-The Coast Guard on Tuesday proposed a higher cap on liability limits for oil spills that affect U.S. waters. Via FuelFix, the 15.6% increase is designed to keep maximum liability limits in line with inflation. The limits would apply to spills from deepwater ports, offshore vessels and onshore facilities.
-Meanwhile, approximately 5,000 gallons of oil was spilled into the Ohio River Monday during a fuel oil transfer at a Duke Energy power plant in New Richmond, Ohio. Via the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Coast Guard shut a 15-mile stretch of the river to vessel traffic. Local water authorities shut down intake valves near the spill and drinking water was declared safe.
-A federal judge ruled that Enbridge could proceed with a pipeline that would carry crude oil from Illinois to Oklahoma. Via Bloomberg, environmental groups filed a lawsuit claiming federal authorities were obligated to conduct an environmental review of the pipeline under federal law. U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson disagreed on the grounds that the pipeline is being built on mostly private land.
-Texas contractors added 23,600 jobs to their payrolls during the 12 months ended July 31 — the most of any state except Florida, according to Associated General Contractors of America. As the San Antonio Business Journal notes, it’s a good sign for the construction industry in Texas, but contractors continue to struggle with labor shortages.
-U.S. chemical production grew by 0.4% in July, according to the American Chemistry Council. Chemical production increased year-over-year in all regions except the Gulf Coast.
