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

  • An Alabama man filed a lawsuit against a local landfill, alleging that the landfill’s poor construction is allowing sediment to flow onto his property.
  • Residents in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, are worried about the environmental risks if city officials move forward with a plan to have fly ash shipped to a nearby site for storage.
  • New Zealand lawmakers are considering a special tax on properties that would benefit from the construction of a new rail line.
  • The Washington Senate approved a one-time property tax cut that would reduce property taxes 30 cents for every $1,000 of assessed value.
  • Voters in school districts across Oklahoma could soon be deciding on whether to use property tax revenue to pay for teacher salaries. The bill, which passed the Senate, would allow individual school districts to use the revenue for a wider range of expenses beyond the normal scope.
  • The United States is enjoying an oil producing boom, and one of the main reasons for the jump in production is the implementation of technology bringing down the cost of producing oil and gas.
  • A new report found that drivers for Uber and Lyft are earning far less than the $15 minimum wage established in Seattle. However, because the drivers are categorized as independent contractors, they are not covered by minimum wage laws.
  • The developer of a 12-story hotel filed for bankruptcy to stop foreclosure procedures. The filing means that investors who applied for permanent residency through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program could lose their eligibility if the project is not completed.
  • Oil transportation through Washington state could soon be safer, thanks to a new bill passed by the legislature. The bill would fund spill response actions and look at how to reduce the risk of spills in Puget Sound.