The U.S. Supreme Court eased the financial burden on some companies accused of contributing to contamination of industrial sites in a ruling that shifts millions of dollars in Superfund cleanup costs to taxpayers. The justices, voting 8-1, overturned a ruling ...

Tagged with: Burlington Northern Santa Fe environmental cleanup Shell Oil Co. Superfund U.S. Supreme Court Union Pacific

A lawsuit against Shell Oil Co. is being revived, and the federal judge who cussed at the plaintiff's attorney in court will not be hearing it. A panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday overturned Kansas City-based Senior District Judge Dean Whipple's dismissal of the lawsuit, ordered him to remove himself from the case and called for the case to be reassigned. A tussle over 58 documents culminated in a December 2006 discovery hearing at which Whipple sprinkled six epithets.Click here to continue reading and view an excerpt from the hearing.

Tagged with: Bobby Shepherd cussing judge Dean Whipple Lathrop & Gage Michael Melloy Shell Oil Co.