Pipeline company is fined
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The U.S. government has fined Enbridge more than $1.8 million after accusing the Canadian oil transport company of missing deadlines for pipeline inspections following a gigantic oil spill in southwestern Michigan.
A federal court deal this week ended the latest legal skirmish resulting from what the Environmental Protection Agency describes as the costliest inland oil spill in U.S. history. Heavy crude from a ruptured pipe oozed into a creek feeding the Kalamazoo River in July 2010, a disaster compounded when Enbridge control center personnel in Canada misread alarms and boosted the flow. It took 17 hours for the company to realize what was happening.
Nearly 40 miles of the river, shorelines and wetlands were polluted. Cleanup lasted four years and cost Enbridge more than $1 billion.
The Calgary, Alberta-based company reached a $176 million consent decree with U.S. regulators in 2016 that required inspections of additional pipelines in Enbridge’s Lakehead network.
But the EPA and a thirdparty monitor working concluded that six inspections conducted last year did not meet the time frame under the settlement. Enbridge denied violating the agreement. The internal checks were finished and no safety concerns found, a spokesman said Thursday.
EEOC says store harassed Hispanics
SAN DIEGO — Federal officials say an Albertsons grocery store in San Diego subjected Hispanic employees to harassment and a hostile work environment by implementing a no-Spanish language policy.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging store managers publicly reprimanded Hispanic employees caught speaking Spanish.
An email seeking comment from Albertsons was not immediately returned.
Lawsuit is settled over ‘old white guys’
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Florida-based corporation that owns the Olive Garden restaurant chain has settled a lawsuit after one of its other chains allegedly told job candidates it doesn’t hire “old white guys.”
The Orlando Sentinel reported that Darden Restaurants agreed to pay nearly $2.9 million to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit against its Seasons 52 chain. In the settlement, Seasons 52 admits no liability and denies the allegations. It will have its hiring practices monitored for three years by an independent law firm.
Record exports slash trade deficit
WASHINGTON — Record exports trimmed the U.S. trade deficit in March for the first time in seven months. The Commerce Department says the trade gap slid to $49 billion, down from $57.7 billion in February and lowest since September.
President Donald Trump has vowed to bring down America’s massive deficits.
Gates gives millions to fight U.S. poverty
SEATTLE — The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation says it’ll spend $158 million combating U.S. poverty over the next four years.
The announcement Thursday comes as the foundation moves deeper into U.S. issues after largely focusing on global health and development. Critics have long challenged Gates to do more to help the poor at home.
Kirby to acquire Targa barge unit
Houston-based Kirby Corp., the country’s largest operator of tank barges, announced Thursday that it will acquire the inland marine tank barge business from Targa Resources Corp. for $69.3 million in cash.
This deal comes amid industry consolidation as marine transportation works to recover from a down cycle caused by overbuilding barge equipment during the shale boom.
Targa’s inland marine tank barge fleet consists of 16 pressure barges with a total capacity of 258,000 barrels. The deal is expected to close near the end of the second quarter.
“With the ongoing petrochemical build-out progressing along the U.S. Gulf Coast, these incremental barges will give Kirby additional capacity to meet our customers’ growing need,” said David Grzebinski, Kirby’s president and CEO.
In other news …
• Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said the average rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages slipped to 4.55 percent from 4.58 percent last week. The average rate on 15-year fixedrate loans ticked up to 4.03 percent from 4.02 percent.
• U.S. services companies grew at a slower pace in April compared with the prior month, as companies are reporting cost pressures from possible tariffs and a shortage of workers, the Institute for Supply Management says.