These are some of the stories we’ve been following this week.1024px-BarnettShaleDrilling-9323

  • U.S. shale oil and gas production has dipped significantly as oil prices have fallen. However, some experts believe the industry may have reached bottom and will begin increasing production again soon.
  • A hearing on the Duke Energy coal ash settlement was delayed so the utility and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality could continue negotiating fines levied against Duke Energy over its role in the coal ash spill.
  • A resident in East Chicago is suing the mayor and the city over high levels of lead and arsenic found around her home. The contamination is located around the West Calumet Housing Project, and officials are working to relocate residents.
  • In the first month since the “Brexit” vote, in which Great Britain voted to leave the European Union, house prices dipped only slightly. Some economists had expected a large drop following the vote.
  • Real estate agents in Fresno, California are warning clients that the area’s water is possibly contaminated. Residents are worried the potential contamination will hurt their chances of selling their homes in the future.