Owens Corning settles lawsuits

From the bOregonian. I love the last line, quoting Mark Riskedahl, the executive director of the Northwest Environmental Defense Center:

"This is a big, multinational company, and they should have known better."

See the Owens Corning web page at NEDC for more information.

School, groups benefit in Owens deal
Insulation - Rather than face federal fines, the company will spend on classrooms and renewable energy
Friday, June 09, 2006
MICHAEL MILSTEIN
The Oregonian

Portland Public Schools and alternative energy groups came out the unlikely winners Thursday after Owens Corning officially abandoned its attempt to use an ozone-damaging greenhouse gas at an insulation plant in Gresham.

The company faced possible fines after conservation groups filed a lawsuit accusing it of starting construction of the plant without a permit. Instead of fighting the case and risking the fines, the company settled with the groups by agreeing to spend $300,000 on a low-energy classroom at Portland's da Vinci Arts Middle School and other renewable energy initiatives.

The groups see the contributions as a positive outcome because they provide local benefits, while fines would have gone to the federal treasury, said Mark Riskedahl of the Northwest Environmental Defense Center.

"It's sort of a win-win for everybody," he said.

Ohio-based Owens Corning also agreed never to manufacture insulation in Oregon using the controversial gas HCFC-142b or others known to damage Earth's protective ozone layer ...