The Public Utilities Commission in California has fined the Pacific Gas & Electric Company more that $25 million dollars for the company’s failure to keep proper investigative records of gas leaks and other safety problems. A house on the central California coast was destroyed by a gas explosion in one episode that was not adequately … Continued
On August 10, 2016, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. was found guilty by a California federal court jury of criminal activity for violating pipeline safety standards in a 2010 gas line explosion that killed eight people, injured many others, and caused widespread property damage. The company was also convicted of obstructing a subsequent federal investigation … Continued
The federal agency that regulates oil and gas pipelines has proposed to fine one of the Williams companies $1.6 million dollars for its violations of federal regulations that caused an October 2015 explosion at a gas compressor stations in Louisiana. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s investigation revealed numerous violations of federal pipeline safety regulations in … Continued
In another example of the oil and gas industry’s lack of concern about safety and the consequences of its profit-making activities, Los Angeles County has been forced to sue Southern California Gas Company to compel the gas company to install and upgrade the safety shut-off valves on its wells. The suit arises from a massive … Continued
On May 11, 2016, the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 was signed into law and became effective immediately. The Act was passed overwhelmingly by Congress and creates a legal claim in federal court for theft or misappropriation of trade secrets. Most states have had trade secrets laws for years, but the federal law gives … Continued
An oilfield worker was killed on an oil rig near Midwest, Wyoming on July 14, 2016. According to the initial investigation, Dennis McCulloch fell 76 feet from a workover rig and died instantly. Mr. McCulloch was 28 years old at the time of his death and was a resident of Casper, Wyoming. He worked for … Continued
An oilfield worker was killed on an oil rig near Gillette, Wyoming on July 7, 2016. According to the initial investigation, the rig partially collapsed, crushing 26 year-old Joshua Adams. Mr. Adams was working for Basic Energy Services, a Texas company. The circumstances of the tragic death are still being investigated. As oil and gas drilling … Continued
A federal court jury in Ohio found that corporate giant DuPont’s dumping of chemicals into the Ohio River caused cancer in a man who lives near the river. The chemical, called ammonium perfluorooctanoate, is used in the manufacture of Dupont’s Teflon, Gore-Tex, and Stainmaster carpet products. Dupont denied that the chemicals caused cancer. However, the … Continued
Three Workers Burned and Two Killed in Separate Oilfield Tragedies Three workers were burned and one was killed when a wellsite operated by XTO Energy exploded, engulfing the rig and the workers in a devastating fire. The explosion occurred on June 18, 2016 at the XTO wellsite outside of Watford City, North Dakota. One of … Continued
Trademarks are registered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (called the USPTO) as well as by state trademark offices. A federal trademark registration gives a trademark owner stronger enforcement rights than does a state registration. However, federal law places certain limits on the types of words, phrases, or symbols that may be registered … Continued