Monthly Archives: <span>October 2017</span>

Surge in Drone Safety Reports Prompts FAA ‘Emergency’ Action

Reports of safety incidents involving civilian drones have surged to an average of 250 a month, leading to a federal “emergency” action to approve drone flights in restricted areas, according to a government notice seeking new procedures for the craft. …

Smooth Sailing for a Pollution Exclusion?

The question of whether carbon monoxide constitutes a pollutant for purposes of a standard policy pollution exclusion has been mixed among the courts. Whether carbon monoxide constitutes pollution is jurisdiction-specific and depends on whether the jurisdiction adopts a traditional or …

Safety a Focus for Oklahoma Wind Turbine Maintenance Workers

For Kalon Moore and Jackson Rollins, it’s a sight they never tire of. Just about every day on the job, the two look out at the Oklahoma landscape in every direction for miles, several hundred feet atop a wind turbine. …

Trump Nominates AccuWeather CEO to Head US Weather Agency

President Donald Trump has nominated the CEO of a private weather company to head the government agency that oversees the National Weather Service, an organization the nominee has at times clashed with. Barry Myers, who runs the pioneering weather firm …

Poll Finds Americans Blame Wild Weather on Global Warming

After hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria blitzed the nation, most Americans think weather disasters are getting more severe and see global warming’s fingerprints. A new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 68 percent of …

House Passes $36.5B Hurricane, Wildfire Relief Aid

The House backed President Donald Trump’s request for billions more in disaster aid, $16 billion to pay flood insurance claims and emergency funding to help the cash-strapped government of Puerto Rico stay afloat. Thursday’s hurricane aid package totals $36.5 billion …

California Clears Way for Self-Driving Cars

California regulators took an important step Wednesday to clear the road for everyday people to get self-driving cars. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles published proposed rules that would govern the technology within California, where for several years manufacturers have …

Meteorology Professor Studies Tornado Fingerprints

Less than a decade ago, Victor Gensini was a student at Northern Illinois University studying meteorology. After earning a bachelor’s degree in meteorology and a master’s degree in geography at NIU, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia …

Report Says Key Changes Needed to Prevent Oil Rail Disasters

A scientific organization on Wednesday called for more frequent and better inspections of freight railroad tracks to prevent potentially catastrophic oil and ethanol train crashes. A report by the National Academies of Sciences also urged better training for emergency workers …

FAA Drone Panel Can’t Agree on Need for Security Measures

A panel of industry and law enforcement officials couldn’t agree on how civilian drones should be tracked by authorities, adding uncertainty to the push for expanded commercial uses. The advisory committee, established earlier this year by the Federal Aviation Administration, …