GULFPORT, Miss. -- A federal judge on Aug. 30 rejected Mississippi residents' claims that coal, oil and chemical companies were liable for greenhouse gas emissions, which allegedly led to an increase in powerful hurricanes in the region, including Hurricane Katrina (Ned Comer, et al. v. Murphy Oil USA Inc., et al., No. 05-CV-436LG, S.D. Miss., Southern Div.). From Mealey's Pollution Liability Report