The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "building regulations" ...
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Blood Ivory: Ivory Worship
At a time when the elephant is under siege and the world's media and NGOs have long focused attention on poaching in Africa, Bryan Christy went after ivory’s demand side. He spent nearly three years building a groundbreaking investigation into this crucial but poorly understood aspect of the illegal ivory trade. Using court records, official documentation, law enforcement sources, and reporting across five continents, Christy identified, for the first time, that religion plays a huge and ruinous role in the sale and purchase of illegal ivory; that China's government is driving the world's ivory market, has manipulated attempts to control it, and has plans to expand; and that the statistical model used by global regulators to make ivory trade policy decisions is insufficient and has been exploited.
Tags: elephant; ivory; ivory trade
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Las Vegas Construction Deaths
Workers had been dying at a rate of one every six weeks -- 12 deaths in 18 months -- until contractors made sweeping safety improvements after the Las Vegas Sun revealed that poor safety practices and lax oversight by state regulators had contributed to the fatalities. Before the story, construction safety had been a non-issue in Las Vegas. The deaths were considered the cost of doing business in a $32 billion building boom, the biggest in Las Vegas history. High-rise construction is dangerous, authorities said. Contractors and state regulators blamed many of the accidents on the dead workers themselves. This investigation found those arguments were "plainly wrong."
Tags: Occupational Safety and Health Administration; Las Vegas; construction work; worker deaths; property; contractors; Nevada state regulations
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Toxic Traces Revisted
The first story in the series shows that the Minnesota Dept. of Health knew about the contaminated drinking water in the Twin Cities almost a year before releasing the information to the public. The second story reported that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency ignored the fact that perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) in the soil near the 3M Company building were spilling into the Mississippi River and ground water. Last in the series, MPR News reported on how pressure from the public drove the investigation in regulating the flow of PFCs into the city's water.
Tags: contamination; Minneapolis; St. Paul; PFBA
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The Loudoun Network
"In Loudoun County one of the nation's fastest-growing counties, local officials who routinely voted on billion-dollar building projects worked closely with the developers they regulated."
Tags: land development; Loudoun; building; Planning commission; government; county;
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City Hall's Sway over Bridgeport Development
"Allegations that Mayor Richard Daley's friends controlled development in the mayor's native Bridgeport on Chicago's South Side have swirled below the surface for ears. The reporters pierced that veil of secrecy and provided a rare look into how the politically connected benefited from the city's building book at the expense of homeowners and taxpayers." The reporters looked into how insider dealing and lax regulations lead to poor construction jobs and how many people benefit from their personal connections in the Mayor's office.
Tags: city government; housing; development; construction; building permits
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Asbestos Woes
Since 2001 the average of asbestos violations against Maryland schools has risen. "Schools across Maryland have not been following the rules regarding paperwork keeping track of asbestos in their buildings."
Tags: asbestos; EPA; environment; regulations; schools; education system
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The (non) enforcers
The Unified Development Ordinance in Ashville, North Carolina was meant to put regulations on local building and development. Yet, enforcement has been "lax or nonexistent."
Tags: Unified Development Ordinance; zoning; palling; building
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Foreclosing on the American Dream
"Colorado leads a national wave of foreclosures that is leaving neighborhoods blighted and forcing many homeowners into financial ruin. The Denver Post examined why the state's foreclosure rate leads the nation and how it is affecting Coloradans, their communities and the economy. Aggressive building and lending practices, lax regulation and a high rate of mortgage fraud, among other factors, are pushing thousands of homeowners into foreclosure."
Tags: forecolsure; homes; Colorado; fraud; building regulations; lending; mortgage
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Housing Headaches
Since the balcony collapses of 2003 in Chicago, building codes and regulations have had to change because of the resulting deaths. The student rental properties' landlords are not maintaining the property or inspecting them every three years as they should.
Tags: student housing; rental; housing code; property damage; safety
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Falling Apart/Licensed, Bonded, Unaccountable
The Oregonian revealed that new residential structures across the Northwest are suffering sometimes catastrophic damage from moisture not just due to poor workmanship, but also to shoddy construction, trouble-prone building materials, inappropriate design and unanticipated complications caused by energy efficient building codes. The stories detail the financial and emotional impact on homeowners, how their dispute with builders has clogged the legal system and how builders have turned to the Legislature for protection from a rash of litigation. In addition, the investigation reveals that the Oregon Construction Contractors Board, the state agency charged with protecting consumers from bad contractors, has allowed builders with histories of incompetence, insolvency and unethical behavior to continue building, without notifying consumers of the dangers.
Tags: CAR; Oregon Construction Contractors Board; Northwest; Portland; construction defect litigation; builders; Oregon Legislature; Construction Claims Task Force; regulation