Posts Tagged ‘ NY ’

Fracking and Flammable Tap Water? NY Says Hell No…for now

December 16th, 2010. By LucyC

New York Governor David Paterson no doubt made New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg a very happy man recently, when he signed an executive order halting the controversial natural gas drilling process called hydraulic fracturing—or fracking—in the state until July 1, 2011.

The fracking process is controversial to say the least because it may be associated with harmful effects on the environment, specifically underground drinking water. Folks in the eastern states of New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are particularly concerned because they sit on shale formations such as the Marcellus Formation, which are estimated to contain trillions of cubic feet of natural gas.

The governor signed the order to stop horizontal fracking in New York state on Saturday. The ban will remain in place until the state Department of Environmental Conservation completes a comprehensive review to determine what, if any dangers are associated with this process.

But the folks who live in areas where hydraulic fracking is taking place—areas such as the Delaware River Basin in Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, claim they are Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: fracking, hydraulic fracking, hydraulic fracturing, hydraulic-fracturing-water-contamination-epa-fracking-hydrofracking, NY
Posted in Emerging Issues, Environment | 6082No Comments »2010-12-16+19%3A35%3A20LucyC

Week Adjourned: 3.26.10

March 26th, 2010. By LucyC

Top Class Actions

One Percent Solution? Wasn’t it about this time last year when the big bank bailouts were front page news? You know, billions of tax payers’ dollars forked over to some of the biggest lending institutions in the country to help stave off complete economic obliteration stemming from bad lending practices and resulting mortgage foreclosures?

Well, sadly, and the cynic in me says predictably, it seems the bailout bucks may not be reaching their intended destination. Washington homeowners are suing Bank of America claiming the lending giant is intentionally withholding government funds intended to save homeowners from foreclosure.

The lawsuit claims that Bank of America systematically slows or thwarts Washington homeowners’ access to Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds by ignoring homeowners’ requests to make reasonable mortgage adjustments or other alternative solutions that would prevent homes from being foreclosed.

FYI—Bank of America accepted more than $25 billion in government bailout money financed by taxpayer dollars purposely to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. Apparently, one in eight Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Bank of America, Foreclosure, health insurance, Illinois, Mortgage, NY, strip search, WellPoint
Posted in Week Adjourned | 3179No Comments »Week+Adjourned%3A+3.26.102010-03-26+21%3A24%3A47LucyC

Cuomo’s Helping Hand to NY for Toyota Recall

February 24th, 2010. By AbiK

ny license plate loaner Cuomos Helping Hand to NY for Toyota Recall This just in…been affected by the Toyota recall mess and live in New York? NY State Attorney General Cuomo’s got your back—at least when it comes to making the process of getting your car repaired a bit easier.

According to nypost.com this morning, Toyota has agreed to guarantee New Yorkers who’ve been thrown into the recall mess the following:

Pick up of the vehicle at the owner’s home
Return the vehicle after it’s been repaired
Pay for out-of-pocket transportation costs
Offer drivers free rental cars during repairs

That’s good news especially considering the number of emails and comments we’ve received from Toyota drivers who are concerned about driving their cars–even to the dealership–until the repairs are made. Cuomo, himself, gave a nod to this very issue in his prepared statement:

“It is unacceptable that New York consumers should face additional burdens when dealing with a safety problem that is Toyota’s responsibility,” Cuomo said in a prepared statement obtained by the AP before a scheduled noon announcement. “New Yorkers who own recalled vehicles understandably may be reluctant to drive their cars and assume the risk of harm to themselves and others on the road.”

If you’re in NY and you’ve got a recalled Toyota sitting in your drive, there’s also a website that’s been set up to provide further information: nytoyotahelp.com.

Tags: Cuomo, NY, Toyota, toyota recall
Posted in Automotive, Defective Products, Emerging Issues | 2808No Comments »2010-02-24+19%3A32%3A57AbiK