Regulations & Compliance

AR House Panel OKs Tax Cut For Manufacturers

April 3, 2013 10:15 am | by Michael Stratford, Associated Press | News | Comments

An Arkansas House panel has endorsed a proposal to cut taxes on manufacturers in the state. The House Revenue and Taxation Committee on Tuesday voted to approve the measure, sending it to the full House for consideration. The bill would reduce the sales and use taxes on natural gas and electricity used by manufacturers.

Halliburton Worker Testifies At Gulf Spill Trial

April 2, 2013 2:20 pm | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | Comments

A man who worked for BP's cement contractor on the drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 testified Tuesday that he didn't believe the oil giant's employees were risking workers' safety when they didn't follow his recommendations.

Claims Administrator Seeks Dismissal Of BP Lawsuit

April 2, 2013 10:24 am | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | Comments

The court-appointed claims administrator for a multibillion-dollar settlement between BP PLC and a team of private plaintiffs' attorneys asked a federal judge Monday to throw out the company's lawsuit against him. The suit that BP filed last month accuses Patrick Juneau of violating the settlement's terms in the way he is using a complex formula to determine payments.

AK Seeks To Woo CO Gun Company

April 1, 2013 1:52 pm | by Becky Bohrer, Associated Press | News | Comments

Alaska is making its pitch to woo a Colorado company that has threatened to leave that state over new restrictions on firearms. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper last week signed bills that require background checks for private and online gun sales and ban ammunition magazines that hold more than 15 rounds.

Unhappy About New Limits, Gun Makers Urged To Move

April 1, 2013 10:00 am | by Becky Bohrer, Morgan True, Associated Press | News | Comments

Firearms manufacturers upset over newly restrictive gun laws and proposals in their home states are getting a message from other places: Move here, where the climate is favorable to your products and so are the tax codes. In New Hampshire, a group of conservative Republicans sent letters wooing gun companies.

Asian Giants Tiptoe Toward Free Trade Deal

April 1, 2013 9:55 am | by Youkyung Lee, AP Business Writer | News | Comments

China, Japan and South Korea are inching ahead with talks for a free trade zone that would rival the European Union and North America in economic heft. Despite the achievement of setting aside their often acrimonious relations to begin negotiations, progress will be slow. An agreement to start talks took 10 years.

Honeywell Agrees To $3M Pollution Fine

March 29, 2013 2:00 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A major producer of ingredients used in nylon and fertilizer agreed Thursday to pay a $3 million civil penalty for alleged air pollution violations at its Hopewell plant. The agreement between federal authorities and Honeywell Resins and Chemicals LLC was filed in U.S. District Court in Richmond. The consent decree is subject to court approval.

EPA To Propose Rule To Clean Up Tailpipe Pollution

March 29, 2013 10:16 am | by Dina Cappiello, Associated Press | News | Comments

The Obama administration will unveil a proposal Friday to clean up gasoline and automobile emissions, a step that officials say will result in cleaner air across the U.S. and slightly higher prices at the pump. The EPA estimates that the rule to reduce sulfur in gasoline and tighten emissions standards on cars beginning in 2017 could increase gas prices by less than a penny per gallon and add $130 to the cost of a vehicle in 2025.

NY Coke Plant, Manager Convicted In Pollution Case

March 29, 2013 10:09 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A Buffalo-area industrial plant and its environmental control manager have been convicted of violating federal clean air laws and other environmental regulations. The U.S. Attorney's Office says a federal jury Thursday found the Tonawanda Coke Corp. guilty of 11 counts of violating the Clean Air Act and three counts of violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery act.

U.S. Takes Swipe At China For Hacking Allegations

March 28, 2013 2:03 pm | by Anne Flaherty, Associated Press | News | Comments

The U.S. has taken its first real swipe at China following accusations that the Beijing government is behind a widespread and systemic hacking campaign targeting U.S. businesses. Buried in a spending bill signed by President Barack Obama on Tuesday is a provision that effectively bars much of the U.S. government from buying information technology made by companies linked to the Chinese government.

Nokia Disputes $368M India Tax Bill

March 28, 2013 1:59 pm | by Kay Johnson, Associated Press | News | Comments

Mobile phone manufacturer Nokia is disputing a $368 million bill levied by tax authorities in India, the Finnish company said Thursday. Nokia Corp.'s India unit said it will "defend itself vigorously" and is "in full compliance with local laws as well as the bilaterally negotiated tax treaty between the governments of India and Finland."

