Environmental brief ~ Virginia settles river wastewater case News
Environmental brief ~ Virginia settles river wastewater case

[JURIST] In Monday's environmental law news, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality [official website] has announced a proposed settlement with Colonna's Shipyard Inc. [corporate website] for polluting the Elizabeth River. Colonnas has agreed to pay a $40,000 fine for mistakenly flushing thousands of gallons of wastewater contaminated with tributyltin [EPA factpage] into the river. Tributyltin is a paint additive used to control barnacles and other nuisance growth on ship hulls. The Virginia State Water Control Board [official website] will consider the settlement later this week. AP has more.

In other environmental law news…

  • Chong Wa Dae [official website], the office of the South Korea President, announced Sunday it will tighten up the government inspection system for imported foods to ensure public safety. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry [official website] has said it will create a task force to monitor the illegal distribution and sale of agricultural imports. The moves were prompted by a study released over the weekend that found unusually high levels of lead in kimchi imported from China. In response, Chinese trade officials Monday called for the countries to establish a set of joint food safety guidelines. The Korea Times has more.
  • India's West Bengal State Environment Department [official website] Minister Manab Mukherjee has announced requirements for the prevention and management of chemical accidents. The requirements include mandatory accident notification, the creation of on-site and off-site emergency plans, and safety measures for the transportation of hazardous chemicals. PTI has more.