safety.

EPA TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING ON USS LEAD SUPERFUND SITE CLEANUP

FEDS TO PAY COLORADO $5 MILLION IN LATEST SETTLEMENT FROM 2015 GOLD KING MINE SPILL

www.ABQJournal.com

The state of Colorado will receive $5 million from the Federal Government to clean up and restore damaged areas from mines in southwest Colorado, predominantly for the cleanup of the Gold King Mine spill. The Gold King Mine Spill released over 880,00 pounds of heavy metals into the Animas River after a cleanup crew led by EPA officials accidentally triggered the spill. 

As a result of the Gold King Mine spill, the area has been classified as a Superfund Site. According to the chairman of Bonita Peak Mining District Community Advisory Group, Peter Butler, the $5 million doesn’t amount to much compared to the estimated cleanup costs, but it’s a positive step. Additional settlements following the spill will likely be pooled with the $5 million to restore natural resources.

MORE LAND SLIDING AT CASA ROMANTICA: RESINDENTS EVACUATION, TRAINS HALTED THROUGH SAN CLEMENTE

IN A REVERSAL, BUCCO NOW BLAMES DEFUNCT ROXBURY DUMP FOR HOMEOWNER WELL CONTAMINATION

www.TapInto.net

MUSA TADROS SETTLES DEBT WITH $20M BANKRUPTCY SALE OF CHATHAM VILLAGE SQUARE

‘INNOCENT BUYERS’ HOPE BILL WILL SOLVE THEIR ISSUES. THE DNR WORRIES IT WILL LEAVE CONTAMINATION

www.MidWestLiving.com

A new bill introduced in Madison, Wisconsin seeks to offer assistance to unsuspecting property buyers who unknowingly purchased contaminated land. The legislation, Assembly Bill 44, was inspired by the experience of Ken Koeppler, a Madison resident who discovered the former dry-cleaning facility he bought in 1987 had contaminated soil beneath it.

Under the proposed bill, homeowners who purchased their property prior to September 1, 1992, without any knowledge of contamination, would be relieved of the responsibility for cleanup costs. Moreover, the bill would exempt counties from liability for contaminated properties and allow them to sell such properties to buyers who would also be exempt from responsibility. Currently, Wisconsin’s “spills law” holds property owners accountable for contamination, even if they were unaware of it.

SUNCOR SAYS PFAS POLLUTION SPIKES NEAR COMMERCE CITY REFINERY MAY BE COMING FROM HIGHER UP SAND CREEK

www.DenverPost.com

Colorado regulators are considering whether to impose further limitations on Suncor Refinery’s PFAS allowances in their renewed water quality permit. Suncor’s refinery officials claim that recent testing has not revealed higher than normal contamination downstream from their site on Sand Creek or in nearby South Platte River. However, state regulators have stated that PFAS levels in the outflows from Suncor in December and January exceeded proposed effluent limits outlined in a draft water quality permit.

Suncor acknowledges the high November reading but contends that it is not representative, pointing to downstream sampling results taken on the same day that showed lower PFAS concentrations. Environmental groups and neighbors are pushing for stricter permit conditions to limit PFAS allowances to levels recently set by the EPA for drinking water.

While the firefighting foam used at Suncor no longer contains restricted PFAS variants, concerns over ongoing spills of other substances and benzene exceedances also persist. Any additional revisions to the permit will be subject to public comment and review by the water quality division.

ESTIMATED $15.3M IN RESIDENTIAL DAMAGES AND PUBLIC DAMAGE ASSESSMENT $713K AT THIS TIME FROM VIRGINIA BEACH TORNADO

WHRO.org

On April 30, 2023, a tornado touched down in the northern part of Virginia Beach. The tornado’s path was about 4.5 miles long with peak winds of 145 mph. Over $15 million dollars worth of residential damage was cause destroying 9 homes and 36 damaged to the point of being uninhabitable. Estimated public damages come up to $731,000.

TOXIC CHEMICALS LEAKED UNDER SAN LOUIS OBISPO AIRPORT FOR DECADES

SLOAirport.com

Firefighters have trained at the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport since the 1970s. This training uses a fire suppressant that can put out petroleum-fueled fires. The aqueous film forming foam is particularly effective at putting out fire because it contains toxic chemicals known as per- and polyfluorinated substances or PFAS. PFAS accumulates over time in humans and are known as “forever chemicals.” According to the U.S Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry they have been found to have many health impacts such as liver damage, decreased fertility, and increased cholesterol levels.

Investigations beginning in 2019 at the San Louis Obispo airport found PFOS in the groundwater at levels of 130,000 parts per trillion. That is 32,500 greater than the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed maximum level for drinking water. San Luis Obispo County and Cal Fire have proposed coming to a voluntary agreement to handle the PFAS pollution. Currently the water board is reviewing public comments regarding the PFAS contamination. After reviewing the comments the board is likely to decide whether to issue a cleanup and abatement order or pursue a voluntary agreement.

A SPILL OUTSIDE PHILADELPHIA ADDS TO THE GROWING LIST OF CHEMICAL ACCIDENTS THIS YEAR

www.Salon.com

Thousands of gallons of chemicals were spilled into the Delaware river following a spill from a factory outside Philadelphia. The chemical plant owned by Trinseo estimated that 8,100 gallons of a latex finishing solution spilled into Otter Creek which is located about a dozen miles upstream from a drinking water treatment plant. According to Trinsea the spill was due to an equipment failure which is the leading cause of chemical spills according to a 2021 EPA report. One of the chemicals found in the solution is butyl acrylate which can cause skin irritation, headaches, dizziness, and vomiting.

TORNADO CAUSES PROPERTY DAMAGE, AND MINOR INJURIES IN PICKAWAY COUNTY

Office: 33971 Selva Road, Suite 230, Dana Point, CA 92629
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