VW pleads guilty in emissions scandal; 6 employees indicted
Volkswagen is pleading guilty to three criminal charges and will pay $4.3 billion to the U.S. government for cheating on emissions tests and destroying evidence in an elaborate cover-up.
Environmental Issues
Articles
Environmental crime most common among organizational offenders
Organizations charged with federal criminal offenses most commonly were accused of environmental offenses, the United States Courts announced Thursday, citing a report published by the United States Sentencing Commission.
Obama sets rule to protect streams near coal mines
The Obama administration on Monday set final rules designed to reduce the environmental impact of coal mining on the nation's streams, a long-anticipated move that met quick resistance from Republicans who vowed to overturn it under President-elect Donald Trump.
Agreement with Gary to resolve Clean Water Act violations
Federal and Indiana authorities have reached an agreement with the city of Gary to resolve longstanding violations of the Clean Water Act, including the release of raw sewage.
Washington state suing agrochemical giant over PCB pollution
Washington has become the first U.S. state to sue the agrochemical giant Monsanto over pervasive pollution from PCBs, the toxic industrial chemicals that have accumulated in plants, fish and people around the globe for decades. The company said the case "lacks merit."
Forest Alliance sues to stop Crown Hill cemetery project
The controversy over the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ plans to develop a military cemetery with a series of above-ground columbariums on 15 wooded acres north of Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis has ended up in court.
Dodge truck owners accuse Chrysler, Cummins of VW-like cheating
Allegations of cheating pollution standards have reached U.S. automakers as Chrysler was sued by consumers who said engines in some Dodge trucks were rigged to hide that emissions were as much as 14 times higher than permitted by law.
Once in office, Trump can quickly alter Supreme Court agenda
Even before Donald Trump chooses a Supreme Court nominee, the new president can take steps to make several contentious court cases go away.
After Obama, Trump may face children suing over global warming
A lawsuit brought by children against the Obama administration may force President-elect Donald Trump to decide how far he’ll go to downplay the threat of global warming.
Judge lets Flint residents’ lawsuit against state move ahead
A Michigan judge has ruled in favor of Flint residents who sued the state over the city's man-made lead-tainted water crisis, rejecting a motion to dismiss the lawsuit entirely.
‘Played the fool’: Car owners slam Volkswagen emissions deal
Several angry Volkswagen owners told a federal judge on Tuesday that a $10 billion settlement does not adequately compensate them for the automaker's emissions cheating scandal.
DC appeals court hears arguments in Clean Power Plan case
The federal appeals court in Washington began hearing arguments Tuesday in the legal fight over President Barack Obama's plan to curtail greenhouse gas emissions.
Lead crisis in housing project was actually no surprise
A review of public documents and news coverage dating back to the 1960s shows officials at half a dozen local, state and federal agencies were aware East Chicago residents were living on and playing in lead-tainted soil, though some of the most alarming readings weren't widely known until recently.
Residents of contaminated Indiana complex sue city officials
Residents forced to move out of a northwest Indiana public housing complex because of high levels of lead in the soil are suing city officials and the companies they say are responsible.
Insurance fight prolongs Hartford City junk yard’s pollution
Five years of court battles haven't resolved the blame game between a western Indiana junk yard and one of the nation's largest insurance companies over water pollution.
Veteran VW engineer is first charged in US emissions probe
A veteran Volkswagen AG engineer pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud U.S. regulators and customers, the first criminal charge in the Justice Department’s yearlong investigation into the company’s rigging of federal air-pollution tests.
EPA adds Indianapolis groundwater plume to priority list
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday added an 18-acre contaminated groundwater site on the west side of Indianapolis to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites.
EPA objects to Vertellus Specialties acquisition plan
Indianapolis-based chemical company Vertellus Specialties Inc. is at odds with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over whether its proposed sale would provide adequate resources to address environmental cleanup needs at Vertellus-owned sites in Indiana and elsewhere.
Lawyer investigating lead at Indiana housing complex
An attorney for families in an Indiana public housing complex slated to be demolished because of lead contamination says he's investigating whether public officials knew about the problem and allowed children to be "poisoned."
COA affirms plaintiff can’t succeed on environmental action claims
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Thursday that based on the statute of limitations the owners of contaminated land can’t assert environmental claims against previous owners of the land who contributed to the contamination.