Fracking Fluid Threatens Drinking Water Supplies in Greers Ferry Lake
Over the past few days, state authorties have investigated two separate incidents involving fracking fluids which have threatened Greers Ferry Lake. Greers Ferry Lake provides drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people in North Central Arkansas. Fishermen in Clinton, Arkansas reported barrels in Choctaw Creek, just miles upstream from Clinton’s drinking water intake. The Read More
Distracted Driving: A Deadly Epidemic with a Simple Solution
Of late it seems we are representing more and more citizens of Arkansas who are injured by distracted driving. Distracted driving is defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation as any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increases the Read More
State Agency Fines Chesapeake
On May 17, 2011, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection fined Chesapeake Energy over $1 million for incidents resulting in groundwater contamination and a tank fire. Unfortunately, this administrative action comes after private property groundwater supplies and land have been damaged. Incidents such as these are likely to become more prevalent in Arkansas as fracking Read More
Follow up to the Hidden Costs of Medical Malpractice Tort Reform
Yesterday I referenced an article by Joanne Doroshow examining Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports on potential health care “savings” if federal tort reform is enacted. The specific federal tort reform bill is entitled H.R. 5 and it may hit the floor of the House of Representatives in the next couple of weeks. If you want Read More
What Is in Fracking Fluid?
Representatives of federal, state, and local governments have taken measures over the last few years to require fracking fluid providers to disclose the contents of their fluids. Fracking fluids contain chemicals which are added to water in order to reduce friction, control viscosity, and improve gas flow. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to Read More
The Hidden Costs of Medical Malpractice Tort Reform
I recently ran across an interesting article by Joanne Doroshow with the Center for Justice and Democracy. She astutely notes that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report from October 2009 indicating that federal tort reform could reduce health care spending by 0.5 percent or $11 billion a year and the CBO report from March 2011 Read More
Football Helmet Study and Concussions
The AP and Sports Illustrated are reporting that Virginia Tech University has completed a comparative study of football helmet safety and concussion prevention. It is the first recent study that has been available to the public to analyze current model helmets comparatively and rate their ability to help prevent concussion. The ratings system was a Read More
Helpful Consumer Links Found On Website for Documentary Film “Hot Coffee”
HBO Documentary Films is set to release the documentary film “Hot Coffee” on June 27. The film presents a view of the attack by big business upon the civil justice system over the last 25 years. The website for the film has a “Take Action” tab which features many helpful internet resources for consumers. Here Read More
Landowners and Fracking in the Fayetteville Shale
Fayetteville Shale development has provided a valued economic benefit to Arkansas. However, as more and more drilling sites are constructed, serious health and environmental concerns are being realized. The fluids used to cause the fractures in the shale formation contain a variety of potentially harmful chemicals. These fluids can escape from a poorly constructed gas Read More
Frontline on Concussions and Brain Injury
The PBS show Frontline had a great story with an Arkansas focus on high school football and brain injury. Here is a link to frequently asked questions about concussions and brain injury taken from the Frontline website-https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/football-high/attention-players-parents-coaches/ The program and the issues that it addresses are thought provoking. The entire story can be found on Read More