Regulations & Compliance
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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Sequester Defense Cuts To Impact Thousands In AL
February 28, 2013 1:13 pm | by NBC News | Videos | CommentsIf lawmakers cannot find a way to avoid the sequester, thousands of workers at the Anniston Army Depot and Redstone Arsenal in Alabama will take a pay cut. The effect would be particularly devastating in Huntsville, AL, because the local economy is so dependent on Redston.
ND Supreme Court: Sugar Workers Can Get Benefits
February 27, 2013 2:24 pm | by Kristi Eaton, Associated Press | News | CommentsMore than 400 American Crystal Sugars workers in North Dakota who are locked out in a contract dispute are eligible for unemployment benefits, the state Supreme Court ruled. The decision reverses a lower court's ruling that said the workers were not eligible for benefits from Job Service North Dakota because state law prohibits unemployment insurance for workers involved in labor disputes.
TEPCO To Cut Power To Companies Refusing Rate Hike
February 27, 2013 2:13 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsTokyo Electric Power Co. may suspend power supply to companies and factories that are refusing to accept the utility's higher electricity rates, which it has increased since April last year by an average of 14.9 percent, a company official said Wednesday.
Food Safety & Technology: What's Next for 2013?
February 27, 2013 10:49 am | EventsThe need for robust food safety programs has never been greater, and a host of new technologies have sprung up to help processors meet the increasing challenges. What are these new advancements, and how can they help you meet your customers’ demands?
U.S. Oil Spill: Top BP Official On The Stand
February 27, 2013 10:14 am | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | CommentsA BP executive will testify for a second day Wednesday at a trial over the worst oil spill in the U.S., speaking before a judge who will decide whether the London-based oil giant and other companies acted with gross negligence for the 2010 disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
Prosecutor: No Charges In 2008 GA Refinery Blast
February 27, 2013 10:12 am | by Russ Bynum, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Justice Department has decided it won't seek criminal charges against Imperial Sugar or its executives years after explosions tore through its sugar refinery near and killed 14 workers, a federal prosecutor in Georgia said Tuesday. .S. Attorney Edward Tarver issued a statement saying prosecutors determined at best they would be able to bring only misdemeanor charges alleging violations of industrial cleanliness standards of OSHA.
AL Looks To Limit Lawsuits For Airbus Suppliers
February 27, 2013 10:09 am | by Phillip Rawls, Associated Press | News | CommentsNow that Alabama is getting an Airbus manufacturing plant, state lawmakers want to prevent Airbus suppliers from setting up shop in neighboring states where it's not as easy for them to be sued. House and Senate committees voted unanimously Tuesday for legislation to limit lawsuits involving large commercial planes made in Alabama.
Too Big To Fly: Why Engineering Should Stay Small
February 27, 2013 8:00 am | by Chris Fox, Associate Editor, PD&D | Blogs | CommentsEverybody has heard the now-clichéd term, ‘too big to fail’, and all of the negative connotations that are associated with said title. Also, I’m sure most, if not all, of you have heard or read something about the recent problems Boeing is experiencing with the Lithium Ion batteries.
First Witness Testifies In Gulf Oil Spill Trial
February 26, 2013 2:12 pm | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | CommentsBP failed to implement a new safety plan on the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon drilling rig even though the company realized a blowout in the Gulf of Mexico was its greatest danger, an expert witness for people and businesses suing the company testified Tuesday.
House Approves $6.9M Factory, Farm Tax Break
February 26, 2013 10:27 am | by Jeff Amy, Associated Press | News | CommentsFactory operators, farmers and fishermen could stop paying sales taxes on electricity and fuel, under a state House proposal. Representatives passed House Bill 844 by a 75-43 vote Monday to exempt those groups from a 1.5 percent sales tax on fuel used in producing those industries' products. It now goes to the Senate for more debate.
Judge Rules For Pearl River Co. In Plant Dispute
February 26, 2013 10:26 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA Pearl River County judge has ruled against a group of residents who sought to block development of five acres near the construction site of a sand drying plant in Pearl River County. The Alliance Consulting Group is locating the plant on 30 acres between Nicholson and Picayune. The $30 million plant will service the oil industry. It will create 40-to-50 jobs.
DEP Seeks New Fines, Plan For WV Chemical Plant
February 22, 2013 10:02 am | by Vicki Smith, Associated Press | News | CommentsWest Virginia environmental regulators are seeking nearly $250,000 in new water pollution fines against the owner of a Northern Panhandle chemical plant under revisions to a settlement reached more than two years ago. The Department of Environmental Protection says the the plant has struggled to consistently meet the mandatory pollution limits for various chemicals.