DuPont Drops Kevlar Lawsuit Against Easton-Bell

March 28, 2013 1:57 pm | by Randall Chase, AP Business Writer | News | Comments

DuPont Co. has dropped a federal lawsuit accusing sports equipment maker Easton-Bell Sports of misusing the Kevlar trademark in packaging for bicycle tires and locks. But the fight may not be over. DuPont's filing Thursday dismissing the lawsuit comes two days after a federal judge in California refused to dismiss or transfer to Delaware a lawsuit filed by Easton-Bell.

EPA Settles With Goodrich Over CA Plant Water

March 27, 2013 1:56 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that it has reached a settlement worth at least $21.5 million with aerospace supplier Goodrich Corp. that will require the company to clean up a Southern California industrial site where chemicals contaminated the water supply.

WV Bill Would End Tax Credits For Electric Cars

March 27, 2013 1:54 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

The West Virginia Senate Finance Committee has endorsed Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's plan to eliminate state tax credits for electric cars and other alternative fuel vehicles. Tomblin's bill was briefly overhauled by the Senate Transportation Committee earlier this week, before being restored by the Finance Committee on Tuesday.

Lawmakers Mull $100M In Bonds For Nissan

March 27, 2013 10:08 am | by Jeff Amy, Associated Press | News | Comments

Mississippi lawmakers are considering giving a development agency the capacity to use $100 million in bonds toward the construction of buildings for suppliers of Nissan Motor Co.'s Canton plant. Two Senate committees voted Tuesday in favor of Senate Bill 2920.

BP's Cement Contractor Denies Destroying Evidence

March 27, 2013 10:05 am | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | Comments

BP's cement contractor on the drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 said Tuesday that its recent discovery of missing cement samples was the result of a "simple misunderstanding," not an attempt to withhold crucial evidence.

Former CEO Of Mamtek Released From MO Jail

March 26, 2013 2:06 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

The former CEO of a failed artificial sweetener facility has been released from a Missouri jail after posting $10,000 bail while awaiting trial on theft and fraud charges, officials said Tuesday. Bruce Cole was released Monday after the cash bail was paid, Randolph County jail officials said.

Japan, EU Agree To Start Free-Trade Negotiations

March 25, 2013 2:11 pm | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | News | Comments

Japan and the European Union agreed Monday to start negotiations for a free-trade pact encompassing nations that account for nearly a third of the world economy. A Japan-EU summit set to begin Monday in Tokyo was shelved because of the financial crisis in Cyprus.

Investigators Scold Boeing Over 787 Comments

March 25, 2013 10:11 am | by Joshua Freed, AP Business Writer | News | Comments

Boeing's comments about the smoldering batteries on its 787 have annoyed the National Transportation Safety Board. Boeing gave its own account of two battery incidents, which included a fire, at a detailed press briefing in Tokyo last week.

Ford India Apologizes Over Berlusconi Bondage Ad

March 25, 2013 10:09 am | by Kay Johnson, Associated Press | News | Comments

The Indian unit of Ford Motor Co. has apologized for advertisements decried as demeaning to women, including one depicting Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with a trio of bound women in the trunk of a car. A Ford India spokeswoman said Monday that the company is investigating whether anyone at the automaker ever saw the print ads.

Judge OKs Reduced Bond For Ex-Mamtek CEO

March 25, 2013 10:07 am | by Jordan Shapiro, Associated Press | News | Comments

Bruce Cole, 65, the former chief executive of Mamtek U.S. Inc., has been accused of perpetrating a massive fraud by persuading Moberly to issue $39 million in bonds and the state to authorize up to $17 million of incentives to fund an artificial sweetener facility that collapsed financially before construction finished.

BP Seeks Sanctions Over Missing Cement Samples

March 22, 2013 5:11 pm | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | Comments

BP asked a federal judge Thursday to sanction its cement contractor on the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon drilling project, accusing the company of withholding critical evidence that could have been used at the ongoing trial over the nation's worst offshore oil spill.

Claims Against BP Contractors Dismissed At Trial

March 21, 2013 1:54 pm | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | Comments

A federal judge conducting a trial to assign fault for the nation's worst offshore oil spill dismissed claims Wednesday against a BP contractor and the company that made a key safety device on the drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, triggering the disaster.

Manufacturer Vows To Leave CO Over Gun Laws

March 21, 2013 1:50 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A Colorado company vowed to begin making ammunition magazines outside the state within the next month following the passage of sweeping gun control laws. Magpul Industries said Wednesday it will make good on its previous threat to move to another state, the Denver Post reported.

The Future Of In-Car Alcohol Detection Systems

March 20, 2013 5:16 pm | by CNET | Videos | Comments

Today an alcohol breath tester in your car is a huge stigma, but a group is considering making them standard in all cars. A group called DADSS (Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety), which is partly backed by the federal government, wants all drivers of the future to prove they are sober before getting behind the wheel. Cnet's Brian Cooley explains.