Hearst Castle, a trophy property

Hearst Castle, a trophy property, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Here are a few of the stories we have been following this week.

  • A Duke University professor believes he has a better way to measure coal ash in well water. The “forensic tracer” test is supposed to be more accurate than the tests that regulatory agencies are currently using, but it would require extensive review and approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency before being adopted for official use.
  • The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from Lehman Brothers Inc. over $4 billion of disputed assets awarded to Barclays PLC in 2008. The fight was based on a “clarification letter” that both companies agreed on during a rushed sale in September 2008 but Lehman’s bankruptcy judge never reviewed.