Lockheed To Pay $19.5M To Settle Lawsuit
February 21, 2013 4:24 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsLockheed Martin Corp. will pay $19.5 million to settle a lawsuit claiming that the defense contractor misled investors. The company disclosed the settlement in a filing Tuesday with the U.S. District Court in New York. Lockheed denied violating any securities laws or misleading investors but said it settled because of the cost and uncertainty of going to trial.
Judge: U.S. Steel Can Test New Employees For Booze
February 21, 2013 4:24 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA federal judge in Pittsburgh says United States Steel Corp. can randomly test new employees for drugs and alcohol, rejecting a challenge by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which sued claiming a worker was fired when she falsely tested positive for drinking because she was diabetic.
Artifacts Found On Site For IA Fertilizer Plant
February 20, 2013 1:37 pm | by Ryan J. Foley, Associated Press | News | CommentsAn Egyptian company planning to invest $1.4 billion to build a fertilizer plant in southeastern Iowa may have to pay for archaeological digging at the site because Native American artifacts were found there, the state archaeologist said Wednesday.
New Boeing Contract Splits Engineers, Tech Workers
February 20, 2013 10:18 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBoeing Co.'s engineers have accepted a new four-year contract while technical workers rejected their offer and voted to authorize a future strike. The union representing both groups had recommended rejection of the contract because it would not provide pensions to new employees. They would have a 401k retirement plan instead.
Boeing Engineers, Tech Workers Voting On Contract
February 19, 2013 1:52 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe union for Boeing Co.'s engineers and technical workers is counting ballots Tuesday on a contract offer and whether to authorize a strike. The vote comes as the company is trying to solve battery problems that have grounded its new 787s.
MS Part Of $29M Agreement With Toyota
February 19, 2013 1:50 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsMississippi Attorney General Jim Hood says Mississippi will receive about $561,288 in a multi-state settlement with Toyota Motor Corp. over problems with accelerator pedals. Hood says Mississippi will be getting part of a $29 million pot split among 29 different states and American Samoa.
WV Gov Proposes End To Plug-In Car Credits
February 19, 2013 10:23 am | by David Gutman, Associated Press | News | CommentsIt's not often that environmental organizations and the coal industry come down on the same side of a policy debate. But that's happening in West Virginia, where both groups have concerns about Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's proposal to eliminate a state tax incentive for plug-in electric cars and other alternative fuel vehicles.
BP Ready For Trial In Deepwater Horizon Case
February 19, 2013 10:20 am | by Danica Kirka, Associated Press | News | CommentsBP acknowledged Tuesday it had failed to reach a settlement in advance of next week's civil trial on the Deepwater Horizon accident and is ready to defend itself vigorously against allegations of gross negligence in the U.S.'s biggest environmental disaster.
VA Part Of $29M Agreement With Toyota
February 15, 2013 1:12 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsVirginia joined 28 other states in a $29M agreement with Toyota over allegations the company concealed safety issues related to unintended acceleration. In a complaint filed along with the agreement, the states allege Toyota engaged in deceptive practices when it failed to timely disclose known safety defects with accelerator pedals.
FAA Moves Toward Widespread U.S. Drone Flights
February 15, 2013 12:51 pm | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | CommentsA future in which unmanned drones are as common in U.S. skies as helicopters and airliners has moved a step closer to reality with a government request for proposals to create six drone test sites around the country. The Federal Aviation Administration made the request Thursday, kicking off what is anticipated to be an intense competition between states hoping to win one of the sites.
India Puts $750M Italian Helicopter Deal On Hold
February 15, 2013 11:54 am | by Muneeza Naqvi, Associated Press | News | CommentsIndia's Defense Ministry said Friday that it has put a $750 million contract to purchase helicopters from Italian company Finmeccanica on hold amid allegations that bribes were paid to obtain it. The ministry said a formal notice has been sent to Finmeccanica's AgustaWestland helicopter division seeking cancellation of the contract. The company has a week to respond to the notice.
Senate Sends Kemper Settlement Bills To Governor
February 15, 2013 10:16 am | by Jeff Amy, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe state Senate has approved two House-passed bills that codify a settlement over the company's Kemper County power plant. Meanwhile, state Supreme Court justices want parties to answer more questions about an appeal challenging the constitutionality of a 2008 state law that would allow Mississippi Power to collect money to pay for the Kemper plant before it starts generating electricity.
EPA: Cuts Will Hamper Pollution Work
February 15, 2013 10:13 am | by Dina Cappiello | News | CommentsA top environmental official is warning lawmakers that automatic spending cuts due next month would jeopardize EPA's ability to protect against oil spills, air pollution, and hazardous waste. The cuts are outlined in a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee obtained by the Associated Press.
