Weekly News Roundup for March 11, 2016

These are some of the stories we’ve been following this week.

Drinking water, courtesy of darwin Bell, CC BY 2.0.

• Michigan Governor Rick Snyder recently signed the $30 million Flint Water Relief Bill to assist Flint residents with water bill debt for water they couldn’t safely use. City officials have had to suspend water bills for Flint residents until credits and adjusted balances can be finalized.

• Activist Erin Brockovich and the Weitz & Luxenberg law firm have filed a federal class action lawsuit against two companies on behalf of residents in Hoosick Falls, NY, after discovering that the community’s drinking water was contaminated. The team is also investigating other cities in Vermont and New Hampshire that could be affected by water contamination.

• As many communities struggle with housing affordability, inclusionary zoning laws are becoming a popular means for cities trying to increase the number of affordable housing units.

• Louisiana’s First Circuit Court of Appeal recently ruled that local governments can’t use zoning regulations to stop fracking operations. For now, only the state can regulate oil and gas production in Louisiana.

• A bankruptcy judge’s ruling that Sabine Oil & Gas can reject midstream contracts with two gas-gathering pipeline companies has only created more uncertainty in the oil and gas industry and among investors. Still at issue is whether the gas reserve “acreage dedications” typically included in such contracts were actually real property transactions that run with the land.

• While the global economy may be rocky, trophy properties are still in demand with high-net-worth individuals all over the world.

• The housing market in Australia is booming. Some homeowners have seen their property values nearly double in recent years.

• Banks and real estate agents are encouraging homebuyers in New Zealand to have homes tested for methamphetamine residue as part of their due diligence before finalizing a purchase. Meth contamination can cause issues long after production of the drug has ceased, and as many as 18% of homes tested show some meth contamination.

• The Catholic Church in Texas is teaching people about the dangers of predatory lending and advocating for legislative reform and better education in personal finance.

• Residents of Portland, Oregon, have filed a class action lawsuit against a glass company, claiming that the company’s practice of burning heavy metals in furnaces lacking pollution controls was negligent and reckless.