REGION

REGION

Car hauler strike won’t affect auto shipments

LORDSTOWN — Cars being assembled at the General Motors complex in Lordstown continue to be shipped to dealers despite a strike against a car hauling company, said Chris Lee, a GM spokesman. He said GM doesn’t discuss relationships with suppliers so he couldn’t comment about how the cars are being moved or how many normally are hauled by Performance Transportation Services.

Teamsters began a nationwide strike Monday against the company, which is the No. 2 car hauler in the industry. Automakers have said shipments to dealers will not be affected.

Teamsters released a statement Wednesday that said they are willing to resume negotiations at any time. The Michigan-based company, which delivers 2.7 million vehicles a year, is operating under bankruptcy court protection. The two sides are at odds over court-approved pay cuts.

NATION

Homebuilders to pay fines for not controlling runoff

WASHINGTON — Four of the nation’s largest homebuilders have agreed to pay $4.3 million in fines for failing to control runoff at construction sites in 34 states and the District of Columbia, the Environmental Protection Agency and Justice Department announced Wednesday.

The four companies — Centex Corp. of Dallas, KB Home of Los Angeles, Pulte Homes Inc. of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and M.D.C. Holdings Inc. of Denver — also agreed to take steps above what is required by law to keep 1.2 billion pounds of sediment out of the nation’s waterways.

Rain can carry contaminants such as dirt, stucco, paint and other materials from construction sites into storm drains and nearby waterways, where the silt can clog fish gills, smother fish eggs and block sunlight from plants, the EPA said.

From Vindicator staff and wire reports