Firm to list 100 percent of frack fluid content
PITTSBURGH – A major supplier to the oil and gas industry says it will begin disclosing 100 percent of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing fluid, with no exemptions for trade secrets. The move by Baker Hughes of Houston is a shift for a major firm; it’s unclear if others will follow suit.
The oil and gas industry has said the chemicals used are disclosed at tens of thousands of wells, but environmental and health groups and government regulators say a loophole that allows companies to hide chemical “trade secrets” has been a major problem.
A statement on the Baker Hughes website said the company believes it’s possible to disclose 100 percent “of the chemical ingredients we use in hydraulic fracturing fluids without compromising our formulations,” to increase public trust.
City Council delays hot sauce plant decision
LOS ANGELES – A cooling-off period has been called in the fight between the makers of Sriracha hot sauce and the Southern California city that says its air is too spicy to bear.
The Irwindale City Council delayed a decision for two weeks Wednesday night on declaring the Sriracha plant a public nuisance.
About 100 supporters of the hot sauce, including Huy Fong Foods owner David Tran, rallied outside City Hall before the meeting.
Irwindale’s city attorney requested the delay, saying he’s in settlement talks with attorneys for the company, which has made the popular sauce since 1980. The Irwindale plant opened two years ago.
Ladies’ Home Journal’s subscriptions ending
Meredith Corp. is ending subscription service for Ladies’ Home Journal, one of the nation’s oldest women’s magazines, due to declining advertiser interest.
The magazine, launched in 1883, remains popular today with a circulation of 3.2 million, according to Meredith. But with a median reader age of 57, it faces tough competition for advertisers amid a sea of other women’s magazines that appeal to a broader demographic. The magazine’s advertising pages fell nearly 17 percent last year.