News Digest 6-24-2022

 

West Virginia’s new appellate court to open July 1

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals is scheduled to open July 1. The state legislature created the court, which is located in a 12-story building in Charleston, earlier this year with the goal of relieving the burden on the West Virginia Supreme Court. The court will hear appeals including decisions or orders issued from the state’s Workers’ Compensation Office of Judges.  Herald-Dispatch

 

Washington AG says Supreme Court decision won’t hurt Hanford employees

Earlier this week the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against a 2018 state law that protected employees at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, a former nuclear weapons production site in southern Washington state. However, the state’s attorney general says an updated law passed earlier this year remains in place, so thousands of employees at can still be compensated for their work-related health issues. Around 10,000 employees are involved in cleaning up nuclear waste that was left behind at the site. Fox 13 Seattle

 

Scammers steal $317K from Baltimore workers’ compensation program

Baltimore’s inspector general on Tuesday reported that out-of-state scammers stole more than $317,000 from a Baltimore bank account used to pay city employees’ workers’ compensation insurance. The city recovered most of the funds but ultimately lost more than $26,000. In total, investigators found 22 names associated with more than 350 fraudulent charges, but it is unclear whether up to 22 people were involved in the theft or one person created multiple accounts. Baltimore Sun

 

Oregon OSHA offers employers free resources on new wildfire smoke rule

Oregon OSHA adopted wildfire smoke and heat rules in May. As the rule addressing protections against potential exposure to wildfire smoke is set to take effect July 1, OR-OSHA is encouraging employers and employees to use new resources to help them understand and comply with the rule, including a wildfire smoke online course and a fact sheet about the key requirements of the new rule. KTVZ