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

NASA satellites show the California wildfires burning across the state. Photo courtesy of NASA.

  • Attorneys for a county in North Carolina filed a lawsuit against DuPont and Chemours, alleging the two companies poured toxic chemicals into the Cape Fear River.
  • Residents in one New York county hope a lawsuit they filed will force companies to stop storing hazardous waste in their cities.
  • The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is up for renewal next month. The program has seen declining interest as a backlog of applications means potential investors are waiting years to be accepted.
  • TransCanada is looking to Alberta government officials to buy capacity in the company’s Keystone XL pipeline. The province had previously planned on buying capacity in another pipeline from the company before that project was canceled.
  • Hydraulic fracturing is set to begin again the United Kingdom. Fracking operations were stopped six years ago after earthquakes were reported near the fracking sites.
  • The proposed tax reform bill released by House Republicans could have a significant effect on the housing market.
  • California residents who lost their homes in the wildfires have some property tax relief, thanks to Proposition 13, which bases tax rates following a disaster on when a home was bought, not the current market value.
  • Residents in Spokane, Washington, will vote on Tuesday whether to fine companies that transport rail cars through the city with untreated oil or uncontained coal.
  • Homeowners in East Chicago filed a lawsuit against companies the EPA said are to blame for lead contamination on their properties